Those ungrateful residents who own homes adjacent to Culver Boulevard just don't appreciate City Hall's attempts to beautify the street named after the city's founder.
In order to facilitate more traffic in the area, Culver Boulevard is being widened. Those pesky trees and shrubs are being torn out.
People who own property along Culver Boulevard won't have to be bothered by cyclists and joggers anymore. The dirt path has been ripped out so that more cars can travel down
Harry Culver's Boulevard to the new freeway entrance that will be opened sometime in the
future.
But the homeowners just don't appreciate progress. When a mixed-use project that would go halfway up Madison Avenue was brought before the Planning Commission, the neighbors
showed up in droves to protest. They cheered when the Planning Commission shot it down.
Another Example
Next, the City Council overturned the Planning Commission's rejection for another mixed-use
development at 9900 Culver Blvd. The Council approved what eventually became three stories and 18 condos with businesses on the ground floor on a postage stamp-sized former parking lot on the corner of Culver and Duquesne.
The ungrateful neighbors screamed and protested until the developers scaled down their proposal.
Give It the Gas
Back in May, the Planning Commission unanimously rejected a proposed carwash/mini mart at the Culver Boulevard Valero gas station across from the back gate of Sony Studios. Now a former mayor of Culver City has been hired by the owner to persuade the City Council to reconsider on the grounds of discrimination.
Nearby residents who are complaining have forgotten the glory days of Culver and Washington boulevards.
Then there was a saloon on every corner.
Memorial Time
The late Woody Tolkin told me about "The Retake Room" just down the street where Clark
Gable's stunt double died in a hail of gunfire after a barroom brawl.
Perhaps a monument at that location could recall the good old days when Culver City was truly "the heart of screenland."
Culver City residents and City Hall insiders who are championing "mixed use development"
should go to nearby Palms. There they can see how mixed use development really works.
A Closer Look
Motor Avenue in Palms was a quiet street with an old art deco movie theatre, a family-owned Italian restaurant and older homes interspersed with apartment buildings.
Palms and Mentone had homes on all four corners. In the early 1980s, Overland Avenue was widened.
A developer bought an apartment house on the corner of Overland and Palms. He made a "campaign contribution" of $40,000. Then he received permission to tear down the apartment house and put up a mini-shopping mall.
There Go the Homes
After Overland was widened, single-family houses in Palms were torn down faster than a picnicker
stamps out invading ants. Gone were the little family restaurants. The movie theatre
was razed to make way for a bigger and better post-office.
People who complain about police brutality in Culver City should move to Palms. Not only is there no police brutality. There's no police. You can sit in the alley behind the post office and drink beer and two-buck chuck. You will not be interfered with.
There aren't any restrooms in the area, but you
can relieve yourself in the alley and no pesky residents will complain.
No Interference
You can even express yourself creatively by "graffing" on the nearby apartment house walls. Nobody will bother you.
If someone does call the police, it will be at least an hour before the police show up if they
show up at all.
