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BEVERLY HILLS VOLUME: LII
NUMBER 2
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SINCE 1965
THIS ISSUE
NO-AKHURST
Election Season Begins See photos from Sunday’s City Council election kickoff parties in Beverly Hills, page 4
City Council Denies Oakhurst Project 5-0
STANDING ROOM ONLY — Parents and residents packed into the Jon Cherney Lecture Hall at Beverly Hills High on Tuesday to speak out about the possible closure of Hawthorne School.
The Samuel Goldwyn Estate, now owned by Taylor Swift, was nominated for historic landmark designation. 8
The Chargers are leaving San Diego and moving to Los Angeles. 19 •Health & Wellness •Birthdays •Letters to the Editor
10 18 27
George Christy, Page 6 Glamour Gowns Were Everywhere. Also The Carryings-On For A 50th Birthday Party At Carrie Fisher’s Villa In Beverly Hills
CLASSIFIEDS • Announcements • Real Estate • Rentals • Sales • and More
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School Board: Hawthorne K-8 Won’t Close In Near Future By Laura Coleman It was standing room only at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting began after hundreds of residents packed the Beverly Hills High School auditorium to oppose the notion that the board was on the precipice of closing Hawthorne school. In fact, there is no plan to close the K-8 school. The confusion arose after board member Noah Margo last week suggested during a study ses-
sion that the board consider the closure as an option in response to its current budget problems. The board learned last month that the district was projected to have $4.3 million in deficit spending this year and $4.6 million for the 2017-18 fiscal year and thus needed to shave $5 million from next year’s budget. Board President Mel Spitz refused to allow Margo the opportunity to address the packed room (see ‘HAWTHORNE’ page 16)
BHUSD District Office Could Become Mixed-Use Project By Laura Coleman The Board of Education edged closer to achieving a creative solution to its budget woes during a discussion Tuesday about transforming its 3.5-acre administration complex into a mixed-use development with school district offices on the bottom floor and apartments on the upper floors. Board member Howard Goldstein said that if successful, the venture could generate an estimated $3.5 million in additional revenue to the district’s general fund annually. “We are intent on undertaking this project; preferably with the City, otherwise with a private developer,” he said. Brilliance of the notion aside, the district is likely to face a few hurdles in moving forward with this endeavor. For starters, the district will need to have the property rezoned from its current R-4 designation (for educational use). Next, the district would need to apply for a zone modification in order to permit four stories. Goldstein emphasized that once developed, the district would
not be in the business of property management; it would just get the benefit of an additional revenue stream from leasing the property to a developer. Tuesday’s discussion continued a decades-long discussion on just what to do with the underutilized parcel, which was built in the 1950’s and has never been renovated. Following board direction to undertake a serious vetting of the conceptional idea, Chief Administrative Officer La Tanya Kirk-Carter will head up staff investigations to determine just how valuable the property is while simultaneously exploring if the City will permit a zoning change. “I can’t even tell you how sexy a project this will be,” she said. Board President Mel Spitz emphasized that although the preference is to partner with the City on the project, Kirk-Carter will be putting out invitations for private developers to bid on building the multi-use development. “We should pursue it; no question about it,” Spitz stated at the close of Tuesday’s discussion.
By Victoria Talbot Neighborhood residents prevailed in a well-organized, carefully planned defense of their appeal of a massive project that would have spanned three lots and risen to a height of 52 feet in a neighborhood of predominately two story 1930s apartment buildings Tuesday, sending City planners and commissioners a clear message that in Beverly Hills, neighborhood character matters. With Councilmember Lili Bosse forcefully leading the rejection of the project, Concerned Citizens of Beverly Hills/Beverly Grove won their appeal of a new, 26-unit multifamily condominium building. The decision came at the end of a five-hour meeting. Dozens of well-organized residents, each tackling a different aspect of their argument, addressed the council. In addi-
tion to residents, Marcello Vavala with the Los Angeles Conservancy argued in defense of the historic significance of the buildings and the district. The new condominium units would have replaced a period 17-unit apartment building constructed by one of Los Angeles’ pioneer female architects, Edith Northmann. The three buildings have been identified by surveys in both cities as being part of the nine-building Oakhurst Drive Multi-Family Residential Historic District, a concentration of Period Revival architecture that fronts in Beverly Hills. The group’s attorney, Jamie Hall of Channel Law Group, argued that the City of Beverly Hills should conduct a subsequent environmental review because critical information, namely, the completion of (see ‘OAKHURST’ page 16)
Rain Delays Santa Monica Boulevard Reconstruction By Matt Lopez Reconstruction on North Santa Monica Boulevard is now set to begin next week – one week later than scheduled – due to this week’s rain. Advance Utility Work, which includes installation of new storm drain lines and fiber optic conduits, will result in intermittent lane closures as work is done Monday-Friday from Jan. 17 to Feb. 1 from 8a.m. to 6 p.m. and then 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Re-striping of South Santa Monica Boulevard will occur from Jan. 16-20 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Street parking between Beverly and Roxbury Drivers will be removed during this time period, and drivers are encouraged to be vigilant of all “No Parking” signs. For more information on the construction and street closures, visit the project website: www.beverlyhills.org/smblvd or call 424-339-9033. F O R T H E L O V E O F AMY — The beauty of Amy Adams graced the sidewalks of Tinseltown the day she received her Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Celebrity Photo Agency/Scott Downie
Delegates from the Chinese Culture Consul visited Beverly Hills this week in anticipation of the City’s Chinese New Year celebration. 5
BHHS senior Noah Lee was elected president of the United Synagogue Youth. 5
January 13, 2017
For more photos, see George Christy’s column on page 6.