RESIDENTS DON'T WANT CASTLE STORMED.Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer TUJUNGA - Hoping to preserve a beloved neighborhood oddity odd·i·ty n. pl. odd·i·ties 1. One that is odd. 2. The state or quality of being odd; strangeness. oddity Noun pl -ties 1. , residents on Monday launched a last-minute effort to block a developer from razing a 1928 faux castle to make way for three new houses. Workers had already torn down a carriage house behind the castle, so protesters arrived at 6:30 a.m. ready to block construction crews from touching the massive gray stone and stucco castle. Their effort paid off, for the moment. The Department of Building and Safety ordered all work stopped and is considering citing the developer for destroying the carriage house without a permit. Councilwoman Wendy Greuel Wendy Greuel is President Pro Tempore of the Los Angeles City Council representing the 2nd District. Greuel was elected in 2002 to fill the remainder of the term of Councilman Joel Wachs. She was elected in her own right in 2003 and reelected in 2007. plans to ask the City Council today to fast-track an application to preserve the castle as a historic monument, which would also halt demolition. Longtime castle neighbors said they've watched new-home developers tear down stone houses and classic bungalows, but they couldn't tolerate the destruction of such a unique property. ``Not only is it an architectural gem for Tujunga, but all of Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, ,'' said Mary Lou Pozzo, a longtime Tujunga resident who is also the librarian with the Little Landers Historical Society. ``How many towns have a genuine French-Normandy castle in their community?'' Known as Weatherwolde Castle, it comes complete with a turret, massive stone fireplace and a crypt. At 2,500 square feet and four bedrooms, it's not a true castle. The house is believed to have been built in 1928 by a French architect known as Dumas. Local historians are still piecing together the house's rich history, but neighbors tell tales of a wealthy sheik who built the castle for his daughter, with no expense spared. Later occupants may have included a group of Cuban refugees who used the castle as a hide-out. Most of the reliable history comes from a 1974 profile of the castle and its owner, Lady Yvonne Angell Kenward, in The Record Ledger. Photos show that Kenward, dressed in a kimono kimono Garment worn by Japanese men and women from the Early Nara period (645–724) to the present. The essential kimono is an ankle-length gown with long, full sleeves and a V-neck. , was as striking as her castle. Kenward discovered Weatherwolde - which means snug within from the weather in Saxon - after her own castle in Sunland was destroyed to make way for the 210 Freeway. She bought the home and set about restoring it. Hand-shaped bricks lined the yard, and intricate ironwork decorated the main hall. The castle was full of antique furniture Antique furniture is the term for collectible interior furnishings of considerable age; often its age, rarity, condition, utility, or other unique features makes the furniture desirable. and the shelves lined with fine porcelain. For years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time house was hidden behind trees and a wall of ivy, so only longtime residents knew the storybook sto·ry·book n. A book containing a collection of stories, usually for children. adj. Occurring in or resembling the style or content of a storybook: storybook characters; a storybook romance. treasure in their neighborhood. But in June, developer Scott Anderson Scott Anderson is the name of:
Anderson applied for, but had not yet received, demolition and building permits, said Dave Keim, chief of the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Building and Safety Department's code enforcement Code Enforcement is the act of enforcing a set of s, principles, or laws (especially written ones) and insuring observance of a system of norms or customs. An authority usually enforces a civil code, a set of rules, or a body of laws and compel those subject to their authority to bureau. The department is considering penalties for demolishing the carriage house without a permit. The department could invoke ``scorched scorch v. scorched, scorch·ing, scorch·es v.tr. 1. To burn superficially so as to discolor or damage the texture of. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. earth'' laws that prohibit any construction on a site for five years after someone illegally demolishes a building. For neighbors, Weatherwolde Castle is too important to lose. They're hoping to shut down the project and persuade Anderson to sell the castle to someone who will preserve it. ``We're tired of developers coming into our community, not knowing us, not knowing our history and just tearing homes down,'' said Tim Battle, who lives behind the castle. ``They don't think about the community. They think of the dollar sign.'' Kerry Cavanaugh, (818) 713-3746 kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo, map Photo: (color) The planned demolition of Weatherwolde Castle along Commerce Avenue in Tujunga has drawn protests from neighbors. A carriage house has already been destroyed without a permit. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer Map: Weatherwolde Castle |
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