Direct link to EMAIL THE City of LA’s Department of Planning NOW to share your views.

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To: christine.saponara@lacity.org, monica.taimoori@lacity.org, councilmember.mcosker@lacity.org,
Pamela.Thornton@lacity.org
Re: Walker’s Cafe – ZA-2023-7218-ZV-CDP-MEL-HCA

Dear Zoning Administrator, dear Councilmember,

My name is [ADD NAME] and I have been a resident of [San Pedro OR Los Angeles – PLEASE SPECIFY] for [X] years.

I am a loyal supporter of the currently shuttered legacy business
Walker’s Cafe (HCM #1267). I am writing to express my serious concern about the development planned at 700 W. Paseo del Mar, San Pedro 90731, directly behind the landmarked cafe, and to ask you to rein the project in for the benefit of the landmark’s viability.

Walker’s Cafe is the oldest surviving restaurant in San Pedro and one
of the oldest in all of Los Angeles. Founded in 1946 by a Navy veteran
and his wife, it’s a vital piece of San Pedro’s military history and
social fabric. It was a community hub for nearly eighty years,
featured in iconic LA movies like CHINATOWN, and drew fans from all
over the world. It obtained landmark designation in 2022 as a result
of a grassroots campaign with over three thousand supporters.

Since purchasing the property in March 2022, Prospect Group has been
alarmingly unwilling to hear the community’s concerns about the size of the proposed residential development and to prioritize
reopening the cafe. They damaged a historic resource through extensive illegal construction and demolition, and have refused to meet with numerous interested restaurant tenants.

Over time, it has become clear that Prospect Group’s first
and foremost priority is to build a large house on the parcel rather
than reopen an iconic legacy business. The cafe is being completely boxed in and robbed of essential space it needs to remain a viable business.

Our priority, as a community, is not with any residential development
of the site, but with Walker’s Cafe resuming operations. As the Zoning Administrator, you are able to impose so-called Q conditions. To protect the future of this landmarked community treasure, we ask you to, at minimum, impose the following crucial conditions to any approval of the project:
1) A substantially reduced footprint for the house in the back so the cafe has enough space to operate.

2) That the historic cafe at this location must remain operational.

3) Finally, we ask that no building permit for the house be granted until significant progress has been made on the restoration and revival of the cafe.

This will ensure that, no matter what else happens with the parcel, generations to come will be able to enjoy a cup of coffee and a bite to eat at this iconic establishment.

Thank you for your consideration.