The Los Angeles City Planning Commission has voted to approve a proposed affordable housing development in Westlake, rejecting an appeal submitted by the resident of a neighboring home.
Culver City-based Decro Corporation intends to redevelop three parcels at 418-430 Firmin Street with a seven-story building featuring 45 units of permanent supportive housing and 19 low-income affordable housing units. Plans call for a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments and 10 non-required parking spaces.
The project, a joint venture with Innovative Housing Opportunities, Inc., would replace a single-family dwelling and a detached garage at 418 Firmin Street. An adjacent single-family home at 430 Firmin Street is to be relocated.
Firmin Court, designed by architecture and planning firm Dahlin Group, is depicted as a Spanish Colonial Revival building.
The appellant, who lives in an abutting property, argued that the construction of apartment buildings in Westlake have damaged neighboring homes - some of which date to the early 20th century. She also contended that Firmin Court, if completed, would negatively impact her privacy and eliminate her view of the sky.
Other speakers, indentifying themselves as residents of other buildings along Firmin Court, stated their opposition to the project on the basis of traffic impacts and neighborhood aesthetics.
A staff report dismissed the arguments put forth by the appellant, noting that a review of project plans by the Department of Building and Safety has found that the proposed development can be safely built at the project site. A similar-sized market-rate development was recently completed just south of Firmin Street.
Additionally, the staff report noted that due to the project's location within a transit priority area, aesthetics and parking cannot be considered significant impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Commissioners agreed with that assessment, and voted unanimously to reject the appeal.
In addition to Firmin Court, Culver City-based Decro Group is also pursuing a mixed-use affordable project in Lincoln Heights.
- Firmin Court (Urbanize LA)
Interested in finding affordable housing? Visit housing.lacity.org.
