Yep...Beverly Hills has no Historic Preservation Ordinance....that means the main defense is going to be a public outcry to amend the city ordinance to allow for the adoption of preservation guidelines. Below is a modified version of the petition that has a model ordinance attached to it. Its long and drawn out, but its in a language that they'll understand. Read it over carefully...I sent a word copy to you Son of Kelbo that can serve as a printable format if everyone agrees that it sounds ok.
Swamp
A PETITION TO SAVE THE HISTORIC BEVERLY HILLS TRADER VIC'S AND SURROUNDING
MID-CENTURY BUILDING COMPLEX
Please feel free to print out this petition and circulate it, gather signatures, and send it to
the [insert mailing address…Beverly Hills Planning Office? You decide where to stockpile this info]
Thank you.
To: Beverly Hills Mayor, Stephen Webb; The City of Beverly Hills City Council; Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa; The City of Los Angeles Community Development Department; The Los Angeles Conservancy, Laura Dishman; Hilton Hotels / Waldorf-Astoria Hotels; Benny Alagem, Oasis Realty
We, the undersigned, believe that enough of our Beverly Hills/California architectural history has been destroyed in the name of progress.
We believe that to allow the circa 1955 Trader Vic’s and associated Beverly Hilton, located in historic Beverly Hills at Wilshire and Santa Monica to be demolished is a crime against the citizens of the city.
In a region where historical attractions account for a great deal of the tourism industry, and to where a large portion of the community’s resources are directed, this building would be a welcome addition to the roster of historically significant attractions this municipality has to offer.
The Trader Vic’s building is an excellent example of Mid-20th Century architectural design that is symbolic of a unique era in California’s entertainment industry. An era whose glamor and elegance we shall never see again except in movies and history books. This particular building is of great historical importance as it still has its original exterior and interior folk art designs intact, including the bass relief South Sea interpretations signed by S.C. Pietro (1955). These artistic impression, created by a local artist, are priceless and could never be replaced if lost.
Such excellent and original structural integrity is a very rare find amongst our state’s historic entertainment facilities. There are very few buildings of this nature remaining in America, and it would be a travesty to lose such a splendid artifact in exchange for the inferior mass produced architectural designs being built within our community today. Indeed, in Beverly Hills, California these rare and wonderfully designed elements of our past should be on the National Register of Historic Places and preserved for future generations to enjoy.
According to the California General Assembly General Statutes the We, the undersigned, recommend that the City of Beverly Hills adopt an historic preservation ordinance to protect its irreplaceable architectural resources. An ordinance, based on examples found in many communities across the United States and around the world would provide the legal standing needed in the future protection of our irreplaceable historic resources. The addition of proposed historic preservation statutes should include the following:
§ Powers of the Beverly Hills Historic Preservation Commission.
A preservation commission established pursuant to this Part may, within the zoning jurisdiction of the municipality:
() Undertake an inventory of properties of historical, pre-historic, architectural, and/or cultural significance;
()Recommend to the municipal governing board areas to be designated by ordinance as "Historic Districts"; and individual structures, buildings, sites, areas, or objects to be designated by ordinance as "Landmarks";
and:
() Review and act upon proposals for alterations, demolitions, or new construction within historic districts, or for the alteration or demolition of designated landmarks, pursuant to this Part; and
() Negotiate at any time with the owner of a building, structure, site, area, or object for its acquisition or its preservation, when such action is reasonably necessary or appropriate.
and:
§ Remedies.
In case any building, structure, site, area or object designated as a historic landmark or located within a historic district designated pursuant to this Part is about to be demolished whether as the result of deliberate neglect or otherwise, materially altered, remodeled, removed or destroyed, except in compliance with the ordinance or other provisions of this Part, the city or county, the historic preservation commission, or other party aggrieved by such action may institute any appropriate action or proceedings to prevent such unlawful demolition, destruction, material alteration, remodeling or removal, to restrain, correct or abate such violation, or to prevent any illegal act or conduct with respect to such building, structure, site, area or object. Such remedies shall be in addition to any others authorized by this Chapter for violation of a municipal ordinance.
and:
§ Delay in demolition of landmarks and buildings within historic district.
(*) Intent and Purpose
This Bylaw is adopted for the purpose of preserving and protecting, through advance notice of their proposed demolition, significant buildings within the Community which constitute or reflect distinctive features of the architectural, cultural, political, economic or social history of the Community, to encourage owners of preferably-preserved significant buildings to seek out persons who might be willing to purchase and to preserve, rehabilitate, or restore such buildings rather than demolish them, and by furthering these purposes to promote the public welfare, to preserve the resources of the Community, and to make the Community a more attractive and desirable place in which to live. To achieve these purposes, the (proposed) Beverly Hills Historical Commission is empowered to advise the (proposed) Beverly Hills Building Inspector with respect to the issuance of permits for demolition, and the issuance of demolition permits for significant buildings is regulated as provided in this Bylaw.
(*) Definitions
The following terms, when used whether or not capitalized in this Bylaw, shall have the meanings set forth below, unless the context otherwise requires.
A. "Building" Any combination of materials forming a shelter for persons, animals or property
B. "Significant Building" any building:
-
which is listed on, or is within an area listed on, the National Register of Historic Places, or which is the subject of a pending application for listing on said National Register, or
-
which is or has been listed on an Inventory provided to the Building Inspector by the Commission
C. "Preferably-Preserved Significant Building" any significant building which the Commission determines is in the public interest to be preserved or rehabilitated rather than to be demolished
D. "Commission" - the (proposed) Beverly Hills Historical Commission
E. "Commission Staff" - the chairperson of the Commission, or any person to whom the chairperson has delegated authority to act as Commission staff under this Bylaw
F. "Inventory" - a list of buildings on file at the California Historical Commission that have been designated by the Commission to be significant buildings after a finding by the Commission that a building either
-
is importantly associated with one or more historic persons or events, or with the broad architectural, cultural, political, economic or social history of the community, or
-
is historically or architecturally significant (in terms of period, style, method of building construction, or association with a famous architect or builder) either by itself or in the context of a group of buildings
G. "Building Inspector" the person occupying the office of Building Inspector or otherwise authorized to issue demolition permits
(Dated Article Code)
H. "Application" an application for a permit for the demolition of a building which shall include a photograph of the building taken within the past year
I. "Permit" A permit issued by the Building Inspector for demolition of a building pursuant to an application therefor
(Dated Article Code)
J. "Demolition" the act of pulling down, destroying, removing, or razing a building, or commencing the work of total or substantial destruction with the intent of completing the same. A structure is considered to be demolished if it is destroyed due to the owner's failure to maintain a watertight and secure structure. A structure shall also be considered to be demolished if more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the front or side elevations are removed or covered. Each elevation shall be calculated separately
K. "Business Day" a day which is not a legal municipal holiday, Saturday or Sunday
(*) Procedure
A. The Building Inspector, on the day of receipt of an application for demolition of a listed significant building or within the next five successive business days, shall cause a copy of each such application for a demolition permit to be forwarded to (or shall satisfy himself that a duplicate of such application has been submitted to) the Commission. No demolition permit shall be issued at that time. Within five business days of the receipt by the Building Inspector of said application he shall personally inspect the site of the proposed demolition to verify the accuracy of the information contained in the application with particular attention to the correctness of the address listed.
(Dated Article Code)
B. The Commission shall fix a reasonable time, within 30 days of receiving a copy of such application, for a hearing on any application and shall give public notice thereof by publishing notice of time, place, and purpose of the hearing in a local newspaper at least fourteen days before said hearing and also, within seven days of said hearing, mail a copy of said notice to the applicant, to the owners of all property deemed by the Commission to be affected thereby as they appear on the most recent local tax list, to the (proposed) Beverly Hills Historic Districts Commission and to such other persons as the Commission shall deem entitled to notice.
C. If, after such hearing, the Commission determines that the demolition of the significant building would not be detrimental to the historical or architectural heritage or resources of the Community, the Commission shall so notify the Building Inspector within ten (10) days of such determination. Upon receipt of such notification, or after the expiration of fifteen (15) days from the date of the conduct of the hearing if he has not received notification from the Commission, the Building Inspector may, subject to the requirements of the State Building Code and any other applicable laws, bylaws, rules and regulations, issue the demolition permit.
D. If the Commission determines that the demolition of the significant building would be detrimental to the historical or architectural heritage or resources of the Community, such building shall be considered a preferably-preserved significant building.
E. Upon a determination by the Commission that the significant building which is the subject of the application for a demolition permit is a preferably-preserved significant building, the Commission shall so advise the applicant and the Building Inspector, and no demolition permit may be issued until at least twelve months after the date of the application for demolition.
(Dated Article Code)
F. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the Building Inspector may issue a demolition permit for a preferably-preserved significant building at any time after receipt of written advice from the Commission to the effect that either
-
the Commission is satisfied that there is no reasonable likelihood that either the owner or some other person or group is willing to purchase, preserve, rehabilitate or restore such building, or
-
the Commission is satisfied that for at least twelve months the owner has made continuing bona fide and reasonable efforts to locate a purchaser to preserve, rehabilitate and restore the subject building, and that such efforts have been unsuccessful.
(Dated Article Code)
G. No permit for erection of a new structure on the site of an existing significant building may be issued prior to issuance of a permit for demolition of such existing building.
(Dated Article Code)
H. No permit for erection of a new building, paving of drives or for parking shall be issued for two (2) years if a structure is demolished in violation of this bylaw.
(*) Emergency Demolition
Nothing in this article shall be construed to derogate in any way from the authority of the Inspector of Buildings derived from the General Laws. However, before acting pursuant to this chapter the Inspector of Buildings shall make every reasonable effort to inform the Chairperson of the Historical Commission of his intentions to cause demolition before he initiates same.
(*) Historic Districts Act
Nothing in this bylaw shall be deemed to conflict with the provisions of the (proposed) Historic Districts Act, General Laws, with respect to requirements as to
notice, A hearing and issuance by the (proposed) Beverly Hills Historic District Commissions of a certificate of appropriateness, a certificate of non-applicability or a certificate of hardship prior to demolition of any building in an historic district, provided, however, that any temporary building erected or maintained in an historic district pursuant to a certificate issued by the (proposed) Beverly Hills Historic District Commissions may be demolished in a manner not inconsistent with the terms of said certificate.
(Dated Article Code)
(*) Severability
If any section, paragraph or part of this Bylaw is for any reason declared invalid or unconstitutional by any court, every other section, paragraph and part shall continue in full force and effect.
The formalization of these statutes can be overseen by the California Historic Preservation Office
In Conclusion, let it be emphasized that a growing alliance of Beverly Hills residents and business owners are opposed to the adverse environmental and quality-of-life impact of the proposed demolition and redevelopment in the area of Wilshire, Santa Monica Boulevard and Merv Griffen Way. We believe that a compromise can be reached as to the future of the building that will be beneficial to all members of the community. We respectfully request that all alternatives to the demolition of this historic building complex be researched in order to find a way to suit the best interests of the community as a whole.
Sincerely,
(SIGNATURES BELOW:)
(Include signature, printed name, and address)
[ Edited by: Swamp Tiki 2007-04-01 14:07 ]
