Los Angeles city planners are so eager to redevelop the iconic Hollywood district that, according to a recent lawsuit, they approved a $650-million development that sits dangerously close to—or possibly on top of—the active Hollywood fault. The suit was filed against the city by Stop the Millennium Hollywood Project to prevent construction of the planned 4.7-acre complex, which includes two new high-rises.
In an email that is an exhibit in the case, James Dolan, assistant professor of earth sciences at the University of Southern California and a specialist in global fault systems, says the Hollywood fault is one of the best-known active faults in earthquake-prone California. The City Council, however, ignored warnings from Dolan and city geologist Dana Prevost. It also ignored a map from the project's geotechnical consultant, Langan Engineering, showing the fault through the site, says John Schwada, a spokesman for the group that filed the suit.