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About Claire: In our neighborhood, Claire was the first to take notice of the CRA problem. Since this was originally Claire's crusade, we figured we ought to at least give her this small "corner!" |
LILLIAN BURKENHEIM's CRA PROJECT Remember when you could shop at the many stores along Lankershim Boulevard in downtown North Hollywood? Like Ventura Blvd, in the 1970s, N. Hollywood's shopping district was showing its age, however, it was THERE! In the last two decades (without the CRA's help) many similar shopping districts have enjoyed a rebirth with charming shops and eating places, such as Ventura Blvd. But, not North Hollywood, which the CRA has destroyed as if by a nuclear force. A recent L.A. Times article laments the failure of the "sweeping plans drawn up in the late 1970's to rescue suburban North Hollywood from blight and decay by razing old buildings and building anew." After twenty years, and $117 million in public money wasted, Ms. Burkenheim's failed North Hollywood project seems to be a ship without a rudder. The CRA's promise of a "city within a city" of new offices, stores, housing, a hotel, theaters (and more) is an expensive bust. No hotel, no commercial movie theater, but instead, many vacant lots and just a fraction of the promised new office space. Indeed, North Hollywood has only the Academy Building complex in exchange for its lost soul, and when Disney moves to Burbank soon, even that will stand empty! Recently, the NoHo News reported that Optomistrist Dr. Kutrosky's building was to have been also demolished last month, however, it is still there after 35 years in business. They say that the good doctor is not going to move, but "eminent domain," CRA style, means that they can take his building away by force, pay him any amount that they determine is sufficient, and then just send him on his way. After the CRA forcibly seizes this property they can then sell, or even give his property away, to one of the CRA's favored client developers. The CRA, after chiseling the first owner out of his proporty, often then turns around and just freely gives millions of dollars of our tax money to the new rich corporation that the CRA has chosen to replace the former small fry. During the many years that this property will remain dormant, between CRA's eviction and any new construction, no property tax will be paid by the CRA. Any property taxes paid by the new business owner, in excess of Dr. Kutrosky's tax asessment, will also be diverted to the CRA. They call this "TAX INCREMENT DIVERSION! In the meantime, Ms. Burkenheim surveys North Hollywood's ruin and says she is "looking for something interesting" to put on the corner near the subway exit at Chandler. Her stated goal, according to the L.A. Times, is to bring in a business so that commuters "don't come out and look at NOTHING." There's "NOTHING" there to look at because the CRA tore eveything down and has failed to replace it as promised! Why should that particular block be different from the rest of the boulevard? Ms. Burkenheim is quoted as saying that "she does not know anyone who wants to move to North Hollywood." For that, Ms. Burkenheim's CRA is mostly responsible! North Hollywood has lost its soul in exchange for the Academy Building complex, various live theaters, and the monicker NO HO. Perhaps NO HO should instead be HO HUM. Claire |
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