Westwood has been robbed of Christmas cheer by the dismantling
of a Village organization originally intended to improve existing
city conditions and help in making its atmosphere more
attractive.
The vivacious carolers that have invigorated the Village with
holiday spirit and the giant snowflakes spanning across Wilshire
Boulevard will not be seen this year due to the expiration of the
Westwood Business Improvement District’s charter in
September.
Los Angeles City Councilman Jack Weiss chose not to renew the
BID due to mixed feelings over whether or not it fulfilled its
goals and over concerns of mismanagement.
Merchants and residents alike are saddened by the lack of
holiday festivities displayed in the Village this year.
“It’s like the Grinch came and stole all the lights.
It’s bad for Westwood,” said Baskin Robbins manager
Robbie Schwartz.
This year will mark the first time in a decade that Westwood
hasn’t had festivities planned for the holidays.
For the last six years, five blocks along Wilshire Boulevard had
snowflakes across their street lights at this time of the year.
“I think it’s kind of disappointing that we do not
have any festive cheer,” said Napa Valley Grill executive
chef Frank Fronda.
Since 1998, carols were sung by UCLA’s Awaken A capella
throughout Westwood during the three weekends leading up to
Christmas.
The BID’s failure to renew its contract was escalated by
the resigning of BID executive director Bob Walsh in October.
The Los Angeles Times reported last week that a private audit
was underway in regards to the nearly $200,000 assessed to BID
members that is missing.
Board member Phil Gabriel, who owns Scrubs Unlimited, believes
landowners who weren’t actively involved in the BID either
didn’t pay their dues or received meritless refunds.
Jeff Abell, board member and manager of Sarah Leonard Fine
Jewelers said “there were definitely going to be some
negatives in losing the BID, but unfortunately it was in such bad
shape from a management perspective that it was virtually
unfixable.”
The lack of a BID leaves Westwood merchants without an
organization to handle Village matters such as parking and street
cleaning.
Though the Street Maintenance Assessment District is still in
place to provide clean-up services such as street sweeping and tree
trimming, it had been supervised by the BID.
The Village will now have to rely on the Department of Public
Works to ensure that the Street Maintenance Assessment District
does its job in maintaining the area’s cleanliness.
Unfortunately for local residents, it doesn’t appear that
Westwood’s holiday festivities will resume anytime soon,
according to Gabriel.
He added that Walsh received three months salary as part of his
resignation settlement.
Many merchants said this money could have been allotted for
holiday lighting of Westwood streets.
The void left by the the BID may be replaced by a voluntary
organization driven by merchants and restaurant owners, according
to Abell, who added that the BID was run by mostly property
owners.
Many merchants feel that Abell and Gabriel would be superb
candidates for heading such an organization, but it may be
difficult for either to be able find the time given that they each
have their own business priorities.
Abell said Westwood real estate and business consultant Steve
Sann would also be heavily involved in the organization, given that
he coordinated the caroling program the last four years.
Sann attempted to find sponsors to support the caroling this
year, but was unable due to the short notice expiration of the
BID’s charter.