LA tolerance museum faces intolerance from its neighbors

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Neighbors are losing their tolerance for the Museum of Tolerance.

People who live near the museum in West Los Angeles oppose plans for a two-story cultural center that could be rented out for private events, such as weddings. The museum also wants to expand its hours to midnight, when such events are held, and to reduce its 100-foot buffer zone from homes to 20 feet. Some neighbors, concerned about additional noise and traffic, have collected about 70 signatures for a petition asking the city to reject the proposal.

“They don’t care about us as neighbors,” said Sharron Lerman, a neighbor and museum member. “Very insensitive.” The museum is owned by the Simon Wiesenthal Center. The center’s founder and dean, Rabbi Marvin Hier, said the 13,500-square-foot cultural center was needed to raise money and accommodate demand.