Larchmont Chronicle

JANuAry 2018

31

SECTION ONE

Miracle Mile HPOZ board expected to be in place in early 2018

sion maker, guided by an adviBy Suzan Filipek Now that most of the Mira- sory recommendation from the cle Mile residential area south HPOZ Board,” said Bernstein. The remaining appointments of Wilshire Blvd. has been declared a Historic Preservation will be made by the mayor to Overlay Zone, the next order select someone with real estate of business is getting a five- or construction experience. The Cultural Heritage Commember board. “We’re hoping to have a mission will choose both an board up and running in early architect and a renter or owner 2018,” said Ken Bernstein, who lives in the Miracle Mile. “Our office will be comprincipal city planner, Dept. of City Planning, Office of His- pleting interviews with those toric Resources and Citywide who’ve applied to be the Cultural Heritage Commission Policy Planning.  appointees, and our Councilman David office will be making Ryu has appointed recommendations to architect Lisa Landthe Commission in worth DeBolske as its the coming weeks,” first member. A USC Bernstein added. graduate and head Once in place, the of her own firm, she four board members is an HPOZ veteran; will appoint the fifth she was on the initial board of the Miracle INITIAL board member from a pool Lisa of renters or owners Mile North HPOZ and member Landworth De- and with input from served as chairperson Bolske. the area’s Neighborand also served on the Westwood Design Review hood Council.  The city council approved Board. She will be joined by four the preservation ordinance last more members who will re- year to protect the character of view residents’ applications the neighborhood and the arfor remodels and renovations. chitecture of the area’s many “The board and City Planning Period Revival-style homes. HPOZ effective 5/1/17 staff work in tandem to oversee While the interim review the HPOZ,” said Bernstein. “On some types of smaller process has been running ‘conforming work’ approvals, smoothly, “a few developers the board is the decision mak- had put in applications beer; other types of conforming tween the time the Interim work requests are delegated to Control Ordinance protection Planning staff for approval. On expired and the HPOZ took larger additions or more sub- effect on May 1, so there will stantial changes requiring a be a few more developments ‘Certificate of Appropriateness’ that don’t fall under the new or ‘Certificate of Compatibility,’ guidelines,” said Mark Zecca, Planning staff is the final deci- a member of the Miracle Mile

Park La Brea Residents annual meeting is Jan. 14

By Gregory Cornfield The Park La Brea Residents Association will host its annual meeting at noon on Sun., Jan. 14, at the Park La Brea Activity Center.   Association leaders will discuss plans for 2018, review finances, and hold a vote to elect board members for the next year.   Park La Brea residents are encouraged to attend and present any issues regarding the quality of life at the 4,224unit apartment complex. Residents are welcome to organize new activities or propose new advocacy issues. For example,

the residential association supports the Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance, and the association is taking a survey regarding the post office’s policy about delivering to residents’ front doors. Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-50) also will speak at the meeting.   The Park La Brea Residents Association aims to protect residents’ rights, act as a liaison with management, and enhance quality of life in the community. For information, visit PLBRA.org.

Neighborhood grant application deadline is March 23

The Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council is now accepting applications for its 2017-2018 Neighborhood Purposes Grant Awards. The awards assist permanent neighborhood improvements that are cooperative ventures among community groups. This year the GWNC will be awarding

two grants of up to $1,000 each. The grants can be used by either 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or public schools for community improvement projects. Applications are due Fri., March 23 at 5 p.m. Winners will be announced Wed., April 11. For more information, visit greaterwilshire.org/npg.

Residential Association. Large, out-of-scale, boxy homes prompted the yearslong effort in the first place. It can take “two years to get an area acquainted with the new overlay procedures. There will always be some property owners that need to be brought on board before they make arrangements with contractors for work,” Zecca added. Among the communication efforts was a city mailing of postcards to all property owners alerting them to the change and the weblinks to follow for proper procedure

and to get requests cleared. The MMRA posted an “ABC’s of HPOZ” on its website. As new property owners buy into the area, they get a welcome packet informing them of their City Planning HPOZ staff member, Christina Park, christina.park@lacity.org. “We urge all property owners to go to the city’s website for the Miracle Mile HPOZ, https://preservation.lacity. org/miracle-mile. It is important for them to look up their property by street address and to study the new guidelines,” says Zecca.

Paint exempt, roof is not Before any work is done, it is best to send Christina Park an email stating the nature of the project. She will guide the residents through the process. Some items like paint color are exempt from review. Zecca recounted that “a new neighbor of mine applied for a permit for a new roof recently. Christina cleared it within three business days, and the permit was issued on the fourth business day. Pretty efficient, I would say, as long as property owners follow the procedure.”

Linda Key Biro

January 22, 1940 – November 29, 2017 Born in Encino, among the orange groves of the San Fernando Valley. At the age of nine her family moved to the thriving artists’ colony of Carmel-by-the-Sea, where Linda finished grade school and attended Carmel High School. Her father, Donald Teague, was a famous artist and illustrator, his work appearing in Colliers and The Saturday Evening Post. Her family travelled extensively in Europe during her young years and later, when she attended Mills College. A drama major at Mills, she worked as a stage manager at the San Francisco Actor’s Workshop, as executive secretary to one of the producers at KGO television in San Francisco, and at the famous design firm of Logan, Carey & Rehag. She was aide, curator and adviser to her father in dealing with various museums and galleries, and in 2013 was the spokeswoman at a major Donald Teague show at the Bohemian Club in San Francisco. Prior to this event, a woman had never been asked to address a general meeting at the Bohemian Club. Linda was active in Junior League and was a longtime member of the Children’s Hospital Auxiliary. She owned and lived in a gabled Paul Williams house in Hancock Park for over thirty years, still her family home. Linda died suddenly and unexpectedly, after a startlingly brief illness. We remember her, from girlhood to her final days, as a person who made you feel very special. One of hers. Included. Important. Loved. Linda is survived by her husband, Pete Biro, whom she had met many years before at Logan Carey, and by her sons Robert M. Key, Michael Scott Key and Scott Gale. Adv.

Katherine Kage Bennett April 14, 1944 - October 27, 2017

Kathy was born on April 14, 1944 to Gordon and Marijane Kage in Fresno California, where her father was stationed with the Air Force. A selfdescribed “Air Force Brat”, she grew up in Tokyo and Honolulu before attending Chapel Hill High School in North Carolina, where she was a Junior Olympic swimmer and Homecoming queen. After attending Peace College in Raleigh, NC, she met her husband, Bob Bennett, a basketball player from nearby University of North Carolina. The two soon married. Both work and their mutual adventuresome spirits brought them to Los Angeles. There she raised her two boys and gave her time generously, always helping at her children’s schools, Hancock Park events, and local charities. An avid photographer, her pictures captured the lives of friends and family and are still cherished. She loved tennis and found time to play often with the “tennis gang.” She also enjoyed needlepoint, spending time with friends while creating Christmas stockings and ornaments for the family. She was vivacious, thoughtful and loving - and also

tough as nails! Cancer was no match for her, and twice she came home to find a burglar in the house … both times she chased him out! Kathy is survived by her husband Bob of San Antonio, two sons Lee of Los Angeles and Bob of San Diego, brother Gordon of Virginia, and sisters Barbara of Raleigh, NC and Elizabeth of Hurdle Mills, NC. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

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