Missing Blinks!
A bizarre situation has developed involving a nationwide retail shopping center management company, Westwood Financial, based in west Los Angeles, and three freestanding Blink charging stations that they installed very recently at one of their small retail properties at the corner of Melrose Ave. and Vine St. (Rossmore to the south) in central Los Angeles, just south of Hollywood.
I got wind of this project, which according to Westwood Financial is planned for many of their retail shopping centers, by accident. So I drove past the Melrose Center location about two weekends ago and was jubilant to find three heretofore unknown EVSE installs in the property's smallish parking lot. (You can see a list of Westwood Financial's properties here: http://www.westfin.com/Properties" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false
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(I planned to insert a photo of the three stations here but haven't yet figured out how to do it on this forum - I will attach it later if someone gives me a quick tutorial - thanks!)
All of them were ICE'd at the time - there was no signage identifying the spaces as EVSE - but I noticed one of the ICE car's owners standing in front of the middle Blink pedestal studying it intently, and somewhat comically. It reminded me of the apes studying and genuflecting to the black monolith in "2001: A Space Odyssey." No ridicule intended here, it was just funny.) I told the driver what he was looking at and what it was for, and pointed out that I was driving an EV. He kindly offered to move his car so I could plug in. and I did. Charging confirmed - amazing and wonderful!
Delighted, I emailed many of the officers of Westwood Financial with a laudatory and congratulatory message, and asked them how and when they planned to publicize this project. I also included a pic of the three ICE'd stations and gently suggested that they should have signage to discourage non-EVs from parking there. After a couple of days, I got a reply, which I'm posting below:
On Jan 24, 2012, at 11:23 AM, Niamh Carvill <[email protected]> wrote:
Mr. Hebb, I am the property manager for this property on behalf of Westwood Financial and we are delighted that you have so immediately found and used these EV stations!
This is a large project that is still in progress on and in many of our properties. I will bring your comments and observations to the attention of the company . I will happily forward to you any information I get from them in regard to how the public will be/is being informed of these locations.
Westwood Financial takes pride in taking whatever steps we can to improve the environment for our tenants, their customers and the community at large. Thank you for taking the time to let us know your thoughts and suggestions!
Kind Regards,
Niamh
Niamh (Neev) Carvill
Westwood Financial Corp. | Commercial Property Manager
11440 San Vicente Boulevard, Ste 200 | Los Angeles, CA 90049
Office: 310.820.5443 | Fax: 310.207.5154
[email protected] | http://www.westfin.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
So far, so good.
Last Sunday I drove past Melrose Center again, as I live just a couple of miles away, with the thought of stopping for a top-off. Shockingly, all three Blink stations were gone - vanished! I mentally rubbed my eyes, pulled over and got out of the car to inspect carefully. The only evidence that they had ever been there were the filled boltholes in the asphalt. Unbelievable!
I then sent this email to Westwood Financial, and have yet to receive a reply:
Niamh,
I am shocked!
Yesterday I happened to drive past this property and glanced over to see no evidence of the three Blink charging stations that were certainly there less than two weeks ago. I was so flabbergasted that I pulled over, in disbelief, to be sure I was not hallucinating. The only vestige that remained indicating the three stations ever were there were filled-in bolt holes in the parking lot asphalt.
I can't imagine what would have happened to occasion Westwood Financial to remove the EVSE equipment there, less than two weeks after it was initially installed. I know, as a Leaf owner, that pulling the 240V electrical circuits and installing the freestanding charging pillars alone is quite costly, notwithstanding any costs for the equipment itself (although I understand there was assistance from the DOE).
Since we have exchanged correspondence on this project before, would you please be so kind as to enlighten me regarding this baffling reversal of direction?
My best guess is that the principals of Westwood Financial were not closely involved with the "company that is coordinating these installations" and my email came as something of an eye-opener to them. When they started thinking about it, someone may have realized that this location is probably not well-suited for three Blink pedestals, as the parking lot is quite small and inadequate for the traffic at this location to begin with. Perhaps one station would be appropriate, but even that would be difficult to "police" and prevent if from being constantly ICE'd. Of course, I would never look a gift horse in the mouth, but I may have inadvertently opened up a can of worms, and thereby lost our Leaf community a great charging location.
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/posting.php?mode=reply&f=24&t=323#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The good news is that Westwood Financial appears to be proceeding with installations at other properties they own.
In particular, I discovered and used one of their three Blink EVSE stations at Magnolia Blvd. and Vineland in North Hollywood. This location is far more suitable; the lot is spacious (there is a Ralph's grocery anchor and a fairly large strip mall) and the Blinks are located at one edge, away from the retail stores where visitors would not normally want to park. This spot is good for parking if you want to see a movie at the brand-new Laemmle theaters on Lankershim Blvd. in NoHo, as it's just a five-minute walk west on Magnolia Blvd.
If anyone lives near any of the other Westwood Financial properties, you may want to drive past and see if any new Blink EVSE stations are sprouting up, and let us know.
But please be careful what you say if you decide to contact Westwood Financial - it could have unintended consequences - blowback - that isn't welcome.
Tim
