The DRRA's Land Use Committee sent the following letter to our city officials:
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4051DADB-373E-402A-9E9F-E4D9987A7EB0
June 4, 2024
Via E-Mail
See Distribution List below
Re: Citywide Housing Incentive Program
The Community Plan for Palms Mar Vista Del Rey has not been updated since its
adoption in 1997. Therefore, until a new plan has been vetted and approved by the City
Council, we must insist upon adherence to the land uses and densities in the existing
plan.
Specifically, we are concerned that the City’s rush to build affordable housing will wipe
out the commercial and industrial areas that create jobs for the residents and will result
in overly dense projects that do not provide adequate public infrastructure, pollution
control and emergency evacuation routes. Del Rey has unique environmental concerns:
it is transected by three creeks and two freeways; it has a high water table that will be
affected when heavier buildings are built; parts of Del Rey have been identified as flood-
prone or at risk due to Sea Level Rise.
Unelected City employees should not have the discretion to grant multiple incentives,
waivers and exceptions that will have the effect of upzoning our community before a new
comprehensive plan has been adopted.
We are particularly concerned with the following large projects proposed for our area:
1. Paseo Marina. Case #ENV-2016-3343-EIR, State Clearinghouse #2017061017-EIR
Paseo Marina, 13400-13450 Maxella Ave, and 4305-4363 Glencoe Ave,
Los Angeles, CA 90292. This proposal would require a General Plan Amendment so
that a 77 foot tall, predominantly residential complex could be built where there is
currently a shopping center that serves the surrounding community.
2. 5000 Beethoven. Case No. CPC-2016-426-GPA-VZC-SPR. Back in 2015, the
owner wanted to build 236 apartments on this property which is zoned Industrial
and is located on a peninsula between Centinela Creek and Ballona Creek, locally
known as “Bird Island.” In October 2023, the property was advertised as
“Industrial/Studio/Office Build-to-Suit.” The Coastal Zone boundary bisects the
peninsula, which can only be accessed by a two lane bridge. DBS Permit #22020-
Post Office Box 661450 – Los Angeles, CA 90066
www.delreyresidentsassn.orgDocuSign Envelope ID: 4051DADB-373E-402A-9E9F-E4D9987A7EB0
Citywide Housing Incentive Program
June 4, 2024
Page 2 of 2
3. 4. 10000-01437; Case: ENV-2023-6735-EAF (private street). The bridge permit was
issued without adequate community input and in a way that ignores the potential
impacts of the bridge construction on the region’s ecosystem and habitat.
Culver-Slauson, 11304-11310 and 11312-11314 Culver Boulevard. Culver City is
the lead agency for this 143 unit project, which straddles the boundary between
Culver City (89 units) and Los Angeles (54 units). The property will be considered a
“Transit Oriented Community” because it is within half a mile of the buses on
Sepulveda Blvd. and Culver Blvd., but it is also right next to the Sawtelle Avenue
onramp to the 405 freeway and the 405 freeway’s pollutants. The plan is to build an
eight story building with only 10 parking spaces. The units are “all affordable,” but 80
per cent of the units will be aimed at “moderate income” residents in small
households. Designating the project as “all affordable” will not obviate the need to
think about the planning needs of the surrounding community.
Public Storage. CPC-2024-115-GPA-ZC-HD-CU-ZAA-SPR, 12681 Jefferson Blvd.,
proposing a new 82,324 square foot building on a property that has already been
built out to the density allowed by our Community Plan. Why should the developer
be allowed to build more densely than was previously allowed by the City?
We want to be sure that the City Planning Department will not allow projects to be
“super-sized” or be changed in character from what was anticipated when our
Community Plan was adopted by the City Council in 1997.
Our board of directors reviewed and approved this e-mail at its June 3, 2024 board
meeting.
Very truly yours,
Elizabeth Campos Layne
President
CC: Mayor Karen Bass
◼ Marian Ensley, West Area Representative, Marian.ensley@lacity.gov
City Councilmember Traci Park,
◼ Planning Deputy Jeff Khau, jeff.khau@lacity.org
◼ Del Rey Deputy Matthew Halden, matthew.halden@lacity.org
Polonia.majas@lacity.org re: Paseo Marina
Diego.Janacua@lacity.org re: 5000 Beethoven, Culver-Slauson
Mark.Muenzer@culvercity.org re Culver-Slauson
Kenton.Trinh@lacity.org re Public Storage
Matthew Glesne, Sr. City Planner, Housing Policy, matthew.glesne@lacity.org
Cally Hardy, Sr. Housing Analyst, Housing Department, cally.hardy@lacity.org
Westside Regional Alliance of Councils Land Use & Planning Committee
◼ Maryam Zar, president@pacpalicc.org