The HPHOA, est. 1948’s annual meeting will be at 7PM on Tuesday, October 20th at 3rd Street School. Our new Councilman, David Ryu, will be there to talk about Hancock Park’s priorities and how his office will be working with us. Many of the most important issues are already being worked on with the new Councilman’s Office. The Association is looking forward to moving ahead quickly with Councilman Ryu’s office on repaving our concrete streets, tree maintenance, parking, security, and all the other areas important to our neighborhood. The LAPD will talk about safety and how you can keep from becoming a victim of crime. There will be a presentation by a landscaping professional on how to make your yard and gardens more water wise and beautiful and a representative from Tree People will discuss how to care for our trees during the drought . There will also be presentations from Association Committee Chairs about Street Maintenance, Traffic and Historic Preservation and our HPOZ. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend.

The Annual Meeting is also where the election of half of the Board of Directors is announced. Members in good standing, those who have paid their annual dues, will be receiving ballots in the mail. Please mark them and either mail them back or bring them to the Annual Meeting. The candidates nominated by the Board are: Tim Allyn, Greg Glasser, Peter Gorelick, Susan Grossman, William Newby, Cami Taylor, Ben Thompson, Jon Vein, and James Wolf. The profiles of the nominees can be found on the HPHA website.

Many of Hancock Park’s old and stately trees are suffering from the effects of the drought. Please don’t forget to water your trees; even in the drought our trees are vitally important to our and the environment’s health. Remember, to keep you and your family safe by locking your house and car; not leaving items in plain sight, setting your house alarm (if you have one), and paying attention to any unusual activity. If you think a crime is happening call 911, DO NOT confront someone yourself. If you’re considering any changes to the street visible portion of your house, contact our City Planner, Renata Dragland (renata.dragland@lacity.org ) and fill out the online form – http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/initial.screening.checklist to start the process. The Preservation Plan for Hancock Park can be found at: http://www.hancockparkhomeownersassociation.org/ or http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/la/hancock-park ). Report graffiti sightings by calling 311 or at the City’s Anti-Graffiti Request System – http://anti-graffiti.lacity.org/welcome.cfm?CFID=1007&CFTOKEN=411CDB4F-0FC3-4EE1-89DE58DCCB435538 and by calling Hollywood Beautification, 323-463-5180

As everyone in California knows we’re still in a severe drought. We’re all cutting back on landscape watering or removing lawns and replacing them with more appropriate plantings. However, this doesn’t mean we should starve our trees of water and let them die. Trees are one of the most important links that keep our planet healthy. They clean the air, the water, the soil, providing food and refuge for birds. They lower temperatures and produce the Oxygen we need to live. To produce this oxygen they take CO2 out of the air, helping to fight climate change. Trees don’t take a lot of water, unlike lawns, but they do need some water. An effective way to keep your trees watered correctly (by deep watering), without wasting water is to use Tree Watering Stakes. These stakes get the water underground and down to the tree roots quickly and efficiently. Please, remember to water your trees, deeply, twice a month. That’s all, and you’ll be keeping the planet cooler, cleaner and more livable.

The LA Department of Building and Safety has launched two new websites for online access to building permits, Certificates of Occupancy and other building authorization documentation. If you have a question about any construction activity in your neighborhood, or if you want to find out if your contractor actually got that permit check these site to see what was approved. The website that describes this new facility is http://ladbs.org/LADBSWeb/online-building-records.jsf . The website for searching records is: http://ladbsdoc.lacity.org/idispublic/ .

Remember, to keep you and your family safe by locking your house and car; not leaving items in plain sight, setting your house alarm (if you have one), and paying attention to any unusual activity. If you think a crime is happening call 911, DO NOT confront someone yourself. If you’re considering any changes to the street visible portion of your house, contact our City Planner, Renata Dragland (renata.dragland@lacity.org ) and fill out the online form – http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/initial.screening.checklist to start the process. The Preservation Plan for Hancock Park can be found at: http://www.hancockparkhomeownersassociation.org/ or http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/la/hancock-park ). And don’t forget to water your trees. Report graffiti sightings by calling 311 or at the City’s Anti-Graffiti Request System – http://anti-graffiti.lacity.org/welcome.cfm?CFID=1007&CFTOKEN=411CDB4F-0FC3-4EE1-89DE58DCCB435538 and by calling Hollywood Beautification, 323-463-5180

We welcome our new Councilman for Council District 4: David Ryu and congratulate him on his election. We also thank everyone who participated in this election, from attending a community forum, to putting up a lawn sign to voting. We thank all the candidates, particularly Carolyn Ramsey, for giving us real choices and for being willing to face the voters with their ideas. This election, and the primary, took a lot of attention and work from the not just the candidates, but all the community organizations that scheduled debates and other forums. We all win when people participate in their democracy.

In his thank you to his voters Mr. Ryu highlighted the work of neighborhood canvassing done by residents, recognizing how important every citizen is to his election. Longtime CD4 deputy Renee Weitzer will be helping David with his transition and The Association will put a number of issues before our new Councilman: Concrete street replacement and repair, HPOZ enforcement, Traffic mitigation, and Parking relief. We look forward to working with our new councilperson and starting a new chapter in our community’s relationship with the Council Office and City.
As we all know California is now in the fourth year of a terrible drought and many neighbors are looking at their lawns and landscaping and wondering if change may be at hand. Before embarking on an expensive tear-out of lawns and greenery, talk to a landscape architect and get a plan. A good place to start is the California Native Plant Society (http://www.cnps.org/) and the Theodore Payne Foundation (http://theodorepayne.org/) . 

Also, remember, that as part of Hancock Park’s HPOZ changes to hardscape which may include artificial turf in the visible portion of your property, will need to be reviewed by the HPOZ Board. If you’re considering any changes to the street visible portion of your house, contact our City Planner, Kimberly Henry (kimberly.henry@lacity.org) and fill out the online form – http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/initial.screening.checklist to start the process. The Preservation Plan for Hancock Park can be found at: http://www.hancockparkhomeownersassociation.org/ or http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/la/hancock-park ).

And don’t forget to water your trees. Drop for drop trees are the most efficient users of water there is. They clean the air, the soil and even the water. They provide shade, lowering temperatures and homes for birds. Trees only take one or two deep waterings a month, so commit yourself to keeping your trees healthy and happy. Report graffiti sightings by calling 311 or at the City’s Anti-Graffiti Request System – http://anti-graffiti.lacity.org/welcome.cfm?CFID=1007&CFTOKEN=411CDB4F-0FC3-4EE1-89DE58DCCB435538 and by calling Hollywood Beautification, 323-463-5180

The Association’s Street Committee, chaired by Board Member Tim Allyn, is happy to announce that our most damaged intersections will finally be repaired by the City – IN CONCRETE! After seven years of continuous effort, Hancock Park been successful in getting money budgeted by the City for repairs in concrete rather than asphalt. Hancock Park’s HPOZ Preservation Plan, requires the protection of our historic, concrete, streetscape. Along with parkway trees, sidewalks, and curb cuts, our concrete streets are an important part of our historic neighborhood. And, concrete is more durable; properly installed concrete streets last more than 75 years and are cooler than asphalt. We thank Street Committee chair, Tim Allyn, and members, Jon Vein, David Cole, Ben Thompson, Joel Kozberg, William Newby, Cindy Chvatal and Jim Wolf, for their dedication and hard work. We’re lucky to have such great neighbors working on our behalf.

There are two candidate remaining for the open City Council Seat for District 4: Carolyn Ramsey and David Ryu. The concrete street replacement is a good example of how important the Council Office is for maintaining our community. Please take a few minutes and decide which candidate best reflects your ideas about where the City should go and VOTE on May 19th

Don’t forget now is the time to plant a tree. Even though we’re in a drought, trees only take one or two deep waterings a month and they provide shade, keeping our neighborhood cooler and more beautiful. The Association is starting an Elm Tree planting on Rossmore and other streets, so contact the Tree Committee on the Association website and find out more. If you’re considering any changes to the street visible portion of your house, contact our City Planner, Kimberly Henry (kimberly.henry@lacity.org) and fill out the online form – http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/initial.screening.checklist to start the process. The Preservation Plan for Hancock Park can be found at: http://www.hancockparkhomeownersassociation.org/ or http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/la/hancock-park ). Report graffiti sightings by calling 311 or at the City’s Anti-Graffiti Request System – http://anti-graffiti.lacity.org/welcome.cfm?CFID=1007&CFTOKEN=411CDB4F-0FC3-4EE1-89DE58DCCB435538 and by calling Hollywood Beautification, 323-463-5180

Our City Councilperson is one of the most important politicians we have representing us. Their ideas and actions guide how City Services are provided, where needed funding will be allocated, what kind of development will happen, how infrastructure will be maintained and a myriad of other areas. Our City Council Seat for District 4 is open and in the primary 14 candidates were on the ballot. There will now be two candidates competing in the May 19th election and it’s important that the right person be chosen. You can find more information about the candidates at CD4 Candidate Statements: http://graphics.latimes.com/towergraphic-candidates-city-council-district-4/
Please take a few minutes, decide what candidate best reflects your ideas about where the City should go and VOTE on May 19th!

Neighbors in Quadrant One (Lillian Way, Cahuenga and Wilcox), met to discuss options for managing the intersection of Rossmore and Clinton. The challenge was to balance safety with resident access to their neighborhood. The Department of Transportation will be modifying Clinton, westbound, at Rossmore so that only right turns will be allowed. The crosswalk will be removed and signage will be added to warn motorists to slow down. We’ve asked the Councilman to provide funding to move up the installation of left turn arrows at Rossmore and Melrose, reducing cut through traffic. After these measures are implemented the DOT will see if any further traffic safety measures are needed.

Don’t forget now is the time to plant a tree. Contact the Tree Committee on the Association website to get a tree planted. If you’re considering any changes to the street visible portion of your house, contact our City Planner, Kimberly Henry (kimberly.henry@lacity.org) and fill out the online form – http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/initial.screening.checklist to start the process. The Preservation Plan for Hancock Park can be found at: http://www.hancockparkhomeownersassociation.org/ or http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/la/hancock-park ). Report graffiti sightings by calling 311 or at the City’s Anti-Graffiti Request System – http://anti-graffiti.lacity.org/welcome.cfm?CFID=1007&CFTOKEN=411CDB4F-0FC3-4EE1-89DE58DCCB435538 and by calling Hollywood Beautification, 323-463-5180

The Larchmont Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Conservancy and many other publications and community organizations have highlighted the mansionization trend in Los Angeles. Houses are torn down and new, much larger structures are built in their place with little regard to the impact on their neighbors and the existing neighborhood. Homeowners wake up to an oversized structure next door to them that blocks their light, view and invades their privacy. Because of our Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) this is not a problem for Hancock Park. An HPOZ controls what kind of changes can be done to houses and limits the size of additions. It preserves the look and feel of our neighborhood keeping Hancock Park the beautiful area we all live in. It does take some planning and work, though, on the part of homeowners. It’s important that before making any changes to the street visible part of your house that you consult the Hancock Park HPOZ Preservation Plan (http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/la/hancock-park) and contact our City Planner, Kimberly Henry (kimberly.henry@lacity.org. Kimberly has a helpful online form that will start the process – http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/initial.screening.checklist.

The HPOZ Board (all volunteers), is made up of Hancock Park residents, and a professional architect. It meets the first and third Wednesdays of every month, 6PM-8PM, at the John C. Fremont Library at June Street and Melrose. If you’re planning a change, contact Kimberly, and come in for a consultation, even if all you have is an idea and a sketch. The meetings are open and anyone interested in how the HPOZ process works in Hancock Park is invited to attend.

Our City Council seat is open and the election is coming up soon. Attend the GWNC Candidate Debate on February 8th at 11AM at John Burroughs Middle School and learn more. Now is the time to plant a parkway tree. With all the rain we’ve had, the trees are looking wonderful, and a new tree will help purify the air, provide shade in the summer and make our streets beautiful. Contact the Tree Committee on our website for more information.

Unfortunately, crime is still occurring in Hancock Park so please take precautions and sign up for the e-Policing newsletter – http://www.lapdepolicing.org/. Report street light outages to the city at: http://bsl.lacity.org/. Report potholes by submitting an online request at http://bss.lacity.org/request.htmBe sure and look at our website for news – http://www.HancockPark.org . Report graffiti sightings by calling 311 or at the City’s Anti-Graffiti Request System – http://anti-graffiti.lacity.org/welcome.cfm?CFID=1007&CFTOKEN=411CDB4F-0FC3-4EE1-89DE58DCCB435538 and by calling Hollywood Beautification, 323-463-5180 Questions regarding filming – contact Filming Committee, Cami Taylor (323-692-1414-Home and 310-659-6220-Office).

Remember in the classic film It’s A Wonderful Life when George Bailey sees how different the world would have been if he hadn’t been there to change things? Well, we’d like to take this opportunity to share a few scenarios you’ve likely never imagined, but would absolutely be true if it hadn’t been for your Homeowner’s Association:

• There would be a freeway running through the northern part of Hancock Park – In 1968 the HPHA fought the City and won, stopping the “Beverly Hills Freeway”.
• The surrounding neighborhood may have become a sea of enormous commercial buildings – The HPHA helped develop the 1969 Master Plan for Wilshire Blvd. creating the land use protections that are still in place.
• There would be no Highland Ave median – there would now be six lanes of traffic running down Highland from Melrose to Wilshire – In 1972 the HPHA was successful in saving the median by having it declared an Historic Monument.
• There would be no HPOZ to protect our beautiful historic homes – From 1998 to 2007 the neighborhood and HPHA worked with the City to have our neighborhood designated an HPOZ (Historic Preservation Overlay Zone). This stopped teardowns and preserved the beautiful street visible facades of our historic homes.
• There would be no neighborhood communication system, including email and Block Captain communications – Our email system is 800+ strong sending out important information, including helping hundreds of neighborhood pets find their way home.
• Cut-through traffic would render parts of the neighborhood unlivable – The traffic mitigation on Melrose and Beverly would not be in place, and cut through speeding traffic would be even worse than it is! There would be no Crossing Guard for Third Streets School and Yavneh Academy.
• Our neighborhood beautification projects would not be in place – Parkway trees would not be trimmed; stumps would not be removed and replacement trees would not be planted or maintained; Local School beautification of JB and 3rd Street would not have occurred and without our aggressive graffiti removal system, graffiti would be rampant.

Please do your part to support this important work to ensure Hancock Park remains a wonderful oasis in a crowded city! The HPHA board is comprised of volunteers, but we need our residents to pay their dues to support our efforts on your behalf.

You can now pay dues on line. Go to www.HancockPark.org and click on the DONATE button. Or use the dues envelope which will be included in our mailing! Don’t forget to include your email address!

As those who read our Senior Lead Officer David Cordova’s weekly crime report will know, crime is still occurring in Hancock Park. In particular there have been a number of robberies of pedestrians and motorists near Melrose and continuing home break-ins, particularly in north Hancock Park. With the holiday season there is also an unfortunate increase in crime, so please take precautions. Never open your door to someone you don’t know, keep your home alarm on (if you have one), even if you’re home and always call 911 if you see any suspicious activity. Security chair, Peter Gorelick, is happy to organize security/neighborhood watch meetings for any block in Hancock Park. Just email the Security Committee if your block wants to have a meeting. If you have any questions or concerns about ongoing problems contact our Senior Lead Office, Dave Cordova. His cell phone number is (213) 793-0650 and his e-mail is 31646@lapd.lacity.org Finally, be sure and sign up for the e-Policing newsletter – http://www.lapdepolicing.org/.

The residents living in Quadrant One (Lillian Way/Cahuenga/Wilcox), have been considering a number of options presented by the city to improve safety and reduce commuter traffic. There will be a neighborhood meeting in early January to come up with a recommendation to the City. If you have questions please contact Susan Grossman – SEGrossman@sbcglobal.net or Indy Flore – iflore@gmail.com . Finally, the Association wishes everyone in Hancock Park a wonderful holiday season and is looking forward to moving forward in many areas next year, including a plan for concrete street repair.

Don’t forget, if you’re considering any changes to the street visible portion of your house, contact our City Planner, Kimberly Henry (kimberly.henry@lacity.org) and fill out the online form – http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/initial.screening.checklist to start the process. The Preservation Plan for Hancock Park can be found at: http://www.hancockparkhomeownersassociation.org/ or http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/la/hancock-park ).

Report street light outages to the city at: http://bsl.lacity.org/. Report potholes by submitting an online request at http://bss.lacity.org/request.htmBe sure and look at our website for news – http://www.HancockPark.org . Report graffiti sightings by calling 311 or at the City’s Anti-Graffiti Request System – http://anti-graffiti.lacity.org/welcome.cfm?CFID=1007&CFTOKEN=411CDB4F-0FC3-4EE1-89DE58DCCB435538 and by calling Hollywood Beautification, 323-463-5180 Questions regarding filming – contact Filming Committee, Cami Taylor (323-692-1414-Home and 310-659-6220-Office).

The Hancock Park
Homeowners’ Association, est. 1948, thanks all the speakers who made our annual
meeting a great success.  LAPD Captain
Howard Leslie and our Senior Lead Officer, David Cordova, spoke about the LAPDs
efforts to address the crime that has been occurring in Hancock Park.  They answered questions and encouraged
residents to follow precautions such as not leaving anything visible in parked
cars, locking their doors, turning on their security systems and to be sure and
report all crimes.   Call 911 if you see a suspicious person or a
crime in process, do not intervene yourself!

LA Department of
Transportation representative Bhuvan Bajaj answered questions about traffic mitigation
options.  Hancock Park, has seen an startlingly
recent increase in cut through traffic on our streets and residents have been
expressing concerns about safety. 

The Hancock Park
Streets Committee Chair Tim Allyn presented an update of the Committee’s work
in determining costs for repaving Hancock Park concrete streets with
concrete.  Details will be discussed in
our next column.  DWP representative Greg
Bartz reminded all of us to conserve water and to plan drought tolerant
landscaping.  There were updates from SSA
Security and ADT Security to augment the recommendations given by the LAPD.  Finally, the election of the candidates
nominated for the HPHOA Board of Directors was announced. 

We particularly
give a big thank you to Clinton Oie and Marlborough School for generously
providing the facilities for the meeting. 
Institutions such as Marlborough are important parts of the fabric of
the Hancock Park community and we are grateful for their generosity.  And last, but certainly not least, we thank
our members who attended.  Without you
there is no ‘Hancock Park’.  The hard
work of our residents keeps our community beautiful and a great place to live.

If you’re considering any changes to the street
visible portion of your house, contact our City Planner, Kimberly Henry (kimberly.henry@lacity.org) and
fill out the online form – http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/initial.screening.checklist  to start the
process.  The Preservation Plan for
Hancock Park can be found at:  http://www.hancockparkhomeownersassociation.org/ or http://preservation.lacity.org/hpoz/la/hancock-park ). 

Report
street light outages to the city at:  http://bsl.lacity.org/.  Report potholes by
submitting an online request at http://bss.lacity.org/request.htmBe
sure and look at our website for news – http://www.HancockPark.org . 
Report graffiti sightings by calling 311 or at the City’s Anti-Graffiti Request
System - http://anti-graffiti.lacity.org/welcome.cfm?CFID=1007&CFTOKEN=411CDB4F-0FC3-4EE1-89DE58DCCB435538 and by
calling Hollywood Beautification, 323-463-5180 Questions regarding filming -
contact Filming Committee, Cami Taylor (323-692-1414-Home and 310-659-6220-Office).

The HPHOA’48 has formed two new Ad Hoc committees: Hancock Park Streets and Highland Avenue Median.

The residents will finally begin to see results of those efforts of the Median Committee in Early January. The Median, which was, designated a Los Angeles Historic Landmark #94 in 1972 had been ignored for years. It was not for lack of trying to get the City to help. We could not figure out why brand new medians were being funded (via special grants) and we couldn’t get our sprinklers fixed, our turf fertilized, re seeded or mowed on a regular basis. It just didn’t make any sense. The HPHOA funds Parkway Tree trimming, replanting of new trees and stump removal, along with helping to fund beautification projects at local schools. The City no longer funds any of these services. Last month CD5, which represents 40% of the median on the west side, joined the effort and contributed 15K toward needed repairs along with the 15K from CD4. The repair money was allocated from each of the Council Offices discretionary funds made available via AB 1290. The median committee, made up of Highland Ave. residents and HPHOA Board members, is also working with representatives of the Department of Urban Forestry, to ensure that Tru Green, the landscape maintenance company the City has contracted with, actually maintains the median and complies with the contract. Along with bi-monthly turf mowing the company is responsible for; irrigation repair, trash removal, sign removal. yearly fertilization, thatching, and re seeding. The HPHOA’48 plans to replace the missing palms along the median and the committee is exploring drought tolerant landscaping ideas.Jordan Retro 1.

The Hancock Park Streets Committee will work with the Association and the City to develop accurate and complete information about options for repaving our Hancock Park streets; the committee will be responsible for developing a survey of all Hancock Park residents and will work to reach a consensus on an option. At this time options include an assessment district to pay for repaving in concrete or a switch to asphalt re paving. Hancock Park streets have long been neglected by the City, in a recent LA Time article, Hancock Park was singled out as having some of the worst streets in the City. Jordans Shoes Black Friday.See link: http://articles.latimes.com/2013/may/04/local/la-me-pavement-201305. 

The Association has been trying to get our Council Office to focus on this problem for several years. While we will continue to work to improve the condition of our streets. We will be addressing another issue – our horrific potholes. As we try to develop a plan for repaving, we are asking the City to repair our potholes in a professional lasting manner. We are hopeful with the formation of the new committees and the continued follow up of the HPHOA board, the City will finally address the needs of the Hancock Park community. Please write to our Councilman Tom La Bonge to encourage him to focus on these important issues, his email address is Tom.LaBonge@lacity.org