Deadline for Comments is October 15
The deadline for submitting comments on Draft Concept for the West Los Angeles Community Plan Update is October 15, 2020. If you haven’t done so already, please submit your comments via email to City Planner Naomi Guth naomi.guth@lacity.org, with copies to Council District 5 Senior Planning Deputy Daniel Skolnick daniel.skolnick@lacity.org, CD5 Field Deputy Angel Izard angel.izard@lacity.org and WSSM Land-Use chair Steve Rogers srogers@wssmhoa.org.
WSSM has done extensive outreach over the past month on the details – and impacts – of the various draft concepts. Copies of these letters can be reviewed here:
LARGER HOMES & “RG” DESIGNATION
WSSM Positions
Your WSSM HOA Board has carefully considered all of the Community Plan Update draft proposals and heard/reviewed many comments from concerned homeowners. Our positions are as follows:
“Low Residential: Scale” concept | OPPOSE
This proposal would allow significantly larger homes on over 1,000 single-family properties, worsening the impacts of “McMansions”. We want the existing R1-1 zoning to remain in effect throughout the WSSM area. R1-1 zoning is a good compromise – it allows homeowners plenty of opportunity to enlarge their homes while providing common-sense protections from overscale development and mansionization. |
“RG” Designation concept | SUPPORT
The rear-garage configuration is a defining feature of our single- family streets. In fact, almost 90% of homes in the WSSM area have rear garages. Driveways provide a much-needed buffer between homes on our small lots and we love the idea of preserving this valuable benefit. WSSM supports the addition of an “RG” designation to our existing R1-1 zoning throughout the entire WSSM area. |
“Low-Medium Residential: Transition” concept for MIDVALE & GLENDON | OPPOSE
We are firmly against the drastic proposal to upzone the east side of Midvale and west side of Glendon to fourplexes – up to 4 stories high – which would destroy two established, stable, single-family streets. As an alternative, we suggest Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMU) zoning for Westwood Boulevard, which would provide a built-in height transition between the commercial corridor and the adjacent one- and two-story homes. |
“Mixed-Use Corridor” concept for WESTWOOD | OPPOSE
We believe 6 to 9-story buildings have no place on this portion of Westwood Boulevard and they would create unacceptable impacts on the neighboring residential streets as well as on the functioning of Westwood Boulevard which carries significant public transit and traffic. In our opinion, a much better approach would be to introduce NMU zoning on Westwood, which would provide a sensible increase in capacity on the commercial corridor as well as transitional height protections for the neighboring homes on Midvale and Glendon. |
“Medium Residential” concept for BENTLEY | TO BE DETERMINED
We are concerned that the proposal to allow 4-story apartment buildings in place of the existing single-family homes on the 1900 block of Bentley would have a profound and lasting impact – on Bentley itself and also on the 1900 block of Camden. However, a number of Bentley residents are very much in favor of the change. WSSM is actively engaged with the affected homeowners and our eventual position (support, oppose, compromise alternative?) will be informed by these ongoing discussions. |
“Low-Medium Residential” concept for LINNINGTON | OPPOSE
We believe that the proposal to upzone the east side of this narrow, steeply-sloped street from single family homes to duplexes is very problematic. We also recognize (and fully support) the strong opposition from Linnington homeowners. |
“Mixed-Use Corridor” concept for PICO | SUPPORT (with conditions)
WSSM believes that the NMU zone is a good fit for Pico because it provides a height-transition between the commercial corridor and the adjacent single-family streets. It also promotes pedestrian activity and neighborhood-serving uses at street level. Portions of Pico west of Overland already have NMU zoning and we believe it makes sense to extend this same set of rules (and protections) to the portion of Pico between Overland and Patricia. We therefore support the proposed extension of the NMU zoning, provided that the height and transitional height limits (45-feet and 25-feet respectively) are exactly the same as those in-place elsewhere on Pico, where NMU zoning already applies. We oppose any buildings taller than 45-feet on Pico. |
Take Action!
If you agree with our positions, the fastest and easiest way to send your comments to the City Planning Department is to download the suggested email template HERE. Personalize the wording as you wish, to make the email your own.
Whether you agree with WSSM’s positions or not, we urge you to be a part of the decision-making process by contacting the Planners with your comments and opinions on the Community Plan Update Draft Concepts. Directly or indirectly, these potential changes affect ALL of us. So please take action and have your say – whether or not you live on one of the streets targeted for upzoning. We are all in this together!