The nation's first Wienerschnitzel hot dog stand may soon be designated a Historic-Cultural Monument, which would make it the first drive-thru restaurant to be honored as a "significant and cherished historic resource" by the city of Los Angeles.

The city's Cultural Heritage Commission will tour the hot dog stand at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Gulf Drive in Wilmington on Thursday in preparation for a likely vote next month. If the CHC approves the request, the recommendation will go to the City Council for final approval.

Wienerschnitzel, which was known as Der Wienerschnitzel from its founding in 1961 until it dropped the "Der" in 1977, is the world's largest chain of hot dog restaurants. Its 350 restaurants in 10 states (plus Guam) sell  120 million hot dogs a year, according to the company.

The request to have the first Der Wienerschnitzel designated a Historic-Cultural Monument came from the family of company founder, John Galardi, who passed away earlier this summer. Councilman Joe Buscaino's staff initiated the nomination through a Council motion, and the Planning Department's Office of Historic Resources is preparing the nomination, according to OHR manager Ken Bernstein.

Buscaino's planning deputy, Alison Becker, told LandUseLA.com that the council office was happy to help with the request because Der Wienterschnitzel's origins are "a big deal here in Wilmington. ... We were really glad when the Planning Department staff agreed that it is a location that is worthy of a nomination."

Bernstein said the company's global reach has a lot to do with the nomination. "The significance cited in the motion is largely tied to this site's status as the first location of a significant large chain," Bernstein told LandUseLA.com.

The City currently has more than 1,000 Historic-Cultural Monuments, providing official recognition and protection for Los Angeles’ "most significant and cherished historic resources," according to the Cultural Heritage Commission. If approved, this would be the 11th HCM in the Wilmington-Harbor City area.

Among the restaurants that have received the HCM designation in LA: the Original Pantry in downtown Los Angeles, the Brown Derby in Los Feliz, Yamashiro in Hollywood and the Munch Box in Chatsworth. But Der Wienerschnitzel would be the first honored restaurant with a drive-thru, which was a unique feature when the hot dog stand opened 53 years ago but has become ubiquitous with fast-food restaurants in recent decades.

Cultural Heritage Commission agenda for Sept. 12:
http://cityplanning.lacity.org/MeetingsNHearings/dsp_viewFileDetail.cfm?filename=44283

Planning Department Case:
http://planning.lacity.org/cts_internet/index.cfm?urlCaseId=192843&caseNumber=CHC-2013-2484-HCM&fuseaction=case.summary

Historic-Cultural Monuments in Wilmington-Harbor City area:
http://cityplanning.lacity.org/complan/HCM/dsp_hcm_result.cfm?community=Wilmington%20-%20Harbor%20City

John Galardi dies at 75; founder of Der Wienerschnitzel
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/14/local/la-me-ln-john-galardi-obit-20130414

A wave of protest may great members of the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners when they meet Thursday in San Pedro.

The Los Angeles Conservancy is rallying supporters, asking them to attend the board's monthly meeting to demand that the commissioners upgrade their commitment to preserving historical assets at the West Coast's largest port.

Thursday's meeting is critical, since the commissioners are scheduled to vote on the final Environmental Impact Report for the Port of Los Angeles Master Plan Update. Conservationists feel the Port is not making a strong enough commitment to preserving historic buildings and sites.

"The Los Angeles Conservancy strongly believes that the historic buildings of Terminal Island should be preserved and reused rather than demolished," the Conservancy wrote in its position paper. "The proposed Port Master Plan Update limits opportunities to revitalize these places through adaptive reuse and, in some cases, calls for their demolition."

Port Department staff members, in their report to the commissioners, say that they have identified facilities associated with the former Japanese Fishing Village as being eligible for listing as a historic resource and have updated the draft Master Plan to accommodate the preservation of historical resources.

This isn't the first time that conservationists have expressed disappointment in the Port operations. A year ago, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Harbor's Terminal Island as one of America's most endangered historic places.

"Terminal Island presents an incredible opportunity to transform a vital piece of America's industrial past for new uses while also preserving an important part of our nation's cultural history," the president of the trust told Bob Pool of the Los Angeles Times.

The commissioners meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday at the Port of Los Angeles Administration Building, 425 S. Palos Verdes St., San Pedro.

Los Angeles Conservancy Terminal Island website:
https://www.laconservancy.org/issues/terminal-island

LA Times:  Not a safe harbor for history
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/07/local/la-me-port-preservation-20120607

Port of Los Angeles Board of Commissioners agenda:
http://www.portoflosangeles.org/Board/2013/August%202013/08_08_13_Regular_Agenda.asp

Port of Los Angeles Draft EIR Motion:
http://www.portoflosangeles.org/Board/2013/August%202013/080613_Item_4.pdf