L.A. Council delays vote on residential project in Weiss' Westside district

As expected, Los Angeles officials moved this afternoon to delay a vote on a 14-story residential project planned for 3rd Street near Beverly Hills. But City Councilman Ed Reyes did pull out something of a surprise -- by postponing the matter only one week.

Because the 95-unit project would be in his district, Councilman-elect Paul Koretz had asked for the opportunity to review it after July 1, when he takes office. Earlier this week, Koretz said the proposal was being rushed to the council in the final days before Councilman Jack Weiss leaves office.

The condominium plan is one of at least five in Weiss’ Westside district that are scheduled for a council vote during his final month as a councilman. Instead of seeking re-election, Weiss ran for city attorney and lost last month.

Reyes said he still wants to give Koretz a chance to review the matter and would probably postpone the issue again next week. Waiting a week, however, does allow the city to keep its options open, he said.

-- David Zahniser at L.A. City Hall

Comments

[Carol]

This project is insane!! 3rd St., a major thoroughfare, is really only a one lane street. The side streets are all old, from when far fewer people had far narrower cars. Two cars cannot pass without slowing down.

And they want 95 new units on one corner, with probably 190 new cars, plus visitors?

[Nony]

Ed Reyes is so lame, unless he knows that Koretz is doing this all for show.

Maybe Koretz called up Reyes and told him, "I don't really mean it, Ed."

By the way, Mid-City West Neighborhood Council did NOT support this project.

The Wetherly and Caruso projects on the same day at PLUM!

Hey, Paul: What do you think about the Caruso Project at 8500 Burton Way?

That's in your District, too.

Remember during the campaign debate when you said that you would have opposed the Grove?

That was a funny one.

Keep coming up with excuses for not delivering real change; we're not buying what you're selling.

[Alex]

Hey Carol before you go on your rant why don't you find out more about the project? The 95 new units are replacing an existing 85 existing apartments. That would have a very tiny if any affect on traffic.

The developer is only requesting a variance for the height not the number of units or total sq feet.

If the owner wasn't building this tall building with set backs he could build the same number of units in 6 stories and build it to the lot line practically with no variance.

[Mid City West Board Member]

The Mid City West Community Council took no position on this project. A motion to oppose the project outright failed by a large margin; a motion to support the project outright failed by a one-vote margin.

As Alex points out, the project represents a modest net increase in number of units, while substantially increasing the number of on-site parking spaces (many of the existing buildings don't meet current parking reqts) and adding on-street parking spaces, by slashing the number of curb cuts.

The developer has agreed to provide workforce housing for employees of Cedars-Sinai within walking distance of the hospital, and made other contributions to make Third Street more walkable and less automobile-dependent.

For this project, traffic concerns are largely a red herring.