Hollywood: Street Name Change Draws Fire

The residents of Los Angeles need to become aware of their governing officials’ knowledge and mismanagement of a multimillion-dollar tourist industry known as “Hollywood.”

Recently the Los Angeles City Council, including Hollywood’s council representative, Jackie Goldberg, authorized changing the name of Hudson Avenue (south of Hollywood Boulevard to Sunset Boulevard) from its historic name of Hudson to Rand Shrader Boulevard (a gay/AIDS activist). The change was initiated by the Gay and Lesbian Center and endorsed by Councilwoman Goldberg.

I strongly disagree with any street name change within historic Hollywood. I do support the appropriate designations of “place” or “square” with respect to Hollywood’s historic street grid developed by Hollywood founder H. H. Wilcox during the late 1800s. Ironically, this issue seems to have surfaced elsewhere in the Hollywood community (Chandler Square/Tamarind Avenue proposed change to L. Ron Hubbard Avenue).

The preservation and maintenance of historic Hollywood (including street grids) is important culturally and economically. Within that small area, a multibillion-dollar film industry blossomed and a multimillion-dollar tourist industry continues--a tourist industry rooted and drawn to Hollywood’s 100-year-old history.

In my letter to Lorri Jean, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Center, I stated the following: “I don’t understand why a representative of the gay community would choose to disregard another community’s history and another man’s contribution to this community considering the gay community decries this same behavior in regards to their own history. Wouldn’t it be more noble to show that the gay community can respectfully coexist within a multicultural community? The Los Angeles community desperately needs to see examples such as this.”

I also made the recipient aware that the address of the Gay and Lesbian Center, 1625 Hudson Ave., is, according to documentation, the approximate historic address of Thomas Hudson’s estate.

As for Goldberg, I suggest she re-evaluate her knowledge and position on historic preservation. A significant portion of her district has landmark status, and that portion known as Hollywood contributes millions of dollars annually to the Los Angeles economy. If Los Angeles bureaucrats continue what appears to be their “Hollywood agenda,” the historic foundations of the community will crumble. Let’s face it, Hollywood without historical landmarks is just another Downey.

MATTHEW L. LESNIAK, Los Angeles