GWNC Land Use Committee Weighs in on Local Projects

At the October meeting of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council’s Land Use Committee last night, the committee voted to recommend that the full GWNC board support three local land use projects. They are

• An application for a permit to allow the sale of a full line of alcoholic beverages at a new restaurant at 6063-6065 W. Melrose Ave.  (NE corner of Melrose and Seward.) The space is currently being redeveloped from what was formerly an automotive repair shop.  The developers have also met recently with the South Hollywood Neighborhood Association and won its conditional approval for the venture.

• A request to support residents of Citrus Square in their choice of new R1V2RG zoning for the current R1 blocks of Citrus Ave. between Third Street and Beverly Blvd.  The area, currently protected by an Interim Control Ordinance, is among several local neighborhoods now working with the City Planning Department to select from several new R1 zones being offered by the city.  The new zones were designed to help make sure that new development more closely matches existing patterns in established neighborhoods.  The R1V2RG zone selected by the Citrus Square blocks would allow building mass for single family homes on those blocks to be either toward the front or rear of the building’s overall envelope (instead of exclusively one or the other), and would require detached garages, located at the rear of the property.

• An application for an permit to sell beer and wine at a restaurant at the southwestern corner of the Wa Wa Plaza mall at 125 S. Western Ave.  Although the committee did vote to recommend that the GWNC support the basic application, the vote was not unanimous and the committee also voted to recommend that the GWNC board oppose a second request to allow extended hours for alcohol sales.  The committee further recommended that the GWNC board request that alcohol not be sold on the restaurant’s patio after 9 p.m.

In other business, the committee voted to recommend that the GWNC board “oppose as presented” an application for a density bonus at a new apartment development at 708-712 S. Gramercy,  according to LUC member Joe Hoffman, based on “design harmony and landscaping issues.”  Hoffman said the committee recommended that the architects add articulation elements to two of the building’s large, flat facades…and also that they look to historic buildings in the neighborhood for overall design inspiration.  The committee left the door open for another discussion and vote on the project if the designers do decide to make any revisions.

The other project discussed at the meeting was a new home being built at 543 N. Arden, which is another area currently covered by an Interim Control Ordinance that requires compliance to certain design standards.  According to Hoffman, the original application for the home was submitted two days before the ICO went into effect, but several plan changes have been submitted since then, including a request to add a rooftop deck with a surrounding railing that would exceed the current height limit for the block.  No variance applications have been submitted for the work, however, so Land Use Committee members voted to query applicable city departments about the possible need for a variance application before weighing in further.

The Land Use Committee’s next meeting is currently scheduled for Tuesday, November 22…but may be rescheduled due to the Thanksgiving holiday later that week.  The next GWNC Board meeting, where the above recommendations will be considered, will be held on Wednesday, November 9.