Homeowner Raps City’s Handling of Fox Expansion

Nancy Hill-Holtzman’s follow-up story on the Fox Studios expansion hearing (Times, Jan. 17) points out the frustration local residents have encountered in trying to say anything to say about this high-impact project. It also painfully showcased some essential trouble spots about the project.

John Klein’s often repeated accusation--that opponents are a small, petty-minded group--holds no more water now than it has throughout this neighborhood battle. Friends of Fox is still primarily Fox employees and hirelings. The story only noted that those at the hearing were primarily local residents. Considering the quality of their orchestration, it would be easy for Fox to bus in employees who were local residents. The story didn’t mention that the four closest homeowner groups in opposition weigh in with almost 8,000 residents, not including the several other local organizations--additional homeowner, schools, churches and synagogues--also in opposition.

The economic argument, which continues to be trotted out by Fox, project supporters and Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, is a red herring. As The Times reported, economist Julie Liebeskind suggested that the expansion would, in fact, cause a loss to local residents and business. The figure presented was $300 million in lost property value (not $3 million, as reported in The Times’ Jan. 13 on the hearing)! She also suggested that few new jobs would be created and that no jobs would leave the Southland, even in the very unlikely event that Fox moved.

Few Los Angeles residents believe the city will steadfastly follow the restrictions proposed, or that Fox will keep its glorious promises of historic preservation and traffic management. They already proved their trustworthiness by selling the Fox Plaza office building shortly after the city provided generous dispensations. Imagine the incentive to sell this prime piece of land now.

The bargaining (in one corner, Fox’s stubbornness, in the other, Yaroslavsky, Galanter and Beverly Hills’ “limitations,” consisting principally of phasing, monitoring and marginal reductions in size) will leave the Westside with generations of pieces to pick up. Residents on the Westside have watched this dance before. We know the result will be essentially what the developer and the councilman really want.

“Letters to the Editor” is one of few pulpits available to local residents. This, sadly, is a symptom of city management gone wrong. While developers, such as Fox, have little trouble influencing city government and gleaning the bulk of space in news stories, citizens can only hope--often futilely--for the city to follow its own laws regarding open hearings, and newspapers to provide an equal voice to the citizenry. Maybe it’s time for a citizens’ column. Anybody listening?

ALLAN RABINOWITZ

Los Angeles