GRIFFITH PARK AUTRY EXPANSION: So What If It Is In Violation of Merger Agreements, Charter Law, Campaign Promises -- AND HASN'T BEEN VETTED PUBLICLY?
**** UPDATE: THE SOUTHWEST MUSEUM ART COLLECTION HAS BEEN RUMORED TO BE WORTH (DR. EVIL VOICE), "ONE BILLION DOLLARS!!!" WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THE AUTRY MUSEUM FILED TO CHANGE STATUS FROM A 'FOUNDATION' TO A 'NON-PROFIT'? THAT'S THE KIND OF THING YOU DO (FOR TAX REASONS) WHEN YOU ARE GETTING READY TO SELL OFF ASSETS -- LIKE A BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF RARE CULTURAL AND HISTORIC BILLION DOLLAR ART COLLECTION. ***
* SHADY AUTRY MUSEUM IN GRIFFITH PARK EXPANSION: The proposed expansion of the Autry Muesum Griffith Park Observatory sure has the community buzzing. (It's not like I went out looking for this story.) i was researching shady development in Mt. Washington area, when the Southwest Museum came up -- which ties into the GPE (Griffith Park Expansion/Master Plan Revision).
Autry is a private non-profit corporation that in 1985 was given a land lease of 10 acres of Griffith Park parkland so Gene Autry could build his Western movie cowboy museum. Autry runs independent of the City but is supposed to account to the City.
There was a merger agreement between the Southwest Museum Corporation and the Autry's Griffith Park museum. Part of the merger agreement was that the art and rare artifacts displayed in the museum would stay in the SW's Mt. Washington location and would not be moved in it's entirety and folded into the Griffith Park museum (which includes "shoot 'em up cowboy" stuff, that kind of clashes with the Native American heritiage.
At the same time, the Autry's want to spend $150 million (along with campaign contribution favorite CM Tom LeBonge) to double the size of the park, while reducing the SW Museum from 10,000 square feet, to just 3750 square feet, and move all the art and artifacts to Griffith Park, leaving only a small display, which is in violation of the merger agreement. They are going to call it The Southwest Education and Culture Center for Native American Heritage. (Since it won't be a museum anymore, in a cost cutting measure. 3750 is easier to maintain than 10,000.)
One ZAP insider notes that it is cool to store most of the Southwest Museum's art and artifacts in the Griffith Park location, with a rotating display. But this reduces the museum to the size of an average home, not museum. The community doesn't want to lose this culture and hertigage. The new "Master Plan" under revision is in violation of the merger agreement.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Jose Huizar BOTH campaigned to join CM Ed Reyes in preventing exactly what is now happening:
Now regarding the co-mingled SW Museum squashing/Griffith Park expansion...a few glitches to work out first.
a) Any expansion over 5000 sq feet has to be approved by Parks and Recs. (It hasn't)
b) Neighborhood Councils and Homeowners Associations should weigh in on something of this magnitude.
c) Griffith Park is SUPPOSED to be free and open to the public. If you expand the museum on park space, is it going to be free admission?
d) You are not allowed to delvelop the park under the original Autry/Grffith Park agreement.
e) Why are you required to pay $5.00 (or is it $7.50) to enter Griffithland when you are supposed to have free access?
f) Who owns those second hand, run-down busses anyway. I heard they are non-union busses. They aren't owned by Richard Riordan, are they? So whoever owns that bus line, sure got a sweet deal. How about FREE shuttles, or .25 cents, like DASH? [This is an observatory issue, not a museum issue.]
So overall, there is some slight constituent concern that you are robbing one community of it's culture and heritage and shutting down the City's FIRST museum, and turning it into a cheap ass, three times smaller "education center", while you violate every campaign promise, every merger agreement, make people pay for a shady bus (when you are supposed to have free access, and you wanna develop the park area of the observatory that must remain a free and open area and so far you haven't taken a shred of community input.
Ha, nice try. Y'all about to get "ZAPPED", y'all! I guess a complaint is going to have to be filed in court. That's the only way any of y'all follow the law.
FriendsOfTheSouthwestMuseum.com
BONUS STORY: MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT FROM GAIL GOLDBERG OF LA PLANNING DEPARTMENT
* SHADY AUTRY MUSEUM IN GRIFFITH PARK EXPANSION: The proposed expansion of the Autry Muesum Griffith Park Observatory sure has the community buzzing. (It's not like I went out looking for this story.) i was researching shady development in Mt. Washington area, when the Southwest Museum came up -- which ties into the GPE (Griffith Park Expansion/Master Plan Revision).
Autry is a private non-profit corporation that in 1985 was given a land lease of 10 acres of Griffith Park parkland so Gene Autry could build his Western movie cowboy museum. Autry runs independent of the City but is supposed to account to the City.
There was a merger agreement between the Southwest Museum Corporation and the Autry's Griffith Park museum. Part of the merger agreement was that the art and rare artifacts displayed in the museum would stay in the SW's Mt. Washington location and would not be moved in it's entirety and folded into the Griffith Park museum (which includes "shoot 'em up cowboy" stuff, that kind of clashes with the Native American heritiage.
At the same time, the Autry's want to spend $150 million (along with campaign contribution favorite CM Tom LeBonge) to double the size of the park, while reducing the SW Museum from 10,000 square feet, to just 3750 square feet, and move all the art and artifacts to Griffith Park, leaving only a small display, which is in violation of the merger agreement. They are going to call it The Southwest Education and Culture Center for Native American Heritage. (Since it won't be a museum anymore, in a cost cutting measure. 3750 is easier to maintain than 10,000.)
One ZAP insider notes that it is cool to store most of the Southwest Museum's art and artifacts in the Griffith Park location, with a rotating display. But this reduces the museum to the size of an average home, not museum. The community doesn't want to lose this culture and hertigage. The new "Master Plan" under revision is in violation of the merger agreement.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Jose Huizar BOTH campaigned to join CM Ed Reyes in preventing exactly what is now happening:
Now regarding the co-mingled SW Museum squashing/Griffith Park expansion...a few glitches to work out first.
a) Any expansion over 5000 sq feet has to be approved by Parks and Recs. (It hasn't)
b) Neighborhood Councils and Homeowners Associations should weigh in on something of this magnitude.
c) Griffith Park is SUPPOSED to be free and open to the public. If you expand the museum on park space, is it going to be free admission?
d) You are not allowed to delvelop the park under the original Autry/Grffith Park agreement.
e) Why are you required to pay $5.00 (or is it $7.50) to enter Griffithland when you are supposed to have free access?
f) Who owns those second hand, run-down busses anyway. I heard they are non-union busses. They aren't owned by Richard Riordan, are they? So whoever owns that bus line, sure got a sweet deal. How about FREE shuttles, or .25 cents, like DASH? [This is an observatory issue, not a museum issue.]
So overall, there is some slight constituent concern that you are robbing one community of it's culture and heritage and shutting down the City's FIRST museum, and turning it into a cheap ass, three times smaller "education center", while you violate every campaign promise, every merger agreement, make people pay for a shady bus (when you are supposed to have free access, and you wanna develop the park area of the observatory that must remain a free and open area and so far you haven't taken a shred of community input.
Ha, nice try. Y'all about to get "ZAPPED", y'all! I guess a complaint is going to have to be filed in court. That's the only way any of y'all follow the law.
FriendsOfTheSouthwestMuseum.com
BONUS STORY: MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT FROM GAIL GOLDBERG OF LA PLANNING DEPARTMENT
Posted by Zuma Dogg @ 5/02/2007 07:01:00 PM
7 Comments:
Anyone hear of Frontier Building Supplies. I'm thinking of building some high density condos and want to work with a local supplier, rather than hope depot. Plus, I think they would be perfect to help build the Griffith Park Expansion. Anyone know if they are a decent building supply company. I know they are sure busy with all the big projects being approved in the area by City Council. Man, wish I owned it! Maybe I can get a job there.
"The community doesn't want to lose this culture and hertigage."
The city shouldn't be losing it either. We should grow our cultural sites all over the city, not consolidate them in one already congested area.
The Autry Museum is the McDonalds of exhibition halls. Fast, Overpriced,
and not much to choose from.
Their recent Yosemite show was a major disappointment.
I went to one of the public input meetings on the Southwest Museum sponsored by the City last year. Has anyone wondered why the hell the City had to conduct the public input process FOR the Autry, a private corporation? Hmmm. Our tax dollars given away for private benefit.
I guess Jackie Autry's campaign contributions also buys the City doing an input process that Autry itself has never frickin' done.
By the way. At the City sponsored meetings, the City moderator, the Rabbi guy from the Human Relations Department, he was clearly throwing all the softball questions to the Autry representative and letting that guy talk all he wanted. Then, the Rabbi guy hardly letting the Friends of the SW Museum speak. I thought I was watching some Fox News version of "fair and balanced." Pathetic Autry. Even more pathetic Human Relations Dept of our fair City.
Is Joe B on the payroll of Frontier Building Supply?
Another brilliant find by ZD. Except, who is going to be the Plaintiff, and who will fund the litigation?
Should be those people who really care. Right?
Who are they??
P.S. A few CD 12 folks been crying aobut this since AV was their Councilman. Where is Nick Pacheco on this? Quiet as usual. No one cares.
09/30/06 Frontier Building Supply Co.
North Hollywood, CA 91605
Wendy Greuel Council Member - CD2
1286713 - Wendy Greuel for City Council A - Monetary Contribution Received
(OTH - Other)
[Period: 07/01/06-09/30/06]
$500.00
[Election: 03/06/07]
02/14/03 Frontier Building Supply Co.
North Hollywood, CA 91605 Wendy Greuel
Council Member - CD2
1246757 - Wendy Greuel for City Council 2003 A - Monetary Contribution Received
(OTH - Other)
[Period: 01/19/03-02/15/03]
$500.00
[Election: 03/05/03
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