When we were fighting to save Coronado Street I asked my friend Glen Small to re-imagine the developer's incredibly uninspired McMansion style luxury small lot division. He wrote about it on his always fascinating and opinionated blog "Small At Large."
Here is what he wrote and drew for us:
"WHILE IN NICARAGUA I GOT THIS SOS E MAIL FROM ANNE HARS. HER NEIGHBORHOOD IN LOS ANGELES ON THE WORKING CLASS SIDE OF SIVERLAKE, SOUTH OF SUNSET, WAS SHOCKED AT A NEW DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED WITH THE BACKING OF THE GOVERNMENTAL POWERS. A SMALL LOT DEVELOPMENT LOOP HOLE , ALLOWING FOR AN OUTRAGEOUS DENSITY AND IGNORING THE WORKING CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD. I WAS SURPRISED WHEN ANNE GAVE ME SOME MUCH NEEDED CASH TO DO AN ALTERNATIVE SKETCH PROPOSAL. AFTER SOME FALSE START DESIGNS OUR FINAL SCHEME HAD LOWER HEIGHTS, BREAKUP OF THE MASSING, CROSS PATTERN OF PLAZAS THAT COVERED THE PARKING. ONE PLAZA WITH A CASCADING WATER FEATURE WITH A GRAND STAIR THAT CONNECTED THE TWO FACADE STREETS, AND ADJOINED A STAIR ACROSS THE STREET.
WE LOWERED THE DENSITY AND FOOTAGES , REDUCED THE HEIGHT, AND OPENED UP THE MIDDLE. MAKING A FOUR BLOCKS OF TWO UNITS THAT HAD THE GRAND WATER STAIRWAY AND A COMMON PLAZA ON THE REAR OF UNITS. I WORKED OUT ALL THE SPLIT LEVEL UNITS. THIS REMINDED ME OF MY APARTMENT ERA OF 1970. MY UNITS BETTER THAN THE DEVELOPERS. THIS WAS A GIVE AWAY SCHEME FOR ME.
SURE, THE HOUSES WILL SELL TO GENTRIFIED PROFESSIONALS, HOW DO YOU STOP THAT? OTHER THAN STOPPING CAPITALISM. BUT AT LEAST OUR SCHEME GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WITH THE PLAZAS OF PUBLIC SPACES AND KEEPS THE SCALE IN KEEPING WITH WHAT EXISTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
TO DATE THE SCHEME HAS NOT BEEN PROPOSED TO THE DEVELOPER, THE COMMUNITY FIGHTING HARD. I MUST HAND IT TO ANNE, SHE IS A CONCERNED ARTIST ACTIVIST WITH PASSION AND SKILLS.
THE DEVELOPERS PROPOSAL. ALL THE ARCHITECTURAL CREDITS ARE ON THE RENDERING
THE BIGGEST THING BEING A COMMUNITY WALKWAY WITH KIDS WADING POOLS CONNECTING THE TWO STREETS THAT CONNECTED TO A PLAZA BEHIND THE UNITS. THE UPSCALE CONDO HOUSES WOULD HAPPEN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME GIVING THE COMMUNITY A DELIGHTFUL SPACE.
WE GOING ALL GREEN WITH SOLAR COLLECTORS LAID FLAT ON THE ROOF. 10% LESS EFFICIENT BUT STILL PLENTY OF POWER. A TON OF DECKS AND OUTDOOR SPACE. AND BREAKING UP THE MASSING. WATER FALLS DOWN SIDES OF BUILDINGS TO COOL WITH GRAY WATER ETC.
CROSS SECTION SHOWING COVERED SECURITY PARKING WITH FOUNTAIN AT VENT POINT. KIDS WADING POOLS ON LEFT CASCADING DOWN WITH THE ADJOINING STAIR."
Here is what he wrote and drew for us:
"WHILE IN NICARAGUA I GOT THIS SOS E MAIL FROM ANNE HARS. HER NEIGHBORHOOD IN LOS ANGELES ON THE WORKING CLASS SIDE OF SIVERLAKE, SOUTH OF SUNSET, WAS SHOCKED AT A NEW DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED WITH THE BACKING OF THE GOVERNMENTAL POWERS. A SMALL LOT DEVELOPMENT LOOP HOLE , ALLOWING FOR AN OUTRAGEOUS DENSITY AND IGNORING THE WORKING CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD. I WAS SURPRISED WHEN ANNE GAVE ME SOME MUCH NEEDED CASH TO DO AN ALTERNATIVE SKETCH PROPOSAL. AFTER SOME FALSE START DESIGNS OUR FINAL SCHEME HAD LOWER HEIGHTS, BREAKUP OF THE MASSING, CROSS PATTERN OF PLAZAS THAT COVERED THE PARKING. ONE PLAZA WITH A CASCADING WATER FEATURE WITH A GRAND STAIR THAT CONNECTED THE TWO FACADE STREETS, AND ADJOINED A STAIR ACROSS THE STREET.
WE LOWERED THE DENSITY AND FOOTAGES , REDUCED THE HEIGHT, AND OPENED UP THE MIDDLE. MAKING A FOUR BLOCKS OF TWO UNITS THAT HAD THE GRAND WATER STAIRWAY AND A COMMON PLAZA ON THE REAR OF UNITS. I WORKED OUT ALL THE SPLIT LEVEL UNITS. THIS REMINDED ME OF MY APARTMENT ERA OF 1970. MY UNITS BETTER THAN THE DEVELOPERS. THIS WAS A GIVE AWAY SCHEME FOR ME.
SURE, THE HOUSES WILL SELL TO GENTRIFIED PROFESSIONALS, HOW DO YOU STOP THAT? OTHER THAN STOPPING CAPITALISM. BUT AT LEAST OUR SCHEME GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WITH THE PLAZAS OF PUBLIC SPACES AND KEEPS THE SCALE IN KEEPING WITH WHAT EXISTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
TO DATE THE SCHEME HAS NOT BEEN PROPOSED TO THE DEVELOPER, THE COMMUNITY FIGHTING HARD. I MUST HAND IT TO ANNE, SHE IS A CONCERNED ARTIST ACTIVIST WITH PASSION AND SKILLS.
THE DEVELOPERS PROPOSAL. ALL THE ARCHITECTURAL CREDITS ARE ON THE RENDERING
THE BIGGEST THING BEING A COMMUNITY WALKWAY WITH KIDS WADING POOLS CONNECTING THE TWO STREETS THAT CONNECTED TO A PLAZA BEHIND THE UNITS. THE UPSCALE CONDO HOUSES WOULD HAPPEN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME GIVING THE COMMUNITY A DELIGHTFUL SPACE.
WE GOING ALL GREEN WITH SOLAR COLLECTORS LAID FLAT ON THE ROOF. 10% LESS EFFICIENT BUT STILL PLENTY OF POWER. A TON OF DECKS AND OUTDOOR SPACE. AND BREAKING UP THE MASSING. WATER FALLS DOWN SIDES OF BUILDINGS TO COOL WITH GRAY WATER ETC.
CROSS SECTION SHOWING COVERED SECURITY PARKING WITH FOUNTAIN AT VENT POINT. KIDS WADING POOLS ON LEFT CASCADING DOWN WITH THE ADJOINING STAIR."
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