Last year Lauren Bon, founder of Metabolic Studios, brought the Strawberry Flag project to the VA. Superb work, which ends in anger and dispute because the VA will not allow the work to continue. Less than a year later, the Annenberg Foundation and ACLU/SC and some veterans groups charge that the VA is in breach of the terms of the original trust from 1888. (Background story from the Santa Monica Mirror, LA Times, Citywatch) The Annenberg foundation has requested that it's name be removed from the list of sponsors affixed to the fencing which encloses both the VA and the National Cemetery. Wow. This could be material for a book, or a film.
The Veterans Park Conservancy is an important player here. For may years they have supported protecting the land, but mostly as a decorative neighborhood asset for the Brentwood area, not as a home for the veterans. They used to have board member(s) who were direct descendants of the original donor of the land in 1888. They have supported the elaborate fencing which encloses the VA and the National Cemetery.
The Master Plan for the site, which was live and open for public comment on the regulations.gov site, was suddenly withdrawn from that site, before the comment period was over, just around the time when Metabolic Studio made it's case with the position paper Preserving a Home for Veterans." The document you are requesting has been withdrawn." Is there a fundamental re-think in the works?
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