Image courtesy of WeHo News
West Hollywood is certainly filled with childless gays and childless straights, but some residents don’t want any kids in their neighborhood, period. The West Hollywood Huntley Preschool, on Huntley Dr. and near the MTA bus station, has applied to the planning commission to expand its enrollment by 10 to a staggering 24 children. And according to WeHo News, NIMBYism has reared its head, and many nearby residents are pissed at the notion of what children under 6 might do to their neighborhood. Yes, they claim that 3 year old Sally and her 1 year old brother Timmy will bring down property values. And why wouldn’t it? First you get a preschool, then comes the crack houses and the street hookers. The dissidents have formed a group, Residents for Quality of Life, to keep the kiddies away.
Traffic and parking head the group’s list of complaints, but underlying them all runs distrust of the Ellis’s [owner of the school] intentions. Mr. Alexander [spokesperson for the group] explained. “When they came in here it was with only 14 children, which they could without approvals. Now they want ten more kids. Why, but for money? We don’t want businesses on our street.” We just hope the members of Residents for Quality of Life never have to leave their utopia and face more substantial issues, like puppies and candy.
· NIMBY in WeHo [WeHo News]