LINCOLN CENTER PROJECT REJECTED BY L.A. PLANNING COMMISSION


The city of Los Angeles Planning Commission, May 13, rejected the proposed Lincoln Center Development. This project would have been the largest commercial development in Venice. The pair of six-story buildings would have stretched from Lake Street along Lincoln Blvd. to the alley next to Palms Blvd (the area that Ralph's, Rite Aid, Ross and the old Wherehouse building now occupy).


The Commission began by calling on developers/architects Sam Adams and Jai Pal Khalsa to explain their project. Adams took one look around the room, which was packed with opponents of project, and asked the Commission for a continuance. This request was denied, somewhat indignantly.

After about a 15 minute presentation by the developers, the Commission noted the 40-plus requests to speak in opposition the project from Venetians who had trekked down to City Hall, and asked if a smaller number would speak. Representatives of the Venice Community Coalition and the Neighborhood Council agreed and reviewed the project's problems with traffic, excessive height, impact on local businesses, lack of an environmental impact report and the overall unvenetianness of the development. The Commission also heard from Kevin Keller, chief planning deputy to L.A. Councilmember Cindy Miscikowski. Keller said Cindy M. supported a mixed-use development at this site but opposed this particular one.

The Commission seemed to waver in favor of approving the development, if it was moved forward on the lot to the Lincoln Blvd. frontage. Ultimately, they voted to disapprove the project, as recommended by Hearing Officer Jon Foreman. But before that, two commissioners, Mitchell Menzer and David Burg felt it necessary to lecture the peasants – that is - the Venetians who had come downtown for the hearing. We were told not to celebrate the disapproval too gleefully because soon more outrageous projects would come along and then we would be as miserable as everyone else (not a direct quote).

The project which was proposed nearly a year and a half ago aroused a storm of protest around Venice. Meetings were held in which more than 200 people turned out in opposition, the Beachhead ran numerous articles opposing it, and last June an anti-Lincoln Center slate was elected to the neighborhood council.

The project began at seven stories and 75 feet in height but was revised downward to six stories and 66 feet, with two floors of retail space and four floors containing 280 apartment units. It was still deemed much too tall for the neighborhood.

The disapproval of this monstrous project was a big victory for the community. When it had first been proposed, several members of the old Land Use and Planning Committee said that would be impossible to stop to project. They took the position that it would be better to wrangle some concessions from the developers. Not enough was gained, however, for the hundreds of locals who insisted on standing up against the project and ultimately beating it.

The Venice Community Coalition was formed by Penmar-area neighbors who were incensed by the project. This group was behind the very successful "Envision Venice" workshop, Nov. 15, that brought out hundreds of people to discuss a community vision for Lincoln Blvd. Needless to say, that vision did not include this mega-development.

It was also a big victory for the Progressive Slate on the Grass Roots Venice Neighborhood Council. They had campaigned against the project and put the neighborhood council on record in opposition to it, in contrast to the majority of the previous council and land use committee.

–Jim Smith

Posted: Tue - June 1, 2004 at 08:49 PM          

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