New Police Headquarters Site Draws Ire
Two months after it appeared the Los Angeles City Council had ended years of wrangling over where to put a new police headquarters, the issue is once again generating opposition from potential neighbors.
Downtown residents angry over the council's last-minute decision in June to put the new headquarters on land they maintain was intended for a park will take their protests to City Hall tonight, where Councilwoman Jan Perry will unveil early models of the new headquarters.
"We fully understand the need for a new police facility," said Jeff Hoffman, who is among several opponents who live in apartments in the historic Higgins Building across the street from where the proposed new police headquarters would be built. "But this is an important gateway into city government
Perry proposed the location north of 2nd Street between Spring and Main streets as a way to satisfy demands that the police headquarters remain near City Hall but not threaten development in nearby Little Tokyo.
Earlier plans to replace the 49-year-old Parker Center on Los Angeles Street had called for a new headquarters in the vibrant commercial district.
Perry's proposal for the 500,000-square-foot facility was hailed as a successful compromise when the City Council unanimously approved it two months ago.
But several downtown residents say the Civic Center and nearby areas, with their increasing number of downtown loft dwellers, are in desperate need of park space.
And they complain that the City Council decision took them by surprise, giving them no chance to express their concerns.
Perry's proposal was not on the City Council's agenda when the council considered it on June 23. Instead, on the morning of the council meeting, Perry unveiled an amendment to a proposal on the agenda to preclude the city from locating the new police headquarters at a Little Tokyo site.
"We just read about and heard about it on the news the next day," Hoffman said. "It seemed like all of sudden, everyone in City Hall woke up and decided this would be the site
Perry said her proposal was no surprise, and she checked with the city attorney's office to ensure her motion was properly publicized.
California law requires that agenda items be published at least 72 hours before meetings by legislative bodies such as city councils.
