Tag: HPOZ
Citrus Square: paradise planned next to Hancock Park
George Allan Hancock was truly one of the great aristocrats of his day. Scion of the Gilded Age, he was the son of Major Henry Hancock (the owner of the Rancho La Brea) and Ida Haraszthy Hancock, the daughter of Hungarian count Agoston Haraszthy, aka “the Father of California Viticulture.” George Allan Hancock abandoned the […]
Councilman Soto-Martinez: Use preservation to protect our treasures
The historic upset victory over incumbent Councilman Mitch O’Farrell by political newcomer Hugo Soto-Martinez reverberated not only throughout Council District 13, but in City Hall and the historic preservation community as well. A changing of the guard at City Hall always is concerning to those of us who work to preserve and protect the rich […]
Room to Grow?: Preserving not-yet-designated historic districts
I was having lunch with my friend, James Dastoli, who has newly moved with his family into a historic house located in the Wilton Place National Historic District. We had originally met through a group which was looking to set up an historic district in Los Feliz. James was successfully shepherding an historic district in […]
Proposed changes to the Mills Act spark opposition
Recently released recommendations for proposed changes to Mills Act contracts have sparked opposition throughout the preservation community and beneficiaries of Los Angeles’ premier economic incentive program for historic preservation. A recent review of the Mills Act Program by the City of Los Angeles resulted in a series of recommendations, including the controversial proposal of non-renewal […]
Preservation paradox: YIMBYs and Brookside reuse project
It is an annoying and unfortunate reality that the priorities and prejudices of the YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) movement are set in the Bay Area, and then they are brought to the statehouse by their champion State Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco, who recently in a tweet called for an end to […]
On Preservation: Sacramento strikes back: with the many sons of failed SB 50
There is a maxim in politics that states, “Never let a good crisis go to waste,” a saying currently being amply exploited by our legislature in Sacramento. Under the cover of a global pandemic and civil unrest, once again State Sen. Scott Wiener, the maestro of failed SB 50, is trying to foist dodgy housing […]
