In a distinct departure from recent meetings with jam-packed agendas, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council’s Land Use Committee had only two projects slated for full-length presentations, discussions and votes at its October meeting last night.
371-377 N. St. Andrews Place
The first application up for discussion last night was for a new 4-story, 15 unit apartment building, at 371-377 N. St. Andrews Pl. (just south of Elmwood Ave.), being developed under the city’s Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) guidelines. The TOC program grants incentives such as additional height and density to developers in exchange for building in transit-adjacent areas, and reserving a certain number of units for Low, Very Low and/or Extremly Low Income tenants. And if developers provide more than the minimum number of such units, they are allowed even more extensive construction bonuses. This project, which would include two Very Low Income and one Low Income unit, or 20% of the total (well above the minimum number required by the city), would qualify the developers for three additional “on menu” incentives, which they have requested would include a 30% reduction in required setbacks on one side, a 30% reduction in setbacks on a second side, and 11 feet of additional height (going from the 45 feet allowed in the TOC Tier 2 zone to 58 feet).
If developers follow the TOC guidelines, they are generally granted administrative approval for the requested incentives, without a public hearing or the need for a formal show of support from neighbors. But they often still present their projects to neighborhood councils and other groups to discuss design details and win as much community support as possible before construction begins.
After reviewing the project details last night, the GWNC committee members expressed concerns with the building’s design and appearance, especially the use of materials such as metal and smoked glass balconies, which committee member Susan O’Connell said are “completely out of context” with the surrounding historic neighborhood. Former GWNC committee member Caroline Labiner Moser praised the design’s proposed fesestrations, but also suggested that the building could definitely be made more pedestrian friendly, with a more pronounced and welcoming front entrance at sidewalk level. In the end, the committee voted with five in favor and one abstention to recommend that the GWNC board oppose the project as currently presented (a standard procedure to leave the door open for further discussions)…and encouraged the architects to do some outreach to the surrounding neighborhood, and to return to a future meeting with the requested design modifications.
125-135 N. Larchmont Blvd.
The second application discussed at last night’s meeting was for a renewal of the permit to sell wine and beer at Village Pizzeria, 125-135 N. Larchmont Blvd. The renewal application also requests a slight expansion in the business’ operating hours, extending the closing time from 9 to 10 p.m. from Sunday – Thursday, and from 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Project Representative Gary Benjamin noted that the business has been in operation on Larchmont for 23 years, and has always been a popular destination with an exemplary operating record. Benjamin also noted that the Windsor Square Association, which represents the neighborhood that includes the Larchmont business district, has also voted to support the application. This support was confirmed by Moser, who sits on the WSA board, and is also the Windsor Square representative on the GWNC.
In the discussion that followed Benjamin’s presentation, committee members had nothing but praise for the business, and expressed no concerns with the one-hour extension in operating hours. The final vote was five in favor and one abstention in support of recommending that the GWNC board support the CUB renewal application.
The next GWNC Land Use Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 19 (one week earlier than the normal fourth Tuesday, because of the Thanskgiving holiday that week), at 6:30 p.m. at Marlborough School, 250 S. Rossmore Ave.Â
The next GWNC Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 13, at the Ebell of Los Angeles, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd., at 7 p.m.
