Despite opposition from the community and from superhero Councilman Eric Garcetti, the LAUSD is planning to demolish more than 50 Echo Park homes and apartments for a new school. “Site 9A” is just south of that Lucy’s laudromat & Starbucks on Sunset Blvd. (right across from my beloved favorite restaurant Elf). The pic to the right shows 9A, highlighted; that green arrow is Lucy’s.

New schools are nifty, but IMHO the demolition and subsequent building would create a far more devastating impact on the community than more wholistic approaches to creating a new school, like converting existing buildings or collaborating with the community to find a better location. Folks are also saying school enrollment in the area’s plummetted in recent years, making the school sorta unnecessary as well. I happen to think schools are always necessary, and while enrollment may have dipped it will prolly go up, given LA’s tendency towards growth–but still it just seems to me that there are smarter ways to go about this. And that’s a helluva lot of taxpayer money to throw at a project if a school will only be filling half its seats.

The Echo Park Historical Society is urging folks to attend a public hearing Thursday, to discuss the project and fill out comment cards that address specific concerns. From an email sent out by the EPHS: The school district has continued to pursue plans to build a new school despite a steep decline in enrollment, which makes a new school unnecessary, and opposition from Council member Eric Garcetti, the Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council and other groups. The hearing will be dedicated to comments on an environmental impact report.

More info… and the hearing is at 6:00pm tomorrow, at Rosemont Elementary School Auditorium, 421 Rosemont Avenue at Temple (googlemap).

Related posts:

1. More people hearing The Echo?
2. Farmer’s Market In Echo Park
3. The Echo Park Improvement Association
4. Art Preservation Echo Park
5. Echo Park Stairway Tour this Saturday