LA Demolition Derby: The Westside is Winning the Race to Make Room for New Housing

Almost 8,000 residential units have been demolished in the past four and one-half years ending June 30, 2017, according to a recently released Department of Building and Safety Report.  

Over half (54.4%) of the 7,901 residential units demolished were located in just three Council Districts ranging from the Pacific Ocean at Venice, east to the fringes of Koreatown, and most of what is popularly called ‘the Westside” (between Olympic Boulevard on the south and Mulholland Drive on the north.)

Much of the demolition occurred in or around blue-chip neighborhoods such as Venice, Mar Vista, Marina Del Rey, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Palms, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, and West LA – all areas represented by Councilmember Mike Bonin (CD 11). Moving eastward into CD 5, represented by Councilmember Paul Koretz, the neighborhoods experiencing much demolition include Beverly Crest, Beverly Grove, Beverlywood, Carthay Circle, western Fairfax District, Melrose, Palms, Pico-Robertson, Roscomare, and Westwood. At the eastern edge of the Westside map is CD4, represented by Councilmember David Ryu (elected in 2015, half-way through the report; he was preceded in the demolition derby by Tom LaBonge) with neighborhoods like Miracle Mile, Fairfax District, some of the Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz and Silver Lake. 

An average of five demolitions a day of residential housing has taken place every day of the year, in the four and one-half years covered by the report. 

What are the City Councilmembers thinking to allow such widespread demolition? Why isn't there a requirement that Councilmembers personally sign off on every demolition request in their districts? Wouldn’t that give them a better feel for what’s happening to the fabric of their neighborhoods? Nowhere in the published Department of Building and Safety Demolition Guidelines  does it say, “check with the relevant Councilmember first.” 

Here’s how the council districts break down: 

According to records provided by the city’s Department of Building and Safety, that is responsible for issuing demolition permits, the targets for destruction are just where you would expect them to be: in some of the most desirable real estate in the city -- the “Westside” alone counted for 4,300 demolitions, which is 54% of all demolition permits listed in the report. 

There was one big surprise in the report: Hollywood. The way activists tell it, you’d think Hollywood has been ground zero for demolitions, but that neighborhood doesn’t even make the top five in demo permits pulled, despite the amplified voice of community activists there. 

Hollywood does what Hollywood does best: it calls attention to itself and the destruction of its historic and nostalgic core, without any serious argument. It’s possible, judging anecdotally from the proliferation of cranes all over Hollywood, that demos may be increasing there. Hollywood is in a class by itself when it comes to the damage of erasing the past through demolitions since nothing can compare to the allure it has always provided. 

How does the demolition process work, and where is the logical place to insert a sign-off by the Councilmember? 

• You start with Permits and Plans, showing who the licensed wrecking contractor will be, and evidence of a notarized letter from the property owner that they have ordered the demolition. 

• Here, early in the process, would be the ideal place for the Councilmember to weigh in. This does not happen. Nor are they even notified of a pending demolition at any stage of the process. 

• Next, the plan must be approved by the Building department, which will include a pre-inspection of the site. In some cases, other circumstances will be required if the demo permit is for property in a variety of statuses including historic monument, rent stabilized housing, or in a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ). 

• A building inspection must take place at least 24 hours before work begins, as well as a sewer cap inspection. 

• Then, the demolition can begin with a variety of methods ranging from hand held wrecking tools, a bulldozer or skip loader, the jaws-like clam shell wrecking machine, cable wrecking where you attach a cable to a wall and pull it down, the proverbial wrecking ball or, ultimately, explosives. 

The rest is history and lots of dust. 

The City Council has an opportunity, as they move forward to build the new Los Angeles to make some history of their own by inserting Councilmember approval into the demolition process. 

Councilmembers Bonin, Koretz and Ryu would be great makers of such a motion. 

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(Tim Deegan is a long-time resident and community leader in the Miracle Mile, who has served as board chair at the Mid City West Community Council and on the board of the Miracle Mile Civic Coalition. Tim can be reached at [email protected].) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.