One of the duplexes on
Kelton discussed by Sam Hall Kaplan on KCRW. Photo by Ken Lee. Historical Preservation
Media: Sam Hall Kaplan "City Observed", KCRW
|
One of the duplexes on
Kelton discussed by Sam Hall Kaplan on KCRW. Photo by Ken Lee. |
KCRW 89.9 FM/NPR
SAM HALL KAPLAN "CITY OBSERVED"
AIRED 4.16.03, WEDNESDAY, AT NPR AFFILIATE
KCRW, 89,9FM, AT A NEW TIME. 6:55PM, FOLLOWING "ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED."
A break for a few minutes from the worrisome news in the ancient
and ailing city of Baghdad, to some promising news in the
adolescent and angst ridden Southland.
If you care about the scale and character of neighborhoods, you
had to be pleased with the defeat recently in a special election
in the city of Santa Monica of the anti-preservationist
Proposition A., and the approval in the City of L.A. of the
designation of three small duplexes on the westside as cultural
and historical monuments.
The proposition voters wrestled with in Santa Monica was a
confused and contentious attempt by the ever voracious real
estate lobby to weaken the city"s historic preservation laws
and its zoning and building codes; a sort of an end run in the
pernicious pursuit of mansionization that has corrupted so many
communities of rising affluence. But the proponents did hit a
nerve among homeowners, which is the fear when trying to improve
their properties, or do anything involving a permit, of becoming
entangled in the city"s infamous bureaucratic web woven by a
bevy of municipal bullies and bunglers.
Hopefully, the relatively close vote -- 53 to 47 percent-- will
prompt the city to do some soul searching, and display a little
more needed common sense and courtesy when dealing with the
constituents; you know, the people who pay their salaries and
pensions. Perhaps the timing is ripe or the city to explore
establishing an ombudsmen's office, to act as a public advocate.
This also might be a propitious time for the city of L.A. to back
up its well intentioned concern for preserving landmarks with
some sort of finance program to underwrite their continued
protection.
The need was made apparent in the L.A.'s City Council recent
approval of its Cultural Heritage Commission's recommendation to
designate as landmarks three Spanish Mediterranean styled
duplexes on the westside. The three at 1841, 45 and 51 Kelton
Avenue were developed in 1926 by the Janss Company as part of its
master plan for Westwood out of which grew UCLA. They were going
to be demolished and replaced with yet another nondescript four
story apartment block now mooning so many of the area's streets
when the neighborhood rose up and lobbied for landmark status,
and won.
Under current law, however, the designation is only for 6 months
to a year, presumably giving the owner time to show a good faith
effort to preserve the properties, or sell them to someone who
will. Whomever it is, they no doubt will need help, if not a
little prodding. Certainly its worth it, given the added value
historic preservation lends a community.
Also pleasing, and promising, news, was a design for a prototype
for small primary centers for the L.A.U.S.D. winning a
prestigious honor award of the national American Institute of
Architects. The design by the firm of Rios Associates was
demonstrated with style and substance in the development of two
centers in the Westlake District near downtown, one at 310 South
La Fayette Park Place, and the second, at 2300 Seventh Street.
Both are well scaled and welcoming, making maximum use of minimal
sites, lending needed new school space a sense of place in an
inner city setting. In addition to recognizing the talents of the
architects, the award also recognizes the conscientious efforts
of the often unfairly maligned building division of the city's
long suffering school district. May many more of the prototypes
bloom.
Sam Hall Kaplan "City Observed" -
KCRW
Back to the Eleven Shadows Home Page
Contact photographer/musician Ken Lee
