I’ve been working to stop mansionization in my Los Angeles neighborhood for five years. Last week, we had a substantial victory, as Paul Koretz, our councilmember, publicly announced a serious proposal. Our local paper covered the announcement and published my response:
Kudos to the Beverly Press and to Tim Posada for giving mansionization the coverage it deserves.
Paul Koretz’s handling of the mansionization issue is a simple case of a public official doing the job he was elected to do. That this is newsworthy is a sad commentary on the state of contemporary politics. Nevertheless, Councilman Koretz deserves credit for identifying an issue of public concern and responding to it.
A simple walk through the Beverly Grove neighborhood confirms what the councilman’s survey makes abundantly clear: mansionization threatens the integrity, livability, and beauty of the Beverly Grove neighborhood.
McMansions subvert the long-term interest of the community in favor of the short-term, economic interests of developers and realtors. In the end, homeowners pay the price as neighborhoods degrade. Councilman Koretz is to be applauded for standing with homeowners in a political climate that is usually far too deferential to unfettered development.
Jason Neidleman
Beverly Grove homeowner
