Politics & Government

Council Denies Lemp, Bloomfield Developer's Proposals; Approves Liquor Permits

The latest land use actions from the Studio City Neighborhood Council.

Multiple residents made their voices heard in the last week with the Studio City Land Use Committee and Neighborhood Council that they completely disapprove with developer Jag Narayan's eight three-story residence proposal for 4411 Lemp Avenue, as well as his plans for five three-story residence proposal at 12916 Bloomfield Street.

On Wednesday, the neighborhood council unanimously shot down his plans. Narayan did not attend the meeting.

At the Nov. 13 Land Use Committee meeting, approximately 30 residents attended to protest the proposed small lot subdivision on Lemp Avenue as encroachment on the adjacent single family homes and did not enhance the neighborhood. The configuration of the proposed driveway raised concerns, too.

Asked several times by residents and LUC members, including Chairperson Lisa Sarkin, about how his proposal met the small lot subdivision guidelines and whether it enhanced the neighborhood, and Narayan could not provide a straight answer, and even became defiant to the questions.

Abutting residents Judy Wood and Gus Duffy, who attended the Nov. 13 and Nov. 20 meetings, said Narayan's proposal forced partial enclosures on sides of their properties and exposed greater concerns about noise, privacy, reduction of open air space and an increase in traffic to an already congested area near Moorpark Avenue and Walter Reed Middle School.

"If this development is allowed to proceed, it'll be the first of many requests for multi-family living units in the area," Wood said on Nov. 13.

LUC Member Kristina Hope told Narayan, "All you guys care about it money. You don't understand the suburban feel of this community."

On Nov. 20, Sarkin, who is also vice president of the neighborhood council, said the LUC found that Narayan did not follow the conditions for condominium and apartment developments as part of the community plan.

"This proposal sucks," said resident Richard Abrams. "They brought forth a rotting corpse."

Councilmember Scott Ouellette noted that one problem in Studio City is when the community plan was developed, it established single lots in transitional areas that went from true multi-family buildings in R1 zones, while other lots went to R1-5 and R3.

"We need to get rid of these transitionals so we're not transforming these home into small lot subdivisions," he said. "That said, these small lots do have some benefits."

Councilmember Richard Niederberg, calling the plan  "very disingenuous," said in Narayan's application it called for 24 bedrooms on one lot, which is very different than from two, three or four next to it.

Regarding Bloomfield Street, Sarkin said it was "same developer, same opposition, same problems" with houses not facing the street in an area already experiencing a huge parking problem.

Shooting down Narayan's second proposal, Sarkin said to watch for letters on a hearing with a city zoning advisory agency on Narayan's proposals.

"Our opposition is usually highly regarded," she said. "And the fact they didn't follow the guidelines, they'd have to turn it around and make it less dense."

Tuning Fork, Tokyo Kogi alcohol permits OK'd

Also on Wednesday, the council approved a beer and wine permit application from incoming Tokyo Kogi, located at 11388 Ventura Blvd., and a full-line alcohol service application for Tuning Fork, located at 12051 Ventura Place. Tokyo Kogi plans to open in the spring of 2014.


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