'It's not like I'm painting a tiger on my house': Sunset Square squabbles over its HPOZ rules
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Set us as preferred In 2017, Hollywood’s Sunset Square was named a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, solidifying its place in L.A.’s architectural history.Four years later, Lady Gaga’s dogwalker was shot in the chest outside a vacant house in the middle of the neighborhood.A small contingent of Sunset Square residents insist the two events are tied together.A clash is brewing in the affluent enclave, where homes typically sell for $2 million or more.
Critics of the HPOZ designation claim the rigorous permitting process is a burden, inviting crime as projects stall and houses stay vacant while mired in red tape.Supporters say the HPOZ is a necessary pain in the quest for preservation — the only thing stopping Sunset Square from turning into another flavorless suburb filled with box houses and McMansions.Ultimately, it’s a microcosm of a larger battle playing out across Southern California as cities ask existential questions in an effort to solve the housing crunch.
What’s worth keeping? What’s worth tearing down? And how do we balance the need for more housing with the need to preserve our history?Developed in the 1970s, L.A.’s HPOZ program serves as a tool to protect and preserve homes in 35 architecturally significant neighborhoods throughout the city such as Hancock Park, Highland Park and Angelino Heights, ensuring houses can’t be torn down or altered too dramatically.These areas, which encompass more than 21,000 properties, add an additional layer of zoning and design review to the city’s typical process, and homeowners need to get approval from a board to make certain changes to the outside of their home.The goal is simple: preserve the look and legacy of a neighborhood.In one sense, Sunset Square is beautifully preserved: its Craftsman bungalows and Spanish Colonial Revivals are pristine, an Old Hollywood time capsule from the era when the neighborhood served as a streetcar suburb a...