Hillside Cadastre · Architectural Provenance · Prop. 13

The Hillside Cadastre: Mapping Studio City’s Sunshine Terrace, Brill Drive & Eureka Drive

A forensic investigation into 252 parcels ($303.95M assessed valuation) winding through the Studio City hills: tracing entertainment executives, music legends, and cinematic landmarks across Sunshine Terrace, the Brill Drive cul-de-sac, and the ascending spine of Eureka Drive, where statutory Proposition 13 base years create an 88.6-to-1 tax disparity across the same ridge.

I. The Hillside Topography: Geography, Access & Historical Subdivisions

Rising sharply above Ventura Boulevard in Studio City (ZIP 91604), Sunshine Terrace, Brill Drive, and Eureka Drive form an interconnected hillside enclave occupying the north-facing slope of the Santa Monica Mountains. Located immediately south of the historic Campo de Cahuenga transit portal and the Hollywood Freeway (US 101), this ridge acts as an elevated residential shelf between the commercial density of the Valley floor and the ridgeline of Mulholland Drive.

Within this network, Eureka Drive functions as the indispensable ascending spine. Rising from Ventura Boulevard at its commercial base, Eureka climbs south through steep sandstone canyons to intersect with Hendley Drive, feed the double-cul-de-sac of Brill Drive, and connect directly with the cross-ridge thoroughfare of Sunshine Terrace.

The enclave's urban form took shape in the 1920s and 1930s following the opening of Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios (now the 40-acre Radford Studio Center, recently operated by Hackman Capital Partners). As Hollywood transitioned to sound pictures, hillside subdivisions—including Tract No. 5124, Tract No. 6366, and Tract No. 7563—were carved into the sandstone terrain. These steep parcels offered artists, screenwriters, cinematographers, and studio executives private knolls with sweeping views across the San Fernando Valley to the Verdugo Mountains and San Gabriel peaks.

Today, the combined three-street corridor contains 252 secured residential parcels with a cumulative assessed valuation of $303,948,617 ($303.95 Million):

• Sunshine Terrace (192 parcels | $223.31M): The winding trans-ridge collector street connecting Cahuenga Pass to Laurel Canyon.
• Brill Drive (17 parcels | $21.47M): A secluded double-cul-de-sac climbing off the 11300 block of Sunshine Terrace, accessed via Eureka Drive.
• Eureka Drive (43 parcels | $59.16M): The vital ascending spine roadway and transit artery climbing from Ventura Boulevard to the ridgeline.

II. Ownership & Executive Stewardship Audit

In accordance with our investigative research standards, all parcels along Sunshine Terrace, Brill Drive, and Eureka Drive were traced through public records, grant deeds, and trust registries to identify ultimate beneficial owners, entertainment moguls, architectural provenance, and corporate entities:

1. Kara DioGuardi & Mike McCuddy — 11400 Sunshine Terrace

Occupying a 3.01-acre private promontory (APN 2378-024-038), this 1923 French Chateau-style estate (7,301 sq. ft., 4 beds, 7 baths) was owned and meticulously rebuilt by hit songwriter, record executive, and former American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi alongside her husband, master general contractor Mike McCuddy. DioGuardi, whose songwriting catalog exceeds 160 million album sales across artists like Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Pink, and Celine Dion, sold the estate in 2013 for $6.30 million.

On June 13, 2025, the estate changed hands again for $6,880,000. Because the transaction exceeded $5.0 million, it triggered the City of Los Angeles's statutory Measure ULA ("Mansion Tax"):

• Measure ULA 4.0% Surcharge: $275,200.00 dedicated to the City's Affordable Housing and Tenant Protections Fund.
• Base City Transfer Tax (0.45%): $30,960.00 paid to the LA City General Fund.
• County Documentary Transfer Tax (0.11%): $7,568.00 paid to the County of Los Angeles.
• Total Transfer Tax Extraction: $313,728.00 paid at close of escrow.

On the 2025–2026 secured property tax roll, the property is assessed at $6,120,000 ($4.08M land + $2.04M improvements), generating $72,572.49 annually in property taxes.

2. The Melville Shavelson Family Trust — 11947 Sunshine Terrace

The highest-assessed property on Sunshine Terrace is the 2.60-acre estate at 11947 Sunshine Terrace (APN 2369-021-013), assessed at $7,353,766 ($5.56M land + $1.79M improvements). For more than 50 years, this sprawling knoll property—complete with regulation tennis court, swimming pool, orchard, and guest villa—served as the personal retreat of legendary screenwriter, director, and producer Melville Shavelson (1917–2007).

Shavelson, a two-time Academy Award nominee (The Seven Little Foys, Houseboat) and three-term President of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW), directed classics such as Yours, Mine and Ours (1968) and Cast a Giant Shadow (1966). Following his passing, the estate was conveyed by the Shavelson Family Trust and Lynne Joiner Trust in 2008 for $4,150,000, before undergoing a 6,772-sq.-ft. architectural reconstruction in 2012. Today, it yields $87,202.89/year in property taxes under TRA 00013.

3. Mike Tollin & Richard Glover — Mike Tollin Productions / Mandalay Sports Media (3702 Eureka Dr)

Perched on a 0.59-acre gated hillside knoll, 3702 Eureka Drive (APN 2378-015-002) carries the highest assessment on Eureka Drive at $4,354,305 ($2.68M land + $1.67M improvements). Spanning 4,847 square feet with detached multi-story creative facilities, the property has served as the corporate headquarters and operational address for Mike Tollin Productions and Mandalay Sports Media.

Producer and director Mike Tollin is one of the entertainment industry's most influential sports-media figures, serving as executive producer of ESPN and Netflix’s Emmy-winning cultural milestone The Last Dance (documenting Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls), as well as acclaimed theatrical features including Coach Carter, Radio, Varsity Blues, and Disney’s Togo. SEC Form D and corporate filings have also tied veteran media executive Richard Glover (former EVP at Walt Disney Internet Group, SVP at ESPN/ABC, President/CEO of Mandalay Sports Media, and President of aXiomatic Gaming—the controlling entity of Team Liquid) to this hillside address. The estate generates $51,634.46/year in annual property taxes.

4. The Randy Meisner Estate — 3706 Eureka Dr

Adjoining the Tollin compound, 3706 Eureka Drive (APN 2378-015-003) occupies a 1.21-acre private hillside retreat (52,667 sq. ft. lot) nestled beneath mature olive and pine canopies. The 1953 mid-century home (2,495 sq. ft., 4 beds, 2 baths) was the cherished 40-year residence of Randy Meisner (1946–2023), founding bassist, singer, and co-songwriter for the legendary rock band Eagles.

Meisner, who co-founded the Eagles in 1971 after stints with Poco and Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band, co-wrote and sang lead vocals on the band's immortal 1975 hit single "Take It to the Limit". Meisner lived at the Eureka Drive property from 1983 until his passing in July 2023. Following his death, his estate listed the compound, which was conveyed in September 2025 for $2,325,000. The sale triggered a complete statutory reset on the 2026 tax roll ($1.86M land + $461K improvements), elevating the parcel’s annual municipal property tax contribution to $27,570.43/year.

5. David Lynch's Mulholland Drive Landmark Estate — 3760 Eureka Dr

Spanning an extraordinary 2.46 acres (107,254 sq. ft. lot), 3760 Eureka Drive (APN 2378-013-023) is the largest single residential parcel on Eureka Drive. Built in 1951, the 4,525-sq.-ft. architectural estate is immortalized in cinema history as the residence of film director Adam Kesher (played by Justin Theroux) in David Lynch's 2001 psychological masterpiece Mulholland Drive. The iconic scene in which Kesher arrives home, catches his wife in bed with the pool man (Billy Ray Cyrus), and pours bright pink paint into her jewelry box was filmed in the residence’s private motor court, master suite, and kidney pool terrace.

Held under a 1990 statutory base year, the estate is assessed at $2,747,372 ($2.34M land + $411K improvements), generating $32,578.96 annually in property taxes.

6. Henry C. Burge, AIA Mid-Century Modern — 3748 Eureka Dr

At 3748 Eureka Drive (APN 2378-015-026), a 0.63-acre hillside terrace showcases an original 1951 mid-century modern architectural home designed by Henry C. Burge, AIA (1909–1996), former Dean of the University of Southern California (USC) School of Architecture. Burge was a pivotal figure in Southern California post-war modernism, mentoring the generation of architects who developed the Case Study Houses. Reassessed following a 2019 conveyance at $2,389,435, the 2,181-sq.-ft. residence yields $28,334.52/year in ad valorem taxes.

7. Cliff May California Ranch Masterwork — 11248 Sunshine Terrace

Nestled on a 0.25-acre knoll behind a private gate, 11248 Sunshine Terrace (APN 2378-012-010) is a textbook 1954 mid-century modern ranch house designed by master architect Cliff May (1909–1989), the undisputed pioneer of the California ranch house. May's signature architecture—post-and-beam framing, clerestory fenestration, and floor-to-ceiling glass walls that merge indoor living with landscaped canyon terraces—is preserved intact across this 989-sq.-ft. residence.

Held under the Carolyn K. Ruiz Trust et al., the parcel carries an original 1975 statutory base year under Proposition 13. Its total 2026 assessed roll valuation is just $110,211 ($59,485 land + $50,726 improvements), resulting in an annual property tax bill of only $1,306.91—despite a prevailing fair-market valuation exceeding $1.75 million.

8. Tony Hale — 11200 Sunshine Terrace

At 11200 Sunshine Terrace (APN 2378-012-016), two-time Primetime Emmy Award-winning actor Tony Hale (celebrated for his comedic roles as Buster Bluth in Arrested Development and Gary Walsh in HBO's Veep) owned and expanded a 1939 traditional hillside home. Featuring 2,034 sq. ft. of living space, vaulted ceilings, and a detached guesthouse on a 0.28-acre lot, Hale sold the property for $2,590,000. Reassessed on the 2025 roll at $2,641,800, it yields $31,327.12 annually in property taxes.

9. Ruth Ashton Taylor Trust — 11543 Sunshine Terrace

Broadcast journalism legend Ruth Ashton Taylor (1922–2024)—the first female television newscaster on the West Coast, an Edward R. Murrow protégé, and a 30-year veteran of KCBS-TV Channel 2—resided at 11543 Sunshine Terrace (APN 2369-037-020) for over half a century. Following her passing in 2024 at age 101, the 1,850-sq.-ft. hillside property was conveyed through the Ruth Ashton Taylor Trust in mid-2026 for $1,650,000 to real estate holding entity 11543 Sunshine Terrace LLC. The market transaction reset a half-century-old 1975 base year, boosting the parcel's tax generation from $1,720 to over $19,566/year.

10. The Brill Drive Anchor — 11345 Brill Drive

At the summit of Brill Drive’s eastern cul-de-sac, 11345 Brill Drive (APN 2378-019-029) represents the street's largest holding. Spanning a 0.35-acre terraced lot (15,331 sq. ft.) with an extensively renovated 1924 Spanish Revival home (3,818 sq. ft., 4 beds, 3 baths), the estate sold in January 2016 for $2,400,000. Assessed at $2,897,929 on the 2026 roll, it generates $34,364.36/year in property taxes.

III. Executive & Landmark Property Master Table

IV. The Brill Drive Inventory: All 17 Parcels Audited

Brill Drive features 17 parcels perched along a secluded double-cul-de-sac climbing off Sunshine Terrace. The street demonstrates how statutory assessment resets create extreme tax disparities across neighbors sharing the same cul-de-sac:

V. The Eureka Drive Inventory: All 43 Parcels Audited

Eureka Drive features 43 secured hillside parcels totaling $59,164,758 in assessed valuation. As the primary ascending artery connecting Ventura Boulevard to the ridge, its lots range from 6,900-sq.-ft. valley-adjacent single-family homes to 2.46-acre promontories:

VI. Proposition 13 Disparities Across Base-Year Cohorts

An audit of all 252 parcels across Sunshine Terrace, Brill Drive, and Eureka Drive by statutory Land Base Year (Roll_LandBaseYear) shows that tenure-based tax sheltering divides the neighborhood into stark financial tiers:

Across the composite 252-parcel cadastre, the 86 homeowners who acquired their properties between 2020 and 2026 contribute 46.2% ($1.67M/year) of all ad valorem property taxes, while the 25 properties retaining frozen 1975–1979 base years contribute only 2.2% ($80.7K/year)—a 21-to-1 aggregate fiscal divergence for identical municipal infrastructure and emergency protection.

VII. Planning Regulations, Wildfire Risk & Geotechnical History

Hillside estates along Sunshine Terrace, Brill Drive, and Eureka Drive operate under intense environmental and regulatory constraints:

• The 1998 El Niño Landslide Catastrophe: In February and March 1998, saturated sandstone strata triggered a catastrophic slope failure on the 3800 and 3900 blocks of Eureka Drive, completely flattening an unoccupied home into its swimming pool and threatening multiple adjoining hillside foundations. The disaster became a statewide reform catalyst when California Assemblyman Wally Knox held hearings at the destroyed Eureka Drive site to mandate stricter geological hazard disclosures and insurance reform. Today, parcel 3897 Eureka Drive remains non-taxable open slope ($0 assessed), while surrounding homes built after 2000 (such as 3941 Eureka Dr in 2001, 3800 Eureka Dr in 2007, and 3957 Eureka Dr in 2008) required extensive deep-drilled caissons and grade-beam stabilization.
• Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ): The entire ridge is designated VHFHSZ under LAMC § 57.4908. The Los Angeles Fire Department (Station 86 on Vineland Ave and Station 78 on Radford Ave) enforces mandatory 30-foot defensible space and annual brush clearance. Skyrocketing property insurance premiums have driven numerous multi-acre estates into the California FAIR Plan plus surplus-line wraparound policies.
• Baseline Hillside Ordinance (BHO): Under LAMC § 12.21-C.10, single-family residential floor area (RFA) is capped using slope-density formulas. Parcels with slope gradients exceeding 30% are heavily restricted from expanding, and grading export is capped at 1,000–1,500 cubic yards without a public City Planning Commission haul route hearing.
• Emergency Access Constraints: Brill Drive’s 20-to-24-foot roadway width and Eureka Drive’s narrow winding curves create severe bottleneck risks during wildfire evacuations, as parked vehicles leave only a single passable lane for heavy LAFD Type 1 engines.

VIII. Methodological Notes & Public Records Citations

This investigation was compiled from public records and cadastral databases:

• Cadastral GIS: Los Angeles County Enterprise GIS Public Parcel Service (LACounty_Parcel/MapServer/0), filtering for SitusStreet LIKE '%BRILL%', '%SUNSHINE%', and '%EUREKA%' in ZIP 91604.
• Tax Rates: Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller Tax Rate Area (TRA) 00013 tax tables for FY 2025–2026 (composite levy 1.185825%; City debt rate 0.012603%; AF49 Account 188.01 26.2847787% ATI allocation).
• Municipal Codes: City of Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Chapter 1 (General Planning & Zoning), § 12.21-C.10 (Baseline Hillside Ordinance), and § 21.9.2 (Measure ULA Real Property Transfer Tax).
• Regulatory Filings: SEC Form D, California Secretary of State business filings, Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) building permits, and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder grant deeds.