LAFC appeals proposed mixed-use project near BMO Stadium

In any given month, developments in Los Angeles face appeals from angry neighbors, labor unions, environmental organizations, and other parties with axes to grind over specific projects. But it's not every day where an appellant happens to be a professional sports franchise.

Earlier this month, LAFC filed an appeal with the City of Los Angeles objecting to the construction of a proposed mixed-use residential development at 3801 S. Grand Avenue in Historic South-Central. The project from property owner Hamid Razipour, which would rise from a vacant lot located a few blocks east of LAFC's BMO Stadium, calls for the construction of a seven-story building which would feature 40 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments - including four affordable units - above 1,981 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and podium parking for 94 vehicles.

LAFC's appeal, submitted shortly after the project was approved by Planning officials in late August, contends that the project should not have been approved with a Class 32 exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act, and argues that the four-month period between submission and approval is inconsistent with typical entitlement procedures, and occurred without public noticing.

One item of particular concern highlighted in the appeal is Razipour's proposal for a similar mixed-use project a short distance south at 3851 S. Grand Avenue - a smaller development which would feature 12 apartments and ground-floor commercial uses. The letter from LAFC argues that the two projects, taken together, may have unanticipated impacts relating to air quality, noise, and historic structures in the near vicinity.

In addition to vintage street lights and two vintage residential hotels along Grand Avenue, the appeal highlights the proximity of the projects to the Memorial Coliseum sign located at 3843 S. Grand Avenue - a well-known landmark to motorists on the 110. A historic resources survey conducted for South Los Angeles in 2012 found that the sign may be eligible for local historic listing, although it may not meet the significant for listing in the National or California registers.

Images provided with the appeal show that the proposed apartment buildings, if constructed, would obscure views of the Coliseum sign - which also includes a digital advertising board and signage advertising BMO Stadium.

The appeal has been referred to City Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee for consideration.

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• Historic South-Central (Urbanize LA)