Hayden Returns Donation

When City Council candidate Tom Hayden received a campaign contribution recently from Playboy Enterprises Inc., it surprised some activists in the 5th District, but not because of prudishness.

The surprise was that Hayden accepted the contribution even though Sandy Brown, his campaign coordinator, is also president of the Holmby-Westwood Property Owners Assn., which has been waging a battle to impose restrictions on the use of the Playboy Mansion.

Brown has led the charge, claiming that the neighborhood has been disrupted by private parties at the Holmby Hills estate. She has asked the city to investigate whether the parties are part of a business enterprise subject to more regulation or are indeed the private affairs of Hugh Hefner, founder and editor in chief of Playboy Enterprises.

Brown announced this week that Hayden has decided to return the $250 contribution.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Brown said. “It’s uncomfortable to talk to residents about problems when you have received a check from the person causing the problem. It’s cleaner this way.”

Hefner said he is taking neighbors’ complaints seriously and is taking measures to reduce the impact of traffic and parking in the neighborhood, where some homes go for $5 million or more.

“There are dramatic changes that have taken place in the last couple of months in response to the complaints,” Hefner said in an interview.

He said many of the parties are events for charity or to promote Playboy, but he denied renting the mansion to outside groups.

“I have tried to be a responsive and conscientious neighbor from the beginning,” Hefner said, noting that the mansion has been a hub of activity for 30 years.

The contribution to Hayden had already been noted by his rivals in the 11-person race in a council district that extends from Van Nuys to Westwood.

Brown said that in the last four years, more private groups have been using the property in ways similar to a commercial rental hall.

“It has really escalated, sometimes with four of five parties a month,” said Brown, whose group represents 1,100 homeowners.

She said valets sometimes park cars on surrounding streets and catering trucks block narrow roadways near the mansion.

“When you have helicopters hovering over your house to get a look at Hefner’s parties, and traffic, it gets to be too much,” she said.

The mansion, which is owned by Playboy Enterprises, has parking for 30 vehicles. Any time an event with 100 or more people is scheduled, a shuttle is set up. The mansion also has a 24-hour-a-day complaint line that neighbors can call to report problems.

As a peace offering, Playboy has suggested that the homeowners association use the mansion for its annual membership meeting.

“We would not do that,” Brown said.