Local neighborhood may soon have its own national historic designation. Page 5
New benches and spiffed-up planters are on the agenda of Beautification Committee. Page 3 CITRUS SQUARE
NEW WING
NHM Commons Welcome Center opening soon with wild and fun programs. Page 6
By Nona Sue Friedman
For months earlier this year, city streetlights were a constant target of copper wire theft leaving many streets in the neighborhood dark. Now in Windsor Square, “All the lights are working,” resident Paul Newman happily told the Chronicle
After months of his neighbors’ streets being dark because of 39 non-working streetlights, “the city stepped up to fix the lights,” commented resident Gary Gilbert.
While three crews were repairing fixtures between Beverly Boulevard and Third Street and Irving Boulevard and Beachwood Drive in mid-July, Gilbert spoke to one of the crewmen who relayed that the order to repair these lights “came from the top.”
Windsor Square is lucky to have had its lights fixed faster than the 90-day turnaround that the Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL) says is the average. But these days, repairs are made closer to six months, if at all, because of the recent spate of copper wire thefts in the city.
The Windsor Square residents believe their lights were fixed because of their tenacity and the pressure they (especially Dena Bloom
and Guy Nemiro) put on Council District 13 (CD13).
A representative from CD13 confirmed that repair costs for the lights in Windsor Square were partially underwritten by the $200,000 that Councilmember Hugo SotoMartínez allocated from his office’s discretionary fund.
Gilbert and Newman also learned that BSL not only repaired the lights, but it hardened the fixtures to deter future wire theft. The crewmen placed the copper wire junctions at the top of the light where they are inacces-
sible without a ladder. They also permanently sealed the junction boxes on the ground, where wires are connected.
With regard to future theft, “It seems like, this time, we’re not going to run into the same problems with [BSL’s] creative fix,” according to Newman.
Neighbors to the east
Residents of Ridgewood Wilton, just a few blocks to the east, have not been as lucky. This area, much smaller than Windsor Square, has had 15 non-operating lights since the end of April. “That’s over half of the lighting district,” Bob Reeves, president of Ridgewood Wilton Neighborhood Association (RWNA), told the Chronicle in June 2024.
Reeves has reached out to Karla Martinez, CD13’s field deputy for the area, multiple times regarding the broken lights, prostitution and traffic plaguing the area and has not heard back.
The darkness in Ridgewood Wilton has contributed to a dramatic increase in prostitution on the streets in the neighborhood.
The disgust and frustration of the residents is palpable. Just a decade ago, the neighborhood voted to tax itself
to create this lighting district — and have streetlights installed — for the express purpose of safety and to help eliminate prostitution in the area. It worked while the lights were working.
Brian Terr, who lives in Ridgewood Wilton, wrote to the Chronicle this month [see “Letters to the Editor,” Page 2] about the situation. Early each morning, he walks the area to pick up used condoms and wrappers, bottles
of urine and other trash so others, particularly children going to school, don’t have to see it. His bag is full daily. His wife, Sheila Hoyer, thinks he should take his morning bag of trash to CD 13’s office. Lights in Los Angeles
According to the Los Angeles Dept. of Public Works website, “Street lighting is woven into the streetscapes and provides public safety, security and visibility for
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By Suzan Filipek
Romi Cortier has been tending to flowers and eyeing park benches near and far in his quest to make Larchmont even more beautiful.
It’s a special neighborhood, and its main street deserves a little, or maybe a lot, of TLC, said the chair of the Larchmont Boulevard Association (LBA) Beautification Committee.
Cortier’s plans include sprucing up the Boulevard’s 10 concrete sidewalk planters with colorful drought-tolerant plants and replacing worn wooden benches with French blue, metal ones, starting with one in front of his salon, Romi Cortier Design, at 425 N. Larchmont Blvd..
The 23-year Larchmont business owner and artist (he also has a degree in interior design from UCLA) was inspired to tend to the neglected plants and median strips he saw on his daily rounds in the neighborhood.
Years of rain, trash and the homeless had taken a toll, he said.
The entrepreneur took time away from his style, cut and color appointments at his salon, rolled up his sleeves, and “took the bull by the horns.
“I keep water jugs in my SUV and go around at night and water, clean up the trash and trim the plants.”
His gardener, Virgo Designs and Landscaping, has taken on the project at a cut rate, charging for the cost of materials only. The project got underway on Aug. 19 by amending the cement planters’ soil and replacing poisonous spiky “fire stick” plants with Spanish lavender, asparagus fern, statice and casa blue dianella.
Medians
The cornflower blue, lavender and white color scheme will continue throughout the Boulevard’s four median strips south of Beverly Boulevard, one large and one small at each crosswalk. (Medians north of Beverly to Melrose Avenue are maintained by the Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association. The medians between First and Third streets are maintained by the Windsor Square Association.)
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Tailwaggers is among the businesses that have agreed to water the planters placed near their doors. Flicka, Coldwell Banker and Skin Laundry have also answered the call.
While the larger medians have watering systems, the two smaller center dividers rely on the city’s twice-a-month watering visits. Randomly placed concrete planters have been brought in from the north end of Larchmont to decorate the smaller medians.
“We are creating an installation of three planters per median combined with succulents, gravel and a boulder,” Cortier said.
A virtual image of the proposed design was created by neighbor James Dastoli and was posted on the newly launched Larchmont Boulevard Association Instagram account, helping boost the fund drive.
Cortier has raised the $2,000 needed to pay for the median portion of the beautification project.
Joining in the effort is a host of volunteers, business owners and fellow Beautification Committee members Patricia Lombard and Todd Warner.
Previously, in June, the Larchmont Business Improvement District (BID) paid to repair the sprinkler system in the large median in front of Rite Aid, which had broken in December, possibly due to drivers rolling over the curbs.
Blue Larchmont
With phase one moving
ahead, Cortier is focusing on the next phase. He has teamed up with the BID to install a pilot program of a “legacy bench” with matching dark muted blue (aka French blue) metal trash cans.
Ultimately eight of these Larchmont “signature” benches will be placed on both sides of the Village south of Beverly, with a few narrow, backless benches on upper Larchmont, says Cortier. The
existing eight worn wooden benches will be removed.
“They’re desperately in need of being replaced,” Cortier added.
He’s sourced the new street furniture from DuMor.com, the same company that supplies a Beverly Hills park, which is where Cortier was sitting one day when he noticed the manufacturer’s name on the bench, and had a “Eureka!” moment.
Cortier has been surveying public seating near and far, including in Venice on a recent trip to Europe, in his quest to beautify Larchmont.
Larchmont’s Legacy
He’s considering a legacy program to pay for each bench, at a price of about $3,200 per bench, which will include a personalized plaque.
“My hope is that several legacy families in the neighborhood will come forward to purchase these in memory of a loved one.”
The benches have a 20-year warranty on the metal and a five-year warranty on the paint. They’re double-coated with primer to resist graffiti and carving.
The new trash and recycling cans would replace the city’s once solar-powered Big Belly cans, which no longer compact the trash, as originally intended.
The pilot program will include one six-foot bench with a third arm in the middle to prevent people from sleeping on the bench, and two, 32-gallon, metal trash cans with open tops. “One for trash, one for recycling,” says Cortier.
“They’ll be placed strategically on the Boulevard for feedback from the community…
“People can see if they like what they see.”
From an unofficial poll of his salon clients, “So far, everybody loves it,” Cortier said.
Cortier, as business representative for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, is hoping to raise funds for the trash cans from City Council District 13. He and Heather Duffy of the BID hope to tap into the city’s contract to replace 6,000 city trash cans with trash cans from DuMor.
He’s also in talks with Jane Usher of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council Land Use Committee, who has suggested making recommendations to builders about supporting the benches and cans for Boulevard projects.
Market Larchmont
Merchandise from a Market Larchmont campaign coined “the Gardens of Hancock
Park” — after the project’s inspiration — is available at Cortier’s salon, Romi Cortier Design, and at the Sunday Larchmont Farmers’ Market. All proceeds are reinvested into the LBA improvement projects.
The merchandise includes hats, mugs and totes. A hummingbird logo, from an original gouache painting by Cortier, was added for the summer season. Area resident June Lockhart-Triolo has donated the graphic design of the products.
Yet to come? There’s a dirt patch by the Rotary Clock Tower where Cortier hopes to trail blooming jasmine along a wall.
“One of my favorite California experiences is the smell of blooming jasmine, day or night.
“Imagine an evening strolling Larchmont under the glow of the overhead lights, then sitting on a beautiful blue bench as the fragrance of jasmine wafts through the air, while sharing a gelato with your significant other under the lavender-colored sky. I hold this vision dear, as I imagine the future of Larchmont.” Visit www.larchmont. com.
To help support the Larchmont Beautification Project financially, reach out to romicortier@me.com.
In January of this year, I wrote an article entitled “Citrus Square’s Time Has Come,” arguing that Greater Wilshire’s largest-remaining Survey LA-identified historic district needed to be officially designated. That article was an effort to not only celebrate the historic significance of the district but also to aid in the public outreach of an intrepid cadre of neighbors who had begun the process of putting together a National Register nomination for Citrus Square.
Well, the time has truly come, and their hard work was rewarded on Aug. 2 when The California State Historical Resources Commission voted 6-0 to recommend the designation, which will go to the National Park Service for approval.
State Commissioner Janet Hansen, who once worked locally for the Office of Historic Resources and Survey LA, commented during the meeting, describing Citrus Square as “outstanding.” “It’s very architecturally cohesive,” she said. “The automobile suburbs … are quite ubiquitous in Los Angeles. The ones that remain intact are a real treasure in the city. The Hancock Park area is one of the most intact in Los
Preservation by Brian Curran
Angeles. I do believe that the property meets the criteria for those reasons, and I support the nomination.”
Citrus Square’s eligibility for designation is based not only on its unquestionable architectural significance, showcasing a variety of styles from French Renaissance Revival to Spanish Colonial, but also for its variety of residential types including apartment buildings, duplexes, courtyard housing and single-family homes. The district is also one of the best illustrations of historic urban planning. The developer placed apartment buildings, duplexes and single family homes in waning gradations of density in proximity to the commercial corridor of La Brea Avenue. What makes Citrus Square truly remarkable is how preserved and intact it is given its size and the passage of time.
Greater Wilshire’s own preservationist extraordinaire, James Dastoli, led
the effort supported by Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council Citrus Square representative Jeffry Carpenter and Melrose Neighborhood representative Jesseca Harvey (the effort was not GWNC sponsored).
Dastoli has said that he had wanted to write a nomination for Citrus Square ever since he read the SurveyLA documents about the neighborhood, but it was the beauty of the area that really inspired him. “For me, the most striking aspect of the district is its incredible integrity. These buildings have been so well maintained, it really feels like a postcard.”
The most significant challenge in the nomination process was the size of the proposed district and the sheer number of properties to be documented. While 512 properties were ultimately identified as contributors, the owners of all 785 properties in the district boundaries were contacted about the potential
designation. Only 64 letters of opposition were received, far below a level of 51 percent in opposition — which would have triggered a halt to the process. Often owners oppose because there is confusion about the differences between Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (which provide strong demolition protections and often rigorous design standards) and National Register Districts (which are largely honorary with some review and oversight by the City of Los Angeles Office of Historic
Resources).
Citrus Square now becomes the fourth neighborhood in Greater Wilshire — after Wilton Place, St. Andrew’s Square and Ridgewood Place — to be included on the National Register of Historic Places. Citrus Square also takes its rightful place as a recognized and historic part of George Allan Hancock’s original vision of Hancock Park. Thank you to all who helped make this possible, and congratulations to the soon-to-be Citrus Square National Register District!
By Suzan Filipek
A long, green-hued dinosaur skeleton named Gnatalie will greet guests when the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) opens its new wing and community hub, NHM Commons, on Sun., Nov. 17.
A free block party, featuring performances and live music, will ring in the opening of the new $75 million Welcome Center on the southwest side of the museum campus in Exposition Park.
The new addition is across from the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which is expected to open in 2025 and is among several major improvements underway in Exposition Park in anticipation of the 2028 Olympics.
New NHM exhibitions and programming include the debut of a 3D film and landscape design features.
The community’s oldest museum’s 75,000-square-foot expansion was designed by Frederick Fisher and Partners. A transparent glass façade will link the new wing to the park.
Inside, the Commons Theater — a 400-seat multi-purpose theater — and additional spaces will allow community-centered programming and allow visitors into a portion of the museum, with or without a ticket.
NHM Commons will also feature a new café and retail offerings from local artisans.
A landscaped plaza, garden and entrance designed by
Studio MLA Landscape Architecture and Urban Design connects the existing main south entrance to the new Welcome Center, theater and multipurpose spaces. Studio Joseph will design theater experiences at the site.
“It’s exciting to look ahead to opening NHM Commons this November, when we will welcome everyone to connect with our research and
collections and enjoy special indoor and outdoor experiences in this new destination for Exposition Park,” Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga, NHMLAC’s president and director, said in a museum release.
Artist Barbara Carrasco’s 1981 mural, “L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective,” will be on display in the Welcome Center.
The mural portrays 57 im-
ages woven into the flowing hair of the “Queen of Los Angeles.” These include Union Station, City Hall, Angels Flight Railway, the Santa Monica Pier, the prehistoric La Brea Tar Pits, native hunters and gatherers, the
Owens Valley Aqueduct, a Mexican folk hero, a Japanese incarceration scene and much more.
Gnatalie — the celebrated green sauropod — was discovered in 2007 in the Badlands of Utah by researchers from the NHMLAC Dinosaur Institute.
The Dinosaur Institute’s team of paleontologists and excavators unearthed and assembled the long-necked Gnatalie, whose green shade is due to the mineral deposits in the quarry where she was found.
Her name is in honor of the stinging gnats that pestered excavators during the dig. Gnatalie, who is the most complete sauropod skeleton on the West Coast, and fossils of several other dinosaurs found at the quarry, were buried in what was a riverbed 150 million years ago, during the late Jurassic period.
“Dinosaurs are a great vehicle for teaching our visitors about the nature of science, and what better than a green, 70-foot-long dinosaur to engage them in the process of scientific discovery and make them reflect about the wonders of the world we live in!” said Dr. Luis Chiappe, NHMLAC senior vice president of research and collections, in the museum release. Learn more at nhm.org/ nhm-commons.
By Suzan Filipek
A Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Mirabel, a 42-story mixed-use tower with 348 residential units in Miracle Mile, was released by the City Planning Dept. Aug. 22.
The proposed development at 5411 Wilshire Blvd. includes 29 units set aside for very lowincome households and 12,821 square feet of ground floor commercial uses.
The DEIR found the Mirabel Transit Priority Project would result in significant and unavoidable impacts related to historical resources and noise from construction vibration. All other impacts would be considered less than significant, according to the Notice of Completion and
By John Welborne Aficionados
of the historic in Los Angeles like to look at the wide variety of streetlights that line parkways across the city. Locally, there are Marbelite cast concrete poles and Llewellyn Ironworks “Windsor Square Special” cast iron poles, and several others. Of course, there are 202 poles you can study in detail at artist Chris Burden’s “Urban Light” installation in front of the County Art Museum on Wilshire Boulevard.
According to India Mandelkern, author of a colorful and comprehensive new anthology about lighting the streets of Los Angeles, a visitor at the
entrance of LACMA can examine “sixteen different models, which ranged from elegant single lights that once lit wealthy neighborhoods to majestic double torches that had dotted the major boulevards.”
The author and her photographer colleague, Tom Bertolotti, discussed the new book with local historian Eric Evavold before a small crowd of interested neighbors at Chevalier’s Books on Aug. 22. Also present were J.C. Gabel of publisher Hat & Beard Press and the book’s designer, Sabrina Che.
Mandelkern appropriately acknowledged the progenitor of all writing on local street-
lights, Eddy Feldman, author of “The Art of Street Lighting in Los Angeles,” a volume of Larchmont’s own Dawson’s Book Shop’s Los Angeles Miscellany series.
“Electric Moons” looks at the subject from more of a social history standpoint. Many of Mandelkern’s observations and conclusions are apt, but I disagree with some of what she writes. Where she might see something as intentionally “exclusionary,” I would argue it was merely marketing, seeking the highest prices when selling newly subdivided and graded residential lots in former bean fields like Windsor Square. I highly recommend the book, available at Chevalier’s and (a dread thought) online at Amazon.
By Suzan Filipek
The City Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on Thurs., Sept. 12, concerning the proposed TVC 2050 expansion and modernization project of the former CBS Television City.
The hearing on plans for the 25-acre site at Beverly Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue will be a hybrid — held in-person at Los Angeles City Hall, 200 N. Spring St., and on Zoom.
This hearing follows a lengthy first public hearing that took place on Zoom May 15, where 185 people spoke on the 1.9-million-square-foot project of Hackman Capital Partners, owner of the site.
If approved, the $1.25-billion TVC 2050 project would become a Specific Plan that would permit up to a maximum of 1,724,000 square feet of sound stage, production support, production office, general office and retail uses and would include 1.5 million square feet of new development on the site.
Parking, landscaping, open space and a sign district would be established as part of the expansion project.
In addition, the building’s red painted canopy with “Television City” lettering on the facade along Beverly Bou-
levard, which is designated a Los Angeles historic-cultural monument, will be preserved.
The Commission also is expected to consider several appeals filed by local community and business groups at the hearing.
Appeals filed
Concerns have been expressed about the project’s size, density, traffic impacts and more, especially the 550,000 square feet of new office space proposed for general (non-studio) tenants.
The nine appellants include the Miracle Mile Residential Association, Neighbors for Responsible TVC Development, A.F. Gilmore Co. (owners of the Original Farmers Market) and others.
In connection with requested subdivisions of the property, the city Deputy Advisory Agency certified the environmental impact report in May.
The Planning Commission continues to accept written comments that can be submitted to paul.caporaso@ lacity.org; write “TVC 2050” in the subject line and copy mindy.nguyen@lacity.org and councilmember.yaroslavsky@ lacity.org.
The Commission also may
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By Casey Russell
The first dog parade at Los Angeles Public Library’s Wilshire Branch took place in early August with 22 canine participants. It was a sunny afternoon full of family fun, dogs, books and prizes.
The event — an idea sparked by Wilshire Branch children’s librarian Nicole McElhose — started with a lovely dog-themed story time. Three picture books were read aloud before McElhose handed out musical shakers and brightly colored scarves to all those interested in spicing up the parade around the block.
Accompanied by lively percussion instruments, the line of smiling parents, children and dogs strolled around the block before returning to the library for dog tricks, treats and ice cream.
Each participant left with
WILSHIRE BRANCH children’s librarian Nicole McElhose with local dog Pierre and his owner, So Yun.
a prize of some kind. Balls, treats and even a $25 gift certificate to a local pet store were randomly awarded. Families and dogs all seemed to have a grand time,
and there is talk of making the event a yearly one. After all the treats that my dog received, I’m sure she will exclaim, “Yip-yip-yippee!!”
FAIRFAX
161 S. Gardner St. 323-936-6191
JOHN C. FREMONT
6121 Melrose Ave. 323-962-3521
MEMORIAL
4625 W. Olympic Blvd. 323-938-2732
WILSHIRE
149 N. St. Andrews Pl. 323-957-4550
HOURS
Mon. and Wed., 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tues. and Thurs. noon to 8 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Libraries will be closed Mon., Sept. 2 in observance of Labor Day.
FAIRFAX LIBRARY
Kids & Teens
Pizza and politics: Learn about different elected offices in Los Angeles city and county; find out when you’re allowed to register to vote and how to be a voice for change on Thurs., Sept. 5, at 4:15 p.m.
All ages
Book sale: Browse used books every Wednesday, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. All sales support the library branch.
FREMONT LIBRARY
Kids
Brick builders club: Use LEGO style bricks for creative play every Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m.
MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Teens
Bracelet making: Create personalized bracelets using colorful beads and letters on Thurs., Sept. 5, at 2 p.m. Get ready for college workshop: Discover the secrets to reshaping your approach to
the admissions process on Mon., Sept. 16, at 4 p.m. Parents welcome.
Adults
First Friday book club: Discuss “End of Story,” by AJ Finn on Fri., Sept. 7, at 1 p.m. The title for October is “A World of Curiosities,” by Louise Penny.
All ages
Chess club: Play chess or learn how each Friday, from 3 to 5 p.m.
Book sale: Support your library by purchasing your next favorite read every Tuesday from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m., every Saturday, from 3 to 5 p.m.
WILSHIRE LIBRARY
Babies, Toddlers & Kids
Baila Baila: Music and dance for kids: Feel the energy of this interactive, bilingual concert in Spanish and English. Be introduced to Spanish while dancing. Sat., Sept. 21, from 4 to 5 p.m.
By Casey Russell
There are signs that construction has begun on the Len Hill Arts Plaza, which will be located in the west end of the $82 million Sixth Street Park, Arts and River Connectivity (PARC) project in Downtown Los Angeles.
The Arts Plaza project is being partially funded by a lead gift from the Leonard Hill Trust. The trust carries forward the transformative work of the late Leonard Hill, who passed away in 2016 at age 68. He was a longtime area resident.
The new plaza will be located in the DTLA Arts District, directly below the west end of the Sixth Street Bridge, and the plaza has been designed with large, open, welcoming spaces and a stage to host cultural events. Terraced seating for community members to enjoy the area also will be constructed.
Last year, the Bureau of Engineering and Councilmember Kevin de Leon announced that construction for the entire PARC project was expected to take two and a half years once work commenced.
Leonard Hill lived in Hancock Park for 30 years and was an active community leader, dealing with land use issues and working to preserve res-
idential neighborhoods. He was a Lifetime Cornerstone Member of the Los Angeles Conservancy.
Hill, who had a long and successful career as a television producer prior to becoming a real estate developer, was instrumental in restoring the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District, having helped repurpose such buildings as the Toy Factory Lofts and the Biscuit Company Lofts.
Hill is survived by his wife, Dr. Patricia Gordon, who still resides in the area and has been a champion of the Len Hill Arts Plaza project since her husband’s death.
Heidi Duckler Dance, a site-specific dance company, is celebrating its 39th anniversary at the Frank Gehry-designed Loyola Law School at 919 Albany St.
The event, “Dance in the Light of the Harvest Moon,” takes place Sat., Sept. 21, from 5 to 10 p.m. The fundraiser includes dinner and dancing on the rooftop.
Tickets start at $300 and can be purchased at heididuckler.org/event.
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take public comments at the Sept. 12 hearing.
Following the hearing, the Commission will make a recommendation and forward it to the Los Angeles City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee for consideration, followed by full City Council review.
Check the meeting agenda 72 hours before the meeting and get Zoom instructions at planning4la.org/hearings.
The House of Lebanon (HOL), 4800 Wilshire Blvd., in Brookside, will celebrate its 25th anniversary in October with a month-long art exhibition, children’s activities, music performances, a gala and a weekend of film screenings.
The art opening on Sat., Oct. 5 features HOL’s permanent collection, performance art by Doris Bitar and the unveiling of Tiles of Heritage, a commemorative bench created by
Lebanese American children.
The exhibition and “Dreaming of Lebanon,” a virtual reality experience, continue through Sun., Oct. 27.
Lebanese films will be screened on the weekend of Oct. 12 and 13, and musical performances will take place on Oct. 19 and 20.
The anniversary gala is set for Oct. 26. For times and more information on the silver anniversary, visit houseoflebanon.com.
By Suzan Filipek
Since a new owner took over the two-story office building at 444 N. Larchmont Blvd., things have not gone well for the tenants. The building is uninhabitable and has been unsafe due to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system breaking, they allege.
Some long-standing tenants have left. Some are pursuing legal action, citing unsafe working conditions and unfair evictions.
One marriage and family therapist who asked to remain anonymous has a twoyear lease, so she is staying, even though it is challenging in a building with no air conditioning and ongoing construction.
She has not worked in her office since the air conditioning broke June 25, and she had to meet with patients virtually from her home office.
The 17-unit, 10,500 squarefoot office building is tenanted mostly by health care workers like her, she said.
“We love our community and neighborhood and being health care providers on the east side,” she wrote in an email to the Chronicle. But the gutted, hot building is not what she signed up for when she moved in two years ago. Having another two-year lease going forward makes moving out difficult.
A handful of tenants signed two-year leases with the previous owner to lock in their rents before the changeover, said the anonymous tenant, who pays $1,534 a month.
New owner
The new owner, Leeor Maciborski of Rom Investments, said he bought the 1963 building at Larchmont and Rosewood Avenue to be closer to his home in Hancock Park.
He plans to move his business from Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood to the Larchmont property.
The sale of the corner building closed in April 2024, for $5 million, according to intero.com.
There are no plans for evictions, the new owner told us. His business will operate out of four units on the site. There are currently four empty units, but some moving around will be needed to accommodate his new space.
“Larchmont is beautiful. We liked the building for ourselves to take some of it but not all of it.
“We did not anticipate the air conditioning failing right away,” he added, which is why a permit had not been pulled from Building and Safety for the custom-built HVAC when the previous system broke.
Eight of the tenants sent a letter to the management company to seek to negotiate a resolution.
In the July 22, 2024, letter, the tenants allege a “complete breakdown of the HVAC system and the failed, hazardous attempts to install portable AC units in select offices. These units, which have proven to be fire hazards, recirculated exhaust inside the building instead of venting outside, causing headaches, coughs, and nausea among tenants, clients and patients.”
Mini-split AC units will be placed in the suites soon, and the hallways will have HVAC, the anonymous tenant was told.
Maciborski said he would provide rent discounts, but many tenants have already left or are in the process of moving.
Accountant Mel Miyamoto, who had been in the building for 37 years, was offered a unit downstairs, as his upstairs office was among those to be taken over by the new owner. It was offered to him for double his $1,800 a month rent and no guarantee of AC.
“It’s unbearably hot. I’m not stupid,” said Miyamoto, who signed a lease at another building on Larchmont last month.
Tenants allege the landlord has refused to fix the air conditioning in a timely manner while still collecting rent for July and August.
Management did provide small portable units to some offices, but these were improperly filtered into the ceiling, the tenants allege.
The letter continues, “with rising COVID-19 cases, this creates a perilous environment, especially for those of us working with immunocompromised clients. Since June 25, the building has remained non-functional, rendering all tenant suites and common areas, such as hallways and restrooms, uninhabitable and hazardous.
“These alarming safety issues have caused significant income loss. Clinicians among us have been unable to provide essential physical and mental health care to our patients. Therefore, we are expecting June and July rent abatement, as well as reimbursement for substantial income losses.”
The owner said he is working out rental deductions with tenants and moving as fast as he can to fix the HVAC system, which, at the fastest, will take two months.
New, operable windows will replace all of the old, single-pane ones, he added.
The new owner also is sandblasting the front of the building to reveal the original red brick façade of the 1963 building. That got underway on the weekend of Aug. 17.
“We are moving as fast as we can,” said Maciborski.
By Casey Russell
The remains of a cat presumed to have been killed by a coyote were found recently by Brooke Bundy of Citrus Square. She was walking her small, 17-year-old dog, a miniature pinscher mix, when she came across what was left of the cat on Mansfield Avenue between Second and Third streets. Bundy knocked on a door of a house near where the cat was found, thinking it might belong there. It did not, and, though she never discovered to whom the cat belonged, the non-emergency services 311 number was called so that the remains could be taken care of.
Coyote activity is often seen in the area. “My physical therapist walks on Colgate Avenue and has seen two or three at
a time,” said Bundy. Her dog walker informed her that, while walking some dogs in Fremont Place, she saw a coyote walking down the middle of the street and was told by the gate guard there that six coyotes are living in the area. Bundy thinks it’s important for people to be aware and to report sightings so that the issue is taken seriously.
“Other people with small dogs are concerned. People have seen them early in the morning around 5 or 6 a.m.,” Bundy says of the coyotes. She walks her dog as early as 7 a.m sometimes, and she is scared. She bought a small air horn to use to scare a coyote off in case she sees one. Watch small pets
The Animal Humane So-
By Casey Russell
The Windsor Village potluck and movie night on Aug. 3 was a hit! Neighbors visited, played games and shared food in the Ninth Street cul-desac across from Harold Henry Park.
Windsor Village Association (WVA) President Barbara Pflaumer and WVA Vice President Heather Brel welcomed all who attended. They introduced neighbors and made sure young children had art supplies to use while parents chatted.
Windsor Villagers brought an array of homemade and store-bought foods to share, and Elvis, a well-known and well-loved neighborhood dog, “manned” the buffet table for nearly half an hour (politely only partaking in what he was given).
Families then brought blankets and lawn chairs over to the park for a screening of Disney / Pixar’s 2007 movie “Ratatouille.”
There was plenty of popcorn for all, and laughter filled the air among the neighbors gathered together under the stars.
The Windsor Village Association strives to host three movie nights a year at Harold Henry Park. Weeks ahead of the free events, WVA board members ensure flyers reach every neighborhood door so that all will feel welcome.
Big city feels smaller
“The park movies are a great way to bring neighbors together and make a big city feel smaller through shared interests and experiences,” said Brel.
She believes that strengthening neighborhood connections increases effective community action in times of need — whether that be working to improve the safety of our streets, taking a meal to an ailing neighbor, lending a hand during a global pandemic or disseminating critical information about emergency preparedness.
“We are a stronger community through the connections established by these types of social events,” she said.
For more information about the WVA and upcoming events, visit windsorvillageassn.com.
(Continued from Page 6) on Mon., Oct. 7, 2024, at 4 p.m.
Comments can be mailed to Jason McCrea, City of Los Angeles, Dept. of City Planning, 221 N. Figueroa St., Room 1350, Los Angeles, 90012. Refer to Environmental Case No. ENV-2019-3937-EIR.
The document can be viewed online at tinyurl.com/ bdemzvs9; it is also available at various library branches.
The Walter N. Marks, Inc.family-owned property will be within walking distance of the new Metro subway stops bookending the Miracle Mile Historic District.
Wally Marks told us earlier this year he hoped to begin construction in 2025. Mirabel
“The tower is a derivative of both the past and the future,” architect Richard Keating and his team explain on their website, keatingarchitecture. com.
Its 530-foot-tall tower features a glass exterior and has a curvilinear form, a rooftop deck and common
open space above a parking podium.
A state of California density bonus program allows for more floor area than otherwise would have been allowed by local zoning.
As part of the Mirabel project, the façade of the historic 1936 Streamline Moderne Sontag Drug Store
building — at the corner of Wilshire and Cloverdale Avenue — will be preserved.
The Mirabel will have parking for a total of 478 cars in an automated, three-level, underground garage modeled after a similar one at Marks’ Helms Bakery property in Culver City.
But Marks says he expects
many of his new tenants to walk the one block to and from the new D (formerly Purple) Line Metro subway station at La Brea Avenue when the subway extension to La Cienega Boulevard opens in 2025. The project will take an estimated 36 months of construction, once the EIR is reviewed and approved.
BURGLARIES: Unknown suspects entered a home on the 400 block of North Lucerne Boulevard and stole property on Aug. 1.
Someone broke the lock of a security gate and gained access to an unlocked and uninhabited home, took property and fled from the 200 block of South Lucerne on Aug. 1.
Then on Aug. 3, burglars broke the side window of a home on the 200 block of South Lucerne, removed property and fled.
Three suspects smashed a rear glass sliding door of a residence on the 400 block of North Lucerne. They
Just as this September issue of the Larchmont Chronicle was hitting doorsteps and newsstands, coffee was set to be poured and ice cream scooped at Coffee with a Cop at Salt & Straw Larchmont, 240 N. Larchmont Blvd., on
Senior Lead Officer
Andrew Jones
Text: (213) 793-0782
WILSHIRE DIVISION
(these officers are interim)
Furnished by Senior Lead Officer
Ryan Ty
Text: (213) 590-5407
41719@lapd.online 37555@lapd.online
damaged the security system, stole property and fled through the front door heading southbound on Lucerne on Aug. 10.
GRAND THEFT AUTO:
Two cars were stolen in August; one from the 5200 block of Wilshire Boule-
Thurs., Aug. 29, from 10 a.m. to noon.
The gathering is a way to get to know your police officers from the Wilshire Division of the Los Angeles Police Dept., while enjoying complimentary coffee and
vard on Aug. 1 and another from the 400 block of South Detroit Street on Aug. 4.
OLYMPIC DIVISION
There weren’t any crimes reported for the area for the first half of August.
A NOTE FROM THE SLO: Burglaries are still the most
ice cream.
The Wilshire Division serves parts of Windsor Square and everything west of the west side of Plymouth Boulevard, including Windsor Village, Fremont Place, Brookside, Hancock Park, Sycamore Square, La Brea Hancock, Citrus Square, Melrose Neighborhood, Miracle Mile and more.
(Continued from Page 2) motorists and pedestrians. [Streetlights] enhance the character of communities… and repair[ing] streetlights is an integral part of making Los Angeles livable and safe.”
With so many lights still out in Ridgewood Wilton and CD13 as a whole, and the initial $200,000 from CD13’s discretionary fund depleted, Soto-Martínez is said to be contemplating allocating more money from his discretionary fund to address this problem. At the time of publication, Soto-Martínez was still figuring out the exact amount to allot. His office said in an email, “hopefully we’ll have an update for
OLYMPIC DIVISION
Furnished by Senior Lead Officer
Daniel Chavez 213-793-0709
36304@lapd.online
Instagram: @olympic_slo1
prevalent issue for the community. Most entry points for these crimes are through the rear of a residence. Make it a
By Nona Sue Friedman Wilshire
Community Police Station is bringing back its community carnival fundraiser. The last time Wilshire Division hosted this family-friendly event was in 2018. Wilshire will transform its station grounds, at 4861 Venice Blvd., into a giant festival. (Think the finale of “Grease.”)
It takes place from Fri., Sept. 27, to Sun., Sept. 29.
The fun will include rides — such as a ferris wheel, giant slide and tilt-a-whirl, to name just a few — plus games, food and entertainment.
This is a great opportunity to support your local police station. Proceeds from the event are donated to the Wilshire Division Cadet Leadership Program, with a portion going to the Wilshire Station fund. The Cadet program empowers 13 to 17 year olds with valuable life skills
point to keep that part of your home secure.
Be aware that schools are back in session. This means there are more pedestrians. Be careful driving through neighborhoods, and pay close attention to children crossing the street.
Lastly, SLO Chavez wants to hear from you with any concerns or crime tips. He will be doing extra patrols in the area this month and welcomes a hello. He might even have a sticker for your child!
and allows participants to view law enforcement from multiple perspectives. The Station fund covers the cost of materials and incidentals at the station.
Discounted ride tickets, 10 for $30, are for sale at the station through Thurs., Sept. 26. Non-discounted tickets will be available at the event. Hours of the carnival are 5 to 11 p.m. on Sept. 27, 2 to 11 p.m. on Sept. 28 and 2 to 10 p.m. on Sept. 29th.
you for the next edition of the Chronicle .”
The councilman’s office had hoped to reduce the repair gap to a two-month turn-around with these additional funds. While that seems to have worked for Windsor Square, it isn’t the case for Ridgewood Wilton. Perhaps the second round will make it to that part of the councilman’s district.
The writer is a resident of Ridgewood Wilton.
In 2008, at a cave near the village of Areni in southern Armenia, Ph.D. student and archeologist Diana Zardaryan discovered the world’s oldest surviving leather artifact — a shoe. The simple slipper, dated to 3500 B.C., was made with a single piece of cowhide with lace-up closure for an adjustable fit. Measuring the same length as a women’s size 7, the shoe was found filled with straw, perhaps as an early analog to the modern shoe tree.
Until the 16th century, the word “leather” referred to the skin of both humans and animals. As the hide industry expanded, the meaning of the word narrowed to refer only to animals, a sanitization that averts our eyes from the morbid truth — that the leather we wear as jackets, pants and boots and carry as wallets and handbags is quite literally a “second skin,” and one not so different from our own. For a visceral case in point, one
need only look to the Huntington Library in San Marino, which houses a 1682 copy of Thomas Gibson’s “Anatomy Epitomized and Illustrated” bound in human leather that bears a resemblance to its bovine counterparts.
What makes leather leather is the process of tanning, which stops the natural decay of animal material by stabilizing the proteins of the rawhide. “Tan,” which traces its antecedents to the ancient Celtic word for oak tree, gives a hint at the early natural compounds used for processing skins. Cedar oil and alum were other agents used before the advent of chromium salt tanning in the 1800s, which remains the standard method used worldwide today.
Suede, from the French “gants de Suède,” meaning “gloves of Sweden,” suggests that Swedes may have made strides in leathercraft by developing the soft, dry hand
READ UP on ways to protect yourself, your family and pets from coyotes at animalhumanesociety.org.
(Continued from Page 12) ciety website (animalhumanesociety.org) notes that keeping lids securely on trash cans and compost bins is key to keeping unwanted wildlife out of neighborhood yards. It also warns people to keep a close eye on pets if yards are not fenced, and it advises pet owners to be especially watchful of smaller pets when taking them for walks. The website encourages people to make sure their dogs and cats are up to date on vaccinations, as rabies is fatal once symptoms appear.
Avoiding taking dogs out very early or late can reduce the likelihood that you will encounter a coyote. But, some of these animals have been seen at quite regular times of day. Make noise
If you do come across one or more coyotes, maintain eye contact and try to scare the coyote off by being loud and making yourself appear as large as possible. Pick up small dogs. With larger dogs, make sure you have full control and don’t turn your back on the coyote. Definitely avoid running away, as this may trigger the predator’s instinct to chase prey.
Café by Mara Fisher
of the underside of an animal skin. Also attributed to a place, nappa leather is prized for its soft, supple finish, often fashioning luxury goods. The material — variably spelled “nappa” or “napa” — was first patented in the late 19th century by the Sawyer Tanning Co. in Napa, California.
Speaking of patents, let’s not overlook the glossy finish of “patent” leather. This surfacing for high-shine shoes was first referenced in 1793, when a British periodical noted that a “gentleman of the
name of Hand” had obtained a patent for glazing flexible leather in a manner that renders it impervious to water.
Shagreen is a type of granular leather once made from horse skin (see the Italian term for it, “zigrino,” from the Turkish word meaning “rump of a horse”) and now more associated with shark and stingray hides. The rough, reptilian texture of shagreen must have rubbed someone the wrong way, as it gave rise to the French — and later English — “chagrin,” meaning “distress” or “ill-humor.”
In use since well before the days of the Bronze Age cave dwellers at Areni over 5,500 years ago, the popularity of leather wearable goods doesn’t appear to be waning anytime soon. But, facing backlash from animal rights and en-
vironmental activists (even though leather has long been a byproduct of the meat industry, its production is still an outsize contributor to the climate crisis), the world of luxury leather goods has seen a slight shift toward less harmful substitutes in recent years.
In June 2021, Gucci introduced a new animal-free, leather-like material from primarily renewable sources with “up to 77 percent plantbased raw materials.” Soft and pliable yet resilient, the leather alternative bears a name with a considered etymology all its own — Demetra, inspired by Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture and new harvest. And with that, a new leather is christened. I wonder if archaeologists another few millennia from now will still relate.
Make sure no one in the area is feeding the coyotes, which can make them become aggressive and lose their fear of people. Ensuring these animals keep a healthy, natural fear of humans keeps us all safe.
The Humane Society also suggests shaking cans full of pennies or marbles, banging pans or pots, spraying coyotes with water guns filled with vinegar and using pepper spray. Report sightings to Los Angeles Animal Services at 888-452-7381.
