FINAL PUBLIC HEARING TOMORROW THURSDAY OCTOBER 24 – 10:30am at 1645 Corinth Avenue, 2nd Floor – PLEASE ATTEND

SIGN PETITION TODAY AND EMAIL!!

Help stop the overbuilding and the elimination of affordable housing!

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Dear Zoning Administrator, Charles J. Rausch, Jr.:

We, the undersigned, Mar Vista neighborhood residents and/or property owners, respectfully petition that the City of Los Angles not approve the proposal of Three6ixty to construct a four-story, 85-unit Elder Care Facility (Case No. ZA-2018-1586-ELD-SPR-ZAA-ZAD), because of its incompatibility and highly detrimental impact on the neighborhood scale, character, density, living, and affordable housing. In addition, the proposal asks to set aside a large number of city zoning laws in ways that will be harmful to the community and its residents. Our many concerns with the proposal include: Increase in density in exception to city zoning with negative impact on traffic, parking, noise, and privacy—89% increase in allowable density, 67% decrease in portions of the rear setback, 16% increase in allowable FAR (Building Area), an extremely tall and potentially dangerous retaining wall. Destruction of city views and setback that adjacent residents have cherished for years, with resulting negative impact on quality of life, and property values. As designed, the project will obstruct views, cast bigger shadows, and reduce privacy for many. Only 40 parking spaces (that are tandem) for 84 units is not sufficient to provide for tenants, janitors, nurses, doctors, administration, visitors and others. Adds untenable parking pressure on a neighborhood that is already strained for sufficient street parking.Imagine Weekends/Holidays. A request for a loading zone along Venice Boulevard, eliminating even more parking spaces; already with insufficient street parking. A request to consider the units as “Guest Rooms,” rather than “Dwelling Units,” which boosts base density substantially from 30 to 84 at a base rate of $5,000; unaffordable for neighborhood. A proposed property use, long-term care, is not appropriate in a neighborhood that has always been entirely residential. The potential for substantial increase in noise from emergency vehicles, residents, and visitors has not been addressed. The proposal does not seem to consider the strain which increased density for this purpose will place on expensive City resources, especially emergency services. Requires the destruction of numerous affordable low impact housing units, with no replacement of similar housing units, further exacerbating affordable housing in the area. Per-Capita household Income for 90066 is $42,388 (https://www.incomebyzipcode.com/california/90066). Proposed base cost to live in planned units is $60,000; this cost excludes food, care, etc.. Therefore, this structure is unaffordable for current residents of 90066 and cannot be considered a benefit to any of the residents. In fact, it will only be a burden.   Given the project’s adjacency to an R1V2-zoned single-family residential district, these requests are extremely concerning, as they have the potential to adversely affect and degrade nearby single-family homes, as well as the surrounding neighborhood.   To justify his requests, the Applicant states that “strict application of the zoning and land use regulations would not only result in practical difficulty but create an unnecessary hardship as it would render the proposed Project both functionally and financially infeasible.” This statement is impossible to effectively evaluate. Only detailed evidence and analysis can prove that the existing zoning constitutes the “unnecessary hardship” that public agencies are legally required to find before granting such zoning deviations.  This evidence has not been provided. In fact, Welbrook  is a very successful, for-profit operator of Eldercare Facilities in at least eight states.  While the services the Applicant provides serve a common need, in so doing this project effectively removes 17 older, affordable housing units in order to construct 84 very expensive new housing units. (Monthly base rents at the Applicant’s Southern California facilities are in the $5,000 to $7,500 range, with supplemental services costing even more.) By asking to far exceed allowable zoning, this very profitable enterprise is seeking to become even more profitable, at the expense of the neighborhood! It is to be noted that no direct outreach to the residents, within the 500-foot radius, was exercised by any party involved--except to two cherry-picked residents. Only due to the legally required notice of a Public Hearing that received did the neighborhood become aware of this project. The neighborhood has been waiting to hear from the builder regarding changes and information requested to acknowledge that their voice is being heard; whereas, the other parties have been working with the city and its representatives for several months to be clearly and repeatedly heard and to find loopholes to avoid making this project part of the community. Adding insult to injury, the homes in the R1V2 zones adjacent to the proposed project were effectively down-zoned in March 2017, in response to a grass-roots initiative targeting the construction of so-called single-family “McMansions”. This downzoning placed more restrictive limits on the allowable size, height, and bulk of single-family homes, such that the average R1V2 parcel effectively lost approximately 10-15% of its previously allowable floor area. Thus, this enormous proposed project needs to be evaluated not only within the context of the Applicant’s requests; but within the context of a neighborhood whose owners have very recently been required to downsize their own residences! The City is not required to, and should not, approve this application which is in conflict with numerous city codes designed to protect neighborhoods and residents, and especially because it is demonstrated that its fulfillment will unreasonably diminish the quality of life in the neighborhood. Any development should enhance residents’ lives, not merely the developer’s wallet. This one falls far short. 

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You have reached this website because you received a flyer from neighbors who are working to make everyone, within a 500-foot radius of the project, aware of the detrimental impact these variances will have on their lives and neighborhood forever. We have only until October 24 to act! Click Read More to sign the petition now! Every adult should sign this petition, regardless if the address is the same. All that is needed is a different email address. Thank you!

Following is a brief outline/history of why this petition is critical. You may read and edit the petition as you wish; simply click on the “Read or Edit Petition” button. Once submitted/signed, a copy of the petition will go to the Associate Zoning Administrator (i.e., Charles Rausch, Jr.) in Los Angeles and this website. Copies sent to this website will be resent to the Associate Zoning Administrator on the 21st to ensure that they were received. You will not be contacted by BionaDrive.org unless you fill out the Contact Form on the Contact Page. Our hope is that you fill out the Contact Form so we may provide you with updates.

Why a Petition?

Our understanding is that investors (many out-of-state) are looking to purchase and tear down the apartment buildings along Venice Blvd.; thereby, removing affordable housing. Currently, on the north side of Venice Blvd. between Sawtelle and Butler Avenues, there are more neighbors being evicted and more apartment buildings to be torn down to make way for an “elder care” facility over 4 stories high.  The Utah company is asking for several variances (i.e., exceptions) to city code. A public hearing was held on Thursday, December 6, 2018 and was postponed so the builder would work with the community–this has not happened! Neighbors only found out about the hearing shortly after Thanksgiving and only due to the city’s public hearing notice. There has been no direct communication from the Utah company to the neighborhood about this project–EVEN DURING THE POSTPONEMENT!

The Public Hearing was held regarding these variance (Case No. ZA-2018-1586-ELD-SPR). Judgement was postponed for the builder to work with the community–which he has not done! We need your help! Please sign our petition!

The out-of-state company variances include, but are not limited to the following:

• 89% increase in allowable density (more units/people)
• 67% decrease in rear setback (closer to homes)
• 16% increase in allowable FAR (building area)
• Retaining wall – potentially dangerous and extreme height
• Only 40 tandem parking spaces for 85 units and administration, nurses, doctors, caregivers, janitors, etc.
• Venice Blvd. loading zone w/ Valet parking (lost parking on Venice and in surrounding neighborhood)
• $5,000 Base Rate per month, per elder (can increase depending on their determination of care needed). This is more than a 70% increase of the monthly per capita for 90066 (this elder care is not being built for our neighborhood)

BionaDrive.org was established the day after the public hearing in an effort to provide a more efficient and expedicious way (than door-to-door flyers) for the neighborhood to have their voices heard, to communicate with one another, and to stop the variances (Case No. ZA-2018-1586-ELD-SPR).

The City is not required to, and should not, approve this application which is in conflict with numerous city codes designed to protect neighborhoods and residents, and especially because it is demonstrated that its fulfillment will unreasonably diminish the quality of life in the neighborhood. Any development should enhance residents’ lives, not merely the developer’s wallet. This one falls far short. 

Please help by Signing the Petition!

Thank you, neighbor!