Opponents of a possible 20-story high-rise planned near the Beverly Center are speaking out against the project and the large donations its developer has given to elected city officials.
But in the most recent twist, a key Los Angeles City Council member switched his position and decided to oppose the project.
The high-rise, which is being proposed at 333 S. La Cienega Blvd. by real estate developer Rick Caruso, was approved by the Los Angeles City Planning Commission in November, despite that it would be 240 feet high, well above the 45 feet that zoning guidelines limit new buildings to in the neighborhood.
[symple_googlemap title=”High-rise development” location=” 333 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA” height=”300″ zoom=”13″]
The opponents also pointed to a recent Los Angeles Times investigation that found Caruso and his affiliates have donated a total $476,000 to all but one of the city’s 17 elected officials and their initiatives over the past five years.
“If this city wants to become a world-class city it needs to respect the views of the community over campaign funding and pet projects,” said Keith Nakata of the Beverly-Wilshire Homes Association, which opposes the project. “We hope by bringing a spotlight to this issue today that elected officials will reform a broken system.”
But Councilman Paul Koretz late Thursday night announced his opposition to the 20-story high-rise planned near the Beverly Center, reversing his previous position.
“Until recently, there were few objections to the project proposed at 333 South La Cienega Boulevard,” Koretz said.
“However, I met with members of the Beverly Wilshire Homes Association a couple of weeks ago. They represent the remaining neighborhood in opposition. They handed me a petition with more than 1,000 signatures and letters from residents against the project, which I have been reviewing. After careful thought and consideration, I saw no other path than to oppose the project as it is currently designed.”
Koretz said he previously supported the project because of its support by residents of an adjacent condominium building, the Burton Way Homeowners Association and the Mid-City West Community Council.
“I conditioned my support upon the developer meeting with representatives of the only neighborhood organization who opposed the project and directed the developer to negotiate and work out something which addressed their issues,” Koretz said. “My position reflected the community and organizations which I had heard from at that time.”
Koretz said his “strongest concern is the height of the building” which he called “just too tall for this neighborhood.”
Koretz called on developer Rick Caruso “to continue meeting with neighborhood representatives to come up with a scaled-down version of the building which would be more appropriate for the area.”
Koretz said he “was planning on announcing my opposition a few days from now when everybody was back from the holidays.”
“However, I felt it was timelier to do so tonight, after leaders in the Beverly Wilshire Homes Association voiced their strong disapproval at a press conference,” Koretz said.
The City Council is expected to vote on the project in early 2017, which the Times reported has received the support of Councilman Paul Koretz, who represents the area, and from the Mid City West Community Council, the neighborhood council for the area.
Koretz has received $2,200 in donations from Caruso since 2011, the Times pointed out. That story was before Koretz decided to oppose the project. Koretz came under strong criticism for his earlier support.
“It shows once again that Paul Koretz and his office are the puppets of the developers,” said Jesse Creed, who is challenging Koretz for his council seat in the upcoming March primary election. “I know we have a housing shortage in this city, but that’s not what this is about. This is about stopping backroom deals with wealthy contributors.”
Koretz’s office and representatives of the Mid City West Community Council did not immediately respond to a request to comment. Koretz did tell the Times he only supported the deal because Caruso had gotten the support of the neighborhood council and residents of a nearby condominium — although Caruso had agreed to spend $500,000 on repairs for the building.
“Paul Koretz keeps claiming that the community supports this project. We have never supported this project,” said Diana Plotkin of the Beverly- Wilshire Homes Association at a news conference held on the sidewalk near the proposed development. “The only people who support this project is the condominium behind me, who is receiving $500,000 to improve its condominium, and the neighborhood council, who represent the businesses, the developers, and the unions, but not the residents who live in this area.”
Voters in the city will have an opportunity to weigh on in just the very kind of development that Caruso is proposing in the March election. Measure S would halt large develop
ment projects that require “spot zoning,” or special permission from the city council, for two years. Supporters of the measure say this dynamic creates cozy relationships between developers and the council.
Eight members of the City Council are listed as part of the Coalition to Protect L.A. Neighborhoods and Jobs, which opposes Measure S, but Koretz is not one of them.
–City News Service