Historical Preservation
Postcards such as this one can be made on a computer rather easily, and then printed up at Kinko's. The images here are taken from actual photographs of the duplexes, which were then treated in a program. The other side of this postcard urges Jack Weiss to support the Kelton Avenue duplexes as historical monuments. We printed a hundred of these postcards, passed them out to neighbors, and everyone mailed them in. Postcard created by Lisa Kelly.
Building Neighborhood
Support
You should also be building neighborhood support. Be creative. We
wrote petitions citing increased traffic, parking problems,
population density, cultural destruction, decreased views, loss
of open space and greenery, and other items and circulated them
around the surrounding community. We held a block party in the
front yard. Many people attended, bringing food. We circulated
petitions here as well. In all, we collected over 170 signatures.
People were supportive and outraged at the possible destruction
of such old, beautiful homes. We contacted the local neighborhood
council. Later on, we created postcards requesting Jack
Weiss to support the historical duplexes and had people sign them
and mail them to the district office. Many of us contacted the
office by calling and sending letters, emails, and FAXes as well.
The idea is to create a blizzard of letters and so forth. The
squeaky wheel gets the grease, right? Don't be annoying. These
people hear complaints all day. Just state your opinion in your
communication with them. You're trying to show that the whole
neighborhood is interested in the historical preservation.
We were again lucky. Through dogged persistence, we managed to
get Councilman Jack Weiss to come out for a site visit, something
we had badgered his office about constantly. He said he was
impressed by how many people in the community turned out for his
visit. A week later, he held a press conference in front of our
homes, announcing that he would support the designation for
historical monument status. This was obviously a huge help to us,
as he must be the one who eventually give his consent for this if
the Cultural Heritage Commission chooses to designate these
homes. It's possible that part of the reason that he came to this
decision eventually was constant communication with his office
and overwhelming neighborhood support, shown by phone calls,
letters, and petitions. At any rate, we're very grateful that he
did.
When we made our March 5th presentation before the Cultural
Heritage Commission again, with all those support letters in
hand, we could also say that Jack Weiss had given his support,
with Beverly Kenworthy from the office there to indicate support
as well. We also had over twenty people attending the meeting in
support of the preservation of the homes.
Get in touch with with other groups that are fighting for the
historic preservation of other properties. They can be invaulable
in providing advice, assistance, contacts, or a sympathetic ear.
The LA
Conservancy, the district council
office, or the Cultural Heritage Commission can help get you in
touch with these other groups.
The media is also a good resource to contact. This can create additional awareness in the community. After the Los Angeles Times article ran, we had neighbors visiting and offering support. They could not believe that anyone would want to tear the "jewels of the neighborhood."
Neighborhood Council
Again, get in touch with your neighborhood council. The
neighborhood councils work with the city council, so it is
important to keep their representatives informed, and try to have
as many city council people as possible support your cause as
possible. Present your case during their meetings and win their
support.
http://www.lacityneighborhoods.com/home.htm Click on this link, then click on a pdf file entitled Neighborhood Councils Roster. This document is their most comprehensive roster of those groups that have been certified, and those that are still in the process of organizing -- everybody. It includes contact information for the key leaders of each group, boundaries, and e-mail and Web site addresses. The list is constantly being updated so we include a notation of when changes were made to each group’s information. This roster will always appear at the bottom of the News Flash section. (64 pages.)
We got in touch with our neighborhood council, attended a meeting, and got them involved. They wrote a letter of support to the city council and to Councilman Jack Weiss.
Articles and radio shows on
Kelton Avenue:
Los Angeles Times
article
Westsider article
KCRW
Application for Historic Monument Status
The Cultural Heritage Commission Review Process
Arguments that a Developer May Make Against Historical Preservation
Next Steps After Properties Have Been Designated Historical Monuments
How Can I Help Save The Historic Kelton Homes?
We Are Looking For Buyers For The Historic Kelton Homes
Email the Kelton Avenue Ad Hoc Committee
