The City of West Hollywood is soliciting comments online from residents about what to do with the property at 1343 North Laurel Ave. near Fountain, known by many preservation advocates as “Tara.” The city also will hold a community workshop on Oct. 12 seeking public input.
The online survey is available through Oct. 7 at www.1343NLaurelAve.org. It is part of an ongoing city effort to communicate with local residents on the internet. Other recently launched online communication efforts include WeHo Direct, where residents can notify the city of trash and noise problems, and InfoMap, where residents can look at projects under construction in West Hollywood.
The onlin survey results will be presented at the workshop, which will be held at Plummer Park Community Center, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. between Fuller and Vista, in rooms 5 and 6. A free shuttle will run from Plummer Park to 1343 N. Laurel Ave. for those who wish to tour the property at 9 a.m. The workshop runs from 10 a.m. to noon.
The property’s front yard has been used as a small park since 2011. However, plans for the historic home have been in limbo since long-time property owner Elsie Weisman’s death in 2000.
In 1997, Weisman donated the property to the city, reportedly with the stipulation that it preserve it and do no further development on the site. However, Weisman did not put down her wishes in writing as part of the deed transfer. That lack of written instructions created years of legal battles following Weisman’s death at the age of 101.
In 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that the city had violated state law by not getting adequate public input before proceeding with plans to use the site for affordable housing for seniors.
All feedback will be presented to the City Council.
