Meeting Date: 7/13/16 6:00 pm
Meeting Type: Regular
Location: Will and Ariel Durant Branch Library, 7140 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Details:
HOLLYWOOD HILLS WEST NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL
PLUM COMMITTEE AGENDA
July 13, 2016
6:00 pm
Will and Ariel Durant Branch Library, 7140 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Directions: East of N. Fairfax Ave and West of N. La Brea Ave of Hollywood Blvd. Building is accessible and free parking is available behind the building.
HHWNC’s PLUM committee meeting will be held in the library’s community room, which is just off the lobby entrance. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. The meeting will be over at or before 8 p.m.
The PLUM committee consists of HHWNC’s 1st vice president, and the chairs of the following issue committees: transportation, business, infrastructure, housing and environment. In addition, the area chair for any agenda item’s site will have a vote on the PLUM committee for that agenda item. Four of the committee members must be present in order to establish a quorum to take any votes on agenda items.
The public is encouraged to attend and make public comments, but does not get to vote on agenda items. The public is requested to fill out a “Speaker Card” to address the committee on any item on the agenda prior to the committee taking action on an item. Public comments on agenda items will be heard when the item is considered. Comments from the public on nonagenda items within the committee’s subject matter jurisdiction will be heard during the public comment period for non-agenda items and, within the discretion of the committee’s presiding chair, when other agendized items are being considered. Public comment is limited to two (2) minutes per speaker unless waived by the presiding chair of the committee.
Agenda items may be taken out of order. Motions may be taken on any agenda item. Any action taken would then be referred to the Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council’s board (as a recommendation) for further consideration and action.
The library is located at the intersection of Sunset Blvd. and Detroit, which runs south from Sunset Blvd. Free parking is available in the library’s parking lot, which is entered from Detroit. The library is ADA accessible. If anyone has any disability related concerns, please email [email protected] for assistance ahead of the meeting.
Additionally, as a covered entity under Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to its programs, services and activities. Sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, or other auxiliary aids and/or services may be provided upon request. To ensure availability of services, please make your request at least 3 business days (72 hours) prior to the meeting you wish to attend by contacting our neighborhood council’s coordinator, Lorenzo Briceno at (213) 978-1551 or email to [email protected]
ALL ITEMS LISTED ON THIS AGENDA ARE SUBJECT TO:
POSSIBLE ACTION, INCLUDING A BOARD MOTION AND
VOTING ON THE MOTION.
AGENDA
- Welcome and general comments.
- Consider approving minutes of committee’s meetings on June 8, 2016, and June 23, 2016.
- 7500 Sunset Boulevard:
Faring Capital, the applicant, proposes to develop a new mixed use project with 236 residential apartments above 30,000 square feet of ground floor retail and restaurant uses. Of the 236 apartments, 20 apartments would be set aside as affordable housing for very low income residents. The initial application proposed proving included 452 or 434 parking spaces, which were divided between (i) residential uses and commercial, and (ii) between the two buildings which would be built under the proposed project. 389 bicycle parking spaces also would be provided for residents and visitors. The DEIR states that the applicant has reduced the amount of provided parking by 61 space on account of providing the bicycle spaces.
The proposed project would build 201,299 square feet of space, but would be located on two adjacent sites and in two buildings (known as The West Building and The East Building), which comprise a total of 1.64 acres.
The existing building, which provides 39,939 square feet for commercial uses, and surface parking, would be demolished and removed.
The public comment deadline on the draft environmental impact report (DEIR) on the proposed project is August 1, 2016. The CA CEQA case no. is 2014111007.
Darren Embry and Mark Armbruster, Esq. will present the proposed project on behalf of the applicant.
Proposed motion:
HHWNC’s PLUM committee recommends that HHWNC’s board of directors should vote to oppose the City Planning Department approving the project’s DEIR unless the applicant agrees to make several changes to the proposed project, including (but not limited to):
(i) providing more two bedroom (or larger) apartments, which would mean having fewer studio and one-bedroom apartments;
(ii) providing a much bigger step back from Sunset Blvd. for the fourth floor, which is currently set back approximately 13 feet, in order to reduce the West and East buildings’ massing and maintain more light on Sunset Blvd.;
(iii) eliminate the 5th floor on each of the two buildings because the 5th floor is too high and massive for the site;
(iv) hire a traffic expert to solve the traffic problems with regard to ingress, egress and parking which are inherent in the current proposed traffic plan, which is inadequate;
(v) provide at least 61 more parking spaces despite being entitled to take a parking space reduction for bicycle parking spaces;
(vi) provide for intersection improvements at Sunset/Curson and Sunset/Sierra Bonita, and mid block if tenants will be crossing between buildings to access commonly shared facilities, such as the pool and gym;
(vii) provide additional publicly usable open space, green space and landscaping along Sunset Blvd., Curson and Sierra Bonita, including trees; and
(viii) agree that any sidewalk dining will be within the proposed project’s lot lines, rather than on the already too narrow public sidewalks.
- 1919 – 1925 N. Wilcox Avenue:
Dimitri Samaha filed an application on behalf of Wilcox 2015, LLC (Applicant) in order to ask the City’s Planning Department to approve (i) demolishing an existing auto body shop building and build ing a six story hotel with up to 150 guest rooms. The second floor would include an outdoor pool, and bar and spa areas.
There also is an adjacent building of approximately 6,000 square feet. Part of that building would be demolished, and some existing walls would be incorporated in the hotel’s building.
Also, there is a surface parking lot which is used by those buildings, which would be replaced by a two level below ground parking garage under the six story hotel. The garage would provide spaces for 86 cars and 20 bicycles to park.
The proposed hotel would include a 1,700 square foot ground floor restaurant and a 1,200 square foot lobby/bar lounge, both of which would be available for hotel guests, but closed to the outside public. Another 3,500 square foot restaurant/lounge would be open to the public. There would be meeting rooms and a gym in the hotel. The proposed project will be 80,435 square feet.
The Applicant is requesting a conditional use permit to sell a full line of alcoholic beverages in the hotel’s ground floor lobby bar, second floor restaurant and rooftop bar. A variance also is being requested to permit a commercial bar in the adjacent building to continue operating.
The Applicant also is requesting a site plan review, which, if approved, would result in an crease of more than 50 guest rooms and 50,000 square feet in the approved project.
The proposed project’s site is zoned R4 now, and so the Applicant has applied for a conditional use permit to be issued in order to use the site for a hotel. If approved, the proposed hotel would be 72 feet high, and the proposed height also would require a separate variance, which also is being requested. Front and side yard adjustments to decrease the space on those sides of the property are additional discretionary entitlement requests in the application.
Laurie Goldman, Scott Campbell and Michael Gonzales, Esq. will present the proposed project on behalf of the applicant.
Proposed motion:
HHWNC’s PLUM committee recommends that HHWNC’s board of directors should vote to (i) oppose the current proposed project, (ii) recommend to the City’s Planning Department that the draft mitigated negative declaration which it is considering should be denied, and (iii) recommend to the City’s Planning Department that the department should deny the requested variances and adjustments.
- Public comments on non-agenda items.
- Adjournment.