City of LA approved project is stalled in lawsuit

Moving right along in our environmental impacts of new developments, our focus turns to the City of Los Angeles and more specifically, Mayor Eric Garcetti’s old stomping grounds, Hollywood.  This article will highlight the successful efforts of local residents, who stopped Target from building in their neighborhood, for now.  The issue wasn’t environmental but rather the city council wasn’t following their own code on height requirements for the area.[adsenseyu2]

Environmental lawyer Robert P. Silverstein was retained by the La Mirada Avenue Neighborhood Association and along with the Citizens Coalition of Los Angeles, retained by David Lawrence Bell, successfully brought the project to its knees.

The community wanted subterranean parking.  The developer said no.  The community wanted the project developed within the established City of Los Angeles guidelines.  City council said no.

So they did what residents with money do.  They organized with like minded residents and went to court.

In an August 2014 ruling, the court sided with the community groups and found the proposed development exceeded height standards and thus should not have been approved in the first place.  Then councilman Eric Garcetti and his former chief of staff, now successor Mitch O’Farrell, both support the project for its 200 jobs its slated to bring to the Sunset and Western intersection.

This wouldn’t be so troublesome if the Mayor wasn’t calling on property owners to retrofit older buildings for “safety” reasons.

Related article: L.A. mayor calls for mandatory earthquake retrofitting for thousands of buildings

The Rhodes Scholar does’t think approving a building that’s taller than permitted is safe?

This isn’t the first Hollywood development to come under fire.  Another recent ruling has a judge demanding a developer vacate his newly built 22 story property on Sunset and Gordon.

Related article: L.A. orders tenants to vacate troubled Hollywood building

With all final briefs filed, Target is patiently waiting to continue building their project, once the trial begins.  Estimated start date?  Six months to a year.

The residents vehemently deny being against Target moving into the neighborhood and want construction guidelines to be enforced.

Los Angeles residents are in court over height issues on a project, while no one in Carson is concerned about their city council possibly approving building a stadium on a methane filled landfill?  Why?

Read the full update on the Hollywood development at the Los Feliz Ledger.