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1-A Agenda Correspondence - Evans, Section 14 StoryAnthony Mejia From: Deiter Crawford <dcrawford10414@yahoo.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2021 4:30 PM To: City Clerk Subject: JOINT MEETING PALM SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION PUBLIC COMMENT Attachments: Section 14 .pdf INOTICE: This message originated outside of The City of Palm Springs --DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe. City Clerk Please include attached with Public Comment for JOINT MEETING PALM SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION PUBLIC COMMENT Thanks Deiter Crawford ub�%G C'tv�� TTT= M NO. -:A Section 14 Background In the early 1930's, the main available living area for working people of Palm Springs was Indian land adjacent to the downtown business area of the city. Known as Section 14 of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. Whether it was constructing the buildings and infrastructure or filling the service jobs that kept the resorts humming, the Latino, African American, Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino residents of Palm Springs served as the backbone of the resort industry at the beginning of the 20th century. Rental opportunities off the reservation were not offered and deed restrictions prevented the purchase of land. De facto racial residential segregation was prevalent in Palm Springs, as in other parts of California. When these tenancies first were created and for many years after, the leases of the land from the Indians were limited by federal law to a five-year duration. Under the tenancy created on the reservation land and approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the tenant leased the land from the Bureau for a stated price and was then permitted to build or relocate a dwelling place upon that piece of land. The lease further provided that the tenant owned the dwelling place in which he resided and was free at any time to remove the dwelling place from the land. Homes on the Indian land were equipped with utilities and the majority were built under permits issued by the City Building Department. City Building Inspectors passed on the buildings while they were under construction. Homeowners also paid taxes to Riverside county, based on the value of their residences. House values ranged from $1,000 to $8,000. First Baptist Church of Palm Springs was founded in 1946. Services were initially conducted in a tent. Around 1948, a 130-seat church was built on Section 14. A parsonage was built in 1948. In 1959, new federal law distributed the Indian held land in Palm Springs to individual members of the Agua Caliente tribe. It also provided for 99-year leases on Indian property, rather than the traditional short-term leases. When the new 99-year leases became available, the City of Palm Springs and various real estate developers became interested in the commercial development of Section 14. Section 14 lay in the heart of Palm Springs and became an area of interest for developers in 1959 when Indian land became available for long-term leases. Urban African American Church congregation, likely the first Baptist Church of Palm Springs on Section 14, c 1950. Source: Palm Springs Historical Society. Section 14 Removal There was a wide range of structures in Section 14, from shacks to trailers to homes built in compliance with the standard building code. Originally, the city planned to use abatement laws to clear Section 14, but conflicting jurisdiction between the city and the Bureau of Indian Affairs frustrated this scheme. In 1951, the Bureau of Indian Affairs approved a city abatement program and eviction notices were served to the residents of Section 14. In her oral history, former Section 14 resident Ivy Pellum Wilson remembers city officials meeting with the residents and telling them of their plans to redevelop the area. Some families elected to move before they were forced to leave. After receiving numerous complaints from employers and residents, a six-month moratorium on evictions was imposed in 1953. Most displaced African American residents from Section 14 moved to Banning, Beaumont, or West Garnet (about 10 miles west of Palm Springs). At least one former Section 14 resident moved her house from the reservation to a lot in West Garnet. Displaced residents often maintained their construction or service jobs in Palm Springs and made the daily commute. The Palm Springs Filipino community was affected by the housing crisis as well. When resorts closed that provided housing for workers, many relocated to Banning or Cathedral City; those with means relocated to the tracts on the east side of the city. Displaced Latino residents moved to Banning, San Bernardino, and Riverside. At least 32 Latino families saved for a down payment or pooled their resources and bought homes in the Veteran's Tract on the eastern edge of the city; others moved to the Dream Homes development in Cathedral City. Racial restrictions, however, prohibited purchase by African Americans in these tracts. Residents who remained on Section 14 endured more than a decade of forced removals and clearances. Destruction of the condemned homes began in 1956. Evicted families were often taken in by other residents of Section 14, resulting in the doubling and tripling of occupants in the houses left on the reservation. The 1959 ruling that Native American land could be available for long-term leasing made Photograph taken of houseson Section 14 on 12/12/1947 Photo Courtasy0lPalm Springs Hidckkal Sodsty Section 14 development opportunities even more attractive. Urban Section 14 The same 1959 law providing for the long-term leases and individual distribution of the Indian land also provided for conservators to protect the individual Indians' interests. In 1964, the City of Palm Springs approached the conservators with a plan to raze Section 14. The city proposed that the Indians (through their conservators) terminate the leases or rentals of the land. The city would then clear the land, using city funds. Indian owners were to execute permits to the city to clear the land and then give their tenants 30-day eviction notices. The final clearance of Section 14 began in October of 1966, approximately one month after the Watts Riots in Los Angeles, a watershed event in race relations felt throughout the country. What had been a tightly knit, racially -diverse community for more than 30 years was now scattered throughout the valley area. The 1968 Attorney General's report states, "The city paid little attention to the 30-day requirements set forth in the eviction notices and operated its own demolition plan solely based on receipt of the destruction permits executed by the conservators. Exploring the actions of the Indian conservators, the report states that, "The conservators in many instances executed the eviction notices without making a full disclosure to their Indian wards who were leasing the land." It continues, "Many of the Indians were induced to execute various documents by statements of the conservators that they could lease the land at higher rentals to commercial enterprises. To date, the land cleared in Section 14 has not been leased and stands vacant." The city contracted with private operators to knock down the dwellings in Section 14. The debris was then burned by the city fire department in a controlled fire. According to the Attorney General's report, homeowners who leased lots in Section 14 saw their homes destroyed without notice and their personal property burned. About 1000 people were involved in the eviction and destruction. The resort city of Palm Springs was charged with "a classic study in civic disregard for the rights of minority citizens." The report concludes, Perhaps the most conclusive evidence of the city 's attitude is the fact that the City of Palm Springs kept no official records of the persons displaced and the residences destroyed in Section 14 and could offer no evidence of any attempt at determining that each homeowner and resident had been properly served with eviction notices. The City of Palm Springs not only disregarded the residents of Section 14 as property -owners, taxpayers, and voters; Palm Springs ignored that the residents of Section 14 were human beings. Urban Section 14 Destruction Documented in the AG's report were instances of homes valued from $3400 to $8000 which were destroyed by the city without notice to the owners of the impending destruction. Homer Manning, a janitor and member of the City Human Relations Council who rented a piece of land and constructed a home in 1955 that he later converted into a two -unit apartment building with a city permit valued at $8,000 was informed by his tenant that his building was about to be demolished. Mr. Moses Clinton said that his house occupied by his son Hari, was destroyed without his knowledge while his son was at work. Hari Clinton's personal belongings, along with a stove, refrigerator, furniture, and an air conditioner, were either destroyed or taken from the house. Mr.James Goree said that his house valued at $3,400 and occupied by his sister was destroyed without notice. Mr. R. L. Lucas, a seventy-seven year old man, received a notice to vacate several dwellings which he owned. He did not believe the notices. The city destroyed five dwellings owned by Mr. Lucas and valued at $5,100. Mr. Lucas also states that he lost four water tanks, four stoves, four refrigerators, six air conditioners, fifteen beds, and fifteen mattresses. Mr. Lucas depended on a total rental of $460.00 per month from these units for his support. Mrs. Van Williams received an eviction notice, but disregarded it and took a trip to Los Angeles. When she returned, her house valued at $7,500 and all her personal possessions had been destroyed. She had built the home in 1944 and had been a resident of Palm Springs since 1933. Similarly destroyed was the house of an elderly neighbor, Mrs. Spilletti, who died following her eviction. The report linked the destruction of Section 14 to federal accusations of misconduct by conservators for the Agua Caliente Indians. Urban Section 14 Recommendation $15 Million Reparation Fund 200 Homes Demolished @ $75,000 each = $15 million Value of $8,000 from 1959 to 2021 $8,000 in 1959 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $75,052.37 today, an increase of $67,052.37 over 62 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 3.68% per year between 1959 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 838.15%. This means that today's prices are 9.38 times higher than average prices since 1959, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index. A dollar today only buys 10.66% of what it could buy back then. The 1959 inflation rate was 0.69%. The current year -over -year inflation rate (2020 to 2021) is now 5.37%. If this number holds, $8,000 today will be equivalent in buying power to $8,429.24 next year. Qualifying residents must either have lived in or been a direct descendant of a Minority person who lived in Section 14 between 1919 to 1969, or who suffered discrimination in housing because of city ordinances, policies or practices Homebuyers Assistance Program Allow homebuyers the opportunity to purchase New Single-family homes at various Moderate -income sites with $75,000 Down Payment Assistance Home Repair Program Assist homeowners with real property improvement needs by providing financial assistance for home maintenance, emergency repairs, accessibility modifications and code violations of health and safety concerns to the livable areas of the residence. Available Land for Developments Boulders, 31.4 acres Zoned R1A subdivided into 45 single family residential lots and private streets near Chino Canyon Road. Wessman Settlement Property Crescendo, 41.6 acres Zoned R3 near Tramway and Racquet Club. Wessman Settlement Property Urdan Section 14 References 1. Ethnic Minorities in Palm Springs City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP published document alms rings ca.,gov) 2. 1968 Attorney General Report Palm Springs, Section 14 Demolition ■ Attorney General Report Palm Springs Section 14 Demolition. pdf 3. Magazine of Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian Section 14: The Agua Caliente Tribe's Struggle for Sovereignty in Palm Springs. California I NMAI Magazine (americanindianmagazine.org) 4. "Section 14 Cleanup Under State Probe," The Desert Sun, Apri13, 1967. 5. The Desert Sun Palm Springs Section 14 exhibit set for Smithsonian (desertsun.com) Denise Goolsby Desert6. The 'it was beautiful for the white j2eoQ1e 7'1960s still cast a shadow of distrust over Palm &rinas (desertsun.cQmj Rosalie Murphy 7. The Desert Sun INDIANS, CITY TALK IT OVER Cleanup Drive Demanded on Section 14 Desert Sun 19 January 1965 Urban Monique Lomeli Subject: Section 14 Staff Report and Accurate History Begin forwarded message: From: dougskvl@aol.com Date: September 22, 2021 at 2:59:43 PM PDT To: CityManager<CityManager@palmspringsca.Pov>, jeff.ballinger@palmspringsca.Pov Cc: Anthony Mejia <Anthony.Melia@palmspringsca.gov>, Jay Virata <Jay.Virata@palmspringsca.eov>, Cindy Cairns<Cindy,Cairns@palmsprinPsca.Pov> Subject: Re: Section 14 Staff Report and Accurate History Reply -To: dougskvl@aol.com NOTICE: This message originated outside of The City of Palm Springs -- DO NOT CLICK on links or open attachments unless you are sure the content is safe. Hello everyone. The attachment should now be attached. It is 42 pages. If needed I can drop off a hard copy. doug -----Original Message ----- From: dougskv1rc'D.aol.com To: city manager jpaImspringsca.gov<citymanager(@pal mspringsca.gov>; jeff.ballinger(d,)Palmspringsca.gov <jeff.ballinger(a),palmspringsca.gov> Cc: anthony.meiia()i)almspringsca.gov<anthony.mejia(a).palmspringsca.gov>; jay.virata(o-)palmspringsca.gov <jay.virata .palmspringsca.gov> Sent: Wed, Sep 22, 2021 12:16 pm Subject: Section 14 Staff Report and Accurate History Good afternoon Mr. Clifton and Mr. Ballinger- wanted to provide you both as well as the City Clerk and Mr. Verata with a copy of the Desert Sun's "The Section 14 Story". It was published in 14 segments starting November 13, 1968 to November 28, 1968. This series of articles by Desert Sun Managing Editor Al Tostado includes important information that the Human Right Commission did not include in its report. It also includes an accounting of some of the City Resolutions and other actions. It also includes the Editors observations regarding the Attorney General Report. Please read pages 34 on. We would hope that the City staff report provides a factual accounting of Section 14 snd how many agencies were involved and when the process started. The HRC report is a hit piece prepared by unknown parties. The authors and contributors must be disclosed or the staff report must provide an accounting of its preparation. Anonymous source documents have no place in local government. The City Council staff report should set the record straight and provide a factual accounting of the timeline and complex set of circumstances that the City, Tribe, other agencies, and citizens were dealing with. 9_ 2a-ZD 7 1 LA10V TT NI NO. Thank you, Doug Evans Note- I used email addresses on the city website. Please forward to the parties listed if the email addresses are incorrect. THE SECTION 14 STORY THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Managing Editor Al Tostado prepared thirteen articles from November 131h— 281h 1968 The initial article's Editor Note reads: Editor's Note: The following article is the first of a series written by The Desert Sun's Managing Editor, Al Tostado, about the controversial clean-up campaign conducted by the City of Palm Springs on the Indian -owned parcel commonly known locally as Section 14. THE SECTION 14 STORY ARTICLE No. TITLE DATE I City's Critics Late, also Loud, Lame II Early'60's Bring Slum Clearance Hope II Elation Over Housing Okay Fades as Recession Comes IV Hotel, Apartment Plans Set Tempo of Future for Section V Discrimination Charges Mar Section 14 Clean -Up VI Forget Cost, Cleanup Needed VII Cleanup's Phase 1 Ends Successfully Vlll Indian Bureau's Local Agent Recommends Cleanup Support IX Better Late Than Never? Apparently... X Indian Land Cleared, Empty XI 'Substantial Testimony —' Where Did It Go? XII Complete Report Compiled in Brief Visit! XIII Abundant Records Prove City Followed Legal Line in Cleanup CONCLUSION The Question Remains: Why Weren't The Critics Where the Action Was? 13 November 1968 14 November 1968 15 November 1968 16 November 1968 18 November 1968 19 November 1968 20 November 1968 21 November 1968 22 November 1968 23 November 1968 25 November 1968 26 November 1968 27 November 1968 28 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY Desert Sun Volume 42, Number 87,13 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY I City's Critics Late, also Loud, Lame (Editor's Note: The following article is the first of a series written by The Desert Sun's Managing Editor, Al Tostado, about the controversial clean-up campaign conducted by the City of Palm Springs on the Indian -owned parcel commonly known locally as Section 14). By AL TOSTADO, Managing Editor The City of Palm Springs has been damned for something it did - namely, conducting a clean- up of a cancerous slum area - I but without doubt it would have been equally damned if it hadn't! And out of the myriad ramifications which have evolved throughout the nearly 20-year history of the controversy, there has emerged no less than a two -fold irony: One, that, in this day of wide -spread social and racial unrest and revolution, with all sectors of government and private endeavor seeking to rid the country of its ghettos, the city's action should be questioned at all; And two, that those uttering the most vociferous damnations can point to no record, even of their own, of any individual or collective positive contribution for resolving the problems and the issues -neither at the time, or before, let alone since! Instead, the critics of the city have chosen to remain negative. It might just be that the city's clean-up campaign simply turned out to be too successful for them, since, at best, the damning finger -pointing has and is being done from the sanctuary of long distance. And after a long interval. They have elected to bask in a piety from having "blown the whistle" even though, after having summoned the arbiter, have produced no more than aid incomplete summary of the facts. Distorted? Perhaps. Slanted? Decidedly so. The annals of Palm Springs' unique "checkerboard" parceling of Agua Caliente Indian lands and community properties are themselves brimful of controversy and litigations that date back more than a century, and are also marked with long distance negotiations and lengthy delays brought into current focus through Congressional hearings here last May. It is generally agreed, and most times conceded on all sides, that this "checkerboarding" poses a multitude of civic and governmental problems for both the community and the Tribe THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 1 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY and Section 14 is not the least of the problems. Records show both sectors have often sought avenues for resolving the issue of Section 14, but the critics of the city have seemingly studiously avoided presenting an objective suggestion or recommendation whereby an equitable solution may be derived. They can find faults, but they can't help find constructive answers. Section 14 first became the target for a clean-up effort early in 1961, though experiencing some initial opposition to a city survey of the slum area and its conditions which had been ordered by the Federal Government Housing Agency. However. its history dates to at least ten years before. "The children of Section 14 are attending a $5 million school and living in shacks. Would you be ashamed to leave a $5 million school and go home to live in a shack?" Accounts of the time credited this statement to Joseph M. Jackson, an Anchorage. Alaska Realtor and Riverside businessman, who switched his support to the survey after previously opposing it. However, those 1961 attempts for the clean-up were short-lived, though subsequently there were some evictions, demolitions and burnings of "Tobacco Road" type structures. There were other overtures for clean-up of Section 14 at sporadic intervals during the succeeding years, but the major concerted effort, from which the latest damnation of the city stems occurred during an 18-month period in 1964 and 1965. At that, it has taken the critics more than two years to get around being critical. From the outset, the issue of Section 14 has been purported to be racial and the city has been charged with moral irresponsibility toward the minority faction which had made residence there. Its inhabitants were predominantly Negro. There is no chance for the critics to charge legal irresponsibility for even their own advocate grudgingly concedes the city acted well within its judicial bounds. Thus, the moral aspect is the lone remaining tack the critic may take -though a thorough an examination of all of the documented evidence proves even that position is untenable. (To Be Continued) THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 2 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY a d hottps://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19681113.2.10&srpos=4&e=-11-1968--12-1968--en--20-DS-1--txt-txlN-the+SECTION+14+story -----1 THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 3 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Desert Sun, Volume 42, Number 88, 14 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY II Early'60's Bring Slum Clearance Hope By AL TOSTADO, Managing Editor On May 11, 1961 it appeared that the City of Palm Springs' attempt to solve its problem of relocating the scores of people who were to be evicted from their ramshackle dwellings on Section 14 was taking a step forward. Joseph M. Jackson, Riverside businessman and Alaska Realtor, told the City Council he was calling for the residents to cooperate with municipal personnel in the survey of the area which had been ordered by the Federal Housing Agency. Jackson disclosed he had previously advised residents not to sign any questionnaires, and the move had temporarily halted the survey of the southwest quarter of the section, which had been scheduled for completion the day before. Jackson said he had not completely understood the necessity for the survey, but after a long discussion with Planning Director Jack Bearpaw, was pledging full cooperation. Jackson told The Desert Sun he was "not just representing the Negro population of the section, but all the people on the reservation" and took exception to the fact that the council thought he was. "But the council was right in taking its stand because the only area of Section 14 being surveyed is the southwest quarter section, residents of which are predominantly Negro. "In a manner of speaking these people have already been served notice that they must vacate this area, which is the desert's worst slum section." Jackson also revealed he was attempting to start immediate construction of a new housing development in Section 10, near Garnet, where he had purchased 1 OS acres of land and was planning for both purchase and rental homes. And on June 27, 1961, The Desert Sun reported that more than 430 families facing eviction from homes in Section 14 had aid coming from two directions: - A six-month moratorium on evictions announced by Mayor Frank Bogert; THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 4 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY - A promise from Federal Housing Authority representatives to the City Council that action would be speeded to certify city eligibility for financing guarantees for low- cost housing, both private homes and rental property. Section 14 residents had been under a June eviction deadline fron the Bureau of Indian Affairs that had already brought demolitions and burning of homes in the area. Richard G, Mitchell, special assistant for the Housing and Home Finance Agency of the Federal Housing Administration in San Francisco, and William Temple. FHA specialist from Los Angeles, reported Palm Springs could be certified for special housing finance guarantees within 30 to 45 days and funds could be cleared for the start of new housing construction shortly thereafter. Jackson, Riverside member of the Section 14 Housing committee told the council the Bank of America, one of the Indian property conservators, was willing to go along on early financing for low-cost housing he was planning north of the city. Spokesmen for nearly 50 Section 14 residents feared red tape would delay completion beyond the six-month eviction moratorium, but conceded the outlook was more hopeful than at any time in many months. Jackson further disclosed he was then building 85 units a half -mile north of Garnet on Indian land and was prepared to construct some 500, selling at $8,500 for two bedrooms and $9,500 for three, at $50 down and $70 per month. At this rate, a city survey showed, 55 per cent of the families in the area would be able to afford the houses, based on an estimate that persons earning $400 per month would be able to afford to buy the dwellings. It was noted these people were paying $70 to $80 per month for their housing on Section 14. And for the 45 per cent who could not afford to buy these homes, the city was working on rentals, and was also trying to assure more facile financing with no down payments and 40- year loans through the FHA. On July 8. 1961 Palm Springs financiers disclosed they were negotiating for purchase of land at the north edge of the city as a site for low-cost FHA housing facilities for the families being evicted from Section 14. Attorney Thurman Arnold announced the contemplated plan but withheld the identity of the principals in the negotiations, saying, "Nothing has jelled yet. But this is the obvious thing to do. Many people here are moving in this direction." THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 5 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY He said his group was not connected with the Jackson effort, the only other known low-cost housing movement, adding the main problem his group faced was getting the land at a low enough price to make it financially feasible. Arnold said the negotiators would probably not be able to afford more than $3,000 per acre. "Most of the land is so high around here, but low-cost rentals are the only solution to the eviction problem I know of." (To Be Continued) s 40 F xr https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19681114.2.5&srpos=3&e= 11-1968--12-1968--en--20-DS-1--txt-txlN-SECTION+14 -----1 THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 6 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Desert Sun, Volume 42, Number 89, 15 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY III Elation Over Housing Okay Fades as Recession Comes By AL TOSTADO, Managing Editor Within a week, on July 11, 1961, a dispute loomed over the low-cost rental housing for the Section 14 families when developers Robert Gould and Lawrence Crossley charged the Joseph M. Jackson effort with not even considering rentals. Gould -Crossley were then building 23 three -bedroom houses for sale at $12,000 each just outside the city limits and east of the Municipal Golf Course. They maintained they were best suited to provide the housing but had been prevented by the City Planning Commission, charging the commission had done everything it could to hamstring their efforts to build low-cost, two-story rentals in Section 20. City Planning Director Richard Coleman confirmed that the commission had twice refused a Gould -Crossley request for rezoning a five -acre plot so that 150 two-story multiple dwellings could be erected. However, Coleman pointed out that on neither occasion had the developers appealed the commission's decision to the City Council as they were entitled to do. Commission minutes showed the requests for the R-3 zoning were turned down because of not being compatible with the current plans for development in the surrounding area. Gould -Crossley argued single story dwellings, for which the area was zoned, were not financially feasible as low-cost rentals saying that only two-story multiple structures would fit the bill. Coleman countered that an 5 FHA representative, testifying before the planning commission, - disagreed, saying his agency believed single -story dwellings - would be financially feasible as t low-cost rentals. Mayor Frank Bogert, long active in trying to solve the housing problems of the minority groups in Section 14 said he thought the Gould -Crossley project would be a good thing. "I think we ought to stretch a point and let them have the zoning they want," he said. ' Due to the housing emergency at the present time, we have to lean, over backwards." THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 7 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Nevertheless, Mayor Bogert emphasized, he wanted to be sure any dwellings built for rentals would be good housing. "I don't want to see another slum area. If someone is going to build a place for these people, it should be good." The mayor doubted that the group of unidentified financiers, then negotiating for land for low cost rentals on the north edge of the city, would find land inexpensively priced enough to purchase. Bogert said land in that section was selling for $7,500 per acre. Thurman Arnold had said his group probably couldn't pay over $3,000 per acre. "A $2.5 million housing development which will be used for families displaced from Section 14 has been given approval by the Federal Housing Administration, subject to certain government specifications, and will soon be under construction within even a few feet of Palm Springs. "Eight acres of land has been purchased by the N & W Development Corp., as the site for the multi -million -dollar project and as the green light was given from Washington, the developers were already completing their plans for the apartments." This was the blockbuster news announced on August 18, 1961 by local contractor Leonard Wolf Jr. and financier Herman C. Newman and was the upshot of a previous request, of several months standing, by Mayor Bogert of Wolf to seek a solution to the problem of homes for the residents of Section 14. Purchase of the land near the north city limits had gone into escrow July 5 and the Wolf Newman applications to FHA and FHHA were processed and approved on a rush emergency order in some three weeks. Construction was scheduled to get under way shortly of 150 to 200 one, two and three bedroom, apartment homes along with two swimming pools, recreation rooms and landscaping. On hearing about the plans for the project, Mayor Bogert was elated. It had brought to an end the months upon months of studying for a solution to a problem which was only worsening with time. Burt as history now records, the W & N Development Project was not to toe, for financier Newman subsequently succumbed, and that was followed by the ' period of "tight money" when, for several years, the entire country was enveloped in a recession which set back many major housing and building development projects everywhere. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 8 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY And the period was particularly harmful to the city's plans for the immediate solution to the problems of Section 14. (To Be Continued) httr)s://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19681115.2.21&srt)os=7&e— I 1-1968--12-1968--en--20-DS-1--txt-bdN-the+SECTION+14+story -----1 THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 9 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Desert Sun, Volume 42, Number 90,16 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY IV Hotel, Apartment Plans Set Tempo of Future for Section By AL TOSTADO, Managing Editor Tuesday, Feb. 13 set the tempo, somewhat, for much of the activity in 1962 when a public hearing was set for an application by Tahquitz Development Enterprises, Inc„ for a change of zone to R-3 hotel and apartment for five acres of land on Section 14, bounded by Avenida Caballeros and Calle Alvarado extension. Twenty acres originally were applied for, but were reduced on planning commission recommendation to permit construction of de luxe cooperative apartments on the site. "The Agua Caliente Tribal Council certainly has no objection to this request - in fact, we have supported it," Ray Jackson, head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs office here, said. The second in a series of long-range Section 14 zoning plans began on June 7, 1962 in City Hall between representatives of the Agua Caliente Indian Tribal Council and municipal officials. Zones under study included a restrictive commercial zone for spacious business development along Tahquitz-McCallum Way and a high-rise hotel and apartment zone formula. The Indians, and Tribal Attorney Ray Simpson, indicated probable cooperation by tribal members for the long-range plan. Top officials of the Agua Caliente Indian Tribal Council met with Palm Springs city representatives July 5, 1962 to polish proposals for long-range Section 14 zoning. Tribal Chairman Mrs. Eileen Miquel, Tribal Secretary Mrs. Dora Joyce Prieto, former chairman Mrs. Vyola Olinger and Tribal Attorney Simpson met with Vice Mayor Ted McKinney, Councilman Harry Paisley, Planning Commissioner Robson Chambers and City Planning Director Richard Coleman. The zone plan, with City Council approval and Tribal Council endorsement, was seen as the end of a two-year struggle over zoning for the strategic mid -town section. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 10 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Upgraded zoning of strategic Indian -owned Section 14 in midtown Palm Springs cleared a major hurdle Nov. 15, 1962 when the City Planning Commission approved a zoning plan evolved by Indian owners and city officials. The plan - a compromise between some planning commission proposals and suggested plans by Palm Springs architects and Indian landowners - ended three years of discussions which brought some sharp exchanges between the Agua Caliente Tribal Council and the Palm Springs City Council. It also climaxed a petition by Tribal Council Chairman Mrs. Eileen Miguel who had urged the City Council to take reasonable action to speed solution to the three-year problem. The plan called for some new commercial and hotel zoning standards, elimination of single- family residence zoning from the section which had developed blight sectors. New zones included R-4 for large scale hotel and apartment house developments; RGA, garden apartment multiple family residential zone; and C-IAA. large-scale retail commercial zone. Tribal Attorney Simpson held that zoning for single family residence on leases would not be practical. The chief assessor for the division of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which controls policy on lease approvals for the bureau, ruled long-term residential leases were not the highest and best use of the land. Some appraised values on Section 14 held in two and 2.5 acre parcels, "are higher than the market permits," Simpson declared. "In addition, zoning has slowed development, but a program of not renewing of 'slum house leases' has upgraded the section." On the heels of the Section 14 zoning plan approval came the Nov. 16, 1962 disclosure by Tribal Attorney Simpson that the site was being considered for a Hilton Hotel. He revealed Hilton was one of the leads contacted during the survey of Section 14 and "Hilton wrote us he would be glad to have a hotel on Section 14 with a 99-year lease." Long-term leases were initiated with a special Congressional act which permitted the Palm Springs Spa development at Indian Avenue and Tahquitz-Mc-Callum Way, the first of the new developments on major Section 14 intersections since 1959. (To Be Continued) THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 11 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY e https:llcdne.ucr.edul?a=d&d=DS ] 9681116.2.28&srpos=l&e-11-1968--12-1968--en--20-DS-1--tact-bc[N-the+SECTION+14+story------1 THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 12 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Desert Sun, Volume 42, Number 91, 18 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY V Discrimination Charges Mar Section 14 Clean -Up By AL TOSTADO, Managing Editor Charges of racial discrimination were renewed on Jan. 26, 1963 in connection with a City Council study of controlled debris burning on Section 14. Three opposing views were presented to the City Council while it was approving application of tighter safety controls and explaining the burning was permitted under city ordinance. Mose Clinton, vice president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, told the meeting the council had promised a year previous not to permit burning on the Indian -owned section. Ray E. Hiller, chairman of the NAACP chapter's legal committee, said burning of small piles of debris would be acceptable. I. S. Eisen, "public relations advisor' to the group, charged that the debris problem was "a racial issue." The application was for burning debris from demolished buildings and clean-up of other trash. Walter Melrose, conservator for Indian land, owner Eugene Segundo, sought the permit under city ordinance. A suggestion that the trash be hauled away was opposed on grounds costs would be prohibitive and that controlled burning throughout the city is provided by ordinance. Councilman Harry Paisley declared the city is being whipped and the city is entirely innocent." He pointed out that either the permit should be granted, or the ordinance changed. Council pointed out the city had ordered clean-up in other sections. "In some cases, we've cleaned lots and sent the bill to the owners," Paisley said. Council granted the permit on motion by Mrs. Mary Carlin, with stipulation no piles would be larger than 20 feet at the base and at least 200 feet from an occupied structure. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 13 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Architectural approval of plans for a restaurant, shops and a 47-unit apartment building on Section 14 at Alejo Road and Indian Avenue was given June 27, 1963 by the City Planning Commission. Included in the plan for the 3.6-acre site, leased by Mrs. Eileen Miguel, Tribal Council chairman, was an underground parking facility for 80 autos, and an additional 63 parking spaces were provided on the Calle Encelia side of the project. Architectural approval also was granted for a 66-unit apartment project of the Fuller Development Co. for the northeast corner of Francis Drive and Sunrise Way, to be constructed to two stories on 29 per cent of the site. The same day public hearings on proposed new city zoning ordinances were continued to Sept. 11 at the request of Indian land owners and conservators. Simpson sought the continuance to permit further study of a detailed critique of proposed zoning ordinances. He reported gaining strong federal administrative and legislative backing for the Indians' stand against city proposed taxation of Indian improved lands. The legal counselor had previously reported that city zoning rights on the Indian lands held in trust by the federal government were subject to adjudication. Simpson's objections to industrial zoning for portions of the city airport were withdrawn when the planning commission outlined the restrictions on the zoning. "A complete and total cleanup of Section 14, described as "just trash" was urged by both the City Council and the Indian Tribal Council." This was the January, 1965 harbinger for the events leading up to the damnation of the City of Palm Springs which was culminated with the belated arrival here Tuesday, June 4, 1968, of the report of the July, 1966 investigation conducted by Loren Miller Jr., of the State Attorney General's office. The Section 14 issue was the main subject of a study session between the City Council and the Agua Caliente Tribal Council that January 1965. Mayor Bogert and Councilman Ed McCoubrey were the city voices while Mrs. Miguel, Mrs. Virginia Sanchez and Simpson were spokesmen for the Tribal Council. Bogert said Indian owners had been asked to clean up the area, some 40 acres. The Tribal Council owns some 13 acres, the rest is owned by individuals. Some of the shacks and make - THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 14 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY shift -homes were rented for $20 to $40 per month. McCoubrey advocated city clean-up even if it meant spending municipal funds. "I knew there would be objections to this, of course, but this Section 14 is a pressing problem," he said. City Attorney Jerry Bunker reminded that about three years previous a clean-up campaign was started there "but the NAACP crawled down our necks." "Are you more worried about the NAACP, or cleaning up the city?" asked Mrs. Miguel. (To Be Continued) https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS 19681118.2.39&srpos=6&e=I I-1968--12-1968--en--20-DS-1--txt-txIN-the+SECTION+14+story------1 THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 15 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Desert Sun, Volume 42, Number 92,19 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY VI Forget Cost, Cleanup Needed By AL TOSTADO, Managing Editor Councilman Ed McCoubrey was emphatically for the cleanup of Section 14,"... even if we have to spend X number of dollars to do It. It would be well for the city to spend the money. "The City Council should seriously consider financing the money for this cleanup. It would be a good investment. I know there would be some objections to this, of course, but this Section 14 is a pressing problem." Indian Agent Paul Hand wanted to know how the city felt about responsibility toward the people who might be displaced in a cleanup program. "They (allottees) are letting the places for flat-out moochers," said Mayor Bogert. "These people (residents) are not interested in improving themselves," McCoubrey added. Hand said city -sponsored public housing projects were being developed in a great number of Indian reservations. "Where could you put this public housing?" asked the mayor. There was no answer to his question. Mayor Bogert said it was as important to the Indians as it was to the city to clean up Section 14. "However, the most important aspect is that the city must cooperate with the Indians. We don't get any money from these lands at all. Forty per cent of the remaining land here is Indian land. We will have a more stabilized tax base in Palm Springs when we have cleaned up Section 14 and more of the land is leased. McCoubrey said the allottees of the land "must be assured that a cleanup is for their benefit ... The Indians have special privileges, which we recognize, but we cannot stay here and have their beautiful piece of land in the condition it is in now right in our own backyard and not do anything about it." THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 16 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY On March 3, 1965, Section 14 came under heavy fire again when city planners and the Indians found themselves still at cross purposes over how some areas should be zoned despite many months of planning that had gone into a new zoning ordinance. The planning department recommended zoning remain a composite of four zones - residential garden apartments, a high -density apartment district, a commercial district and a heavier - use commercial district. The Indians sought a higher density rate in the hotel and apartment zone and also discussed revision of parking lot standards. "We should stick to our guns," McCoubrey declared, "and go with what is best for the city, what is the best zoning for the area. The Indians are privileged people, whether we like it or not. But if we do have to make some concessions to get this placed cleaned up, I'm all for it." Planning Commissioner Dinty Moore commented: "I think you have to get the Indian Agent (Paul Hand) to get his sights down on the property values before you can make progress." Vice Mayor George Beebe Jr., said the property values had doubled in recent years. "I don't know how they (the Indians) can sit there on land worth $80,000 an acre and get $30 a month rent and have deplorable conditions. "I don't know what concessions we can give them. I would not want to waive one standard there. I think the zoning we have given them is good and the standards are good. Visible evidence that steps were being taken on the Section 14 cleanup was recorded October 19, 1965 when abandoned structures, rubbish and trash were bulldozed into piles and burned under controlled conditions by the city fire department. At least 13 old buildings were scheduled to be fired during the operation with the fire department to mount a night standby, City Manager Frank Aleshire reported to the City Council. Mayor Bogert and Councilmen Beebe and McCoubrey agreed that in some instances the city cleanup operations were lagging and asked for a speedup "particularly in the Indian -owned land of Section 14." City Manager Frank Aleshire said meetings had been held with departments responsible for keeping the city clean, "but it just takes time to accomplish." He said charred debris would also be unsightly, but steps would be taken to eliminate it. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 17 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19681119.2.46&srpos=9&e=-11-1968--12-1968--en--20-DS-1--txt-txlN-SECTION+14+----- l THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 18 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Desert Sun, Volume 42, Number 93, 20 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY VII Cleanup's Phase 1 Ends Successfully By AL TOSTADO, Managing Editor Phase One of the Section 14 clean-up campaign was reported completed on Nov 17, 196S and Fire Marshal James E. Harris presented a progress account to the city. Harris, also chief of the city's Fire Prevention Bureau, said the abatement program on the section had a June 1966, deadline, and the City Council had voted an additional $10,000 to the original $5,000 budgeted for the project. "We have a peculiar task in regard to nuisance abatement. The appearance of our community is of special importance because of the resort nature of Palm Springs," City Manager Frank Aleshire said. Although the main functions of the Fire Prevention Bureau are inspections of occupancies and enforcement of fire codes, it undertook abatement as a special project for the city. Don Abercrombie had recently joined the bureau's staff as the new cleanup coordinator and was making surveys of the areas being abated and working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Harris pointed out that while abatement was not confined to Section 14, main efforts were being exerted in this area since lit was the most adverse condition then existing in the city. He disclosed his bureau was maintaining a two -man crew, working through the Public Works Department, which was continually canvassing the entire community and cleaning up various areas throughout the city as the need arose. Preparations for the abatement of Section 14 - bordered by Indian Avenue. Ramon Road, Sunrise Way and Alejo Road had been in progress for the past six months. Phase One included four blocks near Calle Encilia and Arenas Road and was begun Oct. 18. Phase Two, a 20-block area, was then under way. The Fire Prevention Bureau anticipated the overall project would require possibly 10 phases. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 19 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Harris reported that before abatement was begun, the department studied and photographed all abandoned structures in the area. Actual demolition was handled by the Suppression Bureau of the Fire Department, as well as by some independent firms. These firms carried out various stages of the operation which the department was not equipped to handle. He disclosed only $616 had been expended up to that point for help from independent firms in abating Phase One. Suppression Bureau man hours had totaled 124, with equipment on standby for 80 hours. The prevention bureau spent 130-man hours on the project. "Although clean-up activity on Section 14 is not new," Harris declared, "this is the first time a concentrated phase -by -phase effort has been spearheaded by the city. "The project has met overwhelming acceptance. "The Bureau of Indian Affairs has recognized the value of the program, and thus, has I encouraged the Indians, their conservators and their guardians to cooperate fully." The Bureau of Fire Prevention for the City of Palm Springs has in its files a letter if received Nov. 18, 196S from Paul Hand, director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs office here, in which the city was advised of the latter bureau's actions regarding the abatement of Section 14. Hand's communique to five Indian land owners, through their conservators or guardians, informed them of the city's offer to collect, pile and burn all rubbish, trash, litter and waste in the area and he enclosed maps. He informed them this program had already been carried out in some blocks south of The Springs Apartments and was now being organized in the area bounded generally by the Baristo Canal on the south. Hand noted two of the areas were under lease, and in these instances, suggested the land owner get the consent of the lessee endorsed on the "Permit to Burn Debris." "The city is most anxious to proceed in this program. Let's show our appreciation of city assistance by moving on this program with all possible speed." Hand concluded. (To Be Continued) THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 20 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY httos://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19681120.2.48&srr)os=13&e=-11-1968--12-1968--en--20-DS-1--txt-txlN-SECTION+14+-----1 THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 21 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Desert Sun, Volume 42, Number 94, 21 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY VIII Indian Bureau's Local Agent Recommends Cleanup Support By AL TOSTADO, Managing Editor March 7, 1966 saw the Bureau of Fire Prevention file a progress report with the City of Palm Springs on the Section 14 abatement program. From Oct. 18, 1966 to Feb 24, 1966 the bureau conducted 410 inspections and re -inspections of structures and the area; 152 notifications had been sent to either conservators, guardians, allotees or occupants. Demolitions of structures totaled 155, including 43 which had been abandoned and 112 which had been vacated; and the same number, 1 SS of controlled burnings of structures, trash, litter and rubbish had been conducted. April 25, 1966 saw Leonard M. Hill, director of the Sacramento office for the Bureau of Indian Affairs receive a request from the Washington, D.C. office for more information "as soon as possible as to the implications of this proposed demolition grant and what bearing it has on the trust responsibilities of the Bureau." Hill was advised of the Acting Urban Renewal Commissioner's request to the Washington office whether or not, the notice issued by the Secretary of the Interior, published June 25, 1965 was broad enough to cover the activities contemplated by the City of Palm Springs under a pending application for a demolition gram under Section 116 of the Housing Act of 1949 as amended. "The City proposes to carry out a demolition program on the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. Under the Demolition Grant Program, federal grants are made to cities and other municipalities to assist in financing the cost of demolishing structures which under state or local law, have been determined to be structurally unsound or unfit for human habitation. The local public agency acquires no interest in the properties but relies on the police power for its authority." The city's Bureau of Fire Prevention marked May 12, 1966 as the date of receipt of a copy of this letter. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 22 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY May 11, I966 saw Paul Hand, of the Palm Springs' Indian Affairs office, forward an informational communique to Hill in response to the latter's request, stemming from the April 25, 1966 letter he'd received from Washington. Hand wrote: "The efforts of the City of Palm Springs, the Probate Court, the Bureau, various conservators and guardians, the Tribal Council and Indian land owners to secure removal of sub -standard dwellings on various Indian lands, but particularly in downtown Section 14 have extended over the past six years." "The City first attempted to get the clean-up program carried out on a voluntary basis with the landowners to stand all costs. This program was partially successful and resulted in a substantial number of dwellings being destroyed. "Under this program thejob was not completed, however, and the City renewed its efforts for a voluntary program in 1964. We enclose a copy of a resolution of the City dated September 21. 1964, setting forth the City's position. "The City's resolution met with little response, primarily for the reason that Indians were enjoying some income from occupants of the sub -standard dwellings and for the further reason that many of the Indian estates did not have sufficient funds available to finance the cost, of further clean-up. "The City, subsequent to its effort of September1964, then investigated the legal possibilities of declaring such improvements legally nuisances but abandoned this approach when it concluded that the City had to legal means to put enforceable liens on Indian lands to defray City costs of abatement, i.e. removal. "In the latter part of 1965, he City appropriated funds and established the office of coordinator, to which office was assigned the responsibility of negotiating the procurement of permits to bum debris from various Indian land owners. A copy of the permit, form is attached. The coordinator contacted this office and asked for our participation, to which request we responded. Enclosed us a sample communication which we sent to a number of Indians or conservators or guardians on whose lands some of these shacks were located. "It will be noted that our letter states that the City did not have funds available to complete the removal of debris and that the City hoped to have available funds at a later date for financing the clean-up operation The coordinator initiated, also, a program at City expense to remove remnants of motor vehicles. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 23 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY "As a result of the City's decision to finance the removal of unclaimed vehicles and the burning of sub -standard dwellings, the City has to date removed 182 dwellings, the burning being done under a program supervised by the City Fire Department. "Currently there remains a substantial number of sub -standard dwellings and other buildings on Indian lands. We are informed by the city coordinator that his survey shows approximately 35 such units. "Many of these are located in Section 14 but there are some on other Indian trust lands within the City limits. In addition to the remaining sub -standard buildings there is debris remaining from the various supervised burnings which desirably should be trucked to the local dump. "The City's current program has met with a high degree of acceptance by the Conservators, Guardians, Tribal Council and the various Indian land owners. "It is my recommendation that any effort initiated by the City to procure additional funds for furthering the City's cleanup program on Indian lands located within the City be fully supported by the Bureau of Indian Affairs." (To Be Continued) httns://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19681121.2.82&LWs=l5&e,l1-1968--12-1968--en--20-DS-1--txt-txIN-SECTION+14+------ 1 THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 24 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Desert Sun, Volume 42, Number 94, 22 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY IX Better Late Than Never? Apparently... By AL TOSTADO, Managing Editor In a memorandum to the press, marked for release at 11 a.m., Tuesday, June 4, 1968 came the announcement by the State Attorney General's office that "the city of Palm Springs was charged today with a 'classic study in civic disregard for the rights of minority citizens.' "This charge highlighted a report on Palm Springs' demolition of its Negro ghetto, The report was released by Chief Deputy Attorney General Charles A. O'Brien in Los Angeles. Deputy Attorney General Loren Miller Jr., chief of the Attorney General's Constitutional Rights Unit, prepared the report." The Miller Jr., report is dated May 31, 1968, which, by his own preamble, is nearly two years after he initiated his investigation on July 25, 1966. He explains that the delay resulted from extended unavailability of certain participants and work load problems within his unit. Now, just to keep the chronological order of things straight, it should be interjected here that the first accounts of the state's probe of the city's 'slum' plan appeared on April 2-3, 1967, again nearly a year after Miller launched his quest for the facts. But, we'll get to these a little later. Miller reported to O'Brien that the Attorney General's office was requested on July 22. 1966, by the Fair Employment Practices Commission to contact Mr. Ernest Moore of the Office of Economic Opportunity in Palm Springs, concerning the removal of several hundred residents from an area of that city known as Section 14. The FEPC request to the Attorney General's office which Mr. Moore had written to Governor Edmund G. Brown. Miller reports coming to Palm Springs and conferring with Moore, who told him the city had burned down the homes of Negro residents of Section 14 — "destroying their personal belongings, as well as the buildings, without giving the residents sufficient notice of the planned destruction." He continues that following this initial meeting, on July 25, 1966, extensive interviews were conducted by Miller and a special agent of the Department of Justice. The interviews included city officials, contractors involved in the property destruction, conservators for the Indians, and residents of Section 14. Most of the demolition occurred in late 1965 and in 1966. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 25 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Miller offers his explanation for the delay in filing his report, then concludes his prefacing remarks with, "Every statement in this report is based on substantial testimony by knowledgeable witnesses and participant." There is no evidence that any crimes were committed in the removal of the residents of Section 14 and the destruction of their home. "Yet the incident displayed a unique insensitivity on the part of the City of Palm Springs to the problem of adequate minority housing, in particular, and to minority -community relations in general." This is Miller's opening comment in the conclusion portion of his report. He goes on to say: "The manner in which the demolition of Section 14 was accomplished makes it a classic study in civic disregard for the rights and feelings of minority citizens. "Homes were destroyed with no real concern on the part of the city that the families were properly notified of the impending destruction. Accompanying the imperious destruction of the Negro homes in Section 14 is the city's continuing disconcern for relocation of these citizens. This has resulted in many minority citizens being forced to live in Beaumont or Banning - 25 or 30 miles from their working places in Palm Springs. Other former residents of Section 14 moved into a formerly defunct housing tract in a desolate, windswept area of north Palm Springs, where they live two and three families to a house." Miller acknowledges Palm Springs is a relatively small city, and the number of persons involved was only 1,000 then contends "this does not excuse the city's action, nor does it diminish the antagonism of the persons involved in the eviction and destruction. ' "In terms of proportionate population. Palm Springs' action is equivalent to the arbitrary removal of 200,000 persons from their homes in Los Angeles. "When a natural holocaust devastated sections of the wealthy Los Angeles suburb called Bel Air, it was declared a disaster area and received special federal benefits. The minority residents of Section 14 did not receive such aid when their homes were destroyed by a city engineered holocaust. Such inequities give rise to antagonisms." (To Be Continued) THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 26 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY https://cdnc. ucr.ed u/?a=d&d=DS19681122.2.78&srpos=5&e=-11-1968--12-1968--en--20-DS-1--txt-txl N-SECTION+14------1 THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 27 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Desert Sun, Volume 42, Number 96,23 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY X Indian Land Cleared, Empty By AL TOSTADO, Managing Editor Attorney General Loren Miller Jr. backgrounded his report on Section 14 with the comments that "for about 35 years, the main available living area for working people of Palm Springs was Indian land adjacent. to the downtown business area of the city ... known as Section 14 of the Indian reservation. "During the past three decades, this area became the primary residential area for the Negro and Mexican -American population of Palm Springs. This resulted from two main factors: "- The average minority person could not afford to live in any other area of Palm Springs; De facto racial segregation was prevalent in Palm Springs, as in other parts of California." He continued that when these tenancies first were created and for many years after, the leases of the land from the Indians were limited to a five-year duration by federal law. "Under the tenancy created on the reservation land and approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the tenant leased the land from the Bureau for a stated price and was then permitted to build or relocate a dwelling place upon that piece of land. The lease further provided that the tenant owned the dwelling place in which he resided and was free at any time to remove the dwelling place from the land. "Homes on the Indian land were equipped with utilities and the majority were built under permits issued by the City Building Department. City Building Inspectors passed on the buildings while they were under construction. "Homeowners also paid taxes to Riverside County, based on the value of their residences. House values ranged from $1,000 to $8,000." Miller points that in 1959 a new federal law distributed the Indian -held land in Palm Springs to individual members of the Agua Caliente tribe, and also provided for 99-year leases on Indian property, rather than the traditional short-term leases. "When the new 99-year leases became available, the City of Palm Springs and various real estate developers became interested in the commercial development of Section 14. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 28 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY He continues that originally, the city planned to use abatement laws to clear Section 14, but conflicting jurisdiction between the city and the Bureau of Indian Affairs "frustrated this scheme. "Conflicts between the city and the Indians over proposed zoning for this area also arose, following 1959, he reports. "Complaints were received by this office, during this period, concerning city development plans for Section 14. These initially vague complaints concerned possible conflicts of interest and questionable actions of Indian conservators. "They also charged overriding city interest in commercial development of the land, without regard to the interests of the current tenants." Miller went on to point out that the same 1959 law for long-term leases and individual distribution of the Indian land also provided for conservators to protect the individual Indians' interests. "In 1964, the City of Palm Springs approached the conservators with a plan to raze Section 14. The city proposed that the Indians - through their conservators - terminate the leases or rentals of the lands. The city would then clear the land, using city funds." Looking into the legal method, Miller reported: "The city - to protect itself against any legal action - asked the conservators to serve notice upon the tenants that tenancy would be terminated within the statutory period of thirty days. "The conservators were also to inform the tenants that permits to clear the land would be issued to the city after the tenants were served with the notices." The Attorney General's investigator contends that "testimony was received that the conservators in many instances did not actually consult with the Indian owners of the land concerning the termination of the leases in Section 14. "Testimony from several sources indicated that the conservators, in many instances, executed the eviction notices without making a full disclosure to their Indian wards, who were leasing the land. "Further testimony indicated that many of the Indians were induced to execute various documents by statements of the conservators that they could lease the land at higher rentals to commercial enterprises." To date, the land cleared in Section 14 has not been leased and stands vacant." THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 29 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Earlier in his report, Miller maintained the Indians who own the land are disillusioned, since the land which once produced revenue for them now lies vacant. (To Be Continued) httos://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19681123.2.46&sroos=6&e=-11-1968--12-1968--en--20-DS-1--txt-txl N-SECTI0N+14------1 THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 30 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Desert Sun, Volume 42, Number 97, 25 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY XI `Substantial Testimony -Where Did It Go? By AL TOSTADO, Managing Editor "Every statement in this report is based on substantial testimony by knowledgeable witnesses and participants." This was the closing comment submitted by Deputy Attorney General Leon Miller Jr., chief of the Attorney General's Constitutional Rights Unit, to his superior, Charles A. O'Brien, Chief Deputy Attorney General in Los Angeles. And Miller went on to cite: "Joe Leonard, of Leonard Construction Co., indicates that a dwelling which he owned on the reservation land was demolished without notice and that his property inside the dwelling was destroyed and burned. "It should be noted that Lewis Hunt, who was employed by the Valley Equipment and Sales Co., stated that he was threatened with a gun by a Section 14 homeowner when he attempted a demolition. "This story was confirmed by Chief of Police Orest Johnson and also by Captain White of the Palm Springs Police Department. This corroborates to some degree the stories of the former tenants of the area that the city was demolishing homes which were occupied and had personal possessions in them. "While the city maintains that all persons living on the land, or known owners of dwellings, received notices that the dwellings would be demolished, the former tenants disagree. A majority of tenants claim that they did not receive 30-day notices, nor three-day notices, nor any notices. "Many tenants discovered the demolition after the dwellings had been knocked down and their belongings were missing. Among the possessions lost or destroyed were such items as air conditioners, stoves, refrigerators and clothing. The tenants steadfastly maintain that few of them ever received a notice to vacate their land. "For example: Homer Manning, a member of the City Human Relations Council, was informed by his tenant that his building - valued at $8,000 - was about to be demolished. He was told THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 31 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY that a bulldozer was ready to knock down the building. He was able to retrieve some, but not all of his property. "Mr. Moses Clinton said that his house - occupied by his son. Harl—was destroyed without his knowledge while his son was at work. Hari Clinton's personal belongings, along with a stove, refrigerator, furniture and an air conditioner, were either destroyed or taken from the house. "Mr. James Goree said that his house - valued at $3,400 and occupied by his sister - was destroyed without notice. Similarly destroyed was the house of an elderly neighbor, a Mrs. Spilletti, who died following her eviction." The Miller report fails to substantiate the inference the woman's death was the result of the eviction. "Mr. R. L. Lucas, a 77 year old man, received a notice to vacate several dwellings he owned. He did not believe the notices. The City destroyed five dwellings owned by Mr. Lucas and valued at $5,100. Mr. Lucas also states that he lost six water tanks, four stoves, four refrigerators, six air conditioners, 15 beds and 15 mattresses. Mr. Lucas depended on a total rental of $460 per month from these units for his support. "Mrs. Van Williams received an eviction notice but disregarded it and took a trip to Los Angeles. When she returned, her house -valued at $7,500 and all her personal possessions had been destroyed. She had built the home in 1964 and had been a resident of Palm Springs since 1933. F Miller further reported: "Perhaps the most conclusive evidence of the city's attitude is the fact that the City of Palm Springs kept no official record of the persons displaced and the residences destroyed in Section 14, and could offer no evidence of any attempt at determining that each homeowner and resident had been properly served with eviction notices. "The City of Palm Springs not only disregarded the residents of Section 14 as property owners, taxpayers and voters; Palm Springs ignored that the residents of Section 14 were human beings." This was how Loren Miller Jr., concluded his ten -page report - and it is curious how the "substantial testimony" by other "knowledgeable witnesses and participants" could have been completely omitted from it. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 32 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19681125.2.115&srpos=14&e=-11-1968--12-1968--en--20-DS-1--txt-txIN-SECTION+14+ -----1 THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 33 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Desert Sun, Volume 42, Number 98, 26 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY XII Complete Report Compiled in Brief Visit! By AL TOSTADO, Managing Editor It is now November 1968, nearly six months since May 31 when Loren Miller Jr. submitted his report to Charles A. O'Brien, Chief Deputy Attorney General, and since June 4, 1968, when the contents of that report were released to the press. We point with emphasis to the span of six months because it has taken that long for City Manager Frank Aleshire and the various municipal department heads to search their files for the documented history of the question - Section 14! And they're still searching! Six months plus is marked contrast to the length of time Miller spent gathering the material upon which he based his report. Aleshire's best recollection credits Miller with only a one -day visit here. Though, acknowledging the attorney general's investigator the benefit of the doubt. Miller could have spent three or four days here, but no city official can, in good faith, credit him with as much as a week. So, it's no wonder Miller's findings do not include some very pertinent public records in the city's files. Even the briefest and barest of chronologies, one would think, should include that in April, 1951, the City of Palm Springs, was instructed by the California Housing Authority and the county Department of Health that the dwelling units in Section 14 were sub -standard and should be abated. That same year, eviction notices were issued to Section 14 residents of dwellings which had been built originally for Indians prior to 1951. The records read like a diary: June 6, 1951 - The City adopted Resolution 3172 instructing the city manager to arrange meetings and to try to solve the problem of housing for colored people on Section 14. Dec. 19, 1951 - Resolution 3307 instructed the city manager to secure deferments of eviction notices which had been issued to May 1952. In some cases, the deferments ranged six months or more. Jan. 9, 1952 - Resolution 3338 saw the City Council appoint a five -man committee to work on the housing problems. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 34 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY - June 30, 1953 - Resolution 3808 declared a moratorium on the enforcement of City Housing Code regulations, giving the people on Section 14 six months to bring their properties up to standard. - Sept. 1953 - the City Council extended this moratorium to - June 1, 1964. - Oct. 6, 1953 - Resolution 3900 called for the council to appoint a three-man board to conduct abatement hearings. There were a number of hearings held well into the latter part of 1955. - March 1961, Resolution 6213 requested the Federal Housing Administration to issue certificates which would make the people of Section 14 eligible for relocation assistance under Section 221 of the Housing Code. - April 1961, Resolution 6291 shows the City Council directing city administrations to make back surveys of Section 14 to support the requests for assistance as required by the federal agency. Two weeks later, on April 17, the Building Department reported there were 271 occupied dwellings and 20 vacant houses in the southwest quarter of Section 14. - June 12, 1961 - Resolution 6419 ordered the appointment of a seven -member Citizens' Committee for Section 14 to work on the housing problems. One of the members was Rev. Jeff Rollins. Later that month, Richard Mitchell, special assistant to the Regional Administrator of the Housing and Home Financing Administration of the federal government, appeared before the City Council to explain what had to be done by the city in order to qualify the 221 housing assistance program. - July 10, 1961 - Resolution 6454 saw the council approve a program for community improvement, which was one of the requirements of the HHFA. - February 19, 1962 - Resolution 6781 had the council requesting the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Conservators -Guardians to formulate a program to remove debris from Section 14. - Sept. 21, 1964 - Resolution 8168 was a council request to the Agua Caliente Indian Tribal Council, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian allottees and the Conservators -Guardians to aid the city in cleaning up Section 14. - Feb. 8, 1965 - the City Council requested the City Manager to study all feasible means for cleaning up Section 14. - Oct. 4, 1965 - the City Council declared Section 14 a public nuisance and authorized the Fire Department to burn debris. (To Be Continued) THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 35 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19681126.2.70&srpos=2&e=-09-1968--01-1969--en--20-DS-1--txt-txlN-SECTION+14----- 1 THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 36 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Desert Sun, Volume 42, Number 99,27 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY XIII Abundant Records Prove City Followed Legal Line in Cleanup By AL TOSTADO, Managing Editor The chronology of municipal documents regarding the Section 14 clean-up continues with an Oct. 25, 1965, action in which the city council appropriated $10,000 to the fire department for expenses stemming from the project. On April 25, 1966, the City of Palm Springs received a letter from Pete Siva, chairman of the tribal council, thanking the city for cleaning up Section 14. February 27, 1967 - Resolution 8872 authorized the city manager to accept $45,000 from the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the demolition and burning work on Section 14. Additionally, city records show that during a period from 1961 to 1963, 108 structures on Section 14 were demolished as a result of actions by private citizens in connection with new building construction such as the Spa and Dunes Hotels, Plaza Motors, Welmas Springs Apartments and Villa Alejo Apartments. A period from 1959 to 1965 saw the city eliminate 21 structures as part of the Fire Department's cooperative program with the owners. And during the same period, 79 additional structures were removed by owners without city cooperation or assistance. After Oct. 30, 1965, the city removed 230 structures where owners gave permission to burn after the owners had evicted the tenants. The city demolished only vacant structures such as ramshackle trailer and outhouse and garage -type dwelling units. A 1961 report from the planning and police departments held there were some 2,000 persons among the approximately 173 families of two or more persons to be displaced. It also held there were 321 white families and 115 non -white families residing in the section in question. On Oct. 10, 1961, the city council rezoned five acres of Section 20 for 120 low cost housing units. Developer Robert Gould applied for a low interest loan for the project and subsequently announced the city had qualified for it. In Dec. 1961, seven and a half acres were rezoned in Section 34 on the north end of town for a development of from 200 to 250 units. However, developer William Newman died before he could gel the proposed project under way. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 37 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY In Jan. 1965, 20 acres of Section 20 were rezoned for a 300-unit low-cost housing project proposed by developer Paul King. In Nov. 1967, the city council disapproved a proposed federal rent supplement program for an eight -acre parcel in Section 34 on grounds that it didn't feel such a program was appropriate for Palm Springs. In July of this year (1968), the city issued a permit to Baron Construction Company for 60 units of low-cost housing at Cherokee and East Palm Canyon and that effort is now going ahead. Various utility companies' records show that in 1965 there were 372 gas hook-ups in Section 14, while this year there are only 303 in all of Section 14, including all new as well as old buildings. The electric company reports 268 resident meters were in operation in 1963 in Section 14, and there are 118 in 1968. The water company pulled out a total of 138 water meters between 1964 and 1965 and lists 93 meters in the section in 1965. Fire department records show it abated 235 structures in Section 14 between 1965 and 1967, of which 92 were abandoned and the remaining 143 were evictions by Indian owners. To date, no one has come forth with legal action to support the charge that the abated structures belonged to the people living in them and that the city destroyed their property illegally. "In all cases," Aleshire avers, the Indian owners either had no leases at all with the residents, or bad leases that contained a 30-day cancellation clause. "Evictions were handled by the Indian owners of their conservators or guardians who, under the terms of their leases, gave 30 days' notice. "In cases where the residents were not moving out, the owners or their spokesmen went to court, secured an eviction order which was served by deputies and eventually the people moved out. There are detailed records of these actions," the city manager maintains. Only one lawsuit has been filed as a result of the abatements - by Joe Leonard, claiming the building he owned was worth $2,000. He sued the city for that amount, in Superior Court at Indio. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 38 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY "It is true that the city destroyed a residence owned by the plaintiff. It is true that the city secured a permit for demolition from land owner Dora Joyce Prieto. "It is not true that the plaintiff was damaged in any amount. It is not true that plaintiff had any property rights whatsoever, and it is not true that the city wrongfully destroyed the plaintiff's property." So ruled Judge Merrill! Brown. (To Be Concluded) https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19681127.2.38&srpos=4&e=-11-1968--12-1968--en--20-DS-1--txt-txlN-SECTI0N+14+----- 1 THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 39 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Desert Sun, Volume 42, Number 100, 28 November 1968 THE SECTION 14 STORY Conclusion The Question Remains: Why Weren't The Critics Where the Action Was? By AL TOSTADO, Managing Editor Despite the record, Deputy Attorney General Loren Miller Jr. was still able to charge Palm Springs with "a classic study in civic disregard for the rights of minority citizens" in his report to his superiors - report he admitted was two years late. Miller, chief of the state Attorney General's Constitutional Rights Unit, linked the ghetto destruction to federal accusations of misconduct by conservators for the Agua Caliente Indians. "Homeowners who leased lots in Section 14 saw their homes destroyed without notice and their personal property burned," Miller wrote. Apart from the 30-day clauses in what few leases there were, as well as the eviction notices, which Miller charges "the city paid little attention to," what about the city's actions which date from 1951? It appears that Miller regards a decade and a half as short notice? That is, if he's taken that long and detailed process into consideration at all. As for the burning of personal property, is there anyone, let alone city and fire department officers, so ignorant that he would put to the torch someone else's belongings while aware of the legal repercussions that no doubt would ensue? And then Miller wrote: "Perhaps the most conclusive evidence of the city's attitude is the fact that the City of Palm Springs kept no official records of the persons displaced and the residences destroyed in Section 14, and could offer no evidence of any attempt at determining that each homeowner and resident had been properly served with eviction notices." It appears more that it was Miller who did not make the attempt. And what about Ernest Moore, who was then with the Office of Economic Opportunity in Palm Springs? Miller credits Moore with the writing of a letter to Gov. Edmund G. Brown, disclosing the removal of the residents of Section 14 and initiating the Miller investigation. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 40 of 42 THE SECTION 14 STORY Moore appears as little more than a walk-on in the piece, but it seems that with his zeal in letter writing and his concern for the minority people in question, he could have projected himself into a greater role. There are some 400 funding programs administered by more than 100 federal agencies whereby communities may secure financial aid for whatever their municipal problems might be. Thus, it would seem that through his post in the Office of Economic Opportunity, by direct or indirect contact, Moore could have provided Palm Springs with guidelines at least to alleviate the plights of both the city and the residents of Section 14. But he didn't. At last word, Moore was still nearby - in the Riverside Office of Economic Opportunity though he hasn't been heard from here recently. But, maybe better late than never. Finally, Miller wrote: "We would recommend that the City of Palm Springs undertake special efforts to correct the problems of inadequate minority housing and the general low level of relations between the city government and the minority residents of Palm Springs." He asks for special efforts, but he doesn't suggest even one. "The Indians who own the land also are disillusioned, since the land which once produced revenue for them now lies vacant. "This disillusionment is closely connected with the federal government's investigation of the administration of Indian guardianships and conservatorships in Palm Springs. "There is evidence of unusual cooperation between developers, the Indian conservators, and the City of Palm Springs in the demolition of Section 14. "The Section 14 situation reinforces the question of Indian conservator conduct which was initially raised by the Department of Interior." Well, the Department of Interior has yet to make formal charges stemming from its investigation of conservator conduct, and recent legislation in the congress will give its Bureau of Indian Affairs the chance to erase the Indians' disillusionment and bring forth occupants, and revenue, for the lands now lying vacant. THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 41 of 42 b . A_ Y THE SECTION 14 STORY .NOW - : MM -- a eon. ,., _ - - . . - httos://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19681128.2.44&sroos=8&e=-11-1968--12-1968--en--20-DS-1--txt-txlN-SECTION+14+----- 1 THE DESERT SUN 1968 SERIES OF ARTICLES by AL TOSTADO, MANAGING EDITOR Page 42 of 42