Yesterday, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission affirmed the approval of a new apartment building in Toluca Lake, rejecting the appeal of an abutting property owner.

The proposed development, slated to replace a vacant single-family dwelling at 10804-10806 W. Blix Street, calls for the construction of a four-story building containing 21 apartments - including two extremely low-income units - above 17 parking stalls in a ground-level garage.

A rendering of the project, designed by Bijan Azadi & Associates, depicts a contemporary low-rise structure clad with galvanized corrugated metal and smooth-finish stucco.  Architectural plans show that rooftop amenity deck would cap the approximately 55-foot-tall building.

City records list the project applicant of local developer IM Home.

The appeal, which was rejected in a unanimous vote, was filed by Joe Monteleone, who is identified as a neighboring property owner.  Monteleone argued that the reduced setbacks and height increase permitted for the project would result in less sunlight reaching his home.  Additionally, the appellant disputed the decreased open space allowance granted to IM Home, citing a lack of publicly-available park space in the community.

Commissioners voted to uphold the project's approval letter, in accordance with a staff recommendation.

The site of the IM Home apartment complex is located a short walk east from 10912 Blix Street, where a similar multifamily residential development was recently proposed.