While we in Culver City are doing battle over the construction of four-story developments in the city, the city of Los Angeles is considering the approval of an 18-story building on our southern border.
At a March 4 public hearing in downtown Los Angeles, Equity Office, a developer, presented plans for an18-story building in the Howard Hughes Center.
This building will contain 225 condos. The newly proposed 268-foot condominium tower would be much taller than the16-story former Wang Computers tower, which is currently the tallest in the Hughes Center.
As usual, the developers want to develop whatever will bring in the most money for themselves and their investors. They have no problem with leaving the area with a large traffic and environmental mess.
Again, the developer acts as if he is making concessions to the residents. He reduced the height from 24 stories to 18 stories. So instead of being 326 feet tall, the proposed building is only(!) 268 feet.
Don’t Misread This Move
And the building is not up against a hill. It is on top of a rise. So it will appear even taller.
The developer also reduced the number of condos from 275 to 225. This was not done as a concession to nearby residents, but because zoning would not permit 275. And the reduction in height is probably the result of the forced reduction in condos, and not as a concession to neighbors.
The impact of this project on the adjacent neighborhoods of Westchester, Culver City, Playa del Rey, and Ladera will be significant. In addition to the visual blight, these neighborhoods will be left with more traffic, more air pollution, more stress from the cars entering and exiting the 405 Freeway.
An environmental impact report (EIR) was approved when the Hughes Center project was approved in 1985. The applicant replies that this was all approved years ago. Therefore, the public missed its chance to protest.
The Shelf Life of an EIR
The owners of the Hughes Center are trying to do things that prevent any impact review from occurring.
They say there is no need for an EIR today because the substantive change happened in 2002. But in 2002, they said there was no need for a review at all because the “substantive change” happened in 1999. In 1999, there was no review because the change was called “minor.”
In order to even consider a project like this, the city must require the preparation of a new EIR. This new EIR will analyze the expected additional impacts based on conditions in 2009, not l985. The EIR must also include new mitigation measures for the new residential tower and alternatives that could lessen the negative environmental impact
The public was given until this Wednesday, March 18, to submit letters in opposition to sarah.molina@lacity.org.
This development is not Los Angeles’ way of getting even for the nearby Entrada Tower. The same Los Angeles residents in Westchester, Playa del Rey and Ladera who opposed Entrada last year, are opposing this project.
They can use our help in insuring that their Councilman knows he has the backing of the community when opposing the project.
When you send an email to Sarah Molina, also send a copy to Councilman Bill Rosendahl's deputy, whitney.blumenfeld@lacity.org.
When communicating with them, it will be best if you include the case numbers (VTT-70318, ENV-2008-3887-MND, ZA-2008-VCU).
Also contact our City Council in Culver City. Ask them what they are doing to prevent this environmental disaster from occurring on our border.
Mr. Supple may be contacted at tomjsup@ca.rr.com
