A 2nd (and 3rd) Opinion About Ralphs Market

As one of the owners/developers of the new Ralphs market at 3rdand La Brea, I would like to take offense at Aaron Betsky’s Feb. 20 column. I can’t. However, I would like to address a few points raised in his nasty little critique.

Betsky describes the store as “newly renovated.” It’s brand-new. The placement of the building on the site was dictated by zoning and by Ralphs’ reasonable desire to keep the old market open until the new market was completed and operational. I, too, would like to blame the city for its egregious restrictions and requirements, but we as developers should have paid more attention to exterior architectural detailing. We were naive-- mea culpa.

As an architecture teacher and critic, Mr. Betsky should certainly realize that form follows function. Since all of the parking is at the rear and side of the building, would you place the entrance on La Brea and inconvenience the customer? The entrance is where it should be, at the apex of the parking lot. As for underground parking, though aesthetically preferable, have you checked the water table in the area? Are customers supposed to float their groceries down? Moreover, underground parking is an arrangement patently unsuitable for a supermarket. Remember, too, that the positioning of the building, walls and parking have been the same relative to Sycamore as well as La Brea for over 30 years. The only things that have changed are the size of the building and additional landscaping.

In conclusion, the interior of the market is delightful and, as evidenced by the extraordinary volume of business Ralphs is doing, customers are not looking at the architecture but (as) a pleasant place to buy groceries--conveniently, safely and at bargain prices.

PETER L. FITZPATRICK

Pasadena