WEST HOLLYWOOD/BEVERLY HILLS—The city of Beverly Hills notified the President of the Lions Club of West Hollywood located at 621 N. Robertson Blvd., that they were facing eviction as noted by Beverly Hills Public Information Officer Keith Sterling.

For the past 30 years, The Lions Club has been a safe haven for members of recovery groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, 12-step programs, and over-eaters anonymous.

The city of Beverly Hills owns the property and informed the Lions Club it must vacate and “remove the building” by March 31.

The Lions Club has no lease with the city and a contractor was hired to inspect the building and reported that the building was in poor condition.

Members of the Lions Club offered to make the repairs. One of the members, West Hollywood Councilmember John Duran stated:

“I’ve watched miracles happen in people’s lives. People who come in broken, who can’t stop drinking, who can’t stop using crystal methamphetamine, and I’ve watched them get their lives back together.” Duran has attended meetings for the past 23 years.

The Lions Club has 24 groups that attend meetings once a week, and over 12,000 people have signed a petition to save the old cabin. The city of Beverly Hills and the city of West Hollywood have been working to reach an agreement involving the property.

The city of Beverly Hills offered the Lions Club and the groups that meet at the cabin to relocate their meetings to other locations in Beverly Hills. The property has existed since 1928.

“Please sign the petition and please share any comments why this matter is important to you.

Please DO NOT donate any money to Change.org! This feature is enabled by Change.Org as THEY are asking for donations, not us! We do not need any money, we are doing this to create change.

Why would losing the Log Cabin and the Services it provides be a detriment to both the Beverly Hills and West Hollywood Communities?

Losing the Log Cabin would be a detriment to the Public Health and Safety of the Beverly Hills and West Hollywood communities because it serves as a safe space for sobriety and recovery groups.

The building was built in 1928 by the Boy Scouts of America, in rustic log cabin architectural style, and should be deemed a landmark cultural site for our communities.  For decades it has stood, a symbol of the power of a local community to come together to help one another, from all walks of life, whether a local resident or a tourist seeking a meeting while visiting our great city. Especially during a time when we as a society need to build more places like this, not demolish them.  It is strategically located, in the heart of West Hollywood’s entertainment district, and to tear down or relocate the building and its services would be a detriment to the cultural heritage of a community,” reads a statement on the Change.org website aimed to save the property from being demolished.

The lot was believed to have been used at one point by the Beverly Hills Water Authority, which is why it remains under that city’s ownership despite being within the boundaries of West Hollywood. In 2017, the city of West Hollywood leased the property from the city of Beverly Hills, and currently draws revenue from the adjacent parking lot. The lease expires in December 2021, and before, the city of Beverly Hills expressed interest in selling the portion of the property or the entire parcel, with interest to demolish building altogether.