City planning officials have been visiting Jasmine Avenue, and they appreciated what they saw. It's been reflected in two decisions recently.
First, a building-line variance at 3665 Jasmine Ave. was rejected by the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission Wednesday, Feb. 7.
Builder Gary Schaffel of Van Nuys wanted to construct a new building only 15 feet from the sidewalk (below the green arrow, left). The zoning ordinance for that area requires a 25-foot setback.
But Joyce Foster, chair of the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission, visited the area on Feb. 6 and told her fellow commissioners the next day that she thought the setback variance should be denied.
It was, by a 3-0 vote.
Commissioner Glenda E. Martinez changed her previously negative vote as a consequence of Foster's remarks — resulting in the turndown. Three votes were needed to reject Schaffel's bid and two of the five commissioners were absent.
The only property owner besides Shaffel to testify on Feb. 7 in favor of the project was Nematollah Rahmanpour, who wanted the same kind of variance for his property at 3672-3678 Jasmine.
Neal Zoromski, owner of a single-family house on the block, spoke in opposition, as did George Garrigues of the Palms Neighborhood Council and two staffers from Council Member Herb Wesson's office.
The Palms Council had voted to oppose the building-line encroachment. But the city attorney ruled that neighborhood councils (because they are agencies of the city) could not make an appeal to the Planning Commission. Therefore, the appeal was filed as a private matter by PNC Secretary Garrigues.
The issue was considered important because a variance would have set a precedent for the rest of the street.
Rahmanpour's request for his variance was heard on Feb. 14 in the City Hall downtown. Garrigues presented the text of a resolution adopted by the Palms NC on Nov. 1, 2006, which stated its concern about the possible reduction of open space in Palms caused by a spate of requests for building-line adjustments. He then argued in opposition to the encroachment.
In an odd twist, City Planner Theodore L. Irving (who had written the original decision granting the setback to Schaffel on the opposite side of the street) reversed himself entirely in the Rahmanpour case and flatly rejected any setback waiver. (Photo of the buildings to be torn down is at the right. They can also be seen on the second lot from the bottom in the photo above.)
"The community has spoken," Irving said of the opposition raised by Wesson and the Palms NC. He said he had visited the street and agreed that it would be wrong to "destroy the fabric of the neighborhood."
The Rahmanpour decision can still be appealed to the West L.A. Planning Commission.
Meanwhile, work began this month on a large apartment complex in the same block. A building-line waiver was granted by the city, partially based on the promise of the developer to include a below-market-rate apartment for a handicapped person. Older buildings on three contiguous lots are being demolished.
