The City Council gave its approval to a planning blueprint for 340 acres of vacant property between Los Angeles International Airport and the communities of Westchester and Playa del Rey.

The Council vote was 12-0.

In the works for years, the LAX Northside Plan Update overhauls a land-use plan created in the 1980s that was outdated and overly dense, according to Los Angeles World Airports, the city department that owns and operates LAX and two other Southern California airports.

The updated plan allows for 175,000 square feet of community and civic uses to complement commercial development, plus nearly 50 acres of new recreation and open space. Guidelines include state-of-the-art sustainability measures, buffers adjacent to residential properties and enhanced pedestrian and bicycle access between the downtown Westchester business district and the beach, according to LAWA.

“Westchester and Playa del Rey deserve a vibrant, thriving community and the Northside Plan will offer neighbors open space and recreation facilities to play in, restaurants and retail space to dine and shop in, and a campus-like office space to work in,” said Councilman Mike Bonin, who represents the area. “This plan puts neighborhoods first and is a shining example of our world-class airport acting like a first-class neighbor.”

The plan has already been approved by the L.A. Board of Airport Commissioners, the City Planning Commission and the Los Angeles County Airport Land Use Commission.

The project still needs the approval of the Federal Aviation Administration. LAWA director of public relations Nancy Castles said she did not know when the FAA would take up the matter.

—City News Service

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