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City Hall announced late yesterday – the boys are off today on a fishing trip – that the close-mouthed Culver City Ice Arena has been nominated by the Cultural Affairs Commission as a Cultural Resource.
Whether this proposal, that may seem equal parts complicated and amorphous, packs more weight than a feather, will be determined one City Council meeting from now, on Monday, July 28.
In a community as history-conscious as Culver City, this is likely to draw thundering attention, especially given the series of emotional reversals since last winter.
The muted 52-year-old ice rink, the adopted love child of Westside and Valley skating families for decades, was closed down five months ago. Since Feb. 2, owing to a complex of disputes, the rink has not moved any further than George Washington’s decayed corpse.
[img]1305|right|Andy Weissman||no_popup[/img]City Councilman Andy Weissman said this morning that the potential Cultural Resource is unrelated to any usage of the building.
“It has to do with the building itself,” he said. “If the Council were to agree and designate it Significant, as recommended by Cultural Affairs, a developer would have more burden to satisfy before the building could be demolished.
“If the designation were changed to Recognized, the lowest category, I think the developer would have to put up a plaque when the building comes down. That is the discussion for the Council.”
Passage of the proposal is not going to resemble a sunny Sunday afternoon drive, in Mr. Weissman’s view. “I don’t expect the recommendation to go unquestioned,” he said.
The outcome may hinge on how a consultant hired by the city is appraised by the Council.
Mr. Weissman said there is a three-dimension ratings range – 0 to 20, 20 to 40, 40 to 60 – and the consultant pegged the Ice Arena in the 23-24 area. “This is a subjective, not objective, evaluation,” he said. “When you go into the elements, there is room for adjustment. If the adjustment results in a rating of 0 to 20, it the building does not qualify for ‘Significant’ status. It becomes ‘Recognized,’ the lowest category.”
(To be continued)
