STMH shut New York’s Millennium Partners, LLC down the first version of the Hollywood project when our attorney Robert P. Silverstein filed a lawsuit after the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved their proposal to construct two skyscrapers on top of Active Earthquake Faults in the middle of Hollywood. LA City Councilmembers ignored letters from other City Departments such as CalTrans, who warned Millennium and our Mayor, that the over one million square feet of mixed-use development they proposed was 1 block from the 101 freeway and that Millennium Partners, LLC failed to disclose the project’s traffic impacts pursuant to CEQA. Caltrans sent the City a total of 4 letters. All fell on deaf ears.
Below is a timeline of the series of events that ultimately led to making law that has benefited all citizens of California, strengthening the critical California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Because of having the support of citizens like you, we were able to shut down the first version of this dangerous project.
How low can Millennium go? To give you an idea: Court proceedings were still taking place when Millennium Partners filed their plans for their new project, now calling it Hollywood Center Project, under their new LLC, MCAF Vine.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MILLENNIUM’S ILLEGAL PROJECT, THE COURTS RULINGS, THE CITY’S UNVARYING SUPPORT TO THE DEVELOPERS AND THEIR BLATANT DISREGARD’S FOR THE LAWS, IS RIGHT HERE ON THIS PAGE.
2013 Millennium
Draft EIR | FINAL EIR | COMMENT LETTERS
March 15, 2012: Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) then Superintendent Raymond Chan emails Millennium’s attorneys Sheppard Mullin in regards to the Hollywood Fault trace mapped by the California Geological Survey
April 17, 2012: PLUM Committee hearing Item #3; The Hollywood Community Plan Update (see the Committee’s reaction to the skyscrapers image where they then ask City planner Kevin Keller why the Vine and Argyle area does not have any height restrictions. Forward to 27:50 in video)
May 23, 2012: LADBS Engineering Geologist III, Dana Prevost sends a Geology and Soils Report Correction Letter to the Deputy Advisory Agency City Planner Jim Tokunaga wherein she states: “According to the Fault Activity Map of California, dated 2010, prepared by the California Geological Surve the Hollywood Fault 1s considered active and appears to exist in the vicinity of the subject site”.
October 25, 2012: The City of Los Angeles publishes the Millennium Hollywood Project Draft EIR
November 2, 2012: Then District 13 Councilmember Eric Garcetti sends a letter to the Department of City Planning Director, requesting the public comment period for the Millennium project be extended due to the project’s controversial large scale (This occurs during a time when there was no pandemic plaguing stakeholders)
February 8, 2013: The City Planning Department publishes the Millennium Hollywood Project Final EIR
March 28, 2013: The City Planning Commission (CPC) approves the Millennium project (there are 5 separate parts to the Audio for this hearing. Go to page 4, see item # 5 on the agenda to view all available audio links
April 27, 2013: The City Planning Commission issues their Determination Letter
May 7, 2013: Los Angeles Department of Transportation submits their comment letter to then District 13’s Councilmember Eric Garcetti informing him the Millennium Hollywood EIR did not fulfill the California Environmental Quality Act requirements (CEQA)
May 14, 2013: A community group and neighborhood association each file appeals to the Los Angeles City Council; Appeal #1 and Appeal #2
June 3, 2013: The day before their project was scheduled to be heard, Millennium Hollywood, LLC’s attorneys, Sheppard Mullin make a last minute request to continue the June 4, 2013 Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee hearing, asking it be scheduled on June 18, 2013 – the day before their project is scheduled to be heard in front of the full City Council
June 4, 2013: Unaware of the PLUM Committee’s granting of Millennium Hollywood LLC’s last minute reschedule, members of the public attend the PLUM hearing to provide their comments (at 46:20)
June 18, 2013: The Silverstein Law Firm submits an appeal on behalf of Communities United for Reasonable Development
June 18, 2013: The appeals are heard at the PLUM hearing (at 38:25)
June 19, 2013: Millennium Hollywood, LLC’s attorneys, Sheppard Mullin consents to rescheduling the hearing before the City Council to July 24, 2013
June 24, 2013: Letter from Silverstein to the Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists
June 25, 2013: Attorney Robert P. Silverstein makes a request for records under the California Public Records Act, thereby obtaining this March 15, 2012 email communication between Millennium’s attorneys Sheppard Mullin and then LADBS Superintendent Raymond Chan
July 12, 2013: Letter from Engineering Geologist and Seismologist Robert Sydnor to Dr. Parrish
July 15, 2013: Letter from Silverstein to then Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) Superintendent Raymond Chan
July 15, 2013: On behalf of several community groups, attorney Silverstein sends a letter to LADBS’ Raymond Chan objecting to the Millennium Hollywood LLC’s expert’s, Langan Engineering, and their inadequate geological and seismic studies
July 16, 2013: The Silverstein Law Firm sends Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty
July 19, 2013: The PLUM Committee submits their report approving Millennium Hollywood, LLC’s proposed skyscrapers atop the Active Hollywood Earthquake Fault
July 20, 2013: Letter from State Geologist John G. Parrish to City Councilmember Herb Wesson
July 20, 2013: On behalf of the Department of Conservation’s California Geological Survey (CGS), State Geologist John G. Parrish sends a letter to LA City Council President Herb Wesson informing him that CGS has commenced a detailed study of the Hollywood Fault that may affect the decision to build the Millennium Hollywood skyscrapers, or any future proposed project on the site
July 22, 2013: On behalf of several community groups, The Silverstein Law Firm sends a letter to LA City Council President Herb Wesson reminding him of the CGS letter that corroborates the grave concerns already brought to the attention of City Officials
July 23, 2013: On behalf of several community groups, The Silverstein Law Firm sent a second letter to then Superintendent of LADBS Raymond Chan and all LA City Council members stating in part: “The Millennium Hollywood Project EIR’s total disregard of truthful analysis, the State of California’s concerns, and ongoing State investigations directly pertaining to the Millennium Hollywood Project site have greatly increased that apprehension.”
July 24, 2013: Then Superintendent of LADBS Raymond Chan submitted a “Clarification Letter” to the LA City Council stating that he agreed with the seismic analysis of Millennium Hollywood, LLC’s paid expert nullifying concerns from California Geological Survey’s State Geologist
July 24, 2013: The Silverstein Law Firm sends additional objections to Council President Herb Wesson and the City Council
July 24, 2013: Millennium Hollywood LLC’s project is heard at the full LA City Council hearing (at 1:04:50)
July 26, 2013: The LA City Council unanimously approves the building of skyscrapers atop the Hollywood ACTIVE earthquake fault
August 28, 2013: STMH along with 3 other community groups and activists file a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles City Council, and Millennium Partners by way of their shell corporation – Millennium Hollywood, LLC (Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. BS144606)
September 9, 2013: STMH member George Abrahams files a Complaint with the Ethics Commission against then interim General Manager of LADBS and future Deputy to Mayor Eric Garcetti, Raymond Chan
December 20, 2013: Department of City Planning Director Michael LoGrande issues a letter regarding the Judge’s tentative decision to order the CIty to rescind the Hollywood Community Plan Update and all related approvals
May 24, 2014: Raymond Chan is honored by then City Councilmember Jose Huizar at a LA City Council meeting
September 5, 2014: STMH et. al file an Amended Petition (the “operating” petition that supersedes the originally filed Petition)
November 5, 2014: California Geological Survey releases their Fault Evaluation Report that established the AP Zones for the Hollywood fault which includes the Millennium project site
April 30, 2015: Judge Chalfant rules in favor of STMH, et al. by granting the petition in part
July 7, 2015: Geological Report Approval Letter from the City of Los Angeles
May 2, 2017: Millennium Hollywood, LLC files an Appeal with the California Court of Appeal of Judge Chalfant’s ruling. (Court of Appeal Case No. B282319)
May 3, 2017: City of Los Angeles and City of Los Angeles City Council also file an Appeal with the California Court of Appeal
May 23, 2017: STMH, et al. file a Cross-Appeal
April 12, 2018: Millennium file an Application with the Department of City Planning for their new project (paying for a Zone Change and Height-District Change (page 8))
May 2, 2018: Developer Millennium Partners, LLC (as MCAF Vine, LLC) submit an Application for Environmental Leadership Development Project (“ELDP”) to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (“OPR”) for a new version of their skycrapers project – now known as the Hollywood Center Project – during litigation in the Court of Appeal for their original project
June 1, 2018: Attorney Robert Silverstein sends a 244 page objection letter to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research in regards to Millenniums (MCAF Vine, LLC) ELDP application
July 31, 2019: Court Of Appeals Ruling in favor of StopTheMillennium.com vs. City of Los Angeles
November 26, 2019: The Supreme Court of California denies the City of Los Angeles’ request to de-publish the Court of Appeal’s Opinion
Make sure to check out our Posts for all of the latest action related to Millennium’s Hollywood Center Project
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* All of the documents submitted to the city clerk related to the 2013 Millennium Hollywood Project can be found here. Please note whatever is available on the city website is what they have chosen to make available. More often than not, documents are sent to the city, not always uploaded into the system and are never seen again.