BEVERLY HILLS
January 3, 2014 | Page 19
KORBOR (Continued from page 1)
from the Planning Commission and the city council for a 75,116 sf office building plus parking. The site, at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Robertson, was previously a parking lot. The project includes over 330 new parking spaces in an area with virtually no available parking. The current situation creates neighborhood complaints that commercial visitors and tenants from nearby businesses take up their street parking. The controversy began when the owners in 2009 sought to add medical offices to general commercial office use. Nearby owners, including an “grandfathered” medical office building, objected. While the request was pending, Beverly Hills in 2010 adopted an ordinance restricting medical office use to areas already zoned for medical use. The policy reflected a general concern that Beverly Hills had become too focused on medical offices instead of other activities that generated more city business license and sales taxes. The corner of Wilshire and Robertson is one of the most congested in the City, with narrow Robertson a frequent bottleneck. Its few small businesses suffer from lack of available parking as well as traffic congestion. The Planning
Commission and city council denied that change in 2010 and the owners sued. In the meantime, the building was finished and issued a temporary occupancy permit but remains vacant. The lawsuit resulted in a settlement agreement approved unanimously by the council in October 2013. The agreement, available on-line at the city’s website, calls for the owners to return to the Planning Commission to reconsider the project, adding various elements – such as reduced proposed medical use and parking – to justify reconsideration. City staff prepared a detailed report which concluded that the revised project met all requirements for a “medical office use overlay zone,” that all traffic concerns were met, and that the new parking was a “public benefit” to the neighborhood. The report concluded by recommending a “yes” vote by the Planning Commission. Instead, in November the Planning Commission denied the request. At the insistence of Councilmember Nancy Krasne, the matter before the full council next Tuesday. The law requires that a Planning Commission make “findings of fact” to support its approval or denial of a condition use permit, such as that sought here. City staff prepared findings for the November 23, 2013, hearing in sup-
port of approval, but provided no proposed findings for denial. No contrary evidence was presented to support the denial, but weeks later “findings” were prepared to support the denial, based on a simple “no” result. That action may renew the legal action based on “abuse of discretion,” but no actual action is planned as of press time as the matter awaits consideration by the full city council. The law requires the council to consider the matter anew (“de novo”), with findings required to support a decision either way. The project has swirled in controversy since it began, with various allegations of misconduct leveled against city management for demanding excessive developer fees, holding the property hostage, and rejecting the modifications supported by city staff because of personal animus against the owners. On the other side, allegations of “bait and switch” have been made – the owners accepting one outcome then trying to change the outcome later to obtain higher rents. The one neutral party in the controversy seems to be the city staff, which has reviewed two traffic studies, applied state law and city ordinances to the project – including the “new rules for medical” adopted in 2010 after the project was already underway. Adoption of
the new rules after the owners made application for medical use raised questions of “due process,” bad faith and “afterthe-fact rule changes” intended to harm the owners. Despite all the various rule changes, lobbying and legal action, city staff concluded the revised project – the one rejected by the Planning Commission – meets all legal requirements and adds hundreds of new parking spaces to an area badly in need of parking. The city staff report reads in part “. . . the Municipal Code does not outright prohibit new medical offices, but states that they should be appropriately located in order to protect the City’s broad interests. On balance, the subject location appears to be more appropriate for medical offices than many other areas of the City, provided that traffic and parking can be adequately controlled.” Elsewhere in the report, the staff concludes that these problems are “adequately controlled.” The staff continues that the project “may actually help to alleviate some of the parking demand during evenings and weekends in the project’s vicinity.” However the council decides, the outcome will still not answer questions of medical office use, favoritism and discrimination for or against certain applicants, and unfair rules changes for development.
GETTY (Continued from page 5)
(1902-1984) was a master at making photographic prints. His work inspired a wide appreciation of photography as an art form, creating an awareness of the American wilderness as a national treasure. The exhibit combines work already in the Getty collection with a donation of 25 photographs from Carol Vernon and Robert Turbin. The prints were originally purchased directly from the Weston Gallery in Carmel, by Vernon’s parents, Leonard and Marjorie Vernon, in 1981. The Weston Gallery features fine, exclusive photographers, including Ansel Adams. At that time Adams, with Maggie Weston’s help, had begun assembling what he called The Museum Set Edition of Fine Prints. Adams had selected 70 images from 1921-1968, of work he printed himself. The exhibit will showcase images from The Museum Set, printed at the end of his life, with prints from other points in his career. Hiroshi Sugimoto: Past Tense at the Getty Museum will feature 18 prints the artist donated to the museum from his series Photogenic Drawings, Feb. 4 - June 8. Sugimoto’s subjects are reimagined moments, created to replicate the distant past, representing the artist’s intent to reproduce reproductions.
2014 Beverly Hills Centennial Float Volunteers Maria Angelica Claveria Amanda Abeles Michelle Adams Sofia Adell Mitra Akaks David Akaks Shirin Akaks Shamron Akaks Tanaz Akhlaghi Lauren Alpert Vessy Angelina Robin Ashkenazi Michelle Astone Cathy Baker Bita Banafsheha Don Barone Tyra Beavers Don Beavers Jeannie Beavers Amina Beignit Amy Bell Alexis Bell Rachel Benezra Jeffrey Berkett Michael Berlin Ebba Berlinsky BarryBernstein Margie Blatt Kathleen Block Jan Block Alan Block Lisa Bochner Robert Bolinger Karen Boyarsky Monica Brener Joel Brener Brandon Brener Ryan Brener Laurice Brewer Laura Briceno Nathan Brickman Les Bronte Greer Brucker Reese Brucker
Wendy Caldwell Neil Campbell Claudia Caro Cary Charlin Edith Chiang Marge Chirchick Katherine Chrisman ColleenClayton Chad Cole Erika Colon Patrick Conroy Stacey,Cuevas Lisa Curtis Jeanine Davis Sofia Davis Margie Blatt Linda DeJong Paige Dubelko Alyssa Durling Kristy Eberle Beca Eberle Kristy Eberle Eli Eshaghian Shayna Eshmoili Aleyda Esparza Jackie Fabe Marilyn Farber Lori Fienberg Sherry Finnegan Howard Fisher Donna Flade Ray Flade Patti Flud Roger Flud Patti Flud Roger Flud Mary Flynn Jack Follman Michael Franklin Natalie Friedmanh Mai Fukata Amy Galst David Galst Josh Galst
Nina Galvan Joanie Garratt Yoau Gelfer Lisa Gonzalez Lizzie Gonzalez Cindy Gordon Bonnie Gottlieb Marc Gottlieb Bonnie Gottlieb TamaraGreen Helene Green MichalGreenfield Selah Gregory Arianna Gross Sheri Gussman Karen Gutierrez Shane Halfenberg Don Halfenberg Jasmine Hannani John Harriel Max Hartshauser Tara Hekmati Ava Hekmati Patricia Herron Sharon Hersch Nairobi Hilaire Rosemary Hilb Vivi Hill Nathan Hirsch Alice Hirsch Jordan Hopp Barbara Jebejian Beth Johnsen Carolyn Johnson Jeanne Kantak Helayne Kaplan Jeremy Kaplan Marissa Kaplan David Keeton Laura Kessler Timothy Kim Alex Kleerup Nick Kleerup Sarina Klemes
Dani Klernes Ed Knerr Colleen Knerr Olivia Koshy Evie Kraft Ethan Kraft Lily Kraft Sharon Krischer Joel Krischer Bailey Kui Ella Lane Xi Lane Anne Laureano Kelly Leffler Jennifer Leuning Alanna Lewiston Margarel Li Susan Li William Li Jessica Lu Lynda Manaster Jake Manaster Ethan Manaster Upasana Mannur Devinalexus Marin Azalea Mariveles Kari Marlowe Mayan Maryamian Shanna Massachi Kathleen Mazurek Arianna Mazzarini Nancy McCready Montana McIntyre Ubaldo Mendoza John Millan Gail Millan Mackenzie Millan Caitlin Millan Jolie Milstein Camila Monchini Arianna Montero Alanna Montero Cynthia Moore Karen Myron
Daniel Nickfardjam Deborah Nickfardjam Dani Nisim Misty Odett Stephanie Ordaz Estela Ordonez Jane Pak Joyce Parrot Ziba Peikar Sharon Persovski Molly J. Peterson Daniel Poposy Phillip Powell Judeth Puyat Rebecca Pynoos RebeccaPynoos Pinita Quiterio Alex Rachmanony Nina Rachmanony Jonah Rachmanony Orly Rachmanony Raziella Radfar Faranak Rafizadeh Chantel Rahmanizad Kimberly Reiss Benjamin Reiss Eddie Reynosa Luz Rivera Linda Robbins Cindy Robbins Joao Pedro Rodriguez Shena Rojemann Manny Rosales Adam Rosenberg-Wolf Rosalie Rubaum Sarah Saisanun Elyse Salend Yasi Sanandaj Joan Sanders Nicole Sayegh Julie Schuer Katherine Schwartz Sam Schwartz Arielle Shalom
Charla Shambley J Shin Davina Shoumer Dan Silverman Alyse Silverman Chelsea Simmons Peggy Simons Denise Sirkus Adam Slavic Blake Sloane Ekaterina Smimova Shirley Smith Neri Snyder Ashley Stegall Michelle Stern Jennifer Sternshein Tatiana Szerwinski Stephanie Szwajkos Sharen Talasazan Julie Tseng William Tucker Graciella V. Boltiansky Minoo Vahidi Michael Vasseghi Arlene Vinnick George Vreeland Hill Deann Waters Taylor Waters Todd Waters Albert Watson Wolf Weinstein Mercedes ,Weinstein Tammy,Weisman Kerry ,Welland Stacey,Williams Jane ,Winston Doman Sachi ,Worrall La Ruth Wright Howard Wu Ying Zhang