At its monthly board meeting last week, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council followed the recommendations of its Land Use Committee to finalize its positions on several land use issues, and voted to weigh in on three other issues now making their way through the City Council.
Land Use
Following recommendations from its Land Use Committee at the end of August, the GWNC board voted (with only minimal discussion) to support three local land use applications at the following locations:
- 5001 Wilshire Blvd. (the NW corner of Wilshire and Highland), where a new 8-story, 105-foot, 242-unit mixed use development would replace an existing two-story mini-mall (currently home to El Pollo Loco and several other small restaurants and businesses). The support vote comes after about a year and a half of negotiations between the developers and neighborhood associations representing the adjacent neighborhoods, and specifies that the GWNC’s support is contingent on a lengthy list of conditions enshrined in letters from the La Brea Hancock Homeowners Association and the Hancock Park Homeowners Association.
- 6801 Melrose Ave. (the NW corner of Melrose and Mansfield), where owners of the wine store Domaine LA have requested a renewal of their current liquor permit (which allows the sale of alcohol for off-site consumption and limited on-site tastings), with no changes in operations or permit conditions.
- 859 N. Highland Ave. (SW corner of Highland and Willoughby), where the current Starbucks store (located in an historic gas station building) has requested permission to add a second drive-through lane to help speed traffic flow and customer service, and to reduce traffic backups on Willoughby Ave.
The board also voted to oppose one application, which requests legalization of additional height and floor area for a new, partially-built-but-still-unfinished single family home at 652 S. Orange Dr. This vote also followed the recommendation of the the GWNC Land Use Committee, according to committee policy, because the applicant did not respond to an invitation to make a presentation about the project to the committee. (The vote, however, does leave the door open for reconsideration if the applicant does make such a presentation in the future.)
City Council Issues
Meanwhile, the board also discussed and voted to take positions on three matters currently being considered by the Los Angeles City Council:
- Council File 22-0158 – This motion would allow the by-right creation of temporary homeless and emergency shelters during a declared shelter crisis, in areas where they’re not currently as easy to permit. Currently, emergency shelters are allowed by right in many multi-family, commercial, and manufacturing districts, but this measure would expand the privilege to other zoning designations, including R1 and R2 low-density residential neighborhoods. The GWNC board voted to submit a Community Impact Statement to the city expressing its general support for the right to shelter for all Angelenos, but opposing this particular measure on the grounds that it may be premature because the city has not yet exhausted potential shelter locations in the zones where they’re currently allowed, and because shelter locations in R1 and R2 zones should require some sort of case-by-case review and community input.
- Council File 22-0393 – The board voted to oppose this measure, which would allow digital advertising on structures (such as bus shelters) that are part of the Transportation Communication Network Program operated by the city and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
- Council File 22-0560 – The board voted to support this measure (which 35 other Neighborhood Councils have also supported), known as the Municipal Lobbying Ordinance, which would require lobbyists addressing various proposed city measures to identify themselves as such at city (including neighborhood council) meetings, and not simply describe themselves as “community activists.” The measure would also remove loopholes for non-profits lobbying for positions on city issues.
The next GWNC board meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 12, at 6:30 p.m., via Zoom…and the next GWNC Land Use Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 27, also at 6:30 p.m., and also via Zoom.
