At its monthly meeting on Wednesday, June 13, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council supported the earlier recommendations of its Land Use Committee (LUC) and voted to oppose two new development projects (at least for the time being), and support an application to sell a full line of alcoholic beverages at a new restaurant on Beverly Blvd.
In the first of these votes, the GWNC’s board gave a thumbs down to a project proposed for 856-870 S. Gramercy Drive, which would replace three existing single-family residences and a small child care facility with a six-story, 53-unit apartment building over one level of subterranean parking. The project is in a Transit Oriented Community area, and the developers have requested an increase in the height allowance (from 22′ to 45-67′), and reductions in setbacks on two sides. A representative for the developer, who presented the project to the GWNC’s Land Use Committee in May, said at that time that project details are still being developed and he will return to the committee with further presentations as it takes shape. Because LUC members expressed concern at that meeting about several aspects of the current design, they voted, as per committee policies, to recommend that the GWNC board oppose the project as currently presented, while leaving the door open for further discussion and consideration as the design takes shape. The board’s unanimous vote on Wednesday, affirmed that position.
The board took a similar vote Wednesday to oppose as currently presented a six-story, 51-unit apartment project planned for 985-991 Third Avenue. That project, too, was presented by a developer’s representative at the May LUC meeting, but the representative had been unable to answer many of the committee’s questions at the time. The LUC had also voted, at its meeting, to recommend that the GWNC Board oppose the project until more specific information could be provided…and the Board affirmed that opposition at its meeting with a unanimous vote.
Finally in land use matters, the GWNC board voted to support an application for a Conditional Use Permit to sell a full line of alcoholic beverages at Antico, a new restaurant proposed for a strip mall at 4653-4657 W. Beverly Blvd. The space has been vacant for some time, but before that was home to an establishment called The Bicycle Club, which had a long record of neighborhood complaints. The new venture, however, is being proposed by well-known chef Chad Colby, and according to discussions at the last GWNC Land Use Committee meeting (see links above), seems to have won support from nearby neighbors. The GWNC board voted unanimously on Wednesday to support the new permit application.
Other business on the board’s agenda Wednesday night was largely administrative. It appointed Conrad Starr as the new alternate representative for the Renters seat on the board, re-appointed Jack Humphreville as the board’s city budget representative (along with Julie Stromberg as the alternate budget representative), announced upcoming community events focusing on rain barrels and earthquake retrofits for “soft-story” apartment buildings, and, finally, voted to formally support the Melrose Business Improvement District, which has been working to revitalize the Melrose business corridor between Fairfax and Highland since 2014, in its mandated five-year renewal effort.
The GWNC board will meet next on Wednesday, July 11, 7 p.m. at the Ebell of Los Angeles, 4400 Wilshire Blvd. Its next Land Use Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 26, at Marlborough School, 250 S. Rossmore Ave.
 voted to support a new restaurant liquor permit at its monthly meeting last night, and to oppose (as currently presented) two new apartment development projects.){kind=link}