The 20-plus year effort to redevelop the east end of West Hollywood hit a snag when the city's Planning Commission voted on Thursday night to certify the environmental impact report of the Movietown project just west of Santa Monica Boulevard and La Brea Avenue, but also to recommend denial of the Van Tilburg, Banvard & Soderbergh-designed project. Complaints about height and traffic may have done in developer Casden's project --the development calls for two five-story towers facing Santa Monica Boulevard, two 10-story towers behind it, 371 residential units, and 32,300 square feet of retail. Some planners grumbled that there was a "token" amount of retail fronting the boulevard, that seniors would get shafted on the low-income units, and that the parking requirements were too immense for a project near numerous bus lines and a potential subway stop.
WeHo News reports that there was a suggestion to ask Casden to come back with changes but Anne McIntosh, WeHo's community development director said, “You’re making a recommendation to the city council and I think it’s too late in the process to ask the applicant to make changes and come back to you.” The city council takes on Movietown February 1. Meanwhile, Casden is also looking to put a Target and housing near Pico and Sepulveda, another project likely to face opposition.
· Movietown Plaza Denied [WeHo News]
· Movietown Getting Green Light? [Curbed LA]
· Movietown Plaza [Official Site]
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