Letter to the Editor: Rives Mansion
Dear Editor:
The last time I looked, the U.S. was based in the capitalism economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit.
Hence, I was shocked to read in the Downey Patriot that non-elected bureaucrats of the Planning Commission objected to some of the actions of the owners of the Rives Mansion in the interest of preserving its historic value.
I believe that commissioners Dominguez et al. should put their money where their mouth is and, if they really believe that they know better than the owners what the future of the Rives Mansion should be, they should buy it and donate it to the city so that the mansion can be preserved in its historic beauty without having to compromise in such mundane things as operating at a profit.
Commissioner Dominguez et al will earn my respect and the gratitude of all citizens of Downey for such magnificent action.
Jorge Montero
Downey
Dear Editor:
The owners of the Rives Mansion purchased the property 2 ½ years ago as a residential sale and wanted to use it as an event center but were told that it could not be used for that purpose. The project changed into converting the mansion into nine office spaces and adding 24 parking spaces. The owners have already spent considerable amounts of time and money to find a way to make the property into something they can use. The owners sated they have been furnishing security protection on the property to keep the structures safe.
Commissioners asked the owners what they would do to maintain the historical history of the Rives Mansion by maybe giving tours of the property by docents. The owners stated that office spaces would be private and they were sure the tenants would not want to be interrupted during the day.
The historical value of this mansion should be an important part of the sale of this property and how the buildings can be used. The subject of a juice bar or coffee shop came up with the location being on Paramount, which would obscure some view of the mansion when driving by. The building is 1,200 sq. ft. but only 400 sq ft. would be used for selling the drinks. We were told that the placement of this cafe was the only spot on the property were it can be built due to underground cables, wires, etc.
Downey’s nearly 137-year history has only a certain number of privileged buildings - one of the city’s most prominent and enduring structures is the Rives Mansion. Built in 1911, it is currently on the National Register of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s list of historic landmarks.
The quality of Downey is judged by many interests and caring for its historical sites is one of them. Is placing a storefront juice cafe in front of the Rives Mansion in keeping with a historical site? I think not.
For years Downey has tried to sell the mansion to private investors and expected them to maintain the historical importance to the city. This property should be owned by the city and used by shared service clubs who would maintain the values of the history of Downey.
Bobbi Bruce
Downey