Opinion: City Hall should try listening to NIMBYs instead of dismissing them

To the editor: Citizen Zev Yarosklavky describes the challenges of redevelopment, but more importantly, highlights the lack of leadership or direction Los Angeles suffers from. (“Los Angeles should preserve CBS Television City before it’s too late,” Opinion, Dec. 10)

His description of preservation, traffic issues and the impact a development would have on a neighborhood — in this case, turning CBS’ Television City into a dense Century City-like collection of buildings — is what most NIMBYs stress to city leaders, who regularly dismiss their concerns.

The film industry is vibrant in Los Angeles in part because of the $300-million-plus in state tax credits it receives to stay here, but why doesn’t the city fight to get other industries to move here? If industries keep leaving and are replaced by dense housing complexes, where will anyone work? Are we now so fixated on housing that we have lost interest in any other use for a property like this?

The future Television City development should be the project that corrects the errors of the past while setting a new standard for Los Angeles.

Ken Walsh, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Yaroslavsky fails to mention that the site in question was previously occupied by Gilmore Stadium, and adjacent to that was Gilmore Field, home of the Pacific Coast League’s Los Angeles Angels baseball team.

I have fond memories of attending football games, midget auto races and rodeos at Gilmore Stadium. It was the home of the L.A. Bulldogs, a professional football team that by today’s standards didn’t amount to much, but I certainly enjoyed attending their games.

While Yaroslavsky decries the possible demise of Television City, I’m still mourning the day they decided to replace Gilmore Stadium. Nostalgia, apparently, is a matter of time and place.

Patrick I. O’Donnell, Yorba Linda

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