Category: Community – Osage

A constituent community in the the Westchester Playa Plan Area

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More Housing Surprises In The Commercial Map

Housing & Then More Housing

A few weeks after the Residential Map was discovered, we found the Commercial Draft 2.0 Map, which proposes additional upzoning of residential homes to high density commercial mixed use, affecting hundreds of homes on residential streets lining every corridor of our community: Sepulveda, La Tijera, Manchester and Lincoln.

This Commercial Map proposes upzoning over 650 homes directly, and impacts another 600 adjacent homes. A total of over 1200 homes are impacted on residential streets lining our community’s biggest corridors under the Commercial Map plan.

We Are The Wrong Community For More Housing

City Planning seems to have forgotten (or is ignoring) the fact that Westchester/Playa is uniquely impacted by LAX and that all of our corridors are used by Angeleneos and world travelers to access the airport.

As residents, we live every day with the unmitigated impacts of traffic, poor air quality and noise from LAX. Upzoning our corridors for additional commercial mixed use (with a whole lot of new residential units) will lead to yet more negative environmental and traffic consequences for our community.

Westchester corridors now are designed to distribute traffic to LAX from the 405 and support local resident uses. They are lined with low-rise residential facing inward and away from the corridors in many areas of our community.

LAX-Focused Corridors Require Rear-Facing Ingress & Egress

City Planning’s overarching goals for corridors in general is to promote new housing in mixed-use projects along major corridors supported by existing transportation infrastructure, and in pedestrian-oriented areas.

In Westchester/Playa, egress and ingress will have to be on the residential side of buildings, as DOT will never approve curb cuts on the corridor side for traffic reasons. Additionally, Westchester has at least one Community Design Overlay (CDO) in effect that legally requires rear-facing ingress and egress.

This will force commercial ground floor egress, ingress and signage to be facing our neighborhoods on our residential streets, leading to additional cut-through traffic in all of our Westchester/Playa del Rey neighborhoods, especially if the corridors are impassable with added residential density.

Also important to note, when converting our residential streets to commercial mixed use, City Planning is not going to provide a blueprint for an actual planned use or community such as Playa Vista. They are simply rezoning, so that homeowners can sell to developers in a parcel by parcel approach to development.

This approach does not produce a substantial amount of new housing, and there are no requirements for adding affordable housing in this plan.

Homeowners quite likely will face a devaluation of their property if the Commercial Map is adopted as presented. And the end result will be that our corridors will have a hodgepodge aesthetic effect – think of portions of La Brea, where you see a house next to a gas station next to a small building – can we say ugly?

This is not thoughtful development that will benefit our community. It is simply a green light for developers to build practically anything anywhere they can grab a cheap lot, with no parking and little affordable housing.

Which Streets Are Being Upzoned to Commercial Mixed Use?

In the current iteration of the Commercial Map, residential streets lining the corridors of Manchester, Sepulveda, La Tijera and Lincoln would be converted to Commercial Mixed Use, replacing single family homes and other low-rise duplex/ triplex units on the following streets:

Alverstone Ave (West of Sepulveda)
Naylor Ave (East of Sepulveda)
Arizona Ave (West of Sepulveda)
85th Place (North of Manchester)
86th Place (South of Manchester)
86th Place (North of Manchester)
Kittyhawk Ave (East of La Tijera)
Flight Ave (West of La Tijera)
Manchester Ave (North and South)

What we get with rezoning – bad community planning!
What we want – good community planning!

Where Is The Fair Housing The City Wants To Promote?

It has not gone unnoticed by our community that the bulk of the proposed density in all three proposed maps is on the east side of our community, in Osage and on corridors near Osage. This is also an area already heavily impacted by poor air quality and LAX-related traffic.

This brings up questions about the equitable distribution of upzoning in our community. The City’s current plan targets the most socioeconomically diverse parts of our community, the very people the City is supposed to be helping under current and proposed housing policy. The plan targets entry level housing and homeownership and threatens to displace our vulnerable RSO (rent control) and Section 8 community members, all to build market rate boxes.

And did I mention the planned 15-story buildings? The current Commercial Map allows for the potential for high density commercial mixed use of up to 15 stories with no gentle transition on streets currently lined with single family homes.

Further, the plan provides for no added green space, which Westchester/Playa is already sorely lacking. And most importantly, the plan fails to recognize that LAX modernization and growth will continue to impact our corridors which are a gateway to a world airport, LAX.

The Community Alliance Has A Better Plan

Fortunately, we have a better plan. After countless hours of meetings, rallies, petition gathering and other events, The Community Alliance understands what our community wants and is doing our darnedest to make the planners listen. Will they heed the will of our community? That is the $64,000 question.

Please sign and share our petition!

 

** The views expressed in this post are Cory’s alone, and should not be construed in any way as an opinion of any other group.**

About Cory Birkett Cory Birkett is a 25-year Westchester/Playa resident and alumna of LMU. Her background in education led to her active parent involvement in many local schools since her daughter was in preschool. She has held leadership roles in the PTAs and Governing Boards of schools such as WPNS, Open Magnet Charter, WISH Middle and El Segundo High School. Her commitment to helping schools implement social-emotional programs and community service initiatives has made her a driving force behind positive changes in the local education system. As an appointed community member of the Westchester/Playa Neighborhood Council’s Planning and Land Use Committee and Ad Hoc Community Plan Update Committee, she advocates for strategic and thoughtful development that enhances affordable housing opportunities while maintaining Westchester/Playa’s unique neighborhood character.

Cory’s career path led her through the world of print and online publications as an editor. For the past 15 years, she has been a local realtor helping home buyers and sellers navigate the unique Silicon Beach neighborhoods of Westchester, Playa del Rey and beyond. Cory offers personal guidance, ensuring her clients are informed about all aspects of a home sale or purchase, including expert knowledge of local schools and neighborhoods. Cory is dedicated to serving the people and communities she loves and spends much of her free time volunteering for local organizations.

 

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Osage Gets Slammed Again

Residential and Commercial and Industrial, Oh My!

Many of you are already aware of the City’s Draft GPLU “Residential” Plans to rezone many parts of Westchester, including the entire Osage neighborhood – WPDR 6 and 7 (from R1 Very Low Residential single-family housing) and WPDR 8 (from R2 Low-Medium Residential) to High-Density Multi-Family zoning.

Westchester’s Proposed Residential GPLU:

Westchester Draft Residential Map Annotated To Highlight Osage

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the City Planners added yet another layer of upzoning…

The Draft Commercial GPLU Map:

See those areas in shades of pink? WPDR 21, 15, 20, 14, 17 – Those are Neighborhood Center & Community Center zones bordering Osage.

These zones run parallel to residential streets and rezone the properties that back-up to main streets, such as La Tijera & Manchester. Yes, more residential upzoning.

Neighborhood Center:
Neighborhood Center areas are focal points for surrounding residential neighborhoods and include uses that serve the needs of residents and employees. The building form ranges from Very Low Rise to Low Rise, and is characterized by pedestrian-scale commercial development. Uses generally include a mix of residential and commercial uses, such as local businesses and services. The residential density generally ranges from 1 unit per 1,200 square feet of lot area to 1 unit per 400 square feet of lot area.

Community Center:
Community Centers are vibrant places of activity typically located along commercial corridors, in concentrated nodes, or adjacent to major transit hubs. The building form ranges from Low Rise to Mid Rise, and may extend to Moderate Rise in the Downtown Community Plan. The use range is broad and may include commercial, residential, institutional facilities, cultural and entertainment facilities, and neighborhood-serving uses. The residential density generally ranges from 1 unit per 800 square feet of lot area to 1 unit per 200 square feet of lot area; residential density may also be limited by floor area.

How big can they be?

Look at the GPLU Table below – To determine the number of potential density units divide the lot size (in sqft) by the Base Density Number, 8 or 4, respectively (800 sqft or 400 sqft). Remember, they can be even larger by using multiple layers of building incentives provided by the City (including TOCs):

It stops there, right?

Wrong!

Just released in August 2023, the City Planners covertly revealed their latest zoning map, Draft Industrial GPLU

Cue the drumroll as I present to you, WPDR 28 and 29!

The City Planners added Osage-adjacent Industrial properties to their already crazy-dense upzoning plans… for, guess what? Yes – even more residential zoning!

Are my eyes deceiving me? Are the City Planners really suggesting adding onto this already soon to be uber-dense area creating a mega cluster of high-density madness?! I foresee unhealthy levels of everything – quality of life, air quality, traffic, stress on infrastructure, the list goes on and on and…

What are Markets and Hybrid Industrial?
Glad you asked…

Markets:
Markets are bustling centers of commercial activity, each with its own mini-economy of specialized commercial uses, including wholesale. The building form generally ranges from Very Low Rise to Low Rise, and Mid Rise to Moderate Rise. Adaptive-reuse and rehabilitation of structures and warehouses maintain the built environment and support sustainable development. Uses also include retail, limited housing, and goods movement activities. The residential density generally ranges from 1 unit per 1,500 square feet of lot area to 1 unit per 200 square feet of lot area; the residential density of Markets that are close to transportation hubs and/or Regional Centers may be limited by floor area.

Hybrid Industrial:
Hybrid Industrial areas preserve productive activity and prioritize employment uses, but may accommodate live/work uses or limited residential uses. The building form ranges from Very Low Rise to Mid Rise. Uses include light industrial, commercial, and office, with selective live/work uses. The residential density generally ranges from 1 unit per 1,500 square feet of lot area to 1 unit per 200 square feet of lot area; the residential density of Hybrid Industrial areas that are close to transportation hubs and/or Regional Centers may be limited by floor area.

How big can they be?

Calculate the Markets’ potential base density by using the correspondence table below:
Divide the lot size (in sqft) by the Base Density Number 8 (800 sqft) to determine the number of units.
For example, one of the lots in WPDR 29 (Markets) is 36,000+ sqft: 36,000 / 800 = 45 unit base density. (This is before adding any TOC building incentives).

The industrial lots slated for rezoning along 83rd ST & Osage – “WPDR 29” suggest the use of MARKETS below:

GOAL LU 31
Westchester-Playa Del Rey Plan | CH 2: Land Use & Urban Form | 44
MARKETS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY ADAPTABLE AND FLEXIBLE STRUCTURES THAT ARE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE DIVERSE LAND USES, INCLUDING LIVE/WORK, RETAIL, WHOLESALE, AND CREATIVE INDUSTRY.
LU 31.1 Encourage flexible structures that co-locate fabrication, distribution, retail, and living spaces in one building.
LU 31.2 Promote industry clusters and reinforce sub-market economic identities while allowing for residential, hotel, and institutional uses in targeted areas to increase activity throughout the day and night.
LU 31.3 Support active uses and programming that foster economic activity throughout the day and night and extend the area’s hours of activity.
LU 31.4 Promote public realm improvements as new development occurs, such as new open space and pedestrian amenities, to support a high-energy street environment.

GOAL LU 32 CENTERS OF COMMERCIAL AND MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY, INCLUDING WHOLESALE, RETAIL, SHOWROOMS, DESIGN, AND PROFESSIONAL OFFICE, THAT ARE WELCOMING TO NEW INDUSTRIES AND BUSINESS MODELS.
LU 32.1 Support the development of new industries and employers in Market areas with flexible land use categories that allow spaces for mixed uses and the co-location of productive uses and limited living uses.
LU 32.2 Promote jobs-generating uses with work spaces that are flexible and have capacity to house a range of industries over time.
LU 32.3 Allow a combination of residential hotel, live/work, retail, creative office, wholesale, assembly, heavy commercial, light manufacturing, and warehousing, institutional, or urban agriculture to function in close proximity and in the same structure.
LU 32.4 Reinforce the distinct mix of commercial and wholesale uses that characterize the area and support its regional draw.


GOAL LU 33 RESIDENTIAL USES ARE WELL-INTEGRATED WITH COMMERCIAL USES AND HELP TO ENHANCE ECONOMIC VIBRANCY, SUPPORT LOCAL INDUSTRY, AND EXTEND HOURS OF ACTIVITY.

The WPDR 29 Zone is bordered by Osage residential R1 single-family properties. At the very least, 65 homes in close proximity to this area will be directly impacted… Add on many, many more if these builds are multiple stories in height.

There are better alternatives for creating growth within our City’s housing options. Reshaping an already socioeconomically diverse, established neighborhood goes against what the City claims to want to accomplish. Residential upzoning in Osage is unnecessary and the plan to congest this area is offensive and, quite frankly, ludicrous.

Had enough?

Here’s what you can do to help stop high-rises next to your home:

About Sarah Howard
Sarah Howard is a 3rd generation Angeleno and 12-year resident of Westchester. You’ll often find her at the Westchester Tennis Courts where she loves to play tennis, and Nielsen Park – home to Westchester Del Rey Little League & AYSO Region 7. Beyond her recreational pursuits, Sarah’s community dedication shines. As a Board Member of the Westchester Townhouse, she upholds its non-profit mission of nurturing young minds for over 60 years. Additionally, Sarah’s leadership as a Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles Troop Leader speaks volumes of her commitment to shaping future leaders.

In her professional sphere, Sarah is a seasoned Realtor, driven by an innate understanding of Los Angeles’ intricate and dynamic real estate landscape. With a keen grasp of the Westside, she offers unparalleled insights into valuation, market trends, and the pulse of the community.