Gas station will be part of park
Robert Chacon
A 70-year-old gas station on the site of a proposed mini park in
Adams Square should remain part of the park’s design, a city
commission recommended Wednesday.
The Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission decided to
recommend to the City Council to approve a design of the
12,548-square-foot park that preserves and incorporates the former
Richfield Oil Co. Station at the corner of Palmer Avenue and Adams
Street as a gathering place for the community.
The streamline-moderne gas station, built in 1936, has divided
Adams Hill Homeowners, who want the gas station preserved, and a
group of Adams Square business owners, who wanted the station’s space
for more parking in the area. Advocates for demolishing the gas
station saw hope when the commission last month wavered on an earlier
decision to green-light the park’s design by the firm Rios Clementi
Hale Studios.
The commission’s concerns were based on false information,
commissioners said. Last month, commission member Armond Agakhani
said that the estimate for preserving and refurbishing the gas was as
high as $500,000, and that the commission was leaning toward
demolition of the building and instead adding more parking for
merchants.
Preserving the 160-square-foot gas station would cost about
$37,400, said Hagop Kassabian, a project manager with the Parks and
Recreation Division.
“We have something here that is workable, and I hope the City
Council agrees with us,” Commissioner James Ward said.
The park project will bring the community together, once it is
complete, Agakhani said.
“We will be working closely with the Historic Preservation
Commission,” he said.
In a meeting last month, the Historic Preservation Commission
voted to send a letter to the City Council in support of the project.
Among the many supporters of preservation that spoke out at the
meeting were Historic Commission members Ruben Amirian, Deborah
Dentler and Eric Axene.
“Historic buildings, at certain times in their lives, are
ignored,” Amirian said, addressing concerns of some who thought the
building was an eyesore. “But this land was purchased by the city for
a park, without and --ing at the end. You can not come at this late
stage to recommend more parking.”
Among those concerned about the gas station’s size was John
Cianfrini, president of the Adams Square Merchants Assn.’s board.
The station was taking up too much space in the park’s design,
Cianfrini has said, adding that the children’s play area was too
small because the gas station was there.
But he seemed to change his tune on Wednesday.
“If we had this rendering in the beginning, you guys would have
broken ground.”
Adams Hill residents have overwhelmingly approved of preserving
the gas station. Adams Hill Homeowner Assn. members collected more
than 640 signatures from residents there during a petition drive to
drum up support for preservation.
Pat Salinas, the granddaughter of the original owner of the gas
station, talked about her memories of the gas station.
“I don’t like everything being torn down to build bigger, better
things,” she said. “We need to make an effort to show our kids and
grandchildren where we came from.”
* ROBERT CHACON covers business and politics. He may be reached at
(818) 637-3239 or by e-mail at robert.chaconlatimes.com.