Action Alert: Help Stop a Demolition in Progress
The Weinberg-Adler Residence in Holmby Hills, before and after illegal demolition work.
Tomorrow (Thursday, December 5), the City of L.A.ās Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) will vote on several landmark nominations.
One of these nominations, the Weinberg-Adler Residence, is imminently threatened with full demolition and could set a dangerous precedent for preservation.
Please attend tomorrowās meeting and speak out for preservation!
Thursday, December 5, 2019
9 a.m.
Los Angeles City Hall
200 North Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
10th floor, Room 1010
Illegal Demolition of the Weinberg-Adler Residence
Tomorrow, the CHC will decide how to proceed with the pending Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) nomination of the 1938 Weinberg-Adler Residence in Holmby Hills. Constructed in 1938 and designed by architect Paul R. Williams, the house at 100 Delfern Drive is the former residence of various Hollywood celebrities, including the long-time home of actor Eva Gabor. It is now imminently threatened with full demolition as a teardown.
In September, the owner stripped off the front faƧade without permitted approvals in place as an apparent attempt to circumvent the local landmarking process. Following a stop-work order, the house now sits with its grand portico and front details in a pile of strewn debris.
This sets a dangerous precedent for historic buildings in L.A. and is a flagrant abuse of the HCM process. We are especially concerned because a City staff report to the CHC recommends against proceeding with the nomination, due to the damage caused by the illegal demolition.
If the CHC does not proceed with the nomination, they are allowing the abuse of the HCM process to occur with minimal repercussions. They are essentially rewarding the ownerās illegal actions and opening the door to future abuses of the system.
In addition to proceeding with the HCM nomination, we believe the City should initiate a āScorched Earthā ordinance proceeding for this case. This egregious example illustrates the need for stronger guardrails for demolition in L.A., an escalating problem.
Attend the CHC meeting tomorrow and speak out in support, asking commissioners to support the HCM nomination of the Weinberg-Adler Residence. The Weinberg-Adler Residence is item 7 on the agenda.
Write to the L.A. Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) and press them to initiate a Scorched Earth ordinance proceeding (Frank Bush, General Manager, Superintendent of Building, [email protected]).
Contact your councilmember and demand stronger policies and enforcement to prevent future demolitions of historic buildings in L.A. Find your representative >>
We recently nominated the former Chili Bowl restaurant building in West Los Angeles for landmark designation. At Thursdayās meeting, the CHC will decide whether to take our nomination under consideration.
The Chili Bowl in West Los Angeles is an example of programmatic architecture, in which the building is fashioned in the shape of a businessās product or identity.Ā
Originally constructed in 1935 and moved to its present location in 1939, the Chili Bowl is one of L.A.ās oldest surviving examples of the now-rare programmatic style.
The Chili Bowl is item 8 on the agenda.
In August, the CHC voted to take our nomination of Union Bank Square under consideration. Tomorrow, they will vote on whether to recommend designation and move the nomination to the next step in this several-month process.
Designed by Harrison & Abramovitz with A. C. Martin and Associates, Union Bank Tower was one of the first skyscrapers built in downtown L.A. after the repeal of the 150ā height limit, and the first building taller than City Hall. Renowned landscape architect Garrett Eckbo designed the three-acre plaza.
Union Bank Square is item 6 on the agenda.
Thank you for your support on these important issues!
