City Protests Griffith Park Proposal : Autry Museum Site Plan Draws Fire

The proposal for a Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum is back in the saddle again, this time headed for Griffith Park.

But the Autry Foundation, which first sought to build the museum in Burbank and then retreated because of community opposition, may be in for another fight. The staff of the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department has recommended against granting the group permission to put the museum on the new proposed site, west of the Golden Street Freeway next to the Los Angeles Zoo parking lot.

James E. Hadaway, the department’s general manager, said in a report that he opposes the use of “any property in Griffith Park” for the museum. The report came before the Recreation and Park Commission on Friday.

The matter was referred to the City Council’s Board of Referred Powers. The board will conduct a hearing before making a decision, but no date has been set.

Possible Conflict of Interest

The commission usually has final say over use of the park. But the board, made up of five council members, convenes to rule on items that may pose conflicts of interest for commissioners. It was brought into this case because Commissioner Mary Nichols said her husband works for the Autry Foundation’s law firm.

The Autry Foundation in April abandoned an effort to locate the museum in Burbank’s Buena Vista Park, on the south side of the Ventura Freeway across from Griffith Park. That location was strongly opposed by environmentalists and residents who feared it would destroy the beauty of the Burbank park.

The foundation, a charitable trust created by Autry’s first wife, Ina Mae Autry, who died in 1980, has said it proposes to house 10,000 items of Western memorabilia in the museum, including paintings, “hundreds of saddles,” and “more than 60 life-size wax figures of some of the West’s most famous and infamous characters,” including Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley and Wyatt Earp.

The museum also would feature dioramas, such as one depicting the gunfight at the OK Corral, and personal memorabilia from some of the best-known movie cowboys, including a large display on John Wayne.

As originally proposed, the museum was to have about 30,000 square feet, Hadaway’s report said. After the recent acquisition of artifacts from the Frontier Museum Historical Center of Temecula in southern Riverside County, the proposal was amended to call for a structure of about 70,000 square feet, more than 1.5 acres, with a planned growth to 100,000 square feet, Hadaway said.

Traffic Congestion

Hadaway cited a number of reasons for his opposition to using the park for the museum, including the scarcity of urban parkland and increased traffic congestion.

He also expressed concern that allowing the museum in Griffith Park would set an undesirable precedent.

Hadaway also said he was worried that museum visitors would fill the park beyond capacity.

If the city approves use of the park for the museum, Hadaway said, the best location would be at the “Valley Gateway,” in the area around Traveltown.

“This area is highly visible from the nearby Ventura Freeway, has space for additional parking and is accessible for equestrians,” Hadaway said.

“The location of the museum at this site would permit its development in coordination with improvements at Traveltown and would preclude the anticipated traffic and parking problems in the vicinity of the Los Angeles Zoo.”

Autry Foundation officials could not be reached for comment.