The Over-Development of WeHo

ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, I ATTENDED A MEETING OF THE WEST HOLLYWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION, PRIMARILY TO STRENUOUSLY OBJECT TO THE DEMOLITION OF YET ANOTHER SINGLE FAMILY HOME (1021 NORTH OGDEN DRIVE) TO BE REPLACED, ONCE AGAIN, BY A CONDOMINIUM PROJECT WHICH WILL CONTAIN SEVEN UNITS !

I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF WEST HOLLYWOOD FOR 35 YEARS AS OF THIS PAST NOVEMBER. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, I HAVE WITNESSED THE CONTINUING DETERIORATION OF WHAT WAS ONCE A TRULY UNIQUE CITY BECOME A HORRIBLE ANALOGY TO NEW YORK CITY. TOO MANY BUILDINGS, BEAUTIFUL SINGLE FAMILY HOMES DEMOLISHED TO BE REPLACED BY, IN SO MANY INSTANCES, BY HORRIFIC CONDOMINIUMS. WHEN WILL IT STOP ?

WE HAVE NOW HAVE THE EDIFICES ARISING AT SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD AND LA BREA, LET ALONE THOSE AT LA BREA AND FOUNTAIN. PLUS THE "MIXED USED" STRUCTURES IN THE FORMER "MOVIE TOWN PLAZA" AND THOSE AT CRESCENT HEIGHTS AND SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD.

COUNCILMEMBER D’AMICO STATED IN A RECENT NEWSLETTER THAT THERE WILL BE AN ADDITIONAL ONE MILLION SQUARE FEET IN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE ADDED TO OUR CITY WITHIN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

THE 1000 BLOCK OF NORTH OGDEN, WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN PERMIT PARKING. BUT TO WHAT RESULT? TO ME, MORE VEHICLES TRYING TO PARK ON ALREADY OVER CONGESTED STREETS.

I DON’T THINK ANY OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE TO PARK ON THE STREET. I SUGGESTED THAT THEY TRY IT SOME TIME FOR AT LEAST A WEEK AND REALIZE THE HELL THEY ARE INFLICTING ON THE RESIDENTS.

STOP THIS OVER-DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PRECIOUS CITY. HOW MANY PEOPLE DO THEY OR THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL THINK THEY CAN CRAM INTO A MERE 1.9 SQUARE MILES?

AFTER MY COMMENTS AND THOSE OF OTHERS OPPOSED TO THIS PROJECT (WHICH ALL MET WITH APPLAUSE), THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS THEN DISCUSSED SAME. AS I RECALL, NOT ONE OF THEM ADDRESSED THE CONCERNS OF OVER-DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE CITY. I THINK WE ALL FELT THAT OUR CONCERNS WERE WITHOUT MERIT.

THEN PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBER JOHN ALTSCHUL EXPRESSED HIS VIEW THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE GRATEFUL FOR LIVING IN WEST HOLLYWOOD AND IF WE DID NOT, HE SUGGESTED WE MOVE TO NEBRASKA ! HE THEN WENT ON TO STATE THAT THE MOST RECENT CENSUS INDICATED THAT OUR POPULATION HAD DECREASED BY SOME 3,000 RESIDENTS ? REALLY ? ! THEN WHY THIS EXPLOSION OF ADDITIONAL HOUSING ? HE CONTRADICTED HIMSELF, IN MY VIEW AND THOSE OF OTHERS PRESENT.

MR. ALTSCHUL THEN MENTIONED, AS I RECALL, THAT HE HAD BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION FOR SOME 18 YEARS ! WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO MR. ALTSCHUL, I THINK IT MAY BE TIME FOR HIM TO "RETIRE" AND ALLOW SOMEONE ELSE "SIT IN HIS CHAIR." AND, IN RELATION TO THIS, I WAS EXTREMELY GRATIFIED THAT WE FINALLY PASSED TERM LIMITS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

IS THIS THE SUPREME COURT WITH LIFETIME APPOINTMENTS ? SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE WITH THESE COMMISSIONS AS REGARDS TERMS OF SERVICE. PERHAPS AN APPOINTMENT FOR EIGHT YEARS (AT THE MOST) WOULD BE QUITE REASONABLE.

THE MEMBERS, UNFORTUNATELY, BASED ON MY PARTICIPATION AND PRESENCE DURING THIS MEETING, ARE DOING THE "BIDDING" OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO APPOINT THEM.

I RECENTLY READ THAT A MERE 20% OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS CAST THEIR BALLOTS IN ANY ELECTION IN WEST HOLLYWOOD. THAT IS BEYOND APPALLING !

FURTHER, WHILE I AM AWARE OF OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS WHICH HAVE OPPOSED SIMILAR DEMOTION AND CONSTRUCTION, IT SEEMS THAT THESE GROUPS HAVE NOT BECOME UNIFIED IN THEIR RESOLVE TO JOIN FORCES TO ATTEMPT TO STOP SIMILAR SCENARIOS. IT SEEMS IT’S A "NIMBY" MENTALITY RATHER THAN A "NIMC" (NOT IN MY CITY).

I WONDER IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO INITIATE A RECALL ELECTION, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE ON THE CITY COUNCIL WHO ALMOST REPEATEDLY APPROVE OF OVER-DEVELOPMENT. THAT WOULD BE A WAKE UP CALL FOR THEM !

OBVIOUSLY, I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS MATTER. PERHAPS I AM "SPITTING IN THE WIND" BUT TIME WILL TELL WHAT THE CITIZENS OF WEST HOLLYWOOD WILL NO LONGER TOLERATE. TIME WILL TELL.

VERY TRULY YOURS...DAN MORIN