User:AutumnCampz/sandbox

Beverly Hills, California

Transportation

There is a debate about why there isn’t efficient transportation leading into the city of Beverly Hills. There are two regularly used freeways that help the public get to their destination, and they are known as the 101 and the 405. Supposedly, there was going to be a freeway that served as an in between that would have been a much easier route to enter the city as well as other surrounding cities. This would have been known as the “Beverly Hills Freeway.” This freeway would have relieved less traffic, and would have allowed access to cities such as Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and Century City smoothly. However, the fact that this freeway would have disrupted wealthy neighborhoods was already an issue for many residents, and they wanted to rule out this decision. They feared that not only would it disrupt the neighborhoods, but also that property values may go down on their homes. The city of Beverly Hills had a huge advantage as they were able to hire their own consulting firms in order to determine the conclusions made by the state Division of Highways. Five firms were hired by the city during the process which includes; Wilbur Smith and Associates, De Leuw, Cather & Company, Harland Bartholomew and Associates, and Eisner-Stewart and Associates. Many developers in Century City and Beverly Hills supported this decision, but neighborhoods were still not in favor. It is believed that the upper class in Beverly Hills were able to buy their way out of the idea by hiring these firms, and since the project was poorly funded after years of preparation, the plans for the freeway had failed, leaving many residents satisfied.

Hidden Oil in Beverly Hills

The controversy about the hidden oil derricks around Los Angeles has lasted for many years, but some that many are concerned about lies within the city of Beverly Hills. This has become an issue, especially since there is an oil derrick placed right on the Beverly Hills High School campus. This oil derrick goes unnoticed due to its appeal. It is properly decorated and does its justice as a disguise. It did not appear alarming, therefore, it was not seen as a hazard to most. Even though it is well hidden, the oil derrick (which produces 400 barrels a day ) in the high school has caused many problems. Students have been reportedly becoming ill and lawsuits against it have been denied. Even nearby residents have claimed that the oil is polluting the drinking water and can cause cancer. However, the seriousness of these claims have been overlooked numerous amounts of times. It was not until late October 2016 where decisions were made about possibly removing the oil derrick from the campus. Venoco, which was the company leasing the oil well that was placed on the campus, had an order to remove the derrick by March of 2017. However, because the move is so costly, this process could take up to several years.

Purple Line Protest: The plans for the subway to run through the school has caused a protest amongst residents but primarily students who attend Beverly Hills High School. Even younger students of elementary school age were found protesting against the subway that could possibly cause damage to the school and harm to the students. The fear comes from the possibility that this form of transportation that will be running beneath the campus,  could spark a methane explosion since the soil is being studded with abandoned oil wells and pockets of methane gas. Even though the students fear this event happening, environmental analysts claim that this can be built without causing any harm to the students. There has been a debate about whether or not this was a student led protest, or perhaps they were persuaded to protest by the parents. The school required permission slips by the parents in order to allow students to participate in the protest, which they had no problem doing. Many teachers, district staff, and parents even supervised and organized the rally as well. Officials with the school district and the city have fought Metro in court over this decision for years, hoping that the project will no longer go into effect. After the long battles of stopping this project from happening, the plans are still in progress. The subway will be built in three phases and the hopes are that the project will be completed by the year 2026.