Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-21
COUNCIL UPHOLDs
LAW ON BUILDING
Eiuht Members Vote Against the
Change in Ordinance Desired
by HuIett C. Merritt

by Hulett C. Merritt
EIGHT members of the city council
Yesterday voted against changes in the
building ordinance that would have
made possible the erection Of the HUI
lett c. Merritt building ct Eighth and
broadway. Councilman O'Brien alone
voted to make the changes. The limit
of height remains as heretofore-l5O
feet on tho property line and thirty
fer a mansard roof. The total height
of the proposed Merritt building Is 235
feet.
Mr.. Merritt intimatcd when he first
learned that members OF the council
were not friendly to his plan that If
unfavorable action were taken ne
would appeal to the people direct
through an initiative ordinance. lie
cave out a statement last night review
ing his plan and his efforts to obtain
such changes in the ordinance as would
permit him to build the structure and
inti1nated that If the people of The city
want the building, he will give them
o. chance TO say so. IT Is possible
therefore, that the initiative may be
invoked.
LAWYERS ATTEND SESSION
There was a great array Of legal
talent and prominent citizens yester-
day when the matter was taken up
for consideration by the council. Ar
rayed with NIr. Merritt, for the build
ing was a committee from the chamber
of commerce composed of II. z. Os-
borne, Carl r. McStay, j. V. Nlckers,
Fl. R. Calender, Percy II. Clark, wal
ter Jindley, Arthur w. Kinney j. j..
Fishburn, l.. NJ, Coke and f. z. Bos-
bysheu
Lined UP against Mr. Merritt and
the chamber Of commerce were II. w.
O'Melveny, representing Spring street
property owners; Herbert j. Goudge,
representing Broadway property own
ers: Dana W. Bartlett, representing the
city planning committee, and Marshall
Stimson, representing the Munlcipal
league. Never was there such a flow or
oratory in the council chamber. Epi-
gram and ALTERATION flew thick and
fast.
II. W. O'Melveny said, among other
things, that every sllyscraper is a
housing trust" Mr.. GOudge Contended
that if sl1yscrapers were permitted
alone. the narrow streets of Los An
geles there would soon be no sunny
side to the street and that the streets
WOilQ become udLllBt Uthl IA u Ne'A y
draughty dcfiles of dim depths with
the donizens dying of dread disease"
Mr.. Goudge wanted TO say something
else that began with ID" but there
were women present and he releVed
himself with every other word In the
Esglish language that started with
that letter.
EFFECT ON SHOP WINDOWS
MIR, Stimson said that the business
men who were in favor of raising the
limit apparently overlooked that fact
that their customers wanted plenty of
room on the sidewalks TO look in the
shop windows and that the streets
would be too cougested to make shop
window display profitable If skyscrap-
ers We're permitted.
DR.. Bartlett called attention to Lo-
pez court a slum district that he says
is owned by the Spring Street COM
pauy, the concern that Mr.. Merritt
represents. DR.. Bartlett said Lopez
court Is the most disgraceful slum in
Los Angeles and that if Mr. Merritt
wanted to construct q memorial it
would be far more fitting to spend his
money in Lopez court.
Mr. Merritt replied by saying that the
Spring Street company bought the
court in question While he was east;
that on his return he protested against
it and spent $4,000 Of his own money
to fix it up; but he became SO dis
Eusted with the venture that he gave
it away three years ago and does not
now own any part of it. He explained
that the objection of congestion that
had been raised could not apply to his
building, because, as it was planned,
there is 81 per cent less housing ca
pacity IN the building than if he con-
struCted ten-stOry building for office
1Hrt iF4
the ground.
It was carefully explained TO Mr..
Merritt that no special objection was
made to his particular building, but
that If the ordinance were amended 1t
would have to apply to all buildings
alike and other builders might not be
as consideIate as he was.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ACTS
The chamber Of commerce defined its
position in q resolution as follows:
"Resolved, By the board Of directors
of the chamber Of commerce. that while
this chamber docs not favor the remov-
~ Of the limit on the height of build
iugs in Los Angeles and fully approves
the policy or limiting tho height Of the
body of buildings, or that portion used
for commercial or producing
PURPOSES to $50 feet the chamber is
of the opinion that it would be wise
to permit the addition OF such orna-
mcntatton Of buildings as domes, Gu
polas campaniies, steeples and similar
objects Of architectural beauty for pub
lie or semi-public use, and for non
revenue producing purposes. The cham
Der Of commerce therefore respectfully
requests the mayor and city council
10 amend the present building ordi-
nance SO far as to permit such Orna-
mentation of buildings under proper
limitations and conditions iu addition
TO the present limit 81 height of $50
feet"
IN O statement made last night Mr.
Merritt said the building was to serve
as a memorial 10 his fatn.r au Gu-
thoritv on iron ores, and to house the
greatest mining club IL the world. lie
EXPRESSED the opinion il would have
been "a great advertisement for Los
Angeles--as valuable IN that rearect as
the Call building has been % san
Francisco He said that it is within
the power Of tho people TO am end the
ordinance and that if they want the
structure and win give him an oppor-
tunity TO build 1t, lie will provide the
money and proceed without delay
LAW CANNOT REACH TOT
Mu0 W0PKC WITp0UT PAY