Westwood cemetery may become historical landmark

A cemetery predating Westwood may soon become a historical
landmark, thanks to family and friends working to preserve its
beauty and culture.

Westwood Village Memorial Park, also deemed the cemetery of the
Stars, is the burial site for celebrities like Marilyn Monroe,
Natalie Wood and Truman Capote.

Along with its celebrity register, the park’s physical
evolution over time serves as a historical and architectural record
for Westwood, said those pushing for it to be deemed a national
monument.

“It’s a real treasure of a spot,” said Carolyn
Mannon-Haber, President of the Westwood Historical Society.

The cemetery, established in 1888 and located south of Wilshire
Boulevard on Glendon Avenue, began as a burial ground for Civil War
soldiers and early pioneer families.

Its historical significance lies in its diverse combination of
inhabitants as well as its diversity of architectural styles, said
historic preservation consultant Portia Lee.

As part of a three-step process, two more hearings remain in
order for the park to become a historical landmark.

The Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission designated the
cemetery a Historical Cultural Monument on Aug. 7.

The next hearing, to be held after the L.A. City Council returns
from its two-week recess, will be held with the Arts, Health and
Humanities Committee and then move to the full council.

But the owner of the cemetery doesn’t think it should be
designated a historical landmark. Service Corporation
International, which bought the cemetery in 1996, does not agree
the cemetery meets criteria for a historical place.

“It is no more remarkable than many other cemeteries in
many other places,” said SCI communications representative
Greg Bolton. “We don’t think it meets the criteria for
a bona fide historical park.”

Some worry the Texas-based corporation, which on its Web site
touts itself as “the largest provider of funeral and cemetery
services in North America,” will harm the property by
overdeveloping it.

If designated a historical landmark, the historically
significant aspects of the property ““ such as the
architecture ““ cannot be demolished or largely altered,
Mannon-Haber said.

In addition, historic sites undergo additional reviews by the
CHC before development can occur.

But development concerns should not be confused with efforts to
preserve its history, said supporters of making the park a
landmark.

“We believe the historical designation is long overdue on
its own merit,” said Tammy Hoffs, a neighbor and member of
the Friends of Westwood Village Memorial Park.

“We do not want to muddy the water with any issues of how
developers should develop the property,” she said.