Four new alternates to the Board of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council were seated at last night’s monthly board meeting held at the Ebell of Los Angeles. Robert Reeves was appointed to Area 10 — Ridgewood-Wilton/St. Andrew’s Square, Angie Szentgyorgyi to Area 14 – Windsor Square, Brian Curran to the At Large Seat, and Kim Nortman to Area 15 – Wilshire Park. All took the oath of office and officially joined the board. Curran and Nortman were also seated at the meeting as the elected board members for those seats were absent.
In other business, and in a very close vote, the proposed boutique hotel project at 5212 Melrose Blvd. failed to win board approval after tenant’s rights advocate Susan Hunter told the board that she recently learned the property is for sale. According to Hunter, the property advertisement boasts hot tubs in each room and appears to present the property as an extended-stay hotel. In addition, she noted that three of the original seven families who were tenants in the small bungalow court apartments are still living in substandard conditions because the building owner has not made promised repairs.
Hunter asked the committee to postpone their vote until her group has a chance to speak to the owners of the property and determine if the currently rent-stabilized housing would become an extended-stay hotel. The motion failed by a vote of 7 opposed, 7 in favor and was 4 abstentions.
Olivia Joncich, from 360 Development, who was representing the owners at the meeting, told the Buzz that she was not aware of the potential sale of the property. The GWNC Land Use Committee had voted to recommend support for the project at its April meeting.
Finally, by unanimous vote, the GWNC voted to support a request to allow the sale and dispensing of beer and wine only for on-site consumption at the restaurant Sweetgreen, at 180 S. La Brea Ave. The restaurant won the support of the surrounding neighborhood and presented signatures from dozens of residents as evidence.
