COUNCIL NAMES CHASE KNOLLS A LANDMARK OWNER STILL VOWS TO DEMOLISH.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

With hundreds of shouting, cheering and crying residents on hand, the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday designated a Sherman Oaks apartment complex as a cultural historic landmark to at least temporarily block its demolition.

The 13-0 vote by the council came after months of lobbying by residents of the Chase Knolls Apartments, 13401 Riverside Drive, to block Legacy Partners from its plans to raze the complex and build more than 400 new units, with 40 of those set aside for low-income seniors.

Councilman Mike Feuer, in whose district the 260-unit post-World War II complex is located, called the council action a major effort to preserve a unique structure.

``All the credit goes to the residents who came together to fight this and stay in their houses,'' Feuer said.

But representatives of the developers said the council action sent a bad message and misused the process.

``What we are saying is that this process is unprecedented in this city,'' attorney Ben Reznik said. ``This is totally unfair and it will not stop Legacy from going ahead with its plans. All this will do is add to the cost of the project when it is completed.''

Under the terms of the designation, officials said, Legacy Partners will have to prepare an environmental impact study to review alternatives to demolition, including whether the units can be rehabilitated.

Reznik also complained that the developers had talked to Feuer late last year before spending $24 million for the 14-acre site and had worked out an arrangement to provide $15,000 in relocation costs for all seniors living in the complex and assist them in finding new homes. Legacy officials said they have spent more than $1.2 million in relocation costs for 82 seniors.

Feuer, however, said he felt the original attorneys who approached him had misled him on his options.

``They told me they had the right to develop this and there was nothing we could do,'' Feuer said. ``My concern then was getting the highest relocation costs we could. It was only later, because of the tenants, that we found there were other options, and that's when I brought in this motion (to declare the complex a landmark).''

Tenants argued that the complex is unique because it is one of the few remaining garden apartment developments that sprung up after World War II.

They were helped by the Los Angeles Conservancy, which said the unique nature of the architecture, coupled with its pedestrian walkways and lush landscaping, deserved the historic designation.

And they also had a united tenants group, featuring people such as actress Penny Singleton, who appeared in the ``Blondie'' movies of the era when Chase Knolls was constructed.

``When the GIs returned from World War II, they were breaking ground on Chase Knolls,'' said Singleton, who has lived in the complex 20 years. ``Walking into one of these homes is like walking into a post-war film. We can't be so quick to discard our historic housing.''

Over the course of the past few months, the tenants' arguments convinced several council members to visit the site. Council members Rita Walters, Nate Holden and Mike Hernandez said they were impressed with the sense of community in the complex.

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Map: Chase Knolls Garden Apartments