WOULD THE SALE OF 'AIR RIGHTS' PRESERVE SMALL HOMES IN PALMS?

On Jan 18, 2007, at 5:26 PM, Mike Self wrote: Hello Mr. Garrigues, I live at 3707 Hughes Ave. in Palms, one of the few remaining early 20th century apartment buildings in the area. Time and time again, the building (known as La Casa Verde) has been sold to people whose plan it is to tear it down and build condominiums. They soon discover, however, that the property can only legally accommodate condos if underground parking is built, which I'm sure would be very costly. And so, the building has been sold three times in as many years.j I think that it would be a shame to see this building, which has apparently been home to many artists, authors and actors, be torn down to build another stucco-ed behemoth that will further erase the history of Palms. I'm seeking any advice you might have as far as getting the building registered as a local landmark, or at least publicizing what is going on here in Palms. Thanks for your time. — Michael Self

Dear Mike:

I have been giving a lot of thought to preserving the remaining single-family residences in Palms. In fact, that was one of my campaign planks when I was elected secretary of the Palms Neighborhood Council two years ago. Unfortunately, in the 1960s most of historic Palms was rezoned for apartments, and the original small homeowners sold out, took their profits and left.

The people who bought the properties now have the right to build as high as five floors, I think it is. 

The only way I can fathom to save the smaller homes like the one you live in is to form an Air Rights District whereby your owner could sell his "air rights" to a nearby developer, who could use them to build a higher building in a location that would be suitable.

I have read that the "air rights" to a piece of property could bring in about SIXTY PERCENT of the value of the land itself. That is a fine inducement for any owner to sell his rights — and a small, old building like yours could then be rehabilitated and kept for future generations to enjoy. There is a demand for single-family homes close to burgeoning Downtown Culver City.

There may be other ways to save the residences that still dot the area. Maybe the Air Rights District idea is not feasible. But it is something that should be explored before all of the charm of old Palms is taken away and more Fortresses of Gray-itude are built in their place. The planning deputies for our three council members should be made aware of our concerns.

In Downtown Los Angeles the city sold its "air rights" over the Public Library to a developer across Fifth Street, where the skyscraper Library Tower now stands, and the funds were used to build to library's low-rise addition to the east of the original building. I'm not arguing for skyscrapers in Palms, but certainly  a jagged skyline is something we could embrace if it resulted in the survival of homes like some of the little beauties we can still see on Palms Blvd. and a few other streets.

I suggest you attend the next meeting of the Palms Land-Use Committee, which will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 24, in the IMAN Center at  3376 Motor Ave.

I'm forwarding your e-mail to Todd Robinson, chair of the committee, with the suggestion that he add "Preservation of single-family residences" to the meeting agenda. If that is not possible, you can still speak during the "Public Comment" section at the beginning of the meeting.

Thanks for writing. You bring up an important point.

Sincerely,

George Garrigues

CHRISTOPHER HAWTHORNE: Small parks and local businesses are the future of our neighborhoods

(The author is the architecture critic of the Los Angeles Times. This opinion is from the Times issue of Dec. 31, 2006.)

Since the real foundation of the marches [in downtown L.A. last spring protesting U.S. immigration policy] was the local change reinvigorating neighborhoods all over L.A., it follows that the official reaction should happen in that spirit and at that scale. That would require something of a philosophical adjustment for a civic elite that has in recent years spent a good deal of its political and P.R. capital supporting large-scale destination projects such as L.A. Live and the Grand Avenue development.

It would mean sustained support for a diverse network of corner parks instead of grand civic ones — and making sure that the sidewalks and crosswalks leading to those new green spaces are designed with pedestrians in mind. It would formalizing the effort now underway in certain neighborhoods — Eagle Rock, for one — to lure local businesses instead of chain stores. It would mean considering zoning changes to allow in-law apartments as a way to boost density, which is what many neighborhoods need to create a critical mass of local shoppers capable of supporting businesses they can walk to.

The images show the playground in Palms Park on Overland Ave. and the recently closed Sacks clothing store on Venice Blvd.