April 12, 1978 -- No.

76
PROPOSED APARTMENT COMP:U.X THREATENS
ECHO PARK AREA AND ELYSIAN PARK; flEARING SLATED
OPPOSITION to the building of a 234-unit apartment complex at 1800 Riverside
Drive is mounting as the far-reaching 'amage it would cause to the upper Echo Park area
and to Elysian Park has become apparent. Conditions attached to the zoning variance
granted Feb, 10 require the widening of Landa Street and the northern section of Sta-
dium lfay. It is now abundantly clear that the road change at the intersection of Sta-
dium Way and Riverside Drive is the forerunner of a planned re-alignment of Stadium Way
and its conversion into a six-lane link throughout its entire length to Elysian
Park Avenue,
SOME 1200 signatures have been obtained on petitions opposing the zone variance.
An appeal against the variance has been filed jointly by the Echo Park Homeolmers and
Renters Association and the Elysian Valley Property Ovners, Renters and Businessmen's
Association. The appeal calls for a complete Environmental Impact Report (EIR), cover-
ing the effects of the project on the neighborhood and the park.
PEGGY STEVENSON, in whose City Council district the proposed structures would
be located, stated April 7: "I am opposed to this project,"' She gave as her reasons
its "adverse impact on the community by increased traffic, noise, pollution and the
effect on our schools and our various public services."
.HEARING ON ZONING Afl?EAL SET FOR APRIL 25
AN APPEAL AGAINST THE ZONING VARIANCE GRANTED FOR THE BUilDING OF A
234UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX ON RIVERSIDE DRIVE, WITH 351 PARKING SPACES,
WILL BE HEARD BY THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS TUESDAY, A.."RIL 25, AT
4:30 p.m., ROOM 561, CITY HALL. THE PUBLIC IS URGED TO ATTEND,
WITH THE BEAUDRY-TEMPLE evictions as a fresh reminder, residents of the Echo Park
hills see the 1riden!ng of Landa Street as an opening "edge. They fear that they, too,
"ill become victims of urban-renewal and people-removal. Little Landa, as it is known
in the neighborhood, is a seldom used
0
short, former cowpath between the northern end
of Echo Park Avenue and Stadium Way, Like other nearby streets, it l.s steep, uinding,
sometimes precipitous and so narrou that cars can scarcely pass without scraping
fenders. Its uidenl.ng uould cause hardship and financial loss to property olmers and
renters.
THE DEVELOPERS assert that they not use Little Landa as an access road,
lfhy, then, it is asked, k its widening made a pre-condition to the granting of a build-
ing .permit? Once Landa is residents believe, the redesign of adjacent crooked
streets 1rould soon follow. This, together 1rith the building of 234 high-rental apart-
ments, 1muld bring higher taxes, increased iand costs and escalating rents. lo1;er-
income families would be forced to move to less desirable neighborhoods, leaving the
choice hillside locations for ;realthier ex-suburbanites,
CITY PLANNERS READY TO DESTROY PARK
TO MAKE SIJI!l IUM WAY A FREEIJAY LINK
FABIAN ROMANO, assistant zoning administrator, vas undoubtedly misled by the in-
accurate maps provided him by the Planning Department, shouing Stadium Way as a six-
lane, secondary highway through the Avenue of Palms Morton Place (Academy Road)
and Scott Avenue), This is a false designation, based upon an unauthorized proposed re-
alignment. This section of Stadium 1Jay uas turned over to the jurisdiction and control
of the Recreation and Pa:r::ks Department "for recreation and park purposes" by ordinance
in 1971. The ordinance 11as approved by unanimous vote of the City Council, but the
Planning Department refuses to accept the Council's Charter-mandated authority.
SAL RODARTE, deputy to Council President John Ferraro, whose district encompasses
Elysian Park, advises that Ferraro opposes the re-alignment. Apprised of the proposed
road change, the Recreation and Parks Commission has requested a thorough traffic study
of the park area, A hearing has been scheduled by the Council's Recreation and Parks
Committee, but the date has not yet be.en set. An alternative traffic route uould connect
t.he Golden State Freeway with N, Broad;ray, This uould be a quicker route to the Civic
Center, and would not entail heavy damage to Elysian Park,
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DODGER LAND ACQUISITION -- STILL NO ACTION
FOUR YEARS AGO, the City Council, the County Board of Supervisors, the State
Legislature and the people of California, by their vote on the 1974 State Park Bond
issue, all authorized the purchase of a 25-acre piece of unimproved land com-
pletely surrounded by Elysian Park. The City Planning Commission also approved its
acquisition. But as yet nothing has been done to acquire this strategically located
bluff at the intersection of Stadium \lay and Academy Road.
BEFORE THE LAND can be obtained, it must be appraised, a simple procedure auto-
matically assigned to the Bureau of Right of llay and Land, llhatever his motive, houever,
Bureau Director Robert A. McRae has refused to carry out this rou):ine task.
THE 25-ACRE PARCEL is omed by the Dodgers, apparently a part of the 300 acres
they received in exchange for 10-acre llrigley Field in the South Central area. As-
sessed value of the 25 acres in 1977 uas $78,000, uith a market value of $312,000,
A IIEDDING IN THE PARK
TI10 MEMBERS of the Citizens Committee, Lisa Yetter and Trevor Thompson, uere
married Sunday,April 2, outside their neu horne at the top of Elysian Park uhere it
meets Sargent Court. The park uas at its roost beautiful, lush and sparkling in the
sunshine, after an. abundance of springtime rain. And the bride and groom uere as
rad'ant as the surroundings,
DONATION FOR COURT CASE $. ____ __
ELYSIAN PARK STATIONERY,Donation $3. 50+50c Mail. $ ____ __
ELYSIAN PARK NOTE CARDS, "$1.50 + 25c Mail,. .. $ ____ __
MEMBERSHIP, DUES ($1) .. $ ____ __
Name
Address
Zip
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Phone

Bulk Rate
U.S. Postage
PAID
Los Angeles, Calif.
Permit No. 30167
DATED MATERIAL