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That is news to people on 16th Place, who turned out en masse to pose for an "after" photo of their ruined neighborhood.

Yet to hear the Planning Department's explanation of what went so wrong, nothing has.

Claudia Rodriguez, neighborhood liaison for LoGrande, in a prepared statement via email, says that when the project's "entitlements" were approved 10 years ago, including the 68-foot height limit, it was all done with "community input."

Rodriguez appeared unaware that maneuvers since that time had negated the 2001 Planning Commission vote.*

CIM Group says merely, "The project is in full compliance with the entitlements."

Ten years ago, Portillo and others attended numerous Planning Department meetings to ensure the environmental quality of their street — including its views — would be unharmed. For years he had been at ease because of "Number 44" — the Planning Commission's finding that a 68-foot-tall building "will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare, or injurious to the property or improvements in the same zone and vicinity."

Nobody knows how much their homes have plummeted in value in the past four weeks. And at City Hall, confusion seems the order of the day.

Wesson's aide confirmed by email to the Weekly that the 68-foot building must be measured from ground level at Pico Boulevard, but also declared, "The developer is well within their rights to construct a building at 68 feet and along Venice Boulevard."

Portillo says, "There is something really wrong about this."

Porte says residents have contacted Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and even Lowe's president, but, "We really are being met with indifference."

Neighbor Nick Hounslow spoke to potential attorneys to represent residents, and informed everyone in an email that City Hall "won't initiate anything until we make the first move" by filing an appeal.

Porte, still sounding in shock, says this is his first home. He bought it, he says, "because of the view."

* Correction:The original version of this story stated that the Lowe's Home Improvement complex was built on a slope 30 feet high along Venice Boulevard. In fact, the ground near Venice was excavated and the building was not placed on a slope.   

 

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19 comments
porte
porte

Safety starts with making use of door in our property or in operate place. So we are able to say placing the door in property is basic step of safety. At times your protection is as part of your hand. If you are making use of security

Steve
Steve

Nate Holden is a moron. It's a shame how this deadbeat ex-councilman who never lived in his own district got a great building dedicated to him that the city cannot even afford to use. If this retread had any civic pride or dignity, he would donate a portion of his retirement to help operate and program the Art Center on Washington for the people that he screwed over for years. He has no right to renig on his promise from ten years ago or lie about the Sears building at Midtown to be an obstruction; it never was. That building was an historic art deco icon that was raped repeatedly by his office for multi-faceted swap meet, low-rent retail hoodwinkery until the last bits of it were finally demolished. Midtown Sears, in its glory, was a landmark where you could sit on the roof and overlook most of the entire city, East, North, and West. Neighbors to the South could do the same because IT WAS NOT IN THE WAY of their view to the North. Not at all. You could see clear over it in all directions. Holden is lying through his chipped dentures when he denies this FACT. As was expclaimed in his last election "No more Holden on!" Why would you even quote this liar?? Oh. that's right. You are the LA Weekly.

Ran Fleming
Ran Fleming

The abolition of the CRA is long overdue. The CRA is responsible for most of the development blight proposed for downtown L.A.—such as the billboard buildings, the removal of affordable housing and the "Broken Windows" approach to Skid Row that does nothing but move the problem elsewhere for future over-priced development. Moreover, the blight that surrounds City Hall continues to be allowed.The L.A. Weekly is commended for covering this and related stories (such as the LAPD building land-grab and the L.A. Reflections scandal). Such stories should be widely covered and by every newspaper. If only the developer-friendly downtown "news"paper would have the backbone to investigate the CRA and all its corruption in its very backyard. Too bad Sue Laris & Co. won't dare to upset the CRA, Eli Broad, et al.

David_Barron
David_Barron

Come on Governor Jerry Brown, show some of your dad's spine. Abolish the corrupt CRA ! And, distribute that $1Billion dollars where it was intended; city repairs, Schools, Fire and Police.

David_Barron
David_Barron

Curious? Did John and Ken radio show sell-out--and that's why they didn't promote Walter Moore for Mayor, like they're promoting Craig Huey for Congress? Perhaps by now the CRA would have been exposed and buried. And 'antonio' could have sailed off into the sunset, and we wouldn't be in this mess. Deplorable !

Tony Klein
Tony Klein

I've lived and worked in LA all my life That's 60 years. Nothing creates blight like a lack of jobs. I'm sorry that this small group is having their lifestyle altered. They should be compensated. I agree If they don''t work things out with the developer ...well that's what the courts are for Why is this an issue?

What's important is that the neighborhood is getting serviced by company's that are still willing to risk money at all. . I'm sure you've noticed that things aren't so good right now for all of us.

I would have liked to have seen photos the peoples view of the old Sears building ..I seem to remember that building sat empty and blighted for 10 or 15 years. How come LA Weekly didn't show pictures of that view?. That neighborhood is blue collar working class. Last I noticed, they aren't a prime demographic.Stop bitching and count your blessings. They are getting jobs and development in an area thats been blighted t for years. Nothing to see here .Move along. Let's talk about making more jobs so we can grow out of this hole.

Adrianna Jackson
Adrianna Jackson

I smell major lawsuit. Another perfect example of how our government can waste money on stupidity.

Katy
Katy

You get what you vote for.

Michael Rose
Michael Rose

Great piece. I drove by the wall last week and was shocked. I knew this was another example of redevelopment run amok. Thanks for sorting out the chain of misdeeds and letting the residents' voices be heard.

WALL=BAD
WALL=BAD

I love the first paragraph of this story.

anonymous
anonymous

City Hall politicians; CRA; CIM and Planning Department equal a toxic mix that create blight in neighborhoods.

rickabrams
rickabrams

The people in Hollywood who voted for La Bonge got screwed as he increased the pace of CRA destruction. It looks like the same occurred with Wesson.

The question becomes: If you vote for greedy crooks to represent you, what do you expect?

The Governor and everyone else in Sacramento just screwed the people again with a fraudulent abolition of the CRA's. All the CRA's has to do is bribe Sacramento with $1.7 Billion, which money the CRA has taken from us in the first place, in order to get $5 Billion more dollars this year alone.

The people on 16th Street like the people in The Oaks, whose homes can burn to the ground for lack of adequate fire protection, will do nothing except bitch and moan -- but they won't do anything to stop the CRA's from bribing Sacramento with the homeowners' own money so that the CRA's come back stronger and more destructive than ever.

James Mccuen
James Mccuen

You raise a good point. CRA/LA may come back - Sacramento Republicans fought hard to save it and the Democrats happily supported the compromise.

In LA, despite the budget problems, the Mayor and City Council will have no problem coming up with $70 million the first year and $30 million on years going forward. That is what they have in common with Sacramento Republicans - They want to protect their wealthy developer buddies like CIM Group and AEG.

dcbsky
dcbsky

Yeah James, those Republicans in Sacramento rule the roost. Uh huh, sure....

James McCuen
James McCuen

You will just have to follow the entitlement trail to see when this change in grade measurement was made.

Friend of 16th Street Folks
Friend of 16th Street Folks

This is really terrible. I support the homeowners 200%. CRA should be thinking about the quality of life in a neighborhood and not just commercial interests.

I grew up in that neighborhood and always loved the view from 16th Street. I was a little pocket of the beauty of L.A. in a neighborhood that was turning the wrong way. Now that the neighborhood is back on the path of renovation, this horrible wall certainly won't help things progress.

I think Lowe's or anything else that takes over this space should be boycotted until the wall is lowered and the local politicians should be made to serve the people of the community and not just the whims of some wealthy developer who goes home to some wealthy neighborhood to enjoy his view.

Frawsty
Frawsty

We need to cut the ability for politicians to piss our money away. Abolish the LA-CRA, another way politicians fill their pockets with money, and another huge waste of taxpayer dollars. Take that money and either pay the city debt, or give it back to the people to spend on the necessities of life.

James McCuen
James McCuen

On Friday, July 1, 2011, the LA City Council will be discussing having a study done to consider one of two options proposed by the Governor's Approval of AB1X-26 and AB1X-27.

They City can "opt-in" and keep the CRA (under AB1X-27) or let the CRA die (under AB1X-26). I say opt for 26.

rickabrams
rickabrams

Kill the CRA's. Under AB1X-27, the local CRA's will use $1.7 Billion of our property tax dollars to bribe Sacramento so that the CRA's become stronger and stronger. They have Kelo power of eminent domain which means that take private property and give it to the private real estate developers to construct the garbage like the 16th street people see.

It is ironic that the "16th Street Wall" is constructed with property tax dollars to block the views of the property owners. On the other hand, they supported Wesson so why are they complaining. Did they think that Wesson would only screw the poor people over whose homes they looked as if they did not exist? Kind of ironic justice.

 
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