All Aboard the Historic Preservation and Neighborhood Council Hearing Wagon (and plug your ears, because it's gonna to get loud)
Gentle reader,
Greetings from your friendly historic Los Angeles sightseeing tour company, now offering digital programming until we can again organize groups to gather and explore the city we love.
It’s been a wild week in the spaces where Los Angeles politics and preservation meet. Buckle up and we’ll steer you through it.
Yesterday, the Cultural Heritage Heritage Commission (CHC) heard several highly charged landmark matters, starting with the second presentation by Netflix about their proposed changes to the Egyptian Theatre.
The city and state failed to prevent the streaming monolith from purchasing the Egyptian from the nonprofit American Cinematheque, even though the theater was gifted from the city for $1 as a community resource, and Netflix executive Ted Sarandos sits on their board. But because the Egyptian is a protected city landmark, any work on the building still must be approved by the CHC after open public hearings.
And concerned citizens had plenty to say… about inappropriate LED signage and loss of American Cinematheque branding, proposed removal of the beloved courtyard palm trees and potential damage to the theater’s acoustics. The most worrying complaints came from members of the film community, warning that Netflix’ plan to destroy the jewel box Spielberg screening room would effectively kill small festivals like LA Filmforum.
Even though the Spielberg isn’t one of the historic resources that the CHC oversees, Commissioner Barry Molifsky was also concerned, and asked Netflix if they would consider turning one of the vacant storefronts into a small film venue. Absolutely not—they need this space for their catering kitchen, and have no interest in changing the historic use from Mercantile (catering is retail now?).
The Commissioners didn’t push harder, but there’s only so much they can do. However, this is something that Councilman Mitch O’Farrell could lobby Netflix to accommodate, assuming he cared. Drop him a line if you care, too.
One highly visible proposed change on the Hollywood Boulevard facade would be to repaint the neon blade sign from lapis lazuli blue to Netflix red. We had to laugh after the Netflix rep claimed that the change to red was doubly auspicious, because it both helped with corporate branding and represented the ancient Egyptian symbol of protection.
But when after doing some cursory research into ancient Egyptian color meanings, we discovered that red (desher) is more commonly associated with negative forces including chaos, violence, fire, blood. So basically, a perfect symbolic representation of Netflix’ brutal takeover of the Egyptian!
Other matters discussed and decided in the all-day session: landmark nominations for Wilmington’s Granada Theatre and the ancient street trees at North Hollywood High School and on March Avenue, a bitter battle between community members and new owners Harvard-Westlake School over the Weddington Golf and Tennis Club, and the city-owned, yet development threatened, Watts Happening Cultural Center.
The Commissioners ultimately sent every single item on to City Council for landmark consideration, but much blood was shed along the way. We are so proud of the engaged Angelenos who stick with these grueling meetings, learn the issues and speak out to help protect the places that matter. And we appreciate the CHC for running a professional meeting, giving everyone time to be heard, and asking the right questions. We very much hope that something more can happen at the Egyptian Theatre than just giving Netflix a marquee space to hold red carpet events. They’ll be back with future plans, and the public will again be able to critique them, so stay tuned.
On Wednesday, after several false starts due to Brown Act violations, the Cultural Affairs Commission revisited starting in on Jose Huizar’s choice for a Pershing Square redesign—a project that lacks funding and popular support. Although the Commissioners were skeptical in past meetings, this time they voted to allocate $24 Million for somewhat mysterious work. But in a small victory, after artist Barbara McCarren called in to complain she’d received no notice about the proposal to destroy her Pershing Square sculptural installation HeyDay (1994), Cultural Affairs staff and commissioners promised to enter into a dialogue with her. We’ll be following up on this. You can hear Barbara talk about HeyDay in our recent John Fante webinar. And our rundown of the hearing, including video of Richard and Barbara’s comments, and Commissioner Eric Paquette’s snotty remark to Richard, can be found here.
And on Tuesday night, in a contentious Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council meeting, Patti Berman was ousted from DLANC’s Presidency, a position she's held since 2010. Here’s video of the historic vote count.
While it’s easy to overlook what goes on in L.A.’s 99 neighborhood councils, this moment was a long time coming for Downtown, and for us personally. Patti was involved in whitewashing her predecessor Russell Brown's sabotage of the Art Walk nonprofit, which we documented in blog form after she made our ethics complaint disappear.
The backstory is that in 2009, we agreed to take over volunteer management of the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk, a monthly event that was growing exponentially and bringing huge crowds to galleries, restaurants and retail shops, and supporting a booming community of pop-up artisans. Many creative Angelenos paid their rent from this one night. We felt we had to get involved when the gallerist who ran Art Walk threatened to shut it down, because the alternative was an end to something extraordinary.
We had been hosting a free Art Walk shuttle called The Hippodrome, initially on a city DASH bus, later on a psychedelic school bus. Musicians, magicians and carnies performed in a rolling salon named for one of the great early Main Street theaters, while we shared historical lore with Art Walk attendees. We launched a free walking tour program and salon series, and moved the official starting point to Clifton’s Cafeteria, which stayed open late for the occasion. It was a blast.
But soon after we took over Art Walk and registered it as a nonprofit, something weird happened. Russell Brown, who was then President of DLANC and Executive Director of the Historic Downtown Business Improvement District, began defaming us to the gallery owners, press and Art Walk board. He constantly smeared the quality of our (volunteer) work, which drove us nuts, because we're highly skilled perfectionists who were knocking ourselves out. (Having lived through the last four years, we have a fresh understanding of the political gaslighting to which we were subjected.) We were forced out, but Russell's behavior led to his removal, too.
We know why we worked so hard for free: we love Los Angeles. We wondered why DLANC's presidents did, though. What did they get out of it? Who pulled their strings? A hint is that for years, Russell Brown and then Patti Berman ensured that DLANC was Jose Huizar's Downtown Los Angeles land use rubber stamp.
We don’t know what’s possible for the new DLANC, which fought like weasels in a pillowcase through their first board meeting. But removing someone from power who enabled Huizar’s land use corruption and apparently helped stifle creation of a Skid Row Neighborhood Council is worth noting. Good luck, Downtown and DLANC—you sure need it!
We hope you’ll join us on Saturday at noon for The Wonders and Weirdness of Wilshire Boulevard. This is a virtual jaunt down the loveliest boulevard in town, as we dig into strange crimes and gorgeous buildings, city planning, historic preservation and the unexpected surprises to be found along this ancient transit corridor. We’ll take you inside Bullocks Wilshire, Wilshire Tower / Silverwood’s, Farmers Insurance and Millard Sheets’ Scottish Rite Temple, and pay our respects to the late, great LACMA. For more info, or to reserve your spot, click here.
On Saturday, April 24, it’s A Downtown Los Angeles Lovers’ Treasure Hunt. This time, you’ll come with us on a virtual stroll through the historic heart of the city, as we show off some favorite discoveries made through archival research, urban exploration and picking the brains of colorful old timers. Even if you know Downtown L.A. like the back of your own hand, we think you’ll hear some things that are brand new, so join us, do!
And just added for Saturday, May 1 is a very special 107th anniversary program, The Rough Road to Llano del Rio, L.A.’s Utopian Colony in the Antelope Valley. For this virtual excursion to where dreamers settled the high desert, we’ll be joined by Llano expert (and neon sign maker extraordinaire) Paul Greenstein and Los Angeles legal historian Bob Wolfe to explore a fascinating era in Los Angeles cultural history, and how the bombing of the Los Angeles Times building tilted the scales against electing a Socialist mayor, but opened up a whole world of potential on the back side of the Angeles Crest. Come discover the city that might have been, and a weird slice of paradise off the Pearblossom Highway.
Stay tuned as we roll out a new webinar program each Saturday. And remember if you can’t watch live or need to leave mid-stream, you can watch the recording for one full week. There’s still time to see The Crimes and Oddities of L.A.’s Sunset Boulevard through Saturday night.
These webinars are now available as On-Demand recordings: John Fante • Art Deco Leisure Suits • Paul R. Williams • Saving South L.A. Landmarks • Birth of Noir • Storybook Architecture • Dark Side of the West Side • Hotel Cecil • L.A. Historic Preservation, 1900s-1980s • Southern California’s Architecture of Death • Crawford’s Markets • John Bengtson’s Silent Film Locations • George Mann’s Vintage L.A. • Pershing Square • Cafeterias of Old L.A. • Programmatic Architecture • Angels Flight • Grand Central Market • Ohio River Valley • Bunker Hill • Charles Bukowski • Raymond Chandler • Black Dahlia • Dutch Chocolate Shop • Bradbury Building • Tunnels • L.A. Times Bombing and 13 Uncanny Crimes & Mysteries.
And we’d love to see you tomorrow at noon for The Wonders and Weirdness of Wilshire Boulevard.
yours for Los Angeles,
Kim & Richard
Esotouric
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AND WHAT'S THE NEXT TOUR? WHO KNOWS?!
We're dark until public health officials and we determine that groups can gather safely. But in addition to weekly webinar programs, we've got 138 episodes of the podcast You Can't Eat The Sunshine free to download for armchair explorers, and videos of the Downtown L.A. LAVA walking tours, plus Cranky Preservationist videos.
AND FINALLY, LINKS
New on the Felix the Cat sign lover's blog: Documenting the Partial Demolition of Felix Chevrolet (1921-2021), and what’s next?
Do you love this ivy clad 1929 restaurant and retail block at Melrose and Seward? Don't get too attached to its charm or small businesses: permits are being sought to rezone 6101 Melrose for a 68K SF increase to exceed maximum height requirements.
RIP to ArcLight & Pacific Theatres. This leaves the future of the Cinerama Dome and Vineland Drive-In in question, dims 300+ screens, and puts a bunch of folks out of work. And what about their white elephant, The Warner on Hollywood Boulevard? Concerned film lovers are petitioning the property owner/operator (Pacific Theaters) and major Hollywood players not to let the lights dim forever on the Cinerama Dome.
On April 18, one of the saved buildings on our Pereira in Peril watchlist holds an open house for the community. Hunt Library seeks public feedback on future programming by ArtsOC and Heritage Future. Lectures? Movies? Live Theater? Preservation workshops?
San Pedro Today asks why Los Angeles' Recreation and Parks Department has kept the Korean Bell and Cabrillo Beach Pier closed for a year, ignoring L.A. County directives. With no pier access, swimmers are at risk from fisherman casting in the surf.
In interesting recent Los Angeles public records requests: wonder how many LAPD officers retired, stepped down, and/or resigned in 2020? It's 282!
The Venice Heritage Foundation launches a fundraising campaign to restore a Pacific Electric Red Car trolley and create a museum of local history with a community stage (great idea!). You can chip in, volunteer or help spread the word.
What lies beneath UCLA's Arroyo Bridge? Landfill obscures its true form, but over the years, some intrepid explorers have found their way inside. Fun fact: the nascent Savage Republic made weird sounds down in the tunnels.
Burrito King (established 1968), beloved by Warren Zevon and countless Angelenos, is on the market. Such a perfect test case for a Los Angeles Legacy Business Registry program, ensuring an Echo Park treasure lives on.
Sharing a plea from the Bunker Hill Refrain project: If you or anyone you know has stories from living or working on Bunker Hill, we want to hear them! Send your photos and stories to bunkerhillrefrain@gmail.com, or tag them with #OurBunkerHill.
A little history lesson on those sinister Santa Ana winds... or is it Santana?
In the 1920s, Ernest Batchelder created widely popular tile designs at his factory on industrial Artesian Street in Lincoln Heights. Now, it's site of the biggest TikTok fueled pop-up street market in America. Angeleno creativity is the greatest!
Long Beach seeks $23 Million in missing deferred maintenance funds from the bankrupt Queen Mary operators, who face prison time in Singapore. Good luck with that.
April 20 at PLUM: a preservation battle for LA's soul, as the only surviving giant Chili Bowl comes up for landmarking, against a property owner suing the city for the right to demolish. You can still make written comment or call in.
When we eat in Little Tokyo, we almost always pick Suehiro, with its cozy booths, huge menu of Japanese comfort food, and the feeling that you're a member of the family. We're so sad to learn that founder Junko Suzuki died of COVID in her nursing home, and hope her son Kenji can find a way to keep this L.A. treasure alive.