The Warning
Presenting herself modestly as “just an interested citizen,” Dr. Janet Cameron Hoult, a retired academician, may turn into a kind of Paul Revere for Culver City. An educator of considerable gravitas over a career spanning 40 years, she has held a range of offices at USC and at Cal State Los Angeles, and she also forged a lengthy association with LAUSD. Before, during and after these appointments, she earned degrees at the Lycee Jeanne d’Arc & Community School in Tehran, American University of Beirut, the University of Washington, Universite de Grenoble in France, UCLA and USC.
Bold-striding and articulate, Dr. Hoult is afire over what she believes are community-wide inherent dangers embedded — not subtlely — in the looming South Sepulveda Boulevard redevelopment project. About 100 businesses in a two-block stretch stand between the developer Bob Champion and a gigantic teardown to be followed by a sprawling, strictly modern multi-million-dollar mixed-use layout. Aroused as the professor was, she did not need a warmup period to ease into her subject. She fears the project, as proposed, would rip the fabric of the city that is densely woven but fragile. Once shattered, window would not be able to become unbroken.
“I am very concerned about the injustices I see occurring in this project,” said Dr. Hoult. “I do not like to see businesses destroyed, lives destroyed, livelihoods done away with — in the interest of what is deemed ‘progress’ and ‘redevelopment.’ This is not redevelopment. This is not our city. Culver City is a lovely, wonderful city. I have lived here over 30 years. What we have in Culver City is very special. To bring in this huge development that is going to make an incredible change is not right. As a friend of mine in Pasadena said when Mr. Champion put up his development there, they don’t have any sky there anymore. He just put up huge buildings, and did away with so much charm. We don’t want that to happen to Culver City.”
With every business along 13 acres of the west side of South Sepulveda, from Sawtelle to Jefferson, due to be flattened, Dr. Hoult said that Sunkist Park residents, immediately west of the Champion project, should be wary. “Sunkist Park is especially affected,” she said. “The construction would be directly behind them. The height of the buildings would affect them from the shade-and-shadow aspect. And parking arrangements could be a problem.”
‘It Is Everybody’s Problem’
One of Dr. Hoult’s main themes is that the South Sepulveda Project will bleed into all of Culver City’s neighborhoods, not just a single enclave on the south side. She means to be a catalyst for galvanizing all of Culver City. “I have already informed people in neighborhood groups on the west side of town and on the east side of town,” she said. “We are going to continue to give them information. Hopefully, they will speak out and register their feelings about what is going on. I am sure people who live in this town want the town to maintain its charm.” Pointing a warning finger at favorite Champion projects, Dr. Hoult said, “We are not Pasadena. We are not the Wilshire corridor.” She anticipates encountering lethargy from residents. “Lethargy usually happens,” Dr. Hoult explained, “because people don’t understand how they are affected.”
A Lifestyle Will Go Away
She is looking for help in spreading warnings to residents who are unaware, confused or confident that redevelopment will not cause an impact on their lives. “We can put information to people in such a way that they will realize:
“‘I can’t go to The Aquarium for fishfood.
“‘My dentist is gone.
“‘My chiropractor is not there anymore.
“‘They moved the bank.
“‘They’ve blocked the sky.’
What About a Stranded Woman?
Dr. Hoult recalled the case of an elderly woman who spoke up at the fiery confrontation on Dec.5 at El Rincon School between Mr. Champion and 300 upset residents and shop owners. “She talked about how little she has left now that she is retired,” said Dr. Hoult. “She has to walk to these businesses. Where is she going to go? She can’t drive anywhere. She asked what she was going to have to do.” The activist thought the developer’s response was haughty. “Champion said, ‘You will be negatively impacted.’ I don’t think we need ‘negative impact’ in this city. The City Council and the Redevelopment Agency need to rethink the project. Citizens should come first. The citizens should join in on the planning, and that is not what is happening.”
Postscript
Does Dr. Hoult believe her camp has a chance to block the project? Sunnily, she smiled. “I do,” she said. “We need to address situations that will change what Culver City is. We need to be connected all along, in everything.”
