Roundup: October 22, 2011

News items and commentary from The Local Feed (in the sidebar) and elsewhere 'round the web that may be of interest to Hollywood residents.

*Curbed LA reports that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will open an outdoor screening site and event space on its vacant Vine Street Property in "the first quarter of 2012." Per the article, "Phase I of the improvement project will include landscaping in an L-shaped area around the old Golden Bridge yoga studio to create a site for outdoor screenings (they'll bring in a portable screen). The area will also be used for events, including receptions for screenings in the Pickford's Linwood Dunn Theater." The article also states that the Academy is still considering what to do with the building that formally housed the yoga studio. Unfortunately there is no mention in the article of what the Academy plans to do with the building that formally housed Big Lots. That building is, in my opinion, the most blighted (and visible) structure on the entire 3.5 acre parcel.

*The City Council approved a motion (Council File 11-1735) directing City Planning to investigate potential planning tools (such as a Fence Height District, variance, etc.) that could address the desires of some East Hollywood residents to have higher fences than normally permitted. According to the motion, "East Hollywood Community members have recently been cited by City inspectors for having fences that exceed the [42 inch height] limitation. The cited properties owners have indicated their desire to retain their over height fences. They have stated that the current public safety circumstances of their neighborhood support over height fences as a crime deterrent." The boundaries of the area impacted by the motion are: Fountain Avenue on the north, Normandie Avenue on the east, Melrose Avenue on the south, Wilton Place on the west to Santa Monica Boulevard and then running west on Santa Monica Boulevard to Bronson Avenue and then north on Bronson Avenue back to Fountain Avenue, but excluding the Melrose Hill Historic Preservation Overly Zone. A recent article in The Park Labrea News / Beverly Press covered some of the background on the community's effort to get this motion passed.

*The Budget and Finance and the Public Works Committees met to discuss options (.pdf) to fund sidewalk construction, reconstruction, and repair and but (again) held off on making a recommendation until they receive more information. The LA Daily News covered the meeting and says that "faced with homeowner opposition and internal disputes, the Budget and Finance, and Public Works committees asked for additional information from the Bureau of Streets Services before taking action on any of the options." The Committees asked Bureau of Street Services staff to return in 60 days with additional reports and information on the few options that were able to gain consensus support from members of both Committees (such as the "point-of permit" option). Based on the tone of the meeting, and the Committees' discussion of the various options, I would say that it is more likely than not that the City will ultimately wind-up doing nothing to address the issue of sidewalk repair. Note: The Bureau of Street Services estimates that 40% (4,600 miles) of the City's total sidewalk system (10,750 miles) is in disrepair and that it would cost over $1.5 billion to repair the damage.

1800 block of New Hampshire Avenue (May 2010)