2nd Area Hopes to Join Beverly Hills

Nancy Hill-Holtzman’s article on the proposed annexation to Beverly Hills of Hillgreen Drive struck a responsive chord with us.

Our association is presently exploring the filing of annexation papers to Beverly Hills as well. We’ve been following this story with great interest since we have much the same problems as has Hillgreen with obtaining public services, like police, fire, paramedic and school services.

Our small parcel of Los Angeles is surrounded by Beverly Hills on the south and west, by West Hollywood on the north and Los Angeles along La Cienega Boulevard. La Cienega, because of heavy commercial development in the Beverly Center area, has become an effective barrier to Los Angeles on the east. Because we are at the confluence of three jurisdictions and bordered by heavy commercial development, our residential areas have gotten lost in the shuffle when problems need to be addressed.

This is not unique. All throughout the Los Angeles Basin, border areas like ours have many of the same problems. They stem from the rather eccentric lines drawn in the early days of city-building. Until now, these problems have not been well addressed, mainly because cities did not wish to lose property tax revenues.

With the proposed Hillgreen annexation a new understanding seems to have begun. Cities do have an obligation to their residents to provide adequate services, and if one city cannot the adjacent city should, if it is better able to do so.

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky quite rightly persuaded the Los Angeles City Council to relinquish Hillgreen to Beverly Hills. Before Beverly Hills accepts, it should insist that revenues and costs be shared equitably. Our area, of course, would be of benefit to Beverly Hills because there are significant revenue-producing commercial properties in our area. We in turn would receive the public service Beverly Hills so ably provides and Los Angeles can no longer, having so many problems elsewhere.

The importance of this action is that a real precedent is being established by those forward-looking politicians who are willing to concede that border adjustments will benefit both residents and the principles of efficient and good government.

MICKEY KEYS, HARALD R. HAHN, JOHN WHITEHEAD, Los Angeles

Editor’s note: Keys, Hahn and Whitehead are co-chairmen of the Burton Way Homeowners Assn. Annexation Committee.