Fri Oct 22, 2004
In 1888, Sen. Jones, Col. Baker and Mrs. Arcadia Bandini de Baker donated land from their San Vicente y Santa Monica Rancho for the Pacific Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. In 1888, four hundred veterans from the National Home in Northern California walked 500 miles to settle into their new residence at Sawtelle.
Now, the 400-acre West L.A. Veterans Administration site is perhaps the last great piece of real estate in the City. Many ideas have emerged on how it should be developed, if at all-everything from housing projects, a biotechnology park, a commercial business center, an urban park, and an NFL football stadium to an extension of UCLA and other concepts.
As the V.A. embarks on yet another land-use master plan, what is the right future for this site? Given its national historic status, what should be preserved? What challenges to the already choked area infrastructure will potential development present? What becomes of the original intent of the land's donors-a self-sufficient community devoted to the rehabilitation of veterans? And what about the mission of the Veterans Administration to serve former soldiers?
Join the Westside Urban Forum and this distinguished group of panelists, representing the V.A., local political leaders and preservationists as they discuss and debate and seek your input on the next steps for this coveted site.
Speakers:
Ken Bernstein, Director, Preservation Issues, Los Angeles Conservancy
Kenneth J. Clark, Network Director, VA Desert Pacific Healthcare Network
Lisa Pinto, District Director to Congressman Henry Waxman, U.S. House of Reps., 29th District
Laura Shell, Deputy to County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County, Third District
Moderator
Flora Gil Krisiloff, Vice President, Veterans Park Conservancy
