Southern Sierran
Cahuenga Peak for Sale: There was a Hope that this Peak Would Become Part of Griffith Park. Will it Become a Megamansion Instead?

By Carol Henning

“A Hollywood hideaway fit for silver screen royalty can now be yours…” trumpets the ad in the Los Angeles Times, Westside Homes supplement, February 17, 2008. “Towering 1800 feet above Los Angeles, just a stone’s throw from the famed Hollywood Sign, is the crown jewel opportunity of Southern California real estate,” the ad goes on. Hikers in Griffith Park know that this “coveted property” is none other than Cahuenga Peak.

Howard Hughes originally purchased the 138-acre parcel in 1940, supposedly for Ginger Rogers, who said “no thanks.” Many decades later, a Chicago-based investment group (Hollywood Hills LLC) bought the property. Now they are offering it for sale for $22 million, about 17 times what they paid for it. The real estate agency is Teles Properties.

To tempt the super-rich, Teles dangles the possibility of a “gorgeous, unparalleled estate, rich with Tinseltown history,” nestled in “pristine wilderness surrounded by stunning scenery.” Of course the scenery, for those of us who gaze up at the Hollywood Sign from our modest bungalows in the flatlands, might grow less stunning if Cahuenga Peak becomes a construction site. And, what will become of the “pristine wilderness”?

What, one wonders, would be the access to this spectacular view-lot? Mt. Lee Road ends in a security tower. There is a trail, but…

A spokesperson from Councilmember Tom LaBonge’s office reports that the property has been appraised at $5.9 million. LaBonge himself was interviewed, while hiking to Mt. Hollywood, on National Public Radio the weekend of March 8. His office is researching investor claims and looking into ways for the City to acquire the property. Can it be declared a wildlife corridor? What about the proposed Ridgeline Protection Act? The investors have not yet submitted an EIR.

There was hope that Cahuenga Peak could be made part of Griffith Park. Will it host a megamansion instead?

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