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VOLUME: LII
NUMBER 42
www.bhcourier.com
SINCE 1965
October 20, 2017
Beverly Hills City Council Votes For Extra Year In Office Without Discussion
THIS ISSUE
Eleven-month old Hefner is this issue’s Adoptable Pet of the Week. 4
Tim Lindsay will be honored for 21 years of service to Robinson Gardens. 5
Wanda Group’s Woes Mount With Athens, Gao, Golf All Out By Victoria Talbot The Athens Group Chief Operating Officer Jay Newman confirms Bloomberg reports that they have parted ways with the troubled Dalian Wanda Group on the One Beverly Hills development. “We are no longer involved,” said Newman, who declined to give details of the split. Wanda Beverly Hills Properties released the following statement: “Wanda is developing One Beverly Hills independently and looks for-
ward to successfully completing this iconic project.” The statement appears deliberately vague and did not address why the separation occurred, or who initiated it. Neither Wanda nor Athens would comment on the reasons for the split, or how it was executed, though both parties were given the opportunity to clarify the issues. “We brought the One Beverly Hills project to Wanda as their development partner,” Newman is (see ‘WANDA GROUP’ page 20)
Jeff Hyland was honored by the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art. 12 •Health & Wellness •Birthdays •Letters to the Editor
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Four Contiguous Parcels On North Canon Drive Offered For $100 Million
George Christy, Page 6 Queen Elizabeth II Described A Grim U.K. Year As “Horribilis Annis”, Which Applies To The United States Now With The Hurricanes, Floods, Earthquakes, Fires. Our Hearts Go Out To The Tragic Victims And Their Families.
CLASSIFIEDS
Gensler’s rendering for what could take over the Canon Drive property.
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By Victoria Talbot Four contiguous parcels on ritzy Canon Drive have hit the market at $100 million. The properties currently house Umberto Salon at 416 N. Canon Drive, which comprises 13,000 square feet of space, including 412-418 N. Canon Drive; Porto Via, at 424 N. Canon Drive, occupies 4,000 square feet, having expanded in 1999; Il Pastaio, the venerable Drago Brothers restaurant, also expanded recently and
has 4,000 square feet, as does its neighbor Shiki, featuring authentic Japanese seasonal cuisine. The listing materials includes a rendering designed by architecture firm Gensler, suggesting a 57,000square foot mixed-use commercial building to replace the current businesses. Famed Beverly Hills hair stylist Umberto Savone and his wife Babette own the properties, (see ‘CANON DRIVE’ page 20)
Shera Danese Archives
COPS, COFFEE AND CARS – Cops and car enthusiasts were out early, and they needed their coffee, as they scoped out new, classic, vintage and muscle cars, along with hot rods Saturday at the “Cops, Cars & Coffee” event hosted by the Beverly Hills Police Department. Pictured from left: Sgt. Eric Hyon, Lt. Elisabeth Albanese, Capt. Mark Miner, Mayor Lili Bosse, Chief Sandra Spagnoli, Sgt. Christopher Coulter, Shawn Maiten, Reserve Officer Michael Schwa and Capt. Lincoln Hoshino pose in front of a vintage 1972 AMC Matador police vehicle that is fully restored, owned by Barry Maiten.
By Victoria Talbot The Beverly Hills City Council approved the consent calendar on Tuesday’s agenda unanimously without pulling any items, including Item 7, which moves the date of the City’s General Municipal Election to award this council one extra year in office to comply with Senate Bill 415 (SB415). Awarding themselves the extra year increases the health benefits and pension liability for the City of Beverly Hills, giving pensions to councilmembers Lester Friedman and Robert Wunderlich, by adding a fifth year to the fouryear terms they were elected to serve. It also gives Wunderlich a term as mayor in his fifth year, which he would not have received as the lowest vote-getter in the March election. Councilmembers voted to create the ordinance for the extra year two weeks ago in a study session. SB415 aligns standalone municipal elections to coincide with statewide elections by November 2022. In that meeting, several options were presented that would satisfy the requirements. After a public comment by resident Judie Fenton, who ran the campaigns for Friedman and Vice Mayor Julian Gold, in which she alleged that it was “too confusing” for the voters to have both City Council and Board of Education on the same ballot, the City Council unanimously agreed that the elections could not be moved to November of even years. Fenton also said it would be more “fair” if Wunderlich became mayor with a fifth year. It is not clear what she meant by “fair,” since he was not the
top vote-getter. In addition, both Mayor Lili Bosse and Gold did not have an election in 2015 because there were no candidates to run against the wildlypopular Bosse. With the extra year, they will not have an election for nine years. The ordinance grants each member a five-year term. Alternatively, they could have served the four-year terms for which they were elected. The next two elections could then be for councilmembers who serve three-year terms, fulfilling the requirements of SB415. In that scenario, the March date and the integrity of a fouryear term would have been preserved, without adding extra unearned benefits. In addition, the voters and the candidates would have been informed of the shorter term for the next two elections. It was not offered as an option. While the decision has drawn the ire of many residents, comments made to the Courier confirm that several residents active in City affairs feel that going public with their opposition puts the delicate balance of their relationships, both personal and political, at risk of retaliation or creating “bad blood,” as one City commissioner, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, said. BHUSD Board of Education members also voted themselves an extra year to comply with SB415. But, said boardmember Lisa Korbatov, unlike City Council members, BHUSD offers no compensation, no health plans, pensions or stipends. The BHUSD Board does not have offices or staff. They have no district computers or phones. They serve at their own expense.
PETER AND SWEET BABY — Peter “Columbo” Falk and wife Shera Danese Falk lived with at least a dozen dogs at their Beverly Hills mansionette, where Shera recently celebrated her Oct. 9 birthday. For more photos, see George Christy’s column on page 6.