Charming, lovable, walkable, but also in need of a good steam cleaning, was how some 30 neighbors who gathered on Saturday to walk Larchmont Blvd described the state of our beloved street. New and long-time residents noted their current favorite spots on the street as well as those long gone including several grocery stores, the hardware store, and the ice cream shop.
Organized by the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council’s Land Use and Outreach Committees, the walk was lead by John Kaliski, architect and urban planner and Patty Lombard member of the GWNC’s Land Use and Outreach Committees. Kaliski issued maps of the street and invited walkers to use to take notes on what they saw.
“We (at the Land Use Committee) hear a lot about Larchmont and thought it would be a good idea to walk the street with neighbors, business owners and property owners and inventory the uses and hear what people want to see on the street,” said John Kaliski. “Getting out on the street and walking with the community is a first step towards understanding where the street is at and where the community wants it to go.”
Residents walked up and down the street, including several groups who walked the three blocks north of Beverly to Melrose. Following the walk, Kaliski handed out copies of the zoning ordinance to everyone who gathered at the Coldwell Banker office for a discussion.
A re-examination of the street’s current  zoning “Q” conditions as well as reaching out to property owners to better understand their vision of the street emerged as potential next step for the group. Kaliski and Lombard offered to summarize notes from the day and investigate approaching property owners and more business owners. More information on the next steps will be posted on the GWNC website and emailed to anyone interested . Visit greaterwilshire.org  and join the mailing list.
Participants included Councilman Tom LaBonge, Carolyn Ramsay, LaBonge’s Chief of Staff, Renee Weitzer, CD-4 Land Use Deputy and Ben Seinfield, CD-4 Field Deputy. Teddy Davis, candidate for LaBonge’s seat also attended and applauded LaBonge’s approach of engaging the community to be the architects of the neighborhood. Jane Gilman, editor and publisher of the Larchmont Chronicle, John Winther, Larchmont Business Association President; Fred Mariscal, GWNC Outreach Committee chair; Greg Whitman, Karen Gilman and Patti Carroll, members of the GWNC Land Use Committee were among those who participated.
Larchmont Buzz: What Would You Like to See for Larchmont?
My need for knee surgery (PENDING!) prevented me from “walking-about”, but I would like to add my small word regarding our treasured Larchmont. i echo the sentiment of the gentleman who wrote the Chronicle citing the lack of shops which sell “things we need”. Like the hardware store, even a small one.
I support limiting the number of food service establishments on the blvd to provide a variety of shops for the community. However, I question whether the demand for durable goods is strong enough for many businesses to turn a decent net profit. My guess is that the purchase of durable goods is trending towards the online realm, as is the case for myself with frequent use of Amazon.com.