[img]1379|right|Mehaul O’Leary||no_popup[/img]Vice Mayor Mehaul O’Leary said it was intentional Monday morning when he did not return a reporter’s telephone call inquiring about his position on the Culver City Ice Arena.
In a certain-to-be emotional setting, was he for or against granting historical status to the building at Monday evening’s City Council meeting?
“Knowing that the meeting was going to be a chess game,” said Mr. O’Leary, “I had to have a strategy. I avoided talking to the press beforehand. I didn’t want to give away my strategy.”
Here was the vice mayor’s plan:
“I would make initial comments, and then once a finding had been created about granting the designation – whether it was a hardship for the owner, or there was a strategy by my colleagues to downgrade the rating from Significant to Recognized – I was going to go back on the offensive. The ordinance required us to back up any findings. I was just ready to argue.”
But, said the vice mayor, when he heard colleagues Jeff Cooper and Jim Clarke speak “without a finding, I was excited. I knew it was going to be our legal mastermind (Councilman Andy Weissman) who probably would come up with something I hadn’t thought of.
“When I realized he knew the predicament he was in, it all came out as I had hoped,” a 5-0 vote in supporting of the second highest rating, Significant.
Mr. O’Leary and Mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells emerged as by far the most enthused endorsees for granting historical stature.
At the meeting, Mr. O’Leary told the crowd, that included owner Michael Karagozian, that he was “surprised” Mr. Karagozian “had not weighed in.
“Some people believe that our vote was a stepping stone to getting an ice rink back, which I would love. Our action, though, did not move the ball at all.”
But, said Mr. O’Leary, “it did put a thought in the mind of the landowner, in my opinion. I think he has to re-evaluate.
“Is it worthwhile for Mr. Karagozian to look again at the offer(s) from the Kings or other organizations for an ice rink.
“Or,” challenged the vice mayor, “is the battle to change the zoning? To me, that is the harder road to face.”
Mr. Karagozian has not been available for comment.
