27 Hold a Stake in Future of Mid-Wilshire Corridor

It’s expected out late this year--and it could change the way redevelopment happens in L. A. forever.

It’s the Stakeholders’ “broad-plan recommendations” and report on the mid-Wilshire corridor from UCLA’s Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning--drawn up at the request of various city planning officials and 27 developers, major tenants and property owners along the now sometimes slightly seedy strip.

Developer Wayne Ratkovich (who owns the Wiltern) gathered together others involved and invested in mid-Wilshire, all of whom felt that they were far back in line awaiting attention from the powers that be in redevelopment. So they got the agreement of attorney Dan Garcia (chairman of the City Planning Commission), Planning Director Ken Topping and Councilman John Ferraro--and decided on a more aggressive role in shaping the future of the area between Alvarado and Wilton. They asked for--and got--the help of UCLA’s Richard Weinstein, the dean of the graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning.

The deal cut was that the now 27 Stakeholders (which is what they called themselves) would pay the UCLA graduate school about $200,000 to come up with recommendations about the best uses of the area--and that the product would be in no way influenced by the fact it was paid for by folks who stand to win or lose a lot. Also involved, but not in a paying way, are 26 nonprofit organizations in the area--churches, temples, etc.--who are “affiliate Stakeholders.”

“Normally,” Ratkovich explained, “we would just go out to planning commissions, give testimony, hire lobbyists, do what we could to influence the process--as opposed to trying to sponsor the plan.”

PENTHOUSE BLUES--We know about skunks and coyotes and deer just blocks from Hollywood and Vine. But how about the owl crisis at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel? It seems that Hollywood Park’s Marje Everett--one of the hotel’s permanent residents--got concerned with owls nesting nearby that, at times, swooped dangerously close to her small pet poodles (one of whom, you may recall, is named E. T. for her good buddy La Liz). Following a face-off one night with one of the owls Everett netted on the porch, E. T. and Winston are now as safe as they are supposed to be in the Hills of Beverly. I love happy endings.

PEOPLE ABOUT TOWN--The Jefferson Hotel’s Rose Narva is on this coast this weekend to christen a U. S. naval hospital ship, The Comfort, in San Diego. . . . Newsweek liberally quotes local liberal power Bruce Corwin in its Aug. 17 piece on “Hispanic Hollywood.” Corwin is the operator of the country’s largest chain of Spanish-language theaters. . . . The Venice Family Clinic received a $37,000 grant from the Samuel Goldwyn Foundation in honor of former Beverly Hills Mayor George Slaff. Everyone involved gets together at a lunch Aug. 28 at the Beverly Hills Country Club. . . . Attorneys Lawrence E. Irell and Dan Garcia, along with Skid Row community activist the Rev. Alice Callaghan, get honored by the Western Center on Law and Poverty on Aug. 23. It’s all at the home of John and Louise Brinsley, with honorary co-chairs Warren Christopher, Patricia Phillips, Frank Wheat and Sam Williams. Speaking of honors--kudos to the Brinsley duo, who keep on giving voluntary service year after year to many important community efforts, and never stand up themselves to take a bow.

CUSTOMS OF THE COUNTRY--Of course, everyone this time of year is trying to figure out some reason--or some friend--that requires a visit to the wine country. Buddies of Audrey and Barry Sterling have gotten their annual invites to the Iron Horse Vineyards in Sonoma County invitation-only harvest luncheons held between late August and early October. . . . That partying expert Doug Cramer (who learned about parties when he was producing “Love Boat”), holds his annual “barn dance” at his ranch north of Santa Barbara on Aug. 22. . . . Twelve--count ‘em, 12--women chefs cook up a storm at the Beringer Vineyards Aug. 22 to benefit the American Institute of Wine & Food, at a cost of $200 per eater-and-drinker.