OPEN HOUSE PICKETED-On Sunday, members of the Melrose Village Homeowner’s Association picketed an open house in the 700 block of N. Vista Street to protest the mansionization of their historic area in Hollywood. The chosen site was in front of a two story, 4,000 square foot home built in the boxy, suburban style typical of most new homes in the area.
“These giant Kleenex-boxes rob surrounding homes of sunlight and privacy, resulting in a loss of value to those homes,” said David Richards, a resident of the area who attended the protest. “We want to let developers know how passionate we are about our homes and the character of our neighborhood. We aren’t specifically opposed to development or renovation, but it must be in scale with the rest of the area. We also hope that people who are considering making an offer on these giant McMansions will think twice, knowing how these homes are hurting their prospective neighbors.”
Over 50 picketers -- including supporters from other neighborhoods also subjected to mansionization -- marched with signs reading “No More McMansions in LA” for the duration of the open house, represented by Re/Max properties. Many passing cars also honked their horns in support, and only two parties crossed the picket line to view the house.
“A couple from Manhattan who saw the place spoke to us and said that while the house would be a bargain in Manhattan, it was certainly on the expensive side for Los Angeles, and it definitely impinged on the privacy of the surrounding homes,” said Richards. “They could look into all the backyards surrounding them. They told us ‘we’re on your side’ which certainly made us happy.”
Richards says his organization’s concerns are not just about the size and character of the new houses. “One of our other issues is the speed with which houses are razed. Bulldozers come in and knock a house down in a day without any asbestos or lead paint abatement.
“I’ve personally checked on that with the South Coast Air Quality Management District. These are homes that for the most part were built in the 1920s, and all of them have cancer-causing chemicals within the walls and ceiling that contractors are legally required to carefully remove before a demolition.
“How the residents of this city can sleep at night knowing children and animals are being exposed to these carcinogens on a weekly basis is beyond me.”
The organizers of the event made it clear that the picketing of similar McMansions will continue until the City Council finally eliminates the citywide loopholes in the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance.
News crews from KTLA, KTTV, KABC and KCBS/KCAL covered the event.
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(Clark Carlton is a community activist and lives in Los Angeles.)
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 12 Issue 102
Pub: Dec 19, 2014
