Los Feliz Ledger Read by 100,000+ Residents and Business Owners in Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Vol 12. No. 9 March 2017 Atwater Village, Echo Park & Hollywood Hills Steve Allen [CD13 ELECTION] Teardown Traffic: “City of Cars” Brings 3rd New By Allison B. Cohen, Development Andrew Davis & Sheila Lane By Juliet Bennett Rylah Los Angeles ranks as the Ledger Contributing Writer worst city in the world for get- A short stretch of Holly- ting stuck in traffic, according wood Boulevard near Barns- to a study released in February. dall Art Park is being planned Conducted by Inrix, a for three housing complexes. data firm out of Kirkland, Come this summer, the WA, the study revealed car- Center For Inquiry-Los An- driving Angelenos, on average, geles at 4773 Hollywood spent 104 hours last year stuck Blvd. and the Steve Allen in congestion. Next was Mos- Theater, which it houses, will cow at 91 hours and New York be torn down to make way City at 89. for what’s known as a “small Los Angeles City Coun- lot subdivision”—a series of cil District 13 (CD13), which detached townhouses built in runs from Elysian Valley to close proximity to one another Hollywood and from Atwa- on a single lot—joining con- ter Village to parts of Kore- troversial developments City atown, is home to some of the Lights and Olive Hill, both city’s most heavily traveled less than a mile away. and walked streets, like Santa Angelenos have been inundated with March 7th election mailers mostly for Measure S, a controversial Monica, Hollywood and Sun- Proposed for the site are ballot initiative that seeks to change the way city officials approve some housing developments. Lots of three buildings, a mix of tri- set boulevards and Western mail has also been received from Windsor Square resident, Mitchell Schwartz, who is running to unseat and Normandie avenues. plexes and multi-story single- Mayor Eric Garcetti. Photo: Allison B. Cohen. see THEATER page 19 see TRAFFIC page 4 Los Feliz L.A.’s Powerful Planning President New Restaurant Planned Getting By Sheila Lane, Ledger Contributing Writer for Skylight Books Building Brighter? At a time when An- gelenos are debating the Don’t worry, the bookstore isn’t closing By Erin Hickey merits of Measure S, By Erin Hickey, Ledger Contributing Writer Ledger Contributing Writer weighing the pros and cons of historic preser- LOS FELIZ—A new restaurant Theater sandwiched between LOS FELIZ—A brighter fu- vation and reeling over may soon come to Vermont them. ture may be in store for Hill- reports that suggest Avenue’s Skylight Village, the According to Los Ange- hurst and Vermont avenues, corruption in the city building that houses Skylight les Dept. of City Planning thanks to a street lighting approvals of some devel- Books’ two retail storefronts, records, restaurateur Beau initiative put forth by the Los David Ambroz is president of the Los Angeles opments, the role of the and indie playhouse Skylight Laughlin—the man behind Feliz Neighborhood Council City Planning Commission. Los Angeles Planning (LFNC)’s Public Works and Commission has come under Recently, when historic Neighborhood Beautification the microscope. status was up for a vote for Committee. The nine-member board, the Miracle Mile area, one The initiative, which is which is appointed by the commissioner was absent. An still in its early planning stag- mayor and confirmed by the initial 4-4 vote on the contro- es, is called “Brighten up the Los Angeles City Council, is versial proposal automatically Village!” and its goal is to il- a powerful stop along the way meant it was dead. luminate and create a sort to a developer getting a project Ambroz, who was in favor of “branding” in Los Feliz’s approved or denied. So too, of the Historic Preservation popular shopping and din- does the commission’s presi- Overlay Zone (HPOZ) pro- ing areas, according to Pub- dent, currently David Am- posal with boundary changes, The space behind Skylight where a proposed new restaurant would go, as pic- lic Works Committee Chair broz, wield a lot of influence, however, asked for a second tured in a 2012 real estate listing. Photo: Creative Asset Partners. see LIGHTING page 9 not immune to controversy. see AMBROZ page 10 see SKYLIGHT page 15 CD13: Street Level: Community News: Aborted Community News: Calendar: Hoping for a Run-Off, page 2 Locals Support Garcetti wheth- Freeway Continues Harming “Vermonica,” 15 years before L.A. Marathon time again, er coming or going, page 3 Neighborhood, page 11 LACMA’s, page 21 page 22 Los Feliz Ledger [CD 13 ENDORSEMENT] Of the many Five smart candidates are tanization of Los Angeles. things elect- running against O’Farrell— He also usually has a FOUNDED 2005 Available at these locations: ed officials in fact, they are so smart that slightly different nuanced take Delivered the last Thursday of Atwater Library each month to 34,500 homes and learned after at the only candidate forum on things. 3379 Glendale Blvd. businesses in the Los Feliz, the Novem- O’Farrell did attend (a pre- For instance, during a Bruce Q’s Barbershop & Salon Silver Lake, Atwater Village, ber election, requisite for city matching forum, when candidates were 3013 W. Los Feliz Blvd. Echo Park and Hollywood Hills Casita del Campo the biggest is not to take any- funds), more than a few in the asked if the Aliso Canyon communities. 1920 Hyperion Ave thing for granted—business audience opined how great it gas storage facility—which in Alcove & Big Bar as usual no longer applies. To would be if they could magi- 2015 leaked, sickening thou- 1933 Hillhurst Ave. 1929 Hillhurst Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90027 Courtney + Kurt Real Estate avoid public discourse may be cally morph into one person. sands and forcing the relo- (323) 741-0019 3167 Glendale Blvd. a well-worn page in the in- To that end, based on an cation of tens of thousands Dresden Restaurant cumbent’s political playbook, informal survey of those in the more—be reopened, Haines PUBLISHER/EDITOR 1760 N. Vermont Avenue but in today’s political climate audience that were undecided instead replied, reopening the Allison B. Cohen House of Pies 1869 N. Vermont ASSISTANT EDITORS it smacks of a lack of transpar- voters, O’Farrell lost the debate, facility is not the core issue. Los Feliz Public Library Sheila Lane ency and political elitism. but no one else really won. Instead he said: “We need to 1874 Hillhurst Avenue Erin Hickey The constituents of Los Sylvie Shain, David de la think about why those houses Los Feliz 3 Theaters 1822 N. Vermont Angeles City Council Dis- Torre, Bill Zide and Jessica were built there to begin with.” ADVERTISING SALES Libby Butler-Gluck Muddy Paws Coffee trict 13 deserve a robust con- Salans all bring something to O’Farrell has done some (323) 741-0019 3320 Sunset Blvd. versation about who will lead the table—including histo- good work since his election in [email protected] Newsstand them over the next 5 ½ years ries of effective leadership on 2013, including what he says is Vermont and Melbourne GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT Palermo in a time where the city is at a neighborhood councils and the addition of more than 1,200 Tiffany Sims 1858 N. Vermont crisis regarding homelessness, fighting for tenant’s rights— affordable units in the district. Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce 1724 W. Silver Lake Drive affordable housing and real but we’d like to see a run-off He also was recently endorsed For more stories Skylight Books estate development, much of between O’Farrell and East by the Los Angeles Times. and updates: 1818 N. Vermont which is occurring in incum- Hollywood activist Doug But that very endorse- LosFelizLedger.com The Village Bakery and Café bent Mitch O’Farrell’s district. Haines. ment, which essentially said 3119 Los Feliz Blvd. In fact, one could argue the Haines, who has been en- O’Farrell knows what’s best district—which spans from dorsed by former Los Ange- for the district over the con- Atwater Village to Hollywood les Mayor Richard Riordan, cerns of those that already and Elysian Valley to Kore- knows his way around city live there, begs the question: atown—is ground zero of ex- zoning code and City Hall, are public officials elected to All Welcome! actly what so many are talking having fought against what he represent their constituency about right now: how to grow and others have called inap- or some higher citywide ide- as a city but not lose the La La propriate and outsized devel- al? It’s a question we’d like Land mystique that separates opment in the district—what to hear both O’Farrell and Los Angeles from all others. some call Garcetti’s Manhat- Haines answer. 2017 ANNUAL SUMMER CAMP & SCHOOL PROGRAM GUIDE Fine Mexican Food MAR 7, 2017 Since 1962 AD RESERVATION DEADLINE Updated Menu MAR 30, 2017 New Vegan Section PAPER DELIVERY Weekend Champagne Brunch ADVERTISE NOW! Private Party Rooms Promote your summer camps, CONTACT school events and local business in our Libby Butler-Gluck at [email protected] April edition of the Los Feliz Ledger! or (323) 644-5536 for ad rates! Happy Hour Everyday 3-7pm “Casita Live!” Music Outdoor Patios Download Our New Pilates Metro App! 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