Whittier : Bond Posted for Theater

The Whittier Conservancy has raised $10,000 to post bond on a preliminary injunction that will delay demolition of the Whittier Theater, the group’s president said.

Last week, Superior Court Judge Warren H. Deering granted the conservancy’s request that a legal justification for the theater’s destruction be prepared before the 1930s-era building is razed.

City officials had contended that the earthquake-damaged theater should be immediately destroyed because it poses a public safety hazard. But the judge’s ruling will require the preparation of an environmental impact report or declarations of exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act before a demolition permit can be issued.

The conservancy had to post the bond because theater owner Peter Doerken might incur financial losses as a result of the delay caused by the judge’s ruling, said Michael Sullens, the group’s president.

The bond was met by donations from about 25 people; they ranged in size from $50 to $500, he said.