We have been concerned by reports from community members who have seen evidence of construction happening in and around Walker's Cafe. A complaint was recently filed with LADBS (Department of Building and Safety), and an inspector came out to investigate. According to the LADBS website, he found work being done without permits, and the investigation is ongoing.
It's against the law for any property owner to do major work without getting permits, but in the case of Walker's Cafe, the pending landmark designation means that no permits can even be obtained without the approval of the city's Office of Historic Resources (OHR). So this situation is very worrying.
When the new owners purchased Walker's Cafe earlier this year and pledged to bring it back to its glory, we were all very excited. That's what everyone wants to see happen—but it has to be done the right way, by following the city's rules. We don't know why the new owners decided to work on the building without OHR approval, or the extent of that work.
We hope this is just a misunderstanding, and that moving forward the owners will be much more careful to abide by the restrictions that protect landmarks and potential landmarks. We all want things to go well, so that Walker's Cafe can reopen soon and again be a living treasure for the San Pedro community. Until then, please let's all keep our eyes on this special place, and stay tuned for more updates as we have them.
(Image of Bessie Mae Petersen, founder of Walker's Cafe)