And the teardown begins at 6666 Drexel, bought back on April 2nd for $1,015,000. It just sat there for months, but then the fence went up, and now down it will come. Thanks to Alex the Sea Turtle for the update.
» Teardown Watch—6666 Drexel Fenced Up
» Teardown Watch at 6666 Drexel Avenue
14 responses so far ↓
1 Ieatseaturtles // Sep 17, 2008 at 4:53 pm
What a great neighborhood and wow, that address! 6666. Cool. At only 1,326sf on a modest 6000sf lot, I’m sure they’ll double the size, make it two stories, and still have a value at or above their expenditure. I wonder if it’s a flip or a homeowner. Doubt a flip will be profitable, so hopefully someone will live there and enjoy it.
Before that neighborhood goes HPOZ (ie Nazi) I’m sure you’ll see lots more teardowns before they’re no longer allowed.
2 alex the sea turtle // Sep 18, 2008 at 7:31 am
The neighborhood will never be a HPOZ there is not a enought support or money for it. Lastly at this rate there is not enough stock of old homes remaining to qualify.
This house will undoubtfully be close to 3,600 sq ft. Not just mearly double to 2,600 sq ft which would in line with the larger original homes in the neighorhood.
HPOZ are not Nazi. Nazi exterminated people and intimidated people. HPOZ protect the history of historic neighborhoods. They also protect the value of the neighborhoods.
You eat turtles? Nice. Fool.
3 Idevourseaturtles // Sep 18, 2008 at 9:47 am
I’m using Nazi in the “fascist” sense, not an actual comparison to their atrocities. But you know that, you just choose to name-call.
Do you live in an HPOZ? Do you realize the wealth-eroding effect they create by not allowing people with small homes – and hopefully good taste – from bringing their architecturally-insignificant circa 1930s homes more in-line with the 21st century? If one owns a 1300sf home on a 7000sf lot, that was built for people who were 5-feet tall and didn’t own a car and didn’t own stuff, then they should have a right to tastefully add a second story or do a major remodel. I’m not advocating a gaudy McMansion, but an HPOZ won’t even allow you to do the basics.
I’m all for saving historic homes and buildings – Capitol Records and the like – but plain homes?
4 alex the sea turtle // Sep 18, 2008 at 11:00 am
I actually live in the nieghorhood of this home. My home is an original home that is not much larger then the one that is being torn down as I type.
I think you should be careful about describing others as Nazis. It’s just to powerful.
As for the wealth eroding that is just silly. I have friends in Carthy Circle and they can attest to the fact the very fact that the HPOZ has been benificial wealth wise.
History is a lot of things including the ordinary homes of people who drove Model T cars.
Do you own a home? Do you care what happens in your neighborhood?
McMansion is what will be built. Yes many of them a nice homes and excellent quality. But they don’t compare to a beautifully restored and smartly improved upon and expanded 1920’s home. A home built with hard wood that is not volunerable to termites.
As for my name calling. I think you started the negative tone with the suggestion that you eat sea turtles. Indicating that you would want to kill and eat me and at the same time an endangered animal.
5 Liberace // Sep 18, 2008 at 11:03 am
I happen to admire Alex and appreciate his thoughtful posts, both here and on other boards. I agree with him about the preservation of the older homes in the neighborhood. Initially I didn’t agree but I did come around eventually and now wholeheartedly support the preservation of the homes. While it is true that the older homes don’t fit the needs of the 21st Century, they can be modified (plumbing and electrical upgrades) to better fit our current needs and they certainly don’t need to be torn down. That said I do detest the HPOZ’s, I think they are overbroad and completely out of touch with commonsense. There really needs to be a standard anti-McMansion bill and still allow reasonable and well thought-out remodeling. Alex, keep up the good work.
6 ILoveManatees // Sep 18, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Like the Nazi comment, my silly moniker is meant as a sarcastic comment – I’m a hardcore vegan – so don’t worry about your little sea turtles. Sorry if I offended you.
I agree with Liberace (there’s a sentence I’ve never said before), in that there should be a zoning ordinance against McMansions – that does not hinder complete makeovers or a teardown. HPOZ’s are too strict and leave little room for the owner of the house to do what they want. We just fundamentally disagree about the value of older homes. What you may consider historic, I consider outdated. We live in Los Angeles – a progressive city where contemporary architecture should be prevalent – not some quaint town in New Hampshire. Think the Case Study homes. Frank Gehry’s designs. Have you driven around Abbot Kinney in Venice recently? Some of the striking architectural glass, concrete and steel architecture mixes in very well with the older homes. That’s the Los Angeles I live in. Not outmoded old Spanish homes.
7 PETAMember // Sep 18, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I also have friends in Carthay and their homes have gone up with the rest of the market, but not as much percentage-wise as the surrounding non-HPOZ neighborhoods north of Wilshire and east of Fairfax specifically because of the HPOZ rules.
These friends shouldn’t have to move out of their house and its lower 1990s property tax basis, just so they can remodel/add-on to fit the modern needs of their family. They own the house, so within the zoning laws – and hopefully cordial conversations with their immediate neighbors – they should be able to do whatever they want.
8 TheLandToirtoise // Sep 18, 2008 at 2:16 pm
To steal a line from Tom Friedman’s new book, there is a Chinese proverb that says, “When the wind changes direction, there are those who build walls and those who build windmills.”
For me, locking in an old, inefficient house – with poor ventilation, antiquated energy usage, storage capacity – just because it’s a 1930s Spanish, is “building a wall.” I’d rather build the “green,” forward-thinking “windmill.”
Most people, as I read in the LAT today, who are building new homes are building huge subterranean spaces so they can add square footage without affecting the footprint or the exterior design of their newly-built homes. That’s a great idea, but an HPOZ would not allow a tear-down that would even make this possible.
If you are understandably concerned about an entire historic neighborhood, my compromise suggestion would be to offer tax or other financial incentives for those in the neighborhood who wish to have their house designated historic. Then you and the other HPOZ-lovers can admire your historic house without infringing on the rights of others who don’t share your views.
9 alex the sea turtle // Sep 18, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I like the idea of a HPOZ but I am not trying to get one in my neighborhood. Primarily because I don’t like fighting battles that I will loose.
I only provide this information as a point of interest to people who might be curious about what is happening. What is happening is that an old 1920’s home was sold for about 1 million dollars and now it’s being torn down. As the new home is built I will provide info on that.
I have completely redone the interior of my home to make it not only effiecient but better then it ever would have been before. So everyone who goes on about how these homes won’t work for people are just using excuses.
10 TwoTurtleDoves // Sep 18, 2008 at 3:27 pm
I don’t know you Alex, but if your hypothetically family has grown and you have kids, or want a gym, or a library, or a swimming pool, or whatever, that kind of change should be possible on a 6000-7000sf lot without being a McMansion. But it would require massive structural changes that would not be allowed under an HPOZ.
An interior remodel is all well and good (and not covered under an HPOZ), but you really can’t make significant increases to square footage and add rooms, etc. Heck, with an HPOZ you need approval for replacing exterior windows, paint color, fences, gates, you name it. That’s extra time, expense, hassle and bureaucracy that is unfair.
I also like the idea of an HPOZ, but only in a neighborhood or city whose designs and character are worthy of that designation, in a city whose whole philosophy is one of historic preservation, where that history is a key lure for tourism and travel.
Los Angeles is a city of dreams, birthplace and workplace of some of the world’s top architects. This city should be a lab for open-mind experimentation. I didn’t come to this city for cookie-cutter 1930s Spanish homes…I came here to see the spirit of Ain, Neutra, Schindler, Lautner, Gehry, Mayne, and their young acolytes. Those homes are deservedly historic. Your house, I would assume, is not.
11 Miss Teresa // Oct 1, 2008 at 8:06 am
I love how Alex has suddenly been viewed as the old lady NIMBY of the neighborhood.
There is nothing wrong with noticing a negative trend; it is important to pay attention to changes that may have a detrimental effect on your quality of life. In LA especially, you can’t expect the City to follow their own guidelines with regard to “neighborhood character” – They tend to govern by the exception rather than the rule, and they only react to bad press or lawsuits.
If you review the City’s General Plan Framework, it makes it clear that stable neighborhoods should be preserved, not necessarily by freezing them in time, but recognizing that articulation, setbacks, landscaping, and appropriate scale are all elements that should be taken into consideration when proposing new development.
12 Liberace // Oct 1, 2008 at 9:30 am
I was also surprised to learn that Alex is in his mid-30’s. I thought he was much older too. I do admire his tenacity when it comes to issues in the neighborhood such as teardowns and Toast. Its always interesting to read his posts. Keep up the good work Alex.
13 alex the sea turtle // Oct 3, 2008 at 8:34 am
Thanks supporters.
Liberace I was surprised that you are still alive. I do enjoy your museum in Las Vegas and it’s a hoot all the little old lady’s that run it and visit it.
14 Grant // Oct 3, 2008 at 5:06 pm
This whole thing is disgusting. My dream is to be on an HPOZ committee and vote down all the horrible changes that people submit to the board. NO NO NO. People who buy properties just to tear down what’s on it seriously have way too much money and time on their hands.
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