Category: Historic Preservation (Page 3 of 7)

Regarding Item 8.A. on the Historic Preservation Commission’s (HPC) agenda for January 27, 2020, the West Hollywood Preservation Alliance (WHPA) is quite dismayed with the recommendation that the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) REMOVE the building located at 8001-8003 Santa Monica Boulevard from the 2016 Commercial Historic Resource Survey’s list of potential cultural resources. There are already so few of these resources left in the city, and those that remain need particular care and attention.

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NOTE: The West Hollywood Library will be closed until March 31.

About the “Historic WeHo” exhibit:

West Hollywood’s heritage is a rich inheritance of traditions, attributes, and cultural resources. Architectural heritage includes much more than preserving, displaying, or restoring a collection of historic buildings. It is both tangible and intangible. Ideas, stories, and other elements of who we are and how we identify ourselves are essential to the understanding of our place.

Preserving West Hollywood’s architectural and cultural heritage is integral to the growth and identity of West Hollywood. Through historic preservation, we are able to tell stories of times that preceded Cityhood and of people, events, and ideas that embrace the vibrancy of our City.

The City of West Hollywood has recognized the importance of preserving its cultural resources since its incorporation as a City in 1984. The City adopted a Historic Preservation Ordinance in 1989 and has designated over eighty historic and cultural resources, including six historic districts.

In 2015, arts and planning staff began a project of documenting all of the City’s designated historic properties. This exhibition shows a selection of photographs from the over 80 properties that were documented by West Hollywood photographer Tony Coelho, representing a wide array of architectural styles and associations with well-known architects and builders. These images celebrate West Hollywood – recognizing our past, present, and future.

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From WEHOville.com: “On a 4-1 vote Tuesday night, the West Hollywood City Council denied an appeal of a historic designation for a Craftsman duplex on Detroit Avenue. With this vote, the Council granted historic designation to the house and upheld an October 2019 vote by the city’s Historic Preservation Commission.”

And:

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The WHPA is seeking help from members and the public to designate as a local cultural resource the rare 106-year old craftsman duplex at 1251 N. Detroit in West Hollywood.

City staff, the Historic Preservation Commission, and the WHPA all support this designation. But one outside developer opposes it and has filed an appeal which we hope the City Council will deny and then approve the property as a local cultural resource.

ACTION: Speak out or submit a citizen position slip on Agenda Item 3.A. supporting city staff’s recommendation.

WHAT: West Hollywood City Council Meeting

WHEN: Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 6:30 pm

WHERE: City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd.; free validated parking in adjoining garage

Here is the official statement from the WHPA to the City Council:

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From WEHOville.com: “621 N. Robertson Blvd. (today home to the local Lions Club and a meeting place for recovery groups) is a one-story clubhouse in the Log Cabin style built in 1936 by the Boy Scouts of America Troop 27 as a clubhouse.

West Hollywood City Council members and members of the recovery community are expressing feelings of shock with the announcement that the City of Beverly Hills intends to demolish the historic log cabin on Robertson Boulevard that has long been the home for drug and alcohol recovery groups.”

In the city’s 2016 survey of commercial properties, the building was deemed eligible for the “trifecta” of designations — as a local cultural resource designation as well as California state and National Register designations. Designation at the local level is often key to protecting and preserving a building.

The property is owned by the City of Beverly Hills and may have originally been used by the city’s water department. The lease on the property expired more than 40 years ago, and now Beverly Hills plans to develop the lot for other uses.

West Hollywood residents are encouraged to express their concerns to Beverly Hills officials:

• Beverly Hills City Manager George Chavez at citymanager@beverlyhills.org
• Elected officials at mayorandcitycouncil@beverlyhills.org

Beverly Press updates the current status of renovations to the El Mirador, a seven-story apartment building on Fountain Avenue at Sweetzer. The city designated the building as a cultural resource in 1992. It has been closed since 2010.

The article includes a quote from WHPA Board Pres. Victor Olmenczenko:

“The El Mirador is an architectural treasure whose current rehabilitation and restoration bode well for historic preservation in West Hollywood. For over 90 years, the El Mirador has caught the eyes of both tourists and residents alike as they travel along Fountain Avenue. The building’s ornate ‘Churrigueresque’ Spanish Colonial Revival style is quite rare nowadays … The El Mirador could garner even additional recognition at the state and national levels, which if achieved, could also result in some fine tax benefits.”

Jerome Nash, the owner the building, has yet to say whether he intends to convert El Mirador into an urban inn or condominiums or resume renting the its 32 units.

Renovations are expected to be complete in early 2021.

The agenda for tonight’s meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission includes consideration of:

• A draft of the city’s 2018-2019 Certified Local Government (CLG) Annual Report.
• Changes to plans for the redevelopment of the French Market site.
• A request to enter into a Mills Act Contract for the rehabilitation of 9165-9169 Sunset Boulevard (Berman/Kohner Building).

Read the agenda for tonight’s meeting HERE [PDF].

CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2019 – 7:00 P.M.
Plummer Park Community Center, Rooms 5 & 6
7377 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, California 90046

The West Hollywood Preservation Alliance (WHPA) supports city staff’s recommendations and urges the Historic Preservation Commission at its October 28 public hearings to recommend to the City Council that the following two properties be designated as local cultural resources in the City of West Hollywood:

Item 9.A.: 8901 Sunset Boulevard, “The Whisky a Go Go Building.” All public comments heard at the previous Oct. 2 HPC hearing on this potential designation were supportive of designation. However, due to a lack of quorum, a decision on this item was continued to the Oct. 28 meeting. The WHPA reiterates its full-throated support for designating this property which, according to the latest survey of commercial properties, is that rare example of a “trifecta” in which a building is considered historically significant at the local, state, and federal levels.

Item 9.C.: 1251 N. Detroit Street, “Rare Craftsman Duplex.” Although scheduled for an HPC hearing at its August 26 meeting, the hearing was postponed and no public comments were heard although community members were ready to speak and supportive citizen position slips were ready to be submitted.

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The West Hollywood Historic Preservation Commission will meet on Wednesday, Oct. 2, to consider designating four iconic buildings on the Sunset Strip as cultural resources. Three of the buildings are associated with the Strip’s Rock ‘n Roll era: the Roxy Theatre, the Rainbow Bar and Grill and the Whisky a Go Go. The fourth site is a 1938 Streamline Moderne office building, formerly known as the Sentney Building, at 9157-9163 Sunset Blvd.

You can read staff reports evaluating the eligibility of the four buildings HERE.

WEHOville covers the history of each building in article titled, Some of the Sunset Strip’s Most Famous Venues Seek Designation as Cultural Resources.

Meeting Information
West Hollywood Historic Properties Commmission Meeting
Wednesday October 2, 2019 – 7:00 P.M.
Plummer Park Community Center, Rooms 1 & 2
7377 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, California 90046