JEROME CLEARY: Why does WeHo refuse to honor Tower Records?

10 Years Have Passed … So Why Was Tower Records Forgotten?

This story is sad and true. I am basically an optimist and idealist and I really trusted in 2013 the city council’s word and the mayor’s too. I trusted the commissioner on the Historic Preservation Commission. But now 10 years have passed with false promises and lip service.

Actions speak louder than words and words were said and each year I waited and then 10 years passed. Was this intentional? Well these statements were made at public hearings with the Historic Preservation Commission and City Council.

The irony in all of this is both the Historic Preservation Commission and the city council used an excuse about the paint color to deny preservation which is not even in the city’s ordinance for historic preservation that the city created and wrote.

It is hard to believe that 10 years have passed where the City Council and the Historic Preservation Commission promised to do something to recognize the significance of Tower Records history.

But what really happened here? Were we lied to by the Historic Preservation commissioner on the promise of a significant recognition? Were we lied to by the City Council too? All this happened in the Spring and Fall of 2013.

Was this just pandering to the public by council and the commissioners? Was this a bait and switch?

As the head of the planning department, John Keho is packing up his boxes to retire and leave city hall well does he realize he never followed up on any of this? But why? Why was this all promised and told to us and never followed through? Is this how we want our city to operate under false pretenses? I called John Keho recently and I asked him: “Do you feel like you accomplished everything you had to do?” and he responded: “There’s always more to do.” You go that right John Keho.

The residents and I believed and trusted what was told to us from the Historic Preservation Commission and city council.

I waited patiently each year thinking that it would finally be done but each year passed and finally after 10 years, I have to say this is sad and insulting to Tower Records legacy on the Sunset Strip.

Here’s a brief timeline:

From the April 2013 Historic Preservation Commission meeting on Tower Records:

Commissioner Gail Ostergren proposed that the Historic Preservation Commission team with the Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission to come up with distinctive signs commemorating businesses, rather than a standard plaque.

If the City Council does opt to commemorate Tower Records with a sign, resident Cathy Blaivas suggested the sign should be done in yellow and red.

This is who was on Historic Preservation Commission in April 2013

• Danny Castro
• Craig Charles, Vice Chair
• Charlie Yawar
• Ed Levin
• Gail Ostergren
• Paul Rice
• Brad Torgan, Chair

At this meeting was also Planning Department associate, Antonio Castillo.

From the November 2013 city council meeting Mayor Abbe Land said the city will consider ways to commemorate the store.

From LA Times, November 19, 2013

Before the unanimous vote upholding the Historic Preservation Commission’s decision, all five city council members said they had visited Tower Records in its heyday and had fond memories of browsing its inventory.

They acknowledged that the building had social history and said they would consider other ways to recognize it, maybe with a plaque or a designation of its location as Tower Records Square.

From CBS news from Council meeting:

Mayor Land said the city will consider ways to commemorate the store.

Here who was Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem and council members in November 2013

• Abbe Land, Mayor
• Kiran Hashmi, Deputy to Abbe Land
• John D’Amico, Mayor Pro Tempore
• Michelle Rex, Deputy to John D’Amico
• John Duran, Councilmember
• Ian Owens, Deputy to John Duran
• John Heilman, Councilmember
• Fran Solomon, Deputy to John Heilman
• Jeffrey Prang, Councilmember
• Michael Haibach, Deputy to Jeffrey Prang