Paramount Plans Continue to Concern Residents Homeless
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A newspaper for the 90,000 readers in Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, Windsor Square, Windsor Village, Vol 2. No. 6 Wilshire Park, Country Club Park, Lafayette Square, Oxford Square, Brookside, Mid-Wilshire and Koreatown June 20152016 Activist Group Homeless Count Sues City Is More than Over 27-Story Just Numbers “Skyscraper” By Erin Hickey Ledger Contributing Writer Mayor-Council Okays Project Over Other Homelessness is holding steady in Los Angeles City City Rejections Council District 4, while it By Sheila Lane has decreased nearly 20% in Ledger Contributing Writer Council District 10, according to results released in May from KOREATOWN—Fix the City, a citywide homeless count a community activist organi- conducted in January by Los zation, filed a lawsuit against Angeles Homeless Services the City of Los Angeles in Authority (LAHSA). April after the mayor and the Here’s how the numbers Los Angeles City Council ap- played out in the two districts. proved the construction of a 27-story building on South Council District 4 Catalina and 8th streets that There are 628 homeless was repeatedly rejected by the individuals, less than a 1% city’s planning commission. increase from a year ago, in- According to filings with dicating that while the city’s the city’s Dept. of City Plan- overall homeless population ning, the project is a mixed- Larchmont Charter School will graduate its first class of seniors this June. Seniors (from left) Denisse Say, Abigail Dolloso is growing, it is not within use building with 269 dwell- and Maya Gillett wear hats from colleges where they were accepted. Read our story online at larchmontledgerla.com. see HOMELESS page 5 ing units and 7,500 square feet for commercial use and is commonly known as the Catalina Tower or the Cata- Landlords Feeling Financial Paramount Plans Continue to lina Project. Squeeze of Retrofits Concern Residents If built, the project would By Erin Hickey, Ledger Contributing Writer By Sheila Lane, Ledger Contributing Writer require the demolition of three buildings containing 14 resi- LOS ANGELES—Owners of during seismic shaking unless HOLLYWOOD—After the re- “The reality is that [Par- dential units. more than 13,000 “soft-story” properly reinforced. lease of a final report outlining amount] does need to up- The project has a history apartment complexes and con- At issue is the cost of the the potential environmental date and there’s a substantial with the city dating to 2009 dos built before 1978 began repairs, estimated between impacts of Paramount Pic- amount of this construction when it was first rejected by receiving notices from the city $60,000 and $130,000, which tures’ plan to modernize its that they can and should do,” the planning commission. of Los Angeles in April, inform- building owners must foot facilities on Melrose Avenue, said D’Atri. “However at the At that time, the plan ing them their buildings would with no city assistance. some community members are same time…there are a couple called for the construction of likely require city-mandated ret- In January, the Los Ange- concerned by what they see as of egregious and unacceptable a 35-story building, but was rofits for earthquake safety. les City Council voted to allow problematic issues that remain features.” rejected due to its incompat- Soft-story buildings, also landlords to pass half the cost of in the plan despite their previ- The key features of the -fi ibility with the Wilshire Com- known as “dingbats,” gener- retrofits on to tenants, including ous protests. nal plan, which were identified munity Plan, which protects ally feature first floor parking those whose buildings are rent Most immediately im- by D’Atri as unacceptable in a single family and low-density underneath second-story apart- controlled, in the form of rent pacted by Paramount’s plans draft version of the report re- residential neighborhoods ments, supported by flimsy ga- increases up to $38 per month are residential areas directly leased last September, yet still from high-density develop- rage walls or a pair of poles. for a period of 10 years. adjacent to the studio, includ- remain, are the proposals to ment that’s incompatible with Popularized during the One local landlord, who ing Larchmont Village. construct a 15-story building, the area’s scale and character. city’s post World War II ex- asked not to be named, owns Charles D’Atri, the presi- to create an electronic signage In 2014, the Beverly pansion, these bastions of mid- a rent-controlled eight-unit dent of the Larchmont Vil- district and to display super- Hills developer, Mike Hakim century kitsch have become an apartment complex on S. Wil- lage Neighborhood Assoc. graphics—signs that cover of Colony Holdings returned iconic part of Los Angeles’ ar- ton Place. He said he estimates (LVNA) said he recognized multiple stories of a building. to the planning commission chitectural landscape. his retrofit costs will land in Paramount’s need to modern- An additional concern with a revised, 27-story ver- But, as the 1994 North- the $75,000 range. ize, but not at the cost of ma- of D’Atri’s was the potential sion of the project, where it ridge earthquake taught, The property owner said he terially changing the character traffic impacts in the neigh- was once again rejected. dingbats are also incredibly does plan to pass half of those of the surrounding neighbor- borhood. In the draft ver- see SKYSCRAPER page 12 dangerous, prone to collapse see RETROFIT page 11 hood. see PARAMOUNT page 13 Community News: Restaurant Review: Politics: Greater Wilshire NC Oxford Square: House & Holmes: Murals coming to Western Salt’s Cure offers big flavors, Election Results, An Appreciation of Front Too many keys, Avenue, page 7 page 14 Larchmontledgerla.com Porches, Larchmontledgerla.com Larchmontledgerla.com Larchmont Ledger [LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER] [father’S day] Time for Dear Ole Dad The city has a A city employee underestimat- Compiled by Michael Darling, Ledger Contributing Writer knack for ini- ed its costs by 500%. tiating ideas Former Los Angeles City Dodgers vs. Brewers Take dad out the world’s best chalk artists. Sun. June 19th, Brunch: 9 a.m. to 1 or projects Councilmember Tom LaBonge to the ballgame as the Dodgers Past years have featured chalk p.m.; Western Music Association take on Milwaukee’s best. Before work that’s humorous, beautiful Showcase: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. 4700 without hav- once indicated he expected a the game, enjoy the traditional and even photorealistic. Free. Western Heritage Way. Information: ing the fore- shortfall of funds for the proj- Sunday afternoon Viva Los Dodgers Around the Paseo Colorado theautry.org sight of how to pay for them. ect—perhaps he was aware its festivities and then take in a game Sat. June 18th to Sun. June 19th, One case in point, is when May- estimated price tag was so gross- of catch on the field when the 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 280 E Colorado Mad Scientist Mayhem Bond with or Eric Garcetti declared last ly misstated—and he would use game is over. Finally, dad’s dream Blvd, Pasadena. Information: your children with an afternoon of playing at Dodger Stadium can pasadenachalkfestival.com of weird science! The Kidspace year a state of emergency regard- Quimby Funds, money devel- sort of come true. Plus every father Museum will set up temporary ing the city’s increasing home- opers pay the city in exchange in attendance will receive a pair Autry Father’s Day Brunch: The laboratories where you can take less population, which was then for approval of some projects— of Dodgers Father’s Day boxer Autry celebrates with a special part in fun experiments. There will followed up a few months later to make up the shortfall. shorts. Tickets start at $35. Dodger frontier brunch, featuring hearty even be a robot petting zoo where Stadium, Sun. June 19th, 1:10 p.m. western fare like baby-back ribs you can meet new metallic friends. with, oh, by the way, we don’t Current councilmember 1000 Vin Scully Ave. Information: and chicken sausage. Additionally, Free with museum admission. have enough money to pay for it. David Ryu, through a spokes- dodgers.com families can pan for gold and Kidspace Children’s Museum, Regarding a much less person, says that is still a pos- hear music at the Western Music Sun. June 19th, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. critical issue, imagine my sur- sibility, but the city is hoping Pasadena Chalk Festival: A Association Showcase. Tickets to 480 N. Arroyo Blvd, Pasadena. Father’s Day Weekend tradition the Western Music Association Information: kidspacemuseum.org prise when I discovered this voters approve an expected for 24 years, the sidewalks near Showcase are free with museum month the city now says it county ballot measure this the Paseo Colorado will be admission. The Autry National Racing at Santa Anita: This Father’s does not have enough money November for funding green transformed into art by some of Center of the American West, Day, Santa Anita plays host to to fund the construction of a space and parks. the Honeymoon Stakes, a perfect opportunity for your dad to legally youth baseball field in Griffith I, for one, am voting no on bet on 3-year olds. Kids can play in Park, even though it has been any measure asking for more the family fun zone while dads can in protracted legal proceedings taxpayer dollars. If the city sneak off to the Bud Light Lounge since 2014. The reason the city can afford to launch a costly where they can enjoy discounted FOUNDED 2015 PUBLISHER/EDITOR drinks, an all you can eat buffet and has no money for the project? see PUBLISHER page 13 A newspaper for the 90,000 readers Allison B.