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June 20, 2007
Oldest Home in Van Nuys Obliterated
10:36 p.m., last night: Daily News publishes a story about 14628 Sylvan Street in Van Nuys -- the oldest house in Van Nuys built in 1911 by William Paul Whitsett (now you know where that street name came from). The article tells how this historic house is threatened by demolition for condos. Preservationists want to save the house.
8:23 a.m., this morning: LACityNerd posts and e-mail blasts the blogLAsphere about the article quoting City Councilman Tony Cardenas who represents the district where the house resides; "I am committed to preserving the unique character of our neighborhoods and am looking into every lawful possibility to save this home." The nerd emphasizes the Rule 23 action, which means that there is an eminent need for the City Council to take action on an item that was raised after the official agenda has been posted. This is something Cardenas could have done many meetings before today.
8:59 a.m.: Andrew at Here in Van Nuys also posts about it giving additional history and perspective: "The Whitsett House is worth saving because of its historic value. But Whitsett [a developer in the early 1900s] himself knew the value of land and would today probably side with Mr. Merabi [developer who wants to make it into condos today] against the city."
9:47 a.m.: Andrew visits and finds that the home was demolished this morning, probably due to pressure of the Daily News article putting the issue into the limelight. Kami A. Merabi, the developer, had the legal right to destroy the home. According to the Daily News, "A monument application could postpone demolition one year. Monument status would require an environmental review ahead of the wrecking ball. A hearing had been scheduled for Thursday, then postponed until July 12." The wrecking ball came today, weeks before July 12.
Photo used with permission by Andrew of Here in Van Nuys
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Was the house significant in any way besides being the first? Unless it lent itself to some new, progressive, or especially aesthetic architectural style, I don't see the point of preserving a home just because it's deemed "historic" by someone. We can't progress if we keep preserving the old.
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This goes against much of my bias in FAVOR of historic preservation, but Van Nuys needs, desperately, I might say, development and construction. The Whitsett house was in deplorable condition and the Fire Department had used it in training.
Let's put our energies into creating new housing in depressed areas like Van Nuys that will reinvigorate it. That would be the best salute to the founder of Van Nuys.
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The development should go ahead, must go ahead. Who are these self-appointed "preservationists" ? Whose interests do they serve? Not mine. They do not calculate the value to our community of having better-quality housing in Van Nuys, not some eye-sore. They have their own private agenda, and too often they are accorded undue weight and, as in this case, publicity.
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Just because it was built in 1911 does not make it of historical significance. If it was so important to the people and city, they would never have allowed it to get in the condition it had become and they would have long ago purchased it and saved it themselves as a monument. Actions speak louder than words and for me, those actions to me indicate that its significance is nothing beyond just being old.
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I was just reading the daily news article from Thursday the 21st. I am appalled at the lack of pride residents of Van Nuys have in the history of the area. Several reasons of why this is come to mind (i.e., transplants from other parts of the city/country/world who don't care). The President of Merabi & Sons is from New York, why would he care about some historic house in a place he has no connection to. All he wants is to build a monstrosity that can hold too many people on too small a plot of land and recieve way too much money for each unit. He wants the money. And from the posts on here it seems that most of you agree with Mr. Merabi. I, for one, as a twentysomething born and raised in the valley, don't want or need another ridiculous building built on the ruins of history. This valley extremely crowded already, why the push to continue filling it?
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I volunteer at Heritage Square Museum and they often get inquiries from folks about relocating an old historic home. One such case was an old farmhouse in Ventura. Unfortunately, the cost of doing so is prohibitive, and unless some generous benefactor foots the bill--which can be quite expensive--there's nothing they can do.
So, alas, a house like this, historic though it may be, had few options for survival. Its land is too valuable to not develop, it's too expensive to move, and it's also costly to maintain it as a museum of sorts. As much as I think we should try to preserve buildings of note, I'm at a loss at the best way to do so. Honestly, preservation by neglect is the only way that seems to work nowadays.
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As one of the tenants, who lives a block west of this house that was demolished ,and east of a great 8 or 10 unite condo being built by the same developer .I believe the developer Mr. Merabi would bring jobs to our community ,that is well needed and hopefully changes standard of our community.
This house was on the market for a long time, and now that is demolished every one has an opinion on it!!!
Peace
Raul