Church Seeks Exemptions on Demolitions

Angelus Temple is seeking an exemption from the city to demolish the remaining apartments buildings it owns on Lemoyne Street south of Sunset Boulevard to build a giant parking structure, according to the Los Angeles Garment & Citizen.

The city imposed a moratorium on new construction and demolitions in the area as it looks to study the creation of a possible historic district around Echo Park Lake. The church had received two demo permits before the moratorium took effect. A spokesman for Los Angeles Couniclman Eric Garcetti told the newspaper that Angelus Temple officials “plan to seek a waiver on the moratorium for additional demolitions related to the project.”

Councilman Garcetti’s office has called a meeting with church officials and other neighborhood groups in early September to discuss the church’s plans. The historical society has urged the church to preserve the two-story buildings, dating from the 1920s and 1930s, that create an inviting and walkable link between the Sunset Boulevard business district and the lake. Instead, the church wants to build a 60-foot tall parking structure with no store fronts or apartments at ground level.

View Larger Map