Re-Interpretation” of Redevelopment Plan Jeopardizes 200+ Historic Properties by Robert W
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Hollywood Heritage is a non- profit organization dedicated to preservation of the historic built environment in Hollywood and to education about the early film industry and the role its pioneers played in shaping September 2006 www.hollywoodheritage.org Volume 25, Number 2 Hollywood’s history. Preservation Updates City “Re-Interpretation” of Redevelopment Plan Jeopardizes 200+ Historic Properties by Robert W. Nudelman The MND is used to avoid a more of the structures for an amount of 000-6012 Carlton Way: In a costly, time consuming, and detailed time that no one seems to remember 6continuing series of illegal miti- Environmental Impact Report (EIR). now. All of the FEMA support and gated negative declarations (MND) The MND, in essence, says that there national significance was ignored in issued in Hollywood by the city, this are negative impacts, but that they the MND. Instead, another bogus report was commissioned by the owner to say that the previous reports, adopted by the CRA and the LA City Council, as part of the CEQA approvals of the Hollywood Redevelopment Project, were now wrong. No such process for this claim of fraud by the developer against the city’s reports exists under CEQA or the Redevelopment Plan. In fact, it clearly spells out the pro- cedure which is required in a de-des- ignation process including an EIR. City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo has determined that he can have a “dif- ferent interpretation” of the Redevel- opment Plans’ protection of over 200 buildings, as one of his attorneys told Hollywood Heritage. Through this newly created loop One of the Carlton Way homes endangered by illegal demolition. photo by Marc Wanamaker hole, MNDs pass one way, and most group of 4 Craftsman style houses can be mitigated and an EIR is not assuredly, campaign contributions (built between 1909 and 1915) and required. What triggered the review pass the other. Hollywood Heritage a 1915 2-story apartment building here was the Community Redevelop- continued on page were to be demolished for another ment Agency (CRA) reports in 1986 condominium project. The MND, and again in 2003 that gave historic part of a state mandated review of importance to these five structures. Part 1 of historic, or potentially historic, struc- Furthermore, after the 1994 North- Allan Ellenberger’s tures is required under the California ridge earthquake, FEMA gave his- Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). toric restoration funds to repair all 2 Part Biography This review is done for new projects five, due to their national historic of Gurdon Wattles. above a certain size or for demoli- significance. Additionally, use of Special Pull-Out Section tions as previously noted. those funds mandate the preservation President’s Message What’s Going On Around Here??!! www.hollywoodheritage.org by Kay Tornborg please read his important coverage BOARD OF DIRECTORS t is the steadfast position of of these issues and offer to write to Kay Tornborg IHollywood Heritage that laws Councilmen LaBonge and Garcetti. President (however flimsy) protect the many Please let them know that you sup- Libby Simon older structures along Hollywood port our position(s) on these issues. Vice President Blvd., and that developers and their We all want a ‘better’ Hollywood John Clifford ‘enablers’ cannot simply find ways but not at the expense of we for Secretary to sweep those laws aside in favor of whom older means better. Marian Gibbons replacing ‘old’ buildings with more Treasurer profitable condos, an effort which we see being made daily. Important Annual Keith Anderson It’s not the profit that we are op- Meeting Coming Nick Beck posed to. It is the destruction of less- Tyler Cassity tangible but no less real resources: Up November 21 Phil Dockter the inspiration, information, sense he Hollywood Heritage annual Aaron Epstein of community (and sometimes even Tmeetings are always interest- David Greim public safety) created by having ing and, dare we say it, fun! This Randy Haberkamp historic buildings co-exist with the year, the annual meeting will be George Kiel new and available to any passerby especially important as we look to Fran Offenhauser who wants to take the time to evalu- replace seven of our board members Jeffrey Rouze ate and learn from its appearance, who have served for 6 full years. Richard Rownak look into its history or perhaps draw Among those who will be “termed Andrew Schwartz inspiration for a poem, a painting, out” are some of the individuals who Arnold Schwartzman a novel, another building, or just have held important leadership roles Thaddeus Smith strength to persevere in a changing within Hollywood Heritage, seeing it Marc Wanamaker world. Historic buildings are special. through the most important rebuild- Valerie Yaros They have all these other attributes, ing of the organization. Those who Robert W. Nudelman besides just being a building. Of are to be replaced are: current presi- Preservation Issues Director course creative thinking has to be dent Kay Tornborg, who will con- Stephen Sylvester applied to adaptively re-use older tinue to work as the Special Projects Executive Director Jualita/Wattles Mansion structures! But context and a sense Director after leaving the board; cur- The Wattles Mansion of community cannot be brushed rent secretary John Clifford, who will 1824 N. Curson Ave., Hollywood, CA 90046 aside as unimportant just because continue in his dual roles of web- Randy Haberkamp they aren’t courses at Real Estate master and newsletter editor; current Silent Society Director College. The preservation of those vice president Libby Simon; Arnold Mary Sullivan values is why our community must Schwartzman; Philip Dockter, who Director of Membership Development take an active interest in what hap- has promised to continue helping out John Clifford pens to the built environment around at the Barn; and Tyler Cassity. Newsletter and Web Site Editor us...or we will wind up looking like While Hollywood Heritage will cer- Riyadh. tainly miss those who must leave, we Kay Tornborg So what’s happening around us? look forward to new board members Special Projects Director Admittedly, it can be bewildering. who will bring fresh blood to our or- Web site donated and maintained by GTS/TechBooks Our Director for Preservation Issues, ganization. The current board is meet- www.techbooks.com Robert W. Nudelman, is doing yeo- ing in early October to look at possible Printed by Nonstop Printing man’s work researching, evaluating, candidates for the board and for other 6140 Hollywood Blvd., assessing and arguing against the ways to improve the best preserva- Hollywood, CA 90028 demolition threats that arise almost tion group in the country. If you have Hollywood Heritage Newsletter is published DAILY. If you live in Hollywood, suggestions for candidates, please call by Hollywood Heritage, Inc., P.O. Box 2586, Hollywood, CA 90078 or even if you only CARE about it, Kay at (323)467-0287. (323) 874-4005. 2 Hollywood Heritage Newsletter | September 2006 Hollywood Heritage Museum Update by Robert W. Nudelman Other Hollywood Heritage mem- several items on display for their 80th esides 10-12 programs at the bers have generously donated anniversary tribute to Vitaphone. The Bmuseum each year, new exhibits important items to the museum exhibit has a number of rare items are constantly added to the collec- recently. Veronica Chavez donated on display and we highly recom- tion. The museum’s archives now an outstanding collection of rare mend that you make a visit to view number over 11,000 items, all on candy and chocolate boxes, as well these. The items are on view through a computer inventory system with as advertising materials from the December 3 during Academy screen- descriptions and photographs. These Pig ’n Whistle Restaurant. Famed ings, including Monday’s Oscar-Win- items are carefully stored in archi- author Tony Slide has donated nu- ning Documentaries series produced val containers. Our system is based merous books to our library, as well by Hollywood Heritage board mem- on the one used by the Smithsonian as to be sold in our gift shop. Jim ber Randy Haberkamp. Institution, and all 11,000 entries Craig of Chicago, gave an original Archive materials have been re- were cataloged by Amy Higgins over photo of the Egyptian Theater from cently used by KNBC-TV as they the past 3 years, in this on-going pro- the opening of Pal Joey (1957). Jim had no archives of their original gram. Displays are changed through- also donated a number of important Sunset and Vine studios. Archive out the year, with special displays 1920s-30s items from the Roosevelt materials have been used to help mounted on the nights of museum Hotel. Filamena D’Amore donated preserve the CBS/KNX studios programs (Evenings @ The Barn) to papers from her family’s famed Vil- building on Sunset Boulevard, as reflect the program that evening. la Capri Restaurant. Morris Everett well as the Spaghetti Factory build- The Hollywood Heritage Museum of Columbus, Ohio donated a large ing (KNX prior to 1938), the Los has had much support to make this collection of movie studio and dis- Feliz Brown Derby, and additional possible. As described last year, the tribution company letterheads from research for the on-going restoration Rigler-Deutsch Foundation made a the 1920s. These are but a few of the of Grauman’s Chinese Theater. challenge grant to the museum of items donated to our archives, with Current projects include creating $10,000 for acquisitions to be made others to be described in upcoming an exhibit on the history of the 1927 part of the archive as the “Rigler newsletters. Vine Street / KNX-CBS Radio / Collection.” This September, the The museum’s artifacts have been Huntington Hartford / James A.