Battle of Lincoln Place Rages On

Kathleen Herd Masser
Special to the Mirror
  
   With the ruthless efficiency of a 6.5 earthquake, developer Robert Bisno is bringing dow   Bisno’s TransAction Corporation bought the 52-building, 795-unit, 33-acre Venice property known as Lincoln Place in 1986, with plans to demolish the post-World War II family housing complex and replace it with pricey condominiums. The purchase began a battle that, like the Middle East conflict, refuses to go away.
   Shortly after the property changed hands, worried residents – many of them seniors – formed the Lincoln Place Tenants Association (LPTA), which is headed by Sheila Bernard, a teacher and candidate for the Venice Neighborhood Council on the Progressive Grassroots slate.
   In December 2002, though two structures had been razed, the tenants nominated Lincoln Place for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. The nomination was supported, as is required, by the State of California. LPTA received a boost when its campaign was joined by a coalition of historic preservationists: the California Preservation Foundation, National Organization of Minority Architects, 20th Century Architectural Alliance, and, most recently, the Los Angeles Conservancy.
   A decision was expected in mid-April from the United States Department of the Interior, which oversees the Register, but in May, the nomination was returned with a request for more information.
   “Obviously they are interested,” says Bernard. “If they weren’t, they would have turned us down straightaway.”
   With their application under consideration, LPTA and the preservationists thought they had some breathing room, but they were wrong.
   Despite assurances in March from Los Angeles City Councilmember Cindy Miscikowski’s office that all remaining buildings would be left standing until the historic status was determined, on June 23, Lincoln Place residents awakened to the sound of bulldozers rumbling into action. It was the very day that LPTA/coalition attorneys were to appear in court, asking a judge to halt any further demolition until the Register made its decision.
   According to witnesses, American Wrecking began its assault at 6:30 a.m., a half-hour before construction crews are legally allowed to start work. The witnesses were also alarmed by the presence of six or more security guards, at least one of whom was armed and wearing a Kevlar vest.
   By the time the lawyers made their case at 9:30, five buildings had been reduced to rubble.
   Robert Bisno told the Mirror that he sees no injustice in the demolitions. “We are a civilization of laws. You can follow the law, change the law or break the law. The rehab and demolition at Lincoln Place are completely consistent with existing laws and we are entitled to operate using those laws.
   “Those who are opposing us,” he continued, “are the ones breaking the law. The tenants have known about the demolition plans for years. They’ve had plenty of time. It’s like they’re saying, ‘you did what you legally could, but we wish you’d been slower.’”
   Demolition permits have not been issued for any more buildings, and LPTA hopes they are safe for a while. “The developer will need clearances for asbestos and lead removal,” says Bernard. “The Association will use this time to keep fighting.”
   Bisno, however, is confident that no historic designation will be made. “It’s sheer speculation,” he said. “Neither Cultural Heritage nor the Planning Commission found Lincoln Place architecturally significant. The City Council agreed. Twice.”
   And if the designation goes through? “We will address it when it happens. But I see that as being less than unlikely.”
   Lawsuits have flown – and continue to fly – in all directions. Bisno and TransAction charged 11 tenants with “interference of economic advantage” and sued others for holding yard sales on the Lincoln Place grounds. The preservationist groups have sued the developer for violating historic preservation laws.
   Both sides have sued the City of Los Angeles, LPTA challenging the nine-year-old environmental impact report that was used as the basis for allowing demolition and Bisno claiming undue delays in the approval process.
   Bisno and his partner AIMCO don’t seem concerned by any loss of income from vacant units (AIMCO – Apartment Investment Management Company – is second only to HUD in apartment ownership in the U.S.). There are approximately 300 vacancies in the 45 buildings that are still standing. One 13-unit building has just a single tenant, a disabled woman who has lived there since she was born. A hundred or so seniors still live on the property; others have passed away, relocated to assisted living facilities or moved in with relatives.
   For tenants who have stayed, life isn’t getting any easier. “They keep taking away our services,” complains one woman. “First the television antennas, then the clotheslines. Then they sprayed to deliberately kill the foliage. Now the fire extinguishers and hoses have been taken out.”
   “We’re disappointed that Councilwoman Miscikowski hasn’t stepped forward to support the tenants,” says Bernard. “But we understand her fear of being sued.”
   While this is still her very personal battle, Bernard sees the Lincoln Place predicament as an indicator of bigger problems. “Planning in Los Angeles is not democratic, and the courts do not support democracy in planning,” she says. “The city cannot protect its buildings or its tenants. It can’t defend itself against developers. That’s what we’re doing here — fighting for democracy.”
   Calls to Councilmember Miscikowski’s office were not returned.