For greater than twenty years, legal professional Robert Silverstein struck concern — and in some circumstances, loathing — in Hollywood’s actual property institution.
Throughout one authorized battle, Silverstein satisfied a decide to halt building of a Goal on Sundown Boulevard, regardless that work on the three-story construction was effectively beneath method. In one other, he secured a ruling overturning town’s approval of the Millennium challenge, a pair of 39- and 35-story skyscrapers that had been deliberate subsequent to the Capitol Information constructing.
In one more case, Silverstein, working as half of a bigger authorized group, helped persuade a decide to strike down the Metropolis Council’s approval of the Hollywood Neighborhood Plan replace, which known as for taller, denser growth alongside transit corridors. Town’s planning division spent practically a decade rewriting the plan.
Silverstein died Nov. 13 on the age of 57, in line with a member of the family. He’s survived by a spouse and three kids, his mom and two brothers. The reason for his demise was not disclosed.
A number of of Silverstein’s former shoppers praised him for his eager consideration to element — and for taking up circumstances towards bigger, wealthier adversaries.
“He at all times mentioned he was making an attempt to stay up for the little man towards the federal government,” mentioned Doug Haines, a Hollywood resident who labored with Silverstein on greater than a dozen lawsuits. “That was his complete focus, and he meant it.”
The son of a rabbi, Silverstein dealt with circumstances throughout Southern California, zeroing in on what he seen as violations of zoning plans, public information legal guidelines, historic preservation guidelines, eminent area procedures and the state’s environmental legislation, recognized by its acronym CEQA, or see-quah. Silverstein represented shoppers in Baldwin Park, Culver Metropolis, Glendora, Palmdale, Pasadena, Santa Ana and different communities.
Nonetheless, nowhere did he have as massive an influence as in Hollywood, the place he racked up a string of victories through the tenure of two mayors — Antonio Villaraigosa and Eric Garcetti.
In 2012, Silverstein gained a ruling overturning the approval of a 20-story condominium tower at Hollywood Boulevard and Gower Road. A decide concluded that town had violated CEQA by failing to make a parking evaluation accessible for overview till a day after the Metropolis Council’s planning committee had endorsed the challenge.
Two years later, Silverstein persuaded a decide to invalidate the constructing permits for a 299-unit high-rise on Sundown Boulevard. In that case, the decide discovered that the developer was required by town to protect a 1924 restaurant constructing, however failed to take action. (The corporate had constructed a reproduction as an alternative, saying the unique construction was too deteriorated.)
Silverstein’s aggressive advocacy spurred actual property firms and town’s planning division to change into extra exacting in regards to the paperwork they filed, mentioned Jerry Neuman, a land use legal professional who represented builders in a number of Silverstein circumstances. However the high-stakes authorized atmosphere additionally had a chilling impact on financial growth in Hollywood, he mentioned, with nationwide actual property firms pursuing initiatives elsewhere.
“It helped drive funding away,” he mentioned.
A few of Silverstein’s critics accused him of utilizing frivolous lawsuits as a delaying tactic, forcing actual property builders to capitulate or danger large monetary losses.
Fran Offenhauser, a co-founder of the historic preservation group Hollywood Heritage, mentioned these portrayals weren’t correct.
“He didn’t take a case until the case had benefit,” mentioned Offenhauser, who labored with Silverstein on a number of circumstances. “He would say, ‘I’m not going to take it until you get me a selected occasion of a violation of a selected legislation.’”
Silverstein was born Oct. 24, 1968. He earned a bachelor’s diploma in English from UCLA in 1990 and a legislation diploma from UC Hastings, now referred to as UC Regulation San Francisco, six years later.
Silverstein opened his personal legislation workplace in 2005, taking up shoppers who had been difficult eminent area, the method utilized by authorities companies to accumulate non-public property from house owners who’re unwilling to promote.
Haines credited Silverstein with defeating the Los Angeles Unified College District’s plan to accumulate and demolish scores of properties close to the 101 Freeway to make method for a brand new center faculty in Hollywood. The district in the end deserted the proposal, he mentioned.
“He saved the group from dropping all this housing, and other people from being displaced,” Haines mentioned.
Silverstein additionally represented Robert Blue, whose baggage retailer had change into a goal of eminent area proceedings by town’s redevelopment company.
Metropolis officers needed the location for the Hollywood and Vine challenge, which included a 300-room W Resort and a whole bunch of residential items.
Silverstein challenged the legality of the redevelopment company’s vote, arguing that the property and the encompassing space weren’t “blighted.” Ultimately, redevelopment officers reached an settlement with Blue to have the challenge constructed round his baggage enterprise, which his household had owned since 1946.
Silverstein additionally represented Molly’s Burgers on Vine Road, which was sought by town’s redevelopment company so the location might be was an eight-story workplace constructing.
The Instances reported in 2010 that the company initially deliberate to spend $120,000 to relocate the burger stand. After Silverstein challenged the proceedings, the redevelopment company and the developer agreed to supply the proprietor a mixed $1.1 million.
“Robert was an old-school lawyer,” mentioned legal professional Invoice Delvac, who represented the developer within the burger stand case. “If his shopper needed to battle, he would battle. If his shopper needed to settle, he would settle.”
Within the Goal lawsuit, Silverstein succeeded in exhibiting that town had permitted the development of a 74-foot construction on a web site the place the zoning restricted such initiatives to 35 ft. Actual property initiatives on that part of Sundown Boulevard might solely go taller in the event that they included housing.
Goal went by way of a brand new approval course of, and the challenge was ultimately accomplished and opened.
Whereas engaged on the problem to Hollywood’s group plan, Silverstein took goal on the inhabitants figures town used to justify its push for taller, denser residential growth. Town, in its plan for accommodating development in Hollywood, relied on estimates generated in 2004 by the Southern California Assn. of Governments.
Silverstein argued that town’s environmental evaluation ought to have included 2010 U.S. Census information, which confirmed that Hollywood’s inhabitants had decreased over the prior decade. A decide in the end agreed, putting down the plan.
“Robert’s dedication ensured that group considerations about environmental and demographic accuracy had been taken significantly, and his work set a better normal for a way town approaches its city planning,” mentioned Mike Eveloff, a co-founder of Repair the Metropolis, certainly one of three teams that challenged the Hollywood plan.
Eveloff mentioned Silverstein’s authorized victories pressured metropolis officers to be extra cautious about complying with legal guidelines that govern entry to public conferences, the discharge of public paperwork and growth general.
“Once they knew he was going to be concerned, they did should pay extra consideration,” he mentioned. “They knew they needed to do it proper.”
Silverstein continued to battle Metropolis Corridor following the election of Mayor Karen Bass, representing Eveloff’s group because it challenged her order declaring a state of emergency on homelessness. The group known as the declaration a “huge and unlawful growth of mayoral energy,” one which improperly eradicated aggressive bidding and leasing processes.
A Superior Courtroom decide disagreed, concluding that the declaration didn’t battle with metropolis or state legal guidelines, and Repair the Metropolis later filed an enchantment. Bass rescinded her order final month.
