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Future of Historic Sportsmen's Lodge Uncertain
The future of the Sportsmen's Lodge (Coldwater Canyon & Ventura Blvd. in Studio City)is in doubt. Some residents still remember when it was known as Trout Lakes in the late 1930's to mid-1950's, when families came to fish in the trout-stocked lakes. Later, when the hotel was built, the lakes became home to Lodge's family of swans and some of the Valley's first fine dining establishments, frequented by legendary Hollywood stars.
For a virtual tour, visit: http://www.sportsmenslodge.com/tourviewer.htm
The site of countless weddings, receptions, anniversary and birthday parties, conferences, bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs, the Sportsmen's Lodge has long been part of the cultural and social history of the San Fernando Valley.
Jay Platt of the Los Angeles Conservancy's Modern Committee summarizes the background and current status of the efforts to save the Sportsmen's Lodge:
"In 2002, [the Studio City Residents Association (SCRA)] submitted the City Historic-Cultural Monument application for the Sportsmen's Lodge banquet center (the hotel was not included in the nomination), with the support of the Conservancy.
"This nomination was never submitted to stop development of the site. Indeed, the Conservancy and SCRA have recognized throughout the process that the Sportsmen's Lodge property is likely to be significantly redeveloped and we would encourage the site's revitalization. The Conservancy supported the nomination because we had featured the Sportsmen's Lodge as one of just a handful of docent-led stops on the first-ever historic driving tour of the San Fernando Valley -- an event that attracted 1,000 tour-goers and won national media attention. We wanted to make certain that the rich history of this site became more recognized and that this history would be considered -- and treated as an asset -- when the site gets redeveloped at some point in the future.
"...Unlike many landmarks that are designated for their architectural significance, the Sportsmen's Lodge, which began as the Trout Lakes and Lodge in 1938, was approved for designation based on its social and cultural significance to Studio City and the San Fernando Valley. After a two-hour hearing and extensive testimony from both sides, the Cultural Heritage Commission voted to approve the designation and send it on to City Council.
"Councilmember Jack Weiss, a member of the PLUM Committee, has stated that he does not know anyone who considers Sportsmens Lodge to be significant. In fact, Sportsmen's Lodge, while certainly not an architectural wonder, has long been considered a site that epitomizes the story of the San Fernando Valley itself -- as a site whose evolving uses, from rural to urban, mirrored the Valley's growth; as a roadside attraction to the Valley's vibrant automobile culture; as one of the Valley's earliest and most significant "fine dining" locations; and as a site that has reflected this community's unique connection to the entertainment industry.
"Soon after the Cultural Heritage Commission's action, Councilmember Wendy Greuel asked that the two sides work to reach a resolution of this issue before moving it on to City Council. SCRA and the Conservancy participated in meetings with the property owner, convened by the Council office, and have submitted multiple compromise proposals, most recently this past September.
"In our negotiations, the Conservancy and SCRA have, in the spirit of true compromise, offered to drop the Cultural Heritage designation entirely. Instead, we have suggested a condition that would ensure that Sportsmen's Lodge could not be demolished without a full review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). What exactly does this mean? Under this proposal, every one of these features might still ultimately be demolished as part of a redevelopment plan for the site. But a future developer would have to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the project, examining the feasibility of incorporating some or all of these features into the project and allowing for public input.
"The Ventura Boulevard Specific Plan does not have any provisions to ensure public review of the Sportsmen's Lodge project prior to the Lodge's complete demolition. The Specific Plan merely provides limited ability to affect the site plan, configuration, and density of a future project. But without the proposed compromise agreement, the Lodge property could be "scraped" entirely with no public review. [The Conservancy's] proposal is the best way to balance the property owner's interests with the interests of the community to ensure meaningful public review at the time when a real project is before us."
We encourage all who have known and enjoyed the Sportsmen's Lodge to contact Councilmember Wendy Greuel's office at (213) 485-3391 to express support for the Cultural Heritage designation or, in the alternative, support for the compromise agreement that will protect Sportsman's Lodge from demolition absent public review.
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