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According to the lease, BHUSD is the

andlord, and Murakawa-Leopard was listed

as the contact.

Goldberg did not return a phone call from

he Weekly before deadline.

City Council designatesCity’s first historiclandmark: The Beverly HillsHotel

The Beverly Hills City Council voted

unanimously Tuesday night to designate

The Beverly Hills Hotel as the City’s first

ocal historic landmark and to declare Sept.

12, 2012 “The Beverly Hills Hotel Day.”

“Tonight this city council is about to

make history by designating The Beverly

Hills Hotel as the first historic landmark on

he City’s register of historic properties,”

Cultural Heritage Commission Chair Noah

Furie said prior to the vote on the hotel,

which is celebrating its 100th anniversary

his year.

In May, the Cultural Heritage Commissiondetermined the hotel, which represents the

work of master architects Elmer Grey and

Paul Williams, met the criteria for desig-

nation, meaning it has maintained historic

value, has retained integrity from its period

of significance, and met at least two out of 

six additional criteria.

The commission determined the hotel

met more than the minimum criteria—it

satisfied four of the six additional crite-

ria—but Vice Mayor John Mirisch sug-

gested indicating The Beverly Hills Hotel

also fulfilled criteria related to the hotel’s

association with “the lives of significant

persons important to national, state, City or

ocal history.”As an example, Mirisch said the hotel was

he location for some of actor and producer

Harold Lloyd’s work.

“It’s quite amazing [about a year] ago we

were considered to be the model of what

not to do when it came to honoring our his-

ory and protecting our [historic resources],”

Mirisch said. “It seems to me [we’ve] gone

n the exact opposite direction. It really is

something for this council, the entire com-

munity, and the entire city to be proud of.”

Prior to the vote, manager Christophe

Olivro said the hotel would be honored to be

he City’s first historic landmark.

In January, the City Council approved the

City’s historic preservation ordinance, which

involved establishing the Cultural Heritage

Commission to maintain the City’s register

of historic properties, make recommenda-

tions on designation of historic landmarks

and Mills Act contracts, review alteration

and demolition applications, and oversee any

subsequent historic resource surveys.

Parent-teacher book groupto discuss Steve Jobs inOctober

Beverly High English teacher Julie Goler

has a summer reading assignment for

BHUSD parents: Pick up a copy of Walter

Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography and par-

ticipate in a PTSA-sponsored BHUSD com-

munity book group on Oct. 15 at 7:30

“It’s a community building ac

more than anything else,” Goler said

designed to expose the BHUSD pa

teachers and students to the best nonf

book of the year and arguably one o

best of the last decade. [This activity

also] provide us an opportunity to di

the future of technology in BHUSD.”

Page 4 • Beverly Hills Weekly

briefs cont. from page 3City Council consensus on Gateway Project:Not yet

Councilmembers expressed varying views Tuesday night of 

plans to establish an overlay zone for the development of the

City’s gateway at Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards, but a

majority agreed on at least one point. The City Council was not

ready to move forward with the zone-change proposal that would

allow redevelopment of the former railroad right-of-way.

The City Council picked up where it left off with the Gateway

Project public hearing, which opened June 19. During that

meeting, the City Council heard from all three property owners

involved and public comment from residents. Councilmembers

Julian Gold, Lili Bosse and Barry Brucker had the opportunity toask questions before Brien announced the hearing would be con-

tinued to Tuesday night so Vice Mayor John Mirisch, who was

absent from the June meeting, would also have the opportunity

to ask questions.

The Planning Commission spent months developing param-

eters for the overlay zone, ultimately recommending a list of 

14 objectives project proposals must meet, while still allowing

flexibility. All projects would be required to include elements

for public benefit, such as greenspace and/or pedestrian and bike

paths.

In order to encourage development of the neighboring C-3

commercial properties, which can be built up to a 2.0 floor area

ratio (FAR) with three stories of up to 45 feet, the Planning

Commission proposed allowing greater height and density of T-1

parcels when developed in conjunction with C-3 parcels.

Under the proposed overlay zone, property owners developing

T-1 parcels alone would be allowed to build one-story structures

up to 18 feet tall with a 0.5 FAR, or 500 square feet of building

for every 1,000 square feet of developable land. If property own-

ers jointly developed T-1 and C-3 properties, the T-1 property

adjacent to the C-3 property could be built up to three stories at

a maximum of 45 feet with a 1.5 FAR.

Any T-1 property adjacent to C-3 properties not involved in the

 joint development could not be built upon in order to leave open

the possibility of future joint development.

Under “extraordinary” circumstances, Planning Commission

Chair Craig Corman said the commission might consider projects

up to 60 feet tall at Parcels 1 and 2, but FAR could not increase.

The commission did not recommend this possibility for Parcel

3, because of its location across from a residential neighborhood

and Beverly Gardens Park.

The overlay zone would provide guidelines for property own-

ers to develop projects, but all projects would have to comebefore the Planning Commission for its review.

Mayor Willie Brien, who said he agreed with most of the

Planning Commission’s recommended standards for developing

the three T-1 transportation zoned parcels and adjacent proper-

ties, assigned the City Council planning liaisons—himself and

Bosse—to work to develop a revised proposal based on council-

members’ feedback.

“Going forward, I think a lot of this has to do with planning

and the vision and the character of what we see that this area

should be,” Bosse said. “I think right now that area is definitely

not what it could be and it should be and I think the problem has

been an issue of parking. None of those properties have been able

to provide for parking. When you’re looking at all the parcels,

they’re all really important parcels in terms of where they’re situ-

ated in our community.”

Bosse pointed out Parcel 1 is the gateway into Beverly Hills

for people coming from Century City; Parcel 2 is located directly

across from the Peninsula Hotel, views of which could be impact-

ed by development; and Parcels 2 and 3 are located at the major

Santa Monica and Wilshire intersection.

Bosse requested additional traffic studies to address areas not

covered by the project’s environmental impact report. Bosse a

said the overlay zone should be more specific in terms of

amount of parking projects are required to provide.

Gold agreed the overlay zone objectives should be more s

cific with respect to items including setbacks and provide cle

definitions of items like public benefit and “iconic architectu

to provide for consistency to the projects.

The majority of the council expressed concern about the pot

tial for projects to be built up to 60 feet. Mirisch and Bruc

each proposed a reduced FAR for the parcels. Mirisch sugges

0.7 FAR in order to prevent the “significant and unavoida

impact” the proposed overlay zone would have on traffic at Sa

Monica and Wilshire boulevards, which Mirisch pointed

is already one of the most congested intersections in South

California.

Brucker suggested permitting 1.0 to 1.25 FAR and up to

feet of height for Parcels 1 and 2, and up to 45 feet at Parce

Brucker, who said Parcel 3 is part of the Triangle and abuts a

story building, suggested considering different zoning standa

for each of the three parcels.

“I think it’s really unfortunate for all three parcel owner

be tied at the hip together,” Brucker said. “I look at [Parcel] 3

completely different to 1 and 2.”

Brien said he thought three stories for the overlay zone

appropriate. He also said he thought the 14 objectives needed

provide for flexibility.

“I think redevelopment needs to occur in this area,” Brien s

“I think to leave it as surface parking is not going to rejuven

improve or give any benefit aesthetically to the area.”

When asked if it would be possible to propose financiviable projects with the reduced FAR proposed by Brucker

Mirisch, Parcel 1 owner Maynard Brittan said, “absolutely no

“They’re asking for 14 different objectives, and those are

costly and will cut into the floor area ratio and create a situat

where we won’t have the income-producing ability to prod

anything even close to being iconic or special, with all the gr

space, open space and extra parking,” Brittan said. “Those are

costly amenities. They’re just taking away all the incentive

all the motivation.”

At the time Brittan and the owners of Parcels 2 and 3 purcha

the T-1 properties in 1999, Brittan said then-City Manager M

Scott set up a meeting with the property owners, indicating

City was interested in working with them to redevelop the pr

erties.

“This was an extraordinary effort on everyone’s part to

this far and obviously there are some of the council people w

didn’t appreciate or understand the virtues of the overlay, b

have confidence in the process and we will hopefully go back

discuss it, re-write it, explain it, clarify it and hopefully hav

better result the next time around,” Brittan said.

Gateway Project site

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7/31/2019 Parent-teacher book group to discuss Steve Jobs in October--Beverly Hills Weekly, Issue #669

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The book group, which will take place at

a private home, will include a conversation

for parents and teachers about technology

specific to BHUSD led by Chief Academic

Officer Jennifer Tedford and Beverly

High teacher Steven Rubenstein, who is

BHUSD’s technology TOSA (teacher on

special assignment).

“The response from my students and

parents and also my private book group to

this book has been overwhelming,” said

Goler, who facilitates book groups. “I really

had to sell the book because of its length,

but everyone says they can’t put it down

[because Jobs’] life was so compelling, hor-

rifying and inspiring.”

Goler said leadership will also be a topic

of the book group discussion.

Sarah Gallop, PTSA executive board

member in charge of programs, is coordi-

nating the event.

“What I enjoy

most about it is

bringing together

the parents with

the teachers to

talk about some-

thing other than

academics or their

children’s grades,”

Gallop said. “It’s

something that

everyone can have

a discussion aboutand have it not be about their particular

child.”

Steve Jobs will also be the first featured

title for the BHUSD staff book club, Goler

said.

Look for more specifics about the pro-

gram in the PTSA’s September newsletter.

E-mail sgallop100@aol.com with any ques-

tions.

Concerts on Canon seriescontinues tonight, Cluelessscreens Sunday

The City of Beverly Hills will continue its

free Concerts on Canon series tonight with

two performances by gypsy jazz combo IcyHot Club at Beverly Canon Gardens at 6

p.m. and 7:15 p.m.

The City’s new series of free Sunday-

night movie screenings continues Sunday

with an outdoor showing of  Clueless at

Beverly Canon Gardens at 8 p.m. Later

in the summer, film selections include

Casablanca and Mirror, Mirror .

Free parking is available to patro

the shows: Get a coupon at the c

or movie and redeem it for parking

Beverly Gardens parking structure

gardens feature plentiful seating and a

grassy area for picnic blankets. Table

chairs will be available on a first-

first-served basis. Patrons are encou

to enjoy outdoor dining at Bouchon o

Montage, enjoy special pre- and post

discounts at Beverly Hills restaurant

bars and pick up custom “to-go” boxe

a selection of local restaurants offerinnic options in connection with this ser

For more information, call (310)

6830.

Board of Education maysubmit “self-qualified”budget to LACOE

Confronted with a list of potentia

that Board of Education Vice Pre

Jake Manaster described as “unpalat

Manaster proposed sending a messa

the Los Angeles County Office of Edu

(LACOE) and the state of California b

proposing budgetary cutbacks and in

considering submitting a “qualified” in

budget to LACOE this fall.According to LACOE, a qualified c

cation means that school districts “m

be able to meet their financial commit

in the current or two subsequent years

Manaster made the proposal a

Thursday’s budget study session,

July 26 - August 1, 2012 • Pa

briefs cont. on p

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Measure E’s $300-million blank check, and

d) is just about the dumbest idea since the

non-renewal of the oil lease.On the bright side, the new Hawthorne

will be a monument to good feelings,

obscene spending, and local big govern-

ment trying its best to emulate federal big

government. A proper tribute to our age.

Steve Spitz 

 Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills has a proud past. So much

of that pride is because of our schools. We

simply have a great educational system and

students both past and present are aware of 

hat. We also have memories of growing up

n schools that are a part of who we are as

ndividuals and as a city. There has never

been a school system like BH.

To even think of tearing down one of hese historic schools is awful. To actu-

ally do it is shameful. While we are taking

steps to preserve our history, we must also

realize that our schools are a part of that

history. Maybe even more so than Rodeo

Drive because we learned in buildings

named Hawthorne and were taught how to

make the world a better place. We should

hink about changing our history grades to

an F if we allow any of our schools to be

destroyed. After all, if we can’t protect our

past, then what have we learned?

George Vreeland Hill 

 Beverly Hills

“Fine Art Commission tests sites for

placing public art” [Issue #662]

This is in response to a Letter to the

Editor in the June 14 edition of   Beverly

 Hills Weekly. The Fine Art Commission

(FAC) did not decline Guy Dill’s sculpture,

 Egalmah, The Great Palace. The donation

of the Guy Dill piece was accepted by the

City Council in 2000, bypassing the approv-

al process of the FAC. At the time, the Fine

Art commissioners expressed concern as to

the appropriateness of the work, given its

size with regard to it potentially overpower-

ing any other work that might be installed

on the Burton Way median. Again, please

note, there was never a point at which it was

“turned down.”

Mr. Dill has agreed to reconfigure the

components of the original sculpture to

form two new tableaus that will not over-

power, but enhance the site; he has alsoagreed to allow the City to sell the remain-

ing components to any interested party.

Since the City took possession of this

work in 2000, it has never been installed

anywhere and now must soon be removed

from its storage place to make way for

improvements to the City’s water services

for the residents of Beverly Hills.

The Fine Art Commission believes that

this option is the lease expensive, least

intrusive and most timely solution.

Terri Smooke

 Fine Art Commission Chair 

 Beverly Hills

letters cont. from page 2

BHPD honors Rosenstein, MazoPlanning Commission Vice Chair Brian Rosenstein (center) was honored with the

Lawrence I. Shapiro Memorial Award at Tuesday afternoon’s study session for his

volunteer involvement with the Police Department’s Disaster Communciations System

program. BHPD Chief David Snowden (left) and Mayor Willie Brien (right) presented

Rosenstein with the award, which was created in 2004 to recognize meritorious and

dedicated service by Police Department volunteers. Esther Mazo, who passed away in

2009, was honored with the award posthumously for her 12 years of volunteer work

with the Police Department. Her son Neil Mazo accepted the award.

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