A few weeks ago, a petition was going around upper Beachwood Canyon that said the neighborhood couldn't handle any more traffic and wouldn't support making Lake Hollywood Park an official Hollywood Sign viewing spot (which is what some people have been trying to do--GPS directions recently switched to point to the park). The episode was just one more battle in the long-waged Hollywood Sign Viewing Spot Wars, in which neighbors argue over how to deal with the tourists flooding the Canyon. Some of the people involved with the petition also met with area City Councilmember Tom LaBonge to discuss their potential options and the results of their meeting were summarized in a letter addressed to LaBonge and sent out in a recent email blast to the Hollywoodland Homeowners Association. The group seems interested in sending tourists out of Beachwood Canyon entirely and into a specially-designed Griffith Park viewing area.
· You took us to the Observatory parking lot's restricted access parking. You suggested tour/bus companies may be interested in using this as a" stop spot" for viewing the sign and visiting the Observatory. The advantages would be: on site bathroom and eating facilities and no set up costs. · You also took us to a gated section of Mt. Hollywood Drive, adjacent to the Observatory. We discussed the opening of a portion of the 34 foot wide paved, Mt. Hollywood Drive. The existing locked gate would be moved to the vista point, a turn-around would be developed and a berm and/or safety barrier constructed. Costs for these improvements should be through the Hollywood Sign Trust, which holds the service mark (on the City's owned Hollywood (land) sign).
· In order to generate a" sign experience " we discussed the idea of reconstructing an educational kiosk for the sign which would include a replica of the letter "H". That letter would mirror the sign in size, scale and be sited on a similar terrain as the sign on Mt. Lee. The kiosk would include historical material about the sign. People would be able to climb, touch, feel and understand the landmark. Telescopes and benches could be included to make the experience "user friendly". The kiosk could have retail items, a film about the sign and other revenue earning items. Funding should also be through the Hollywood sign Trust.
· We appreciated the time you and your staff took in trying to show us the parcel A site near the Lake Hollywood Reservoir. Unfortunately, since the gate keys were not available we were unable to see and consider this as an option.
Please engage the Sign Trust to allocate funds for the Mt.Hollywood site and to further investigate the "experience" aspect of the kiosk idea. The three sites we viewed today clearly underscore the fragile infrastructure of your Lake Hollywood view site, demonstrating why it can not be considered, encouraged or promoted. We look forward to continued dialogue regarding all three options as the official Hollywood sign view sites.
· Neighbors Say Hollywood Sign Can't Be "Major Tourist Destination" [Curbed LA]
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