Developers, City Eye Lumberyard Site

By Blair Clarkson
Staff Writer

May 18 -- After 82 years of service to Santa Monica's contractors, home-builders and do-it-yourselfers, Fisher Lumber will saw its last log next March -- a victim of corporate streamlining and the city's ever-rising property values.

The owner of the property on which the landmark, privately-owned lumberyard has operated since 1923 -- the Washington-based lumber firm, Weyerhaeuser Company -- sold the land out from under Fisher after deciding to focus strictly on manufacturing.

"They decided to get out of the retail business," said Erik Jorgensborg, president of Fisher Lumber. "It wasn't one of their key segments."

However, speculation remains over the future use of the three-acre site at 1601 14th Street, and the City is currently in negotiations with the new owners of the property, Colorado-based developers Riverstone LLC.

The property is one of several that City negotiators have discussed purchasing during recent closed sessions with the City Council.

According to City officials, the site may be used to boost the City's open space and address recreational needs by extending Memorial Park north to encompass the adjoining site.

"That's what it's always been considered for," said Judy Rambeau, assistant to the City Manager in charge of community relations. "Park use would have less impact (on the area) than residential housing."

After Weyerhaeuser initially sold the land to Blatteis Realities for an undisclosed sum, many speculated that the real estate developer had plans to erect a mixed-use residential building on the site.

According to Jorgensborg, Riverstone LLC -- which bought out the Blatteis contract -- has similar interests.

Representatives for Riverstone could not be reached for comment.

Because the lumberyard is zoned for light manufacturing, the developer would need the City Council to change the zoning code to allow residential construction on the site. But with the continued increase of mixed-use projects and the Council's desire to add housing, developers are willing to take that chance.

"That's what the people who bought the property are betting on," said Jorgensborg. "That they're going to change the whole corridor here into multi-use zoning, which they've already done around Cloverfield and 26th Street."

In an effort to preserve this family-friendly "mini-Home Depot," Jorgensborg tried to interest four other lumberyards in the property, but none could match the developers' offers.

"The developers are offering more for this property than other lumberyards were," he said. "They couldn't compete with the developer who was betting that the zoning would change."

Although City officials have expressed a "continued interest" in the property as extended open space, they would not rule out other options, including mixed-use residential development.

"I suppose anything's possible," Rambeau said, "but what it's always been talked about as is acquisition for park expansion."

With the impending loss of the City's last remaining lumberyard -- and all-in-one source for electrical, plumbing, heating and do-it-yourself supplies -- contractors and residents will be forced to trek to the Fisher store in Malibu, south to the Home Depot in Playa del Rey or Anawalt Lumber in West LA.

Jorgensborg said longtime shoppers are taking the impending closure hard.

"They don't know where they're going to shop," he said. "You get a relationship with someone, and now they're going to have to start all over again with another yard. There aren't too many lumberyards around here."

Jorgensborg said neither he nor Weyerhaeuser has any plans to relocate Fisher Lumber, but for the 49 employees who currently work there, "Weyerhaeuser has left a very good package for the people who stay till the end," he said.

Weyerhaeuser spokesman Frank Mendizabal said he was unaware of the status of the sale or even the current owners of the property.