This week's Larchmont Chronicle is chalk full of stories about doings in Hancock Park. On the one hand, it's all about the new; on the other hand, it's all about the old.
On the new front, Hancock Park has finally jumped on the bandwagon: a new mixed-use development at the northeast corner of Wilshire and La Brea has been proposed.
Cal-Coast Homes plans a development that will stand 16 stories on Wilshire and would rise 27 stories south along La Brea, according to city officials, who met with developer Edward Miller last month. Designed by architect Herb Nadel, the development includes 336 condos above 32,000-square feet of ground-floor retail, said Renee Weitzer, chief of staff to Councilman Tom LaBonge.
Another 16 townhomes would be built along Sycamore Ave., south of Wilshire. Above and below-ground parking is for 1,083 spaces.
The design is allegedly quite nice, but the arcitect's website gave us a whole lot of nothing. On the old front, the Hancock Park Historic Preservation Overlay Zone made some headway last week. The Cultural Heritage Commision was set to approve last week their survey of the neighborhood that recongizes the historical significance of the neighborhood. This one of 859983 steps required to enact the HPOZ that would then limit one's ability to tear down a historical home in favor of an oversized McMansion. Anyway, the Planning Dept. thought it was a good idea:
In a report to the Commission in February, the Planning Dept. recom-mended the HPOZ because of a high concentration of 1920’s style Pe-riod Revival architecture in the area. Also, the Feb. 16 report states, the homes are “designed by important architects and constructed for prominent local families in a cohesive neighborhood setting that retains much of its original historic char-acter.”
Proposed boundaries are Melrose Ave. to the north and Wilshire Blvd. on the south (excluding commercial); Rossmore Ave. on the east (ex-cluding multi-family residential north of Beverly), and both sides of Highland Ave. on the west.
The stage is now set for the old money versus new money feud. May the best lawn sign win.
· Mixed Use Development on Wilshire [Larchmont Chronicle]
· Hancock Park HPOZ [Larchmont Chronicle]