L.A. orders Hollywood preservation group out of mansion
City says Hollywood Heritage ignored rules and rented out the Wattles Mansion for disruptive parties. The organization denies the events are a nuisance and says the eviction notice was a shock.
Hollywood's leading preservation group has been ordered out of the community's most prominent historic estate for allegedly ignoring city rules and renting out the mansion for disruptive parties.
Hollywood Heritage has supervised the famed Wattles Mansion for 25 years under an exclusive agreement with the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. The city purchased the mansion for about $2 million in 1968.
But parks officials say the nonprofit organization -- known for its vigorous efforts to protect endangered structures from Hollywood's early years -- has failed to properly maintain the 101-year-old landmark. The group has also been accused of failing to turn over financial records related to weddings, film shoots and other special events at the mansion.
Nearby residents on dead-end North Curson Avenue complain that partygoers' cars clog the street and block driveways. They say that loud, amplified music echoes through their hillside canyon on party nights.
Leaders of Hollywood Heritage deny that events staged at the sprawling mansion or on its hillside grounds are a nuisance and dispute assertions that they have failed to comply with their city agreement to operate and manage the site.
They say they were stunned when a 30-day eviction notice arrived in the mail.
"It's been quite a shock and a kick in the teeth when you've saved a landmark," said Fran Offenhauser, the group's vice president.
"This place was in shambles when we took it over. We took it over because the city had no money to pay for it. We've put two and a half million dollars into the mansion. They should be giving us a parade for preserving this place."
Designed by architects Myron Hunt and Elmer Grey and built in 1907 as a winter retreat for Omaha banker Gurdon Wattles, the two-story Mediterranean-style mansion at 1850 N. Curson Ave. has been designated a Los Angeles historic-cultural landmark.
Offenhauser said her group intends to meet Sept. 29 with parks officials and Hollywood-area Councilmen Tom LaBonge and Eric Garcetti in an effort to regain its city licensing agreement to supervise and operate the mansion.
Nearby homeowners said they are not surprised that the city has cracked down on the mansion's operations.
"Sometimes they're parking all the way up here for events they have there," said Lan Ritz, who lives about two blocks from the mansion. "There are so many people. They block the street and driveways."
