With the 4th Council District election over and Councilman-elect David Ryu preparing to take office on July 1, termed-out Councilman Tom LaBonge is looking back on his 14 years in office.

Councilman Tom LaBonge said the Purple Line Extension project will transform the Miracle Mile over the next decade. (photo by Edwin Folven)

While LaBonge said he plans to spend more time with his family after he leaves office on June 30, he is not slowing down during his final weeks. He added that he is proud of many accomplishments during his tenure, and hopes to be remembered as a civic leader who tried to do his best for constituents. He also congratulated Ryu on his victory over Carolyn Ramsay, LaBonge’s former chief of staff who was hand-picked as a successor for the 4th District seat.

“First of all, congratulations to David Ryu,” LaBonge said. “I’m very sorry on the other hand. Carolyn Ramsay is a tremendous individual who is not going to be able to serve our district, but the election was held and the people voted. Mrs. Ramsay is a tremendous asset to this city and that opportunity will be missed. But I want Mr. Ryu to be successful for our district.”

LaBonge said there are still multiple issues that will shape the district in the coming years, particularly the Purple Line subway construction. He acknowledged that construction will take years and there will be impacts on the community, but he said the subway extension will be worth the wait.

“There will be traffic challenges, mobility challenges, but in the long run, it’s going to be one of the greatest assets ever to come since Mr. [A.W.] Ross came out here and developed the Miracle Mile,” LaBonge said. “It’s the top issue for the immediate area.”

Councilman Tom LaBonge (right) stopped by the offices of the Park Labrea News and Beverly Press on May 21, and met with publishers Michael and Karen Villalpando. LaBonge presented the Villalpandos with a limited edition poster showcasing the Miracle Mile that had been hanging in his office throughout his tenure. (photo by Edwin Folven)

LaBonge said as a former member of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board, he helped facilitate a plan that allowed subway tunneling underneath Wilshire Boulevard. He credited former Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and former Congressman Henry Waxman for moving the plan forward, and now Metro is moving full steam ahead with the project.

“This will be the most profound change of our lives in our area when the subway gets built,” he added.

LaBonge said “mansionization” is another issue currently affecting the district, and he has supported plans to prevent developers from tearing down houses and replacing them with new homes that some believe are out of character with older houses in the community. He said he supported five Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZs) to protect existing homes in Windsor Square, Hancock Park and surrounding neighborhoods, and hopes his successor will continue the effort.

“The great thing about our district, and many parts of the city, is its neighborhoods,” LaBonge said. “Many neighborhoods now have extra pressures. Because of the housing costs, people tear down beautiful old homes to try to [build] out the property with a larger home. Not just mansionization, but neighborhood transformation. I am extremely proud of the HPOZs that have come to our area, and more needs to be done to protect these neighborhoods.”

LaBonge said another change he helped facilitate in the Fairfax District is the establishment of a new senior center in Pan Pacific Park, as well the expansion of the Fairfax branch library on Gardner Street. A former multi-purpose building in the park was re-configured in the mid-2000s into a senior center, which “the seniors of the area now call home for their daily activities,” he said.

LaBonge, who is an avid hiker in Griffith Park, said one of his proudest accomplishments is preserving Cahuenga Peak for future generations. The land around the peak near the Hollywood Sign was formerly owned by developers from Chicago who hinted at building on the 138 acres land. LaBonge marshaled an effort to acquire the land. In 2010, the land was purchased through a public-private partnership and incorporated into Griffith Park.

“I feel really good that I fought hard for that land to be public,” LaBonge said. “Once it’s public park, it’s public park forever. Many, many people helped and assisted, but I was the quarterback that was able to drive the team over the line and bring us that great goal of that public land. And I hope in the future that the appropriate trails and access to that land is developed, because I just didn’t buy that land for people to look at. I want people to hike on it too.”

LaBonge said he is also proud of his connections to the community, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Original Farmers Market, The Grove, Park La Brea and the Miracle Mile Chamber of Commerce — iconic entities whose representatives he said provide leadership in the community.

He added that during his final weeks in office, he will continue to push for increases in staffing in the city department of recreation and parks, and for more programs to help seniors. He added that he will also oversee a plan to repair some badly potholed intersections in Hancock Park with concrete. The councilman said there was previously a lack of staffing and funds dedicated to repairing the intersections, but plans are now in place for repairs.

“It’s unfortunate we weren’t able to solve the problem sooner, but now it’s getting solved,” he said.

LaBonge said after leaving office, he plans to spend more time with his wife, Brigid, his son Charles and daughter Mary-Cate. He also plans to travel, work with the city’s sister cities program, and possibly volunteer with the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles this summer.

LaBonge was first elected after the death of Los Angeles City Council President John Ferraro in 2001, and is a lifelong Angeleno whose interest in politics and community was sparked as a teenager when he served on Mayor Tom Bradley’s Youth Council. Before being elected as councilman, he served as chief of field operations for Mayor Richard Riordan.

“It’s a great district,” LaBonge said. “I’ll miss the people. When people walk up and thank me for what I was able to do, it is a big honor.”