Neighbors, our community meeting of Jan. 18th was a good beginning, ....in that:  

• We got together...a first in too long a time, to share our problems with Council reps., LAPD ‘s S.L.O, CRAers and HED, etc.
• That our issues were shown to be not ours alone, but central to the renaissance of our famed Old Hollywood, i.e.;
• Street safety;
• On- and off-street parking;
• Late hour noise &  disturbances,  trespass, public drunkeness and defecations in our central residential neighborhood;
• The ongoing fundamental conflicts of activity arising from weaknesses in our zoning, of a historic origin;
• Rarest of all such, we presented affordable and innovative opportunities to abate our problems. In addition to drawing attention to the entities primarily created to achieve this. 

We lament the natural failings in not presenting our voluminous photographic documentations supporting our ongoing horror. 

Michelle Feenor, 4th Dist Deputy, has reported back that Tom La Bonge’s folks are ‘working’ on the problems  which were presented.

My assessment is that: we need to ‘enrich’ with lurid detail the information they received and that we have much more outreach to do, to create the popular pressure to realize it. 

I believe we can achieve significant improvements in off-street parking, since these are common to commerce as well as to residents. 

An alliance with the Chamber, the H.E.D., could prove effective in assigning Parking funds to the purchase of vacant land for that use, the purchase and conversion of appropriate problemed properties to that need which is: front and center in civic concerns. We’re talking about the the area from just East of Highland Ave. to Vine St. And we see many  site opportunities.

Other needs, such as replacement of obnoxious and conflicting uses with demonstrably needed uses such as a major food store, have been subsequently raised. 

SAVON’s  has been greatly surprised by the demand for their foodstock. An ALBERTSON’S replacing the  liquor complex and the pathetic Yucca Plaza would at once both serve greater neighborhood needs and replace the decay so afflicting us.  IRENE BATES, manager of SAVON, spoke to us recently of the great number of requests by residents for night time parking, and her sadness at being unable to accomodate them.

Historically, SAFEWAY stores once proposed such, but was unable to accumulate sufficient property, just one idiot property owner abstained. Now, enough land is available via the conversion of these properties. 

The CRA is the fundamental enabling agency. They only lack the mandate of Council pressure. Only Council pressure enabled the DOME  and the MARKETPLACE projects their massive investment in hi rise parking.  A multitude of comparisons exist.

Only CRA funding purchased the auto repair site on Selma & Schrader Avenues, enabling the construction of subsidized housing. Similarly with the Hollywood Highland Ave Project.

It must need be so too hereabouts.  From Franklin Place, with available vacant land to create residential off-street parking, to Cherokee & Yucca, to Wilcox & Yucca, to Cahuenga Blvd., and the direly needed parking now devoted to industrial truck rental & storage, there are ample opportunities to make life liveable for both residential and commercial revival. Already, much of the public parking capacity on Cherokee is leased to residential needs.  This vicinity badly needs additional public parking at the site proposed for a youth rec. center.

Memorable moments at the meeting:

Steve Procharka of the Princess Grace Apartments @ 1801 Grace Ave. presented plans for additional parking at his  lovely apartment complex to Council aides. We devoutly hope that all assistance is given to realize his laudable plans.

We heard Melissa McClure’s problems copeing with invasions of  the restored 6434 Yucca apartments, and the horror of residents with the ‘street scene’ of beggars, panhandlers, drunks, trespassers, and vandals.  They are greatly depressed by the destruction of planter boxes and trellises, graffitied hallways, and the loss of new residents.

RONDA KELLY spoke of security breaches @ 1750 Wilcox and the early-hour parade of undesireables to the Pla-Boy liquor complex from the Boulevard. 

LOLA NELSON  and NANCY JO BONNE managers of 1811 Cherokee spoke of  the late-hour noise dust  etc. due to the Soccer Field, @ Yucca Street and Las Palmas Ave., and their hopes to restore the 1728 Wilcox apartment home complex to its earlier former glory.  Already this complex of ultimately desirable apartment homes has been secured and improved with decorative fencing.

Meanwhile, all should cope with perimeter security of their buildings and engage loyal resident assistance Good managers and great residents devoted to their homes are key to safety and the ambiance of their environment...Making certain that all gates are closed is key to improving internal security in these buildings. We’ve heard that sideyard gates @ 1750 and 1760 have not been locked.

We greatly appreciate the great meeting hall afforded by 6501 Apartments which is ably managed for Hollywood Community Housing Corp. by MARVIN ROWLAND, Property manager & co-host, and member of the Steering Committee of W.A.V.E. We devoutly hope that it can be the site of future meetings.

An elderly resident of this immaculate building spoke of her relatives being afraid to visit her, the Pla-Boy center, its hangers-on loitering and panhandling, and the late-hour drug dealings in its parking lot with the dancehall crowd, and the inability to sleep thru the booming of drums till 2 AM.

TERRY MOSHER, able manager of the 1800 block Wilcox Ave. apartments, has been stalwart in returning the east side of Wilcox to civilization. Terry, is also a member of the Steering Committee. His employer, ALTA VISTA MGMT. has expressed devotion to the improvement of the vicinity and a desire to even  purchase the liquor complex in order to upgrade it to become useful rather than the blight it's been historically. But, even locating Sy Raff, its owner since construction, has been fruitless to date, he says.

MICHELLE FLEENOR and RORY FITZGEREALD,  Deputies for TOM LA BONGE  were most attentive. They and Tom are new to the district and to our problems. We hope to work with them to allow this  neighborhood to really flower.

So much effort by volunteers and investment by the City of Los Angeles to upgrade this strategic locale in the ‘90’s must be continued to it’s fullest success.

MERLE SINGER, President of the Yucca Coalition, has been laboring so long and hard on the Cahuenga Entry Project, that it’s imminent groundbreaking must be an immense relief. MERLE’S apartments on Franklin Place, just east of Highland Ave., like most such, lack off-street parking and are burdened by commercial parking. She has long advocated  a restricted parking district... We believe that a restricted parking district, while helpful, that need too is for just more off-street parking, and that the CRA needs to be pressed to create such...on the  vacant land on her street, and elsewhere  easterly  in the Corridor.

The squeaky wheel gets heard...

Thanks for attending the meet, and, keep in touch. Let us know what’s goin on in your neck of the woods. We’ll advise all of upcoming events....

 John Ehretz   
Chair, Steering Committee
ph  323  465-3505
fax  323  465-3525
email  ehretz@pacbell.net
postal  1811 Wilcox Avenue
            Hollywood, CA 90028