As part of its consent calendar, the Los Angeles City Council voted earlier today to uphold the approval of a proposed multifamily residential building near the busy intersection of Wilshire and Westwood Boulevards.
The project, which was appealed to the Los Angeles City Planning Commission in January, calls for redeveloping a parking lot at 1300 S. Westwood Boulevard with a seven-story structure featuring 31 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments and a 12-car garage.
Property owner Mehdi Mossazadeh and Maly Architects are behind the proposed development, which was approved using Transit Oriented Communities incentives to permit a larger structure than allowed under zoning rules. In exchange, for bonus density, Mossazadeh is required to set aside four apartments of the proposed as deed-restricted extremely low-income housing.
The Council's vote formally exempts the project from further review under the California Environmental Quality Act, and upholds the Planning Commission's earlier rejection of an appeal by a neighboring property owner which sought to block its construction. The appellant, represented by advocacy organization Fix The City, argued that the proposed building (and the Transit Oriented Communities guidelines) violate local zoning rules, and claimed that an alley-facing loading dock and garage entrance constitutes a nuisance to future neighbors.
The proposed apartment complex, located at the southeast corner of Westwood and Wellworth Avenue, would sit within walking distance of a new subway station now being built as part of the third phase of Metro's Purple Line extension.