It appears that Laurel Park will remain Laurel Park.

The City of West Hollywood will be looking into how the old house on the property, known as “Tara”, will be used. (photo by Aaron Blevins)

During Monday’s West Hollywood City Council meeting, a 3-2 vote lifted the entitlements on the property at 1343 N. Laurel Ave., the remaining remnants of a city-proposed senior housing development.

After eight years, the future of the property, nicknamed “Tara”, appears to be settled. It had been the subject of a federal lawsuit after property owner Elsie Weisman died and donated the land to the City of West Hollywood. A grassroots organization, “Save Tara”, picked up the initiative in hopes of fulfilling Weisman’s wish of converting the area to a park.

During a press conference Tuesday, Mayor John Duran cautioned that the city still has some work to do.

“It’s been a long time, but we’re not there yet,” he said in front of the home formerly owned by Elsie Weisman. “But we’ve pivoted.”

Before the press conference, Duran said the council has asked city staff to begin researching impacts and uses for the large home on the park site. He said the park and house would definitely stay intact.

“The question is, what do we do with the interior of the house?” Duran said. “It has challenges, too.”

For instance, the home is not currently ADA-compliant, and its historical status limits what the city can do, he said. Duran said it has been suggested that the house be transformed into a place to host weddings, but limited parking makes that nearly impossible.

“That kind of use, I think, would end up upsetting the neighborhood,” the mayor said. “We want to avoid any adverse neighborhood impacts. It’s almost like we’re starting over again.”

He said staff members are also researching potential revenue sources, as the $10 million in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development financing the city had acquired for senior housing has expired.

During the press conference, Mayor Pro Tempore Jeffrey Prang said that, in a city devoid of free space, Laurel Park would be an asset to West Hollywood.

“It is clearly, by anybody’s acknowledging, just a gem in West Hollywood,” Prang said. “I look forward to the weeks and months ahead.”

Allegra Allison, who lived with Weisman and has been vocal in the fight to keep the park, said it’s taken eight years of meetings and a group of about 50 people to save the property.

“This is amazing and exciting, and (it’s) a wonderful step,” Allison said.

Weisman’s son, Dick, also spoke. He reflected on the memories created in the home and the relatives who had lived there. Dick Weisman said he had actually been born there.

“So that was rather important for me,” he said, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

Before the press conference, Duran said the issues surrounding the Laurel Avenue property have been very divisive for West Hollywood. While those in attendance were pleased, some felt that the home could have been more beneficial to West Hollywood residents in other ways.

“I understand why my colleagues moved forward in this direction,” Councilman John Heilman said Tuesday. “(But) it’s a missed opportunity to supply affordable housing for people in need.”

He added that affordable housing for seniors at the site would have alleviated some of the long waiting lists associated with that kind of housing in the city.