City Hall Succeeds in Convincing Community South Sepulveda Definitely Indefinite

The audience seemed as satisfied with the official assertions that the project’s future is uncertain as they were convinced last December that their favorite neighborhood was irretrievably doomed.

They left, fairly noiselessly, with the night’s theme ringing in their ears — the controversial project remains in a state of indefiniteness, perched on a far horizon, visible only through a fog.

Decisions Hinge on Council

Until the City Council takes a binding vote in late June, not one person in City Hall knows whether all, one-third or none of the project will be built.

The likeliest scenario seems to be that developer Bob Champion will buy out and redesign only the smaller southerly block, from Berryman to Jefferson. Even that portion is subdivided into three phases.

That block is expected to satiate his appetite, and possibly his pocketbook.

Growing Smaller

As this newspaper has been reporting since the third week of March, only about one-third of the once-massive, 77-business-teardown is likely to be tackled anytime soon.

Several dynamics account for the looming shrinking of the South Sepulveda project. The dominant reason is economics.

The vast transformation of 12 1/2 acres of the west side of South Sepulveda, from Sawtelle to Jefferson, is simply too expensive, too ambitious for the designated experienced developer to attempt.

In a State of Doubt

Prospects for the northerly block, representing the other two-thirds of the project, about 50 shopowners, remains impenetrably clouded.

The most responsible prognosis seemed to be that the shopowners, militantly against imminent redevelopment, have at least bought time, as Peter Messinger, owner of The Aquarium, said last night.

Whether it will be torn down and rebuilt in the foreseeable future will be determined by the City Council’s June vote.

Affording a Smile

At the close of the low-key, almost somnambulant, two-hour meeting at La Ballona School, City Hall and the closely watched developer Mr. Champion could exult, “Mission accomplished.”

Slowly and clearly, but without being pedantic, Mr. Champion and Interim Community Development Director Todd Tipton patiently delineated what is obvious and what is arcane about tearing down and starting over with the 12 1/2 acres of South Sepulveda.

At the December meeting, Mr. Champion, who had the spotlight to himself, was freely and often vilified by the aroused residents and landowners. In last night’s more convivial setting, when the main players were introducing themselves, the almost-folksy developer presented himself as an ordinary guy.

“I am Bob Champion,” he said, “and I am here to make you all happy.”

Hardly a nuisance or a nuance was allowed to leak through the cracks by the crack panel in the spacious La Ballona auditorium where the small crowd rattled around.

Conviction in the Ascendancy?

At the first official convening of the much-talked-about nine-person Citizens Advisory Committee, they appeared to convince both skeptics and optimists that much has changed since last December.

Eight of the Citizens Committee members were accounted for at the maiden meeting, with Howard Lichtman absent.

As with the crowd, most of them seemed reluctant to pronounce a judgment that might be regarded as hasty. They favored a conservative wait-and-see approach.

Moment of Unanimity

Even though the members didn’t know each other well going in, they had no trouble selecting their leadership.

Without opposition, Allan Goldman, businessman/property owner, was elected chair. Similarly, Loni Anderson, a doctor of Oriental medicine and schools activist, was voted vice chair by acclaim.

They were voted upon by Laura Stuart, Marla Osband, Marianne Kim, James Jun, Asher Schechter and J.Marvin Campbell.

Intermittently during an unexpectedly serene, formful evening, admittedly prickly, unsettling, pointy-toed questions were posed to the principals.

Probably without an exception, Mr. Champion, Mr. Tipton, Mr. Goldman, and Citizens Committee members Mr. Jun, a business owner, and Mr. Schechter of the Fox Hills Mall, responded to the probing, skeptical-cynical inquiries with equal candor.

Plain Talk

Mr. Jun’s answer was typical of the respondents. After explaining that his family has been in business in the neighborhood for the past quarter-century, he said that “we have not gotten into many details” about the South Sepulveda project.

Mr. Jun described his family’s leanings. “We were never thinking of leaving (because of the redesign, and therefore elevated cost of doing business). But we will have to see how all of this shakes out.”

Mr. Goldman has sold two businesses within the project to separate parties in recent years. “Both of them would like to stay in the project,” he said.

Committee Attitude

Before the meeting, on the patio at La Ballona, Ms. Stuart and Mr. Goldman demonstrated the kind of non-judgmental attitudes that City Hall was seeking when the Citizens Committee was chosen last month.

“I am curious,” Mr. Goldman said. “I want to hear what they have to present. I want to hear what the ideals are. From what I have read, the project has changed from what the City Council decreed. Did the Council want one unique project by one developer? Or is it going to be four different projects by four different people?

“I have no feelings about the project, whether it is good, bad or indifferent until I have seen all of the facts.”

A Critical Examination

Ms. Stuart, a very active Sunkist Park resident, also assumed a centrist position. “I want to see the best work done for our neighborhood,” she said.

Ms. Stuart has been reading for the last weeks about the dwindling size of the formerly 12 1/2-acre project to a small, but indeterminate size.

“I want to clear up the mystery of what it is and why,” she said. “We haven’t seen it yet. So we can’t comment. That looks bad, for the Committee, for the Council, for the city, for all of the new information to be out there without being able to comment on it.”