During an election season fraught with allegations that canvassers are misrepresenting the issues on the ballot, the West Hollywood West Residents Association has called out campaigners for the Arts Club project for claiming that one of their backers is an association member.
“The West Hollywood West Residents Association strenuously objects to our implied support for a ‘Yes on B’ campaign mailer that you may have received recently,” the neighborhood association has posted on Facebook. “The mailer prominently lists Donald Deluccio as a supporter of this measure and credits him as being affiliated with the West Hollywood West Residents Association.
“Mr. Deluccio is neither on the board of WHWRA nor does he live in the West Hollywood West neighborhood. Furthermore, the West Hollywood West Residents Association is a 501c non-profit neighborhood advocacy organization and we do not, and cannot, endorse political candidates or campaigns.
“The unauthorized use of our organization’s name for the benefit of a political and commercial interest is unconscionable, unethical and invites questions about other claims of support.”
Deluccio responded to an inquiry from WEHOville, saying he hadn’t expected to have been identified that way. “Although I was very active in West Hollywood West for years, I assumed that I would have been identified as former Planning Commission Chair. No matter of identification titles, I am a stronger supporter of Measure B and think it will help in the continued revitalization of the Sunset Strip.”
Steve Afriat, a spokesperson for the “Yes on Measure B” campaign, questioned the WHWRA’s complaint about the mailer.
“On behalf of the ‘Yes on Measure B’ campaign, we are perplexed by the response to this mailing,” he said. “Mr. Deluccio is, in fact, a former president of the West Hollywood West Residents Association and that is how he was listed. The brochure clearly says that titles are for identification purposes only.
“Perhaps those who are upset about this simply don’t agree with our position, but they should not use righteous indignation and a 501 C-3 entity to weigh in on this ballot measure. It’s also disappointing that they would diminish Mr. Deluccio’s leadership and many years of service to this community. As this brochure rightfully points out, Measure B has broad community support.”
Measure B will reaffirm the City Council’s vote last year to approve changes in zoning and the Sunset Strip Specific Plan to allow construction of a 120,000-square-foot building on the lot on Sunset at Hilldale Avenue where the Hustler sex accessories store now sits. In addition to the members-only Arts Club, It will include a restaurant, a lounge, a supper club, guest rooms for club members and a rooftop pool area as well as retail space and a public art gallery and performance rehearsal space. Ten of the guest rooms will be rented out as hotel rooms. The building is designed by architect Andy Cohen of Gensler.
The Arts Club has agreed to provide $13.5 million in benefits to the city. That includes the art gallery and rehearsal space and a staff to maintain it, which it values at $10.1 million, a contribution to city arts programs of $1.25 million over 10 years and an additional $1 million contribution to the city.
Unite Here Local 11, the restaurant and hotel workers union, organized a petition drive to put the Council’s approval of the Arts Club on the March 5 ballot in the hopes that residents would vote to reject it. The union has argued that the project is a major repudiation of the Sunset Specific Plan. Steve Martin, a former City Council member who is opposed to the project, has argued that the property could have been better used for housing and that the city
Unauthorized use of the homeowners association’s name and attaching someone to it that doesn’t even live in the neighborhood?!
WOW!…..That takes a lot of cohones. Did they really think they were going to get away with it?
Mr. Afriat, you were, perplexed???
Would have been easier to just say,
“Sorry, our mistake”….
Changing my vote to NO….
When people have this much money to spend on a campaign, you KNOW it’s not in the interest of the community.
NOT ANOTHER PRIVATE CLUB. NO bring back places that allow one and all. all the private clubs or exclusive eateries just not need in this FREER CITY. I kept thinking arts club is what we did downtown but not a private club just a place to create. So this is not an ARTS club its a PRIVATE CLUB. NO thanks PERIOD.
It was also interesting that Amanda Smash-Hyde, the self described “tenants rights advocate”, says the project will “protect renters” when there is not a single unit of housing included in the project except the ten luxury suites that are reserved for Art’s Club members. Obviously the Yes on B campaign has no scruples about twisting the truth and lying to the community. Remember that 40% of this site was zoned for residential housing and the City Council should have mandated five or six floors of housing when it granted the extra height and density. This project could have included five… Read more »
Who are we kidding here? They are asking for a zoning change for a private club. In exchange, they are giving the City a pittance. A small art gallery, retail space, rehearsal space (how big a space is that?) and a very small contribution. There are much better uses for that land. Do we really need to kowtow to the very rich once again? Gwinith should take her project to BH or some other place where she can kegel a jade egg in the company of other entitled people far from us “regular” people,
While the Arts Club might be a perfectly nice addition to the strip, it’s never fun to feel like you’re being tricked. The mailer also has one quote saying that B is good for renters because it protects affordable housing. How, on earth, does this high end private luxury club for the rich and trendy protect affordable housing for renters? Then, a cartoon drawing of a child, who was obviously a regular at Mocha, with a quote bubble that says “yes on B means my parents won’t have to take me to DTLA for art”. LACMA, dear parents, LACMA… It’s… Read more »
Goop is best known these days for its questionable, controversial products. Word of the Netflix show followed the news that Goop had to settle a $125,000 lawsuitover false advertisements Once again is this the type of person that we want to be part of the West Hollywood Community she doesn’t live here she has nothing to do with his thing she’s not an artist she’s an actor she comes from a family of actors from Hollywood why doesn’t she just go build it someplace else why is she trying to disturb West Hollywood for more money it’s overgrown here it’s… Read more »
Apparently Mr Afriat hasn’t seen his own flyer. Someone should show him the picture attached to this article.
His belligerent and unapologetic response is apropos to the local and national trend.
Though Deluccio was a fine planning commissioner with a rotating chairperson position his main residence has not been in WeHo for years. His involvement in the WHWRA predates that even further.
This tweaking and twisting by Afriat and the ‘Yes on B’ campaign doesn’t erase the fact that it’s fake news.
The mailer is clearly misleading. Mr Deluccio is NOT identified as a FORMER member of WHWRA. Moreover, as a former member of the association, Deluccio is aware that it is a 501c nonprofit and cannot endorse a particular view. I was unsure how I would vote on this measure. Not any more. My vote is NO.
300,000 dollars of out of town money to try and mislead that this project is not legal under our current zoning laws. And the title of the PAC “Residents to preserve the sunset strip” is a ruse