West LA Civic Center Redevelopment - The Problems With the Plan

West LA Civic Center Redevelopment THE PROBLEMS WITH THE PLAN

This is the only remaining community land in West LA Sawtelle that will ever be available.

—RANDY SAKAMOTO, Sawtelle Japantown Association

content s 1 4 6 10 12 16

introduction population traffic trees open space current residential demographics

a brief timeline history of Sawtelle 22 historical significance 24 historical preservation 18

proposal housing stats 28 proposal height stats

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community-drawn site maps 42 community comments

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supporting documents 55 contact

46

introd uct ion I’ve lived in the Sawtelle neighborhood for the last 30 years. I live in an apartment several blocks from the West Los Angeles Civic Center.

Sawtelle is one of the most densely populated areas on the Westside, and most of us residents live in apartments. For years, the courtyard at the West LA Civic Center has been my neighborhood open space—the place I go to clear my head, enjoy the trees, meet with friends, and watch the skaters. I love this open public space. And I love the magnificent trees that are in the courtyard and behind the courthouse.

The neighborhood has changed in my 30 years here. Redevelopment and new apartments have increased the population density of the area, yet I still value the diversity and flavor of this neighborhood.

While California is making great progress initiating policies to slow climate change and preserve resources, I recently learned that Los Angeles has the least open space of any city in the United States.

I see open space, trees, and grass being gobbled up at an alarming rate as single-family homes in Sawtelle are being sold to multi-unit developers.

As our population becomes more dense on these privately-owned lands, it is the prerogative of the developer as to how much open space new structures have.

In contrast, the West LA Civic Center sits on public lands, half owned by LA County and half owned by the City of LA. The site has a long history going back to the 1920s of being a public gathering place.

So I was shocked when, late in 2020, I learned that City Councilman Mike Bonin and County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl had put together a Request For Proposals (RFP) for private entities to lease and develop the 7.3-acre site—and in fact had accepted a proposal that will erect dense housing on the site with disproportionately scant open space left for new residents and existing neighbors. And nearly 500 of the units are planned to be market-rate rentals. I felt like the drafting of the RFP, the call for

proposals, and selection of the West LA Commons plan—all taking place in less than 12 months—had been slyly slipped past the stakeholders in the neighborhood while we all hunkered down during Covid quarantine.

After a West LA Commons public meeting in November 2021, to which I submitted written feedback, I began to offer comments at my Neighborhood Council meetings. And in April 2022, I began to write letters to city and county officials and candidates for city and county offices.

West LA Sawtelle Neighborhood Council accelerated their efforts to collect public feedback starting in March 2022. I followed this process closely and collected comments from people who are also concerned about the redevelopment plans and the process the redevelopment has taken and continues to take.

The West LA Civic Center was once a showcase Branch Administrative Center. I think we are missing a huge opportunity now to show the rest of Los Angeles (on this historic site) that we can build much needed affordable housing and at the same time create humane living communities in harmony with the surrounding environment. We can develop designs that do their utmost to reduce the negative effects of climate change. We can do better than the West LA Commons plan. But in order to do that, sustained open dialog has to take place with public officials and ordinary constituents like me.

I am no more or no less special than any of the other 32,000+ people who live in the Sawtelle neighborhood. My voice comes from my experiences, and the questions I ask have to do with what I think is important to consider. I feel we cannot afford to blithely lose any public open space without a fight. Loss of public land is a kind of extinction— once gone it will never be gotten back.

In this document, I present my concerns, the research I’ve done, and the compiled feedback from other stakeholders in the Sawtelle neighborhood. I hope to spark more conversations between Sawtelle community stakeholders, public officials, and developers.

—TINA TURBEVILLE, June 2022.

1

Many Sawtelle stakeholders support a project with: less density more open space for residents and the surrounding community with preservation of existing architectural and natural elements affordable housing priority to low-income Sawtelle residents and those displaced by neighborhood development ample on-site parking for residents, shoppers, and employees

2

question: “How will the Sawtelle infrastructure support what follows on the next few pages?”

3

1,600+ people added to the neighborhood

4

5

1,2 00+ c ars added to the neighborhood

t raf f ic

The Sawtelle neighborhood is pushed up against the 405 freeway with limited paths under the freeway.

This results in grid-lock.

Santa Monica Blvd and the 405 are heavily grid-locked every day. A large housing center at the Civic Center will contribute to a much greater problem.

8

first question: “How bad is it now?” second question: “How bad will it be if a large number of housing units is built at the West LA Civic Center?”

I would propose the following measurements of traffic.

Time to traverse from Barrington Ave and Olympic Blvd to 405 freeway. (go north, then east) 1. Start at Barrington/Olympic Intersection at various times of the day.

2. Drive north on Barrington.

3. Turn right on Santa Monica Blvd. Cross under 405 and enter the North 405 ramp and end time.

4. How long does it take to traverse this at different times of day.

5. Augment with real time traffic flow measurements.

Time to traverse from Barrington Ave and Olympic Blvd to 405 freeway (go east, then north) 1. Start at Barrington/Olympic intersection at various times of the day.

2. Drive east on Olympic 3. Turn left on Sawtelle Blvd and drive north on Sawtelle.

4. Turn right on Santa Monica Blvd.

5. Get onto the 405 north on-ramp. End time.

6. How long does it take to traverse this at different times of day?

The two experiments described above are useful for judging the gridlock time and traffic in Sawtelle.

—RANDY SAKAMOTO, Sawtelle Japantown Association

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“

In addition to providing shade and beautifying our streets, our urban trees capture and clean stormwater runoff, remove pollution from the air, store carbon, and produce oxygen.

Trees have been proven to reduce stress and improve concentration. Our trees improve our communities.

”

—LA BUREAU OF STREET SERVICES TREE INVENTORY STREETSLA.LACITY.ORG/TREE-INVENTORY

Mature trees’ long tap roots reach down to the water table and thus require less water. Young trees need much more water to ensure their healthy growth and will continue to be thirsty for years before reaching maturity. With an underground parking structure beneath the proposed compound we may never see mature trees of this size again.

MAP MODIFIED FROM: MAPS.ASSESSOR.LACOUNT Y.GOV/M/

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tre e s

question: “How many trees does West LA Commons propose to cut down?” answer: “All of them.”

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d ef ining & alloc ati ng op e n sp ace

What constitutes open space and how much must be allocated to a project?

What is Quimby, and why haven’t we seen any Quimby funds from Sawtelle developers used to develop more open space in Sawtelle?

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total open space: 193,000 SF total in compliance with LAMC open space definition: 112,382 SF non-compliant open space: 80,618 SF private open space: 81,641 SF (interior and exterior for residents only) public open space: 30,741 SF retail space: 71,000 SF

80,618 SF non-LAMC compliant open space

71,000 SF retail

81,641 SF private open space LAMC compliant (includes both interior and exterior spaces)

30,741 SF public open space LAMC compliant

The project lists 193,000 square feet of private, common, and publicly accessible open space, which is slightly misleading.

Only 112,382 square feet would comply with the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) definition* of open space. It’s unclear what the remaining 80,618 square feet of open space would be and who would have access to it. Retail space is more than twice the area of public open space in the West LA Commons plan.

LAMC states that Common open space shall meet each of the following requirements: 1. Be open to the sky and have no structures that project into the common open space area, except as provided in Section 12.22 C.20(b).

2. Be readily accessible to all the residents of the site, 3. Have a minimum area of 400 sq. ft. with no horizontal dimension less than 15 feet when measured perpendicular from any point on each of the boundaries of the open space area, 4. Constitute at least 50% of the total required usable open space in developments built at an R3, RAS3, R4, RAS4, and/or R5 density regardless of the underlying zone.

q uim by f unds When a residential development is built, the developer is required to donate land or pay a fee based on the size of the building. The city requires fees can only be spent on parks within a one- or two- mile radius of the development.

Originally, condos and subdivision houses paid Quimby fees, apartments didn’t. In 2016, the law was modified and now includes apartments in the calculations.

Quimby asks for three acres of park area per 1,000 persons residing in an area. But Quimby isn’t working.

Developers prefer to pay a fee rather than provide park land, and the City isn’t using the fees to develop park land.

LOS ANGELES MUNICIPAL CODE LINK: CITED IN ONLINE RESOURCES ON PAGE 54.

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The City of Los Angeles has: • one of the highest emissions rates in the world • the 5th least green space of any city in the world • the least green space of any city in the US (6.7%)

Cities with more green space than Los Angeles: • • • •

Hong Kong (40%) London (33%) New York City (27%) San Francisco (13.7%)

Suitability criteria for creating more green space: • • • •

general land use: prioritizing vacant or open land vegetation coverage: prioritizing areas with less existing vegetative cover impervious surface coverage: prioritizing areas with more impervious surface cover population density: prioritizing areas with high population density

The West LA Civic Center “ site meets suitability criteria for creating more green space.

Urban green infrastructure is considered to be a key element in improving quality of life and creating an appropriate framework for sustainable cities.

Green spaces mitigate the effects of climate change through carbon storage, pollution regulation, soil protection, water and temperature regulation, and biodiversity support.

In addition to the environmental benefits, green spaces are valuable in maintaining the quality of life of urban residents and visitors. Evidence suggests that natural spaces in urban settings provide several mental and psychological health benefits, such as encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle, alleviating stress, stimulation of social activities, and reducing exposure to air pollution.

”

GREEN INFR ASTRUCTURE INFO CITED FROM: STORYMAPS.ARCGIS.COM/STORIES/563B43D9A87F4FA1A1E9F52A679F4133 STATISTICS FROM: TREEHUGGER.COM/GLOBAL-CITIES -MOST-AND-LEAST-P UBLIC -GREEN- SPACE-4868715

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op e n green space

If the West LA Commons development is built as now proposed, Sawtelle will have only one 8-acre contiguous open green space for 35,000+ residents—the vast majority of whom live in apartments with no personal open space.

(See map on page 17)

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c ur re nt res id e nt ial demographi cs

Sawtelle has one of the highest % of renter-occupied residences in CD11, with most high density housing clustered north of Nebraska Avenue.

Currently Stoner Park and the open space at the Civic Center serve our 32,515* residents.

West LA Commons will increase Sawtelle’s population by more than 1,600 and reduce the only open spaces available for apartment and condo dwellers.

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2020 CENSUS DATA FROM: DATA.LACIT Y.ORG/COMMUNIT Y-ECONOMIC -DEVELOPMENT/CENS U S -DATA-BY-NEIGHBORHOOD-COUNCIL/NWJ3-UFBA * P OP ULATION NUMBERS FOR THIS DATA SET BASED ON 2012 TOTAL P OP ULATION MAP TR ACED FROM GOOGLE SATELLITE MAP (AS OF MAY 2022)

a

405 Freeway

Santa Monic

Barrington

Wilshire

Exp

Sawtelle

Bundy

Centine

la

Nebraska

o Li

ne

Olympic

Pico 10 F reew ay

mostly owner-occupied single family residences mostly renter-occupied multi-household residences West LA Civic Center public properties mostly non-residential properties

19%

public schools Stoner Park THESE OWNER / RENTER AREAS HAVE APPROXIMATE BORDERS. NEW CONSTRUCTION ENSUES FREQUENTLY. THE AREAS ARE DESIGNATED “MOSTLY” FOR T WO REASONS. FIRST, THERE’S A MIX OF HOUSES AND APARTMENTS IN SOME AREAS. SECOND, SOME MULTI-HOUSEHOLD BUILDINGS ARE CONDOS OCCUPIED BY OWNERS. LIKEWISE, SOME SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES ARE RENTALS.

81%

2,914 owner-occupied residences 12,786 renter-occupied residences 17

a br ief hist or y of saw telle before 1900 600 0 B C

TONGVA

8,000 years ago, the Tongva were the original inhabitants of the Los Angeles basin and the Channel Islands. Their village at Kuruvungna Springs (now on the University High School footprint) was one of 31 villages in Southern California.

Kuruvungna translates as “a place where we are in the sun.” The Springs provided a valuable source of fresh water for the Tongva since at least the 5th century B.C., producing up to 25,000 gallons daily.

Sawtelle has a rich cultural history starting with native Tongva people who occupied the coastal area of Southern California from 6000 BC to the 1780s. Spanish colonizers arrived in 1769, and in 1821, Mexico gained independence from Spain.

Civil War veterans arrived at the Sawtelle Soldier’s Home after the Civil War. Then Japanese farmers and landscapers settled the area in the early 20th century, and the area became a thriving Japantown.

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IMAGES: GABRIELINOSPRINGS.COM/WPSITE/?PAGE_ID=29 LAIST.COM/NEWS/WHAT-TO-KNOW-ABOUT-LAND-ACKNOWLEDGMENT VALLEYVILLAGEHOME.FILES.WORDPRESS.COM/2020/03/IMGRES-6.JPG WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/99278405@N04/10021688036/ SANTA_MONICA_OUTLOOK-FEB-22-1901 SAWTELLE1897TO1950.FILES.WORDPRESS.COM/2020/12/WILLIAM-E.-SAWTELLE-007.JPG SAWTELLE1897TO1950.FILES.WORDPRESS.COM/2021/11/SANTA_MONICA_OUTLOOK-FEB-22-1901-MAP-OF-SAWTELLE-NEW-CROP-RED-3.JPG

1821 Mexico gains independence from Spain. California mission lands which were promised to Native People are instead deeded to Spanish-Mexican well-positioned people of power.

1 780 s

1 76 9

The Sawtelle Old Soldiers Home opens in 1888 on 713 acres of land. Prominent architect Stanford White is credited with designing the original shingle style frame barracks. J. Lee Burton designs a streetcar depot and the shingle style chapel in 1900.

SPANISH COLONIZERS

182 1

182 1

1 828

In 1769, Gaspar de Portola camps at Kuruvungna Springs as Spain begins to colonize the frontier known as “Alta California.”

MEXICAN

1 8 47

1840s

1850

WHITE SETTLERS

On September 9, 1850, California is admitted to the Union as the 31st state.

In the 1780s, Spanish colonizers relocate the Tongva from Kuruvungna Springs to San Gabriel, and they then become referred to as “Gabriela Indians” or “GabrielinoTongva.”

In 1841, the first White settlers leave Missouri for California, and in 1847, Mexico cedes Southern California to the United States.

In 1828, Don Francisco Sepulveda is given a grazing permit, and in 1839, he becomes owner of Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica.

17 70

1 780

1 790

1800

1810

182 0

1830

1840

1850

1860

1888

JAPANESE IMMIGRANTS

1900

1897 Barrett Villa Development—the first development in the neighborhood—is a 225-acre rectangular tract of the Pacific Land company with small affordable lots close to the Old Soldiers’ Home for families of veterans. It is divided and laid out with the boundaries of Ohio avenue on the north, Sepulveda Blvd. on the east, La Grange Avenue on the south and Federal Avenue on the west.

1 8 70

1880

1890

1900

William E. Sawtelle

William E. Sawtelle became chief executive of the Pacific Land Company, the promoters of the then embryo town of Barrett Villa, renamed Sawtelle on July 4, 1899. The name Sawtelle is chosen to replace the township name Barrett because Sawtelle (one of the proprietors of the town) had done much to beautify and give character to the new town of Barrett. A year later (1900) Sawtelle becomes the manager of the Pacific Land Company and is the chief spirit in the various improvements and the steady advances made by the township of Sawtelle.

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a b r ief hist or y of saw telle a f t e r 1900 In 1942, the Japanese residents of Sawtelle are sent to wartime concentration camps until the end of WWII.

Japanese immigrants in the 1900s to 1940s worked primarily as laborers in the of vegetable and grain field south of Pico Boulevard or gardeners and landscapers in the affluent areas north and east of Sawtelle. They were denied residential access to Westside communities of Westwood, Bel Air, and Brentwood where landscaping and gardening jobs were available..

The Sawtelle housing developments provided nearby access to jobs, and the land and rents in Sawtelle were much less expensive. As Japanese settled Sawtelle, they formed strong community ties and developed a distinct Japantown where Japanese families patronized Japanese shops. In 1929, the Japanese Institute of Sawtelle was established.

1 90 0

JAPANESE IMMIGRANTS

After 1945, during the resettlement years, many successful businesses are launched—some of which remain today. The Buddhist Temple and Methodist Church emerge as additional centers of the community.

When the Sawtelle Civic Center is first created in the 1920s the original WLA library was behind the present WLA Library. The location of the present library and the Mahood Center was a grassy park.

In the late 1950s, with the building of the new library and senior center, courthouse, and new municipal building, the park area disappeared.

1899 – 1906 Sawtelle Development expands original Barrett Villa area (darker tint) to include the area bounded

by Wilshire to Pico and Centinela to Sepulveda.

Around 1900, Japanese immigrants begin to settle in the southeastern portion of the new development.

1954

Kuruvungna Springs Village is designated California Registered Landmark Site No. 522.

1906 Sawtelle becomes a city as an incorporated municipality.

1 90 0

Once a plan was selected, construction of the current West LA Civic Center began in 1957, when the land was cleared for construction, and continued until the various buildings and the associated plaza and landscaping are completed in 1961.

Designed by Albert Criz, the West LA Civic Center features Mid-Century Modern architecture, a reflection of optimism and expansion in postWWII Los Angeles.

1910

192 0

1930

1940

1950

In the late 1940s, the City of Los Angeles devises a scheme to spread access to city services to Branch Administrative Centers, which would be located in neighborhoods. Two Centers are designated Major Centers—West LA and Van Nuys.

This early 1949 Master Plan for the West LA Branch Administrative Center included: 1) Existing Municipal Building, 2) Existing Police Station, 3) Proposed Health Center, 4) Proposed Library, 5) For future: DWP, 6) For future: Public Assistance. What’s interesting is the plan shows the 1920s locations of the City Hall / Library and the WLA Police Station.

1929 The Sawtelle community name is changed to West Los Angeles.

1922 Sawtelle is annexed to the City of Los Angeles. The community is still known as Sawtelle from 1922 to 1929.

20

1960

6

1

4 5

2

3

1992

Descendants of the GabrielinoTongva, alumni of University High School and local volunteers begin a campaign to preserve and protect the springs. This leads to the formation of the GabrielinoTongva Springs Foundation (GTSF).

Through the Foundation’s efforts, the Springs and ponds have been cleaned and restored.

In May 2020, LA County and the City of Los Angeles send out a Request for Proposals to redevelop the Civic Center. In October, they select the West LA Commons development plan that has dense housing and reduces the current open space.

WWW.WESTLACOMMONS.COM

2021 – 2022 The majority of Sawtelle residents don’t know about the proposed development plan. As word gets around about the redevelopment, neighbors and skateboarders begin meeting, attending Neighborhood Council events, and writing letters to public officials.

In 2015, the Sawtelle Japantown Association is formed.

Los Angeles City Council officially designates Sawtelle as “Sawtelle Japantown” on February 25, 2015.

1970

1965 Bandshell is built.

1 980

1990

By the 1990s, skateboarding becomes a popular sport, and skaters seek out open urban settings where they can skate. The steps, ledges, railings, long promenades, and bandshell stage of the West LA Civic Center make it a popular venue.

The Courthouse attracts international attention, and skaters begin to make pilgrimages to the courtyard from all over the globe after the site appears in skateboarding videos.

Over the years, signs posted with city ordinances banning skateboarding do little to deter skaters.

2000

2010

2 02 0

2030

2013 Due to budget cuts, the West LA Courthouse closes.

2014 Nike SB collaborates with the skateboarding community—with support of West LA Sawtelle Neighborhood Council—to refurbish and reopen the Courtyard area of the Civic Center as a legal venue for skateboarders. Known simply as “Courthouse,” the area’s international reputation grows as a destination for skateboarding enthusiasts and professionals.

For the unveiling ceremony held on July 25, 2014, the back wall of the stage is enlivened with a mural by Geoff McFetridge.

IMAGES: IIIF.LIBRARY.UCLA.EDU/IIIF/2/ARK%3A%2F21198%2FZZ002C21WG%2FSC673X58/FULL/9956,/0/DEFAULT.JPG CALISPHERE.ORG/ITEM/FBAA81A00E2C863AC24C4A1CC1623E7C/ BABEL.HATHITRUST.ORG/CGI/PT?ID=UIUG.30112088897142&VIEW=1UP&SEQ=24&SKIN=2021 LOCOSCOUT.COM//IMAGE.PHP/917_12888_1438014551.9298.JPG?WIDTH=450&HEIGHT=300&IMAGE=/PHOTOS/917_12888_1438014551.9298.JPG I.PINIMG.COM/736X/0C/6D/F0/0C6DF032BE60B4F7FB82F8AF4069889D--S-SKATE.JPG WESTLACOMMONS.COM/#PROJECT WWW.JUXTAPOZ.COM/NEWS/GEOFF-MCFETRIDGE-MURAL-WEST-LA-COURTHOUSE-WITH-HELP-FROM-NIKE-SB/

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h ist oric al si g ni fi c ance

Designed by Albert Criz and opened in 1961, the West LA Civic Center features Mid-Century Modern architecture, a reflection of optimism and expansion in post-WWII Los Angeles.

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“

The West Los Angeles Civic Center Historic District is significant as a cohesive example of an administrative center in West Los Angeles that reflects the need for expanded civic services in the post-World War II era. It is also significant as an excellent example of Mid-Century Modern civic architecture designed by influential Los Angeles architects.

The civic center complex was constructed as a joint development between the City and County of Los Angeles. Planning for the complex began at least as early as 1956 when the City began to see the need to decentralize to relieve the increasing demands on city services in the post World War II era.

Construction of the various buildings and the associated plaza and landscaping began in 1957, when the land was cleared for construction, and continued until 1964. Thus the period of significance for this district is 1957 through 1964.

The City and West Los Angeles civic boosters were so confident of the need for expansion in West Los Angeles that they envisioned the new civic center eventually expanding another block west to Sawtelle Boulevard, but this expansion did not occur.

The City of Los Angeles completed the 1949 Master Plan of Branch Administrative Centers, which proposed 12 branch centers throughout the city to provide more convenient and efficient service to the public. A center in West Los Angeles was designated to serve the area bounded by Beverly Hills, Sunset Boulevard, the City of Santa Monica, and Culver City.

A plan was prepared for the West Los Angeles Administrative Center with seven buildings, including an existing police department building.

The West Los Angeles Civic Center was envisioned as a “Major Branch.”

Three new buildings identified in the plan were constructed: a branch library, a municipal building,

and a court building. The West Los Angeles Civic Center was opened in 1961.

Clearly reflecting the aesthetics of Mid-Century Modern architecture, the complex of buildings comprising the West Los Angeles Civic Center Historic District conveys a sense of harmony among the contributing structures. The associated plaza and mall create two intersecting axes and thus play an essential role in unifying the separate buildings.

The plaza and landscape was designed by Los Angeles architect Albert Criz, who also designed the West Los Angeles Courts Building and other postwar modernist buildings in Los Angeles. The West Los Angeles Regional Branch Library was completed by 1956 and was designed by the local architectural firm of Allison & Rible, which was responsible for several postwar-era buildings throughout Los Angeles. By 1958, plans were being drawn for the West Los Angeles Municipal Building.

By 1961, the library, a new county courthouse, and a police building had been completed, with several other municipal structures in the planning stages.

The Felicia Mahood recreation center (known variously today as the Senior Citizens Center, Senior Center, and Multipurpose Center) opened in 1962.

Its name commemorates the editor and civic leader who worked to establish the center.

The West Los Angeles Civic Center Historic District is an excellent example of the decentralization of Los Angeles city services to meet the needs of a geographically expanding city in the mid-twentieth century. The scale of the complex clearly reflects the City’s commitment to fully serving the growing population of West Los Angeles with modern new infrastructure.

The style of the individual buildings as well as their grouping and the unifying landscaping and plaza are representative of ambitious Mid-Century Modern government complexes that were being built throughout the world during those times of optimism for the future.

”

—LOS ANGELES HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORY HISTORICPLACESLA.ORG/REPORTS/9EE4BA62-6BFE-40FE-9044-D3FB5404D63B

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hist oric al preser vati on

An eligible historic district marking an important part of West L.A.’s growth will be erased.

—THE LOS ANGELES CONSERVANCY

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“

Two facades of the branch City Hall were planned to be kept (which is not preservation) yet that is now being reconsidered, citing soil conditions. The same goes for the now-doomed Googie style Amphitheatre, despite being marked for preservation in the proposal that was selected by the City and County.

As a public-private venture between the City, County and the developer (Avalon Bay and Abode Communities), preservation was supposed to be a priority, at least it was in the official Request for Proposals (RFP) process, stated as one of ten key aspects to be addressed.

Preservation through adaptive reuse is readily achievable in this project, and can complement the proposed new mixed income housing. New buildings of the same footprint are to replace the branch City Hall and Courthouse. The existing Amphitheatre can be repurposed and kept.

It is easier to demolish everything and build subterranean parking over the entire site than build around the historic buildings. Yet easy does not equal better. Until someone in leadership steps forward and presses for an alternative that successfully marries the old with the new, this development team will continue to seek the easy way out. As a familiar pattern that keeps repeating itself across this city, L.A. can do and deserves better.

”

—THE LOS ANGELES CONSERVANCY WWW. LACONSERVANCY.ORG/ISSUES/WEST-LOS-ANGELES-CIVIC-CENTER

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West LA Commons proposal housing stats ci t y u nit s total city units: 492 market rate: 333 (68%) moderate: 48 (10%) affordable: 111 (22%)

110 / 11 / 0

Beacon

Corinth House

223 / 21 / 0

Purdue House 0

50

0 / 16 / 111

200

150

100

250

co u nt y unit s Boulevard

Butler

0 / 0 / 100 (senior housing)

Butler Village

Courthouse 0

50

total county units: 434 market rate: 162 (37%) moderate: 35 (8%) affordable: 237 (55%)

144 / 14 / 0

0 / 21 / 137

18 / 0 / 0 100

150

200

250

Market Rate

Moderate 80–120% of AMI

0

26

200

400

note: 18 market-rate units in Courthouse Building.

Courthouse also has 9 (undisclosed rate) “artist studio” units that include bathrooms and kitchens.

city land

What’s AMI? Area Median Income (AMI) is used to calculate reduced-rent housing within categories such as moderate and affordable.

It is assumed that occupants cannot afford to pay more than 30% of their gross income for housing. For a significant number of people, in today’s market of high rents, this puts housing costs out of reach.

county land

Reduced-rent housing is based on the percentage ones’ income is of the Area Median Income. As market rate housing increases, the income necessary to live in that area also increases raising the AMI of the area. According to the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), the Los Angeles AMI as of May 2022 is $72,900 for a two-person household. In the Sawtelle neighborhood, the AMI is higher.

mostly market rate mostly affordable mostly public buildings retail locations county / city land boundary

38%

t ot al uni t s

53%

Affordable

9%

30–60% of AMI 495 / 83 / 348 600

800

1000

27

20’

28

40’

city site

0’

county site

Courthouse — 5 stories

87’

Butler Village — 7 stories

87’

Butler Village — 7 stories

88’

Butler — 7 stories

93’

Boulevard — 7 stories

93’

Boulevard — 7 stories

94’

Boulevard — 7 stories

Senior Center — 2 stories

Municipal Building — 5 stories

88’

Purdue House — 7 stories

Purdue House — 7 stories

Corinth House — 8 stories

94’

Corinth House — 8 stories

Corinth House — 8 stories

Beacon — 8 stories

Beacon — 8 stories

West LA Commons proposal building stats

120’

build ing hei ght s 103’ 103’

100’ 93’ 87’

80’ 76’ 70’

60’

47’

Library

Post Office

Village Recording Studio

Butler Avenue

city land

Butler Avenue

Butler Avenue Church

Police Station

Police Maintenance Yard

Iowa Avenue

Iowa Avenue

Iowa Avenue

Iowa Avenue

Iowa Avenue

Iowa Avenue

Iowa Avenue

Iowa Avenue

mostly market rate

mostly affordable

mostly public buildings

retail locations

county / city land boundary

120’

county land 100’

80’

60’

40’

20’

0’

surrounding neighborhood structure heights

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com m unit y si te maps

On May 11, 2022, West LA Sawtelle Neighborhood Council held a community brainstorming and design workshop. More than 50 community stakeholders attended, and 20 plans were submitted with ways to revise the Civic Center redevelopment proposal to better address community concerns.

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mappers Anonymous (10) Ali Abadalov Chris Giamarino Rose Kato Takeshi Kudo Monica Mejia Lambert Carole Nakano Ben Pearce Jay Ross Tina Turbeville Louis Zeledon

vid e o- re cordi ng of workshop May 11, 2022 West LA Sawtelle Neighborhood Council Design Workshop https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/KaEnBnYGGpSblYf1Qok3VZxvrmtz_hfKnph3t2A0gx5baTi9WLID0575kBlOWpYWr4I77ouEm597EKoQ.wno9cn3tFbbMioa?continueMode=true&_x_zm_rtaid=HiZZE3zTTJ6AAyk8TEh9gA.1653712177123.7a849fbaac9e6689681c99f7dfe8a861&_x_zm_rhtaid=109

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COMMENTS: 1. Remove “Beacon” building from Courthouse and increase height and density to Butler and Iowa Avenue buildings.

COMMENTS: 1. Eliminate “Beacon,” and leave Courtyard as open space 2. Add one story to all 7-story buildings 3. Relocate Police Maintenance yard and add more housing and green space.

4. Minimize the Courthouse size to maximize green space and housing 5. Add housing above Senior Center 6. Cut Municipal Building in half to add more green space 7. I support any way to increase the amount of housing in this project, and, barring that, maintain the existing housing.

c o mm unit y- revi sed si te maps

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COMMENTS: 1. Relocate bandstand to west 2. Build a public park on the SE corner of Corinth and Iowa 3. Include a playground for apartment residents 4. Make a Japanese garden at the entrance at Corinth and Idaho note: this map was drawn by Jay Ross in July, 2021 for a presentation by Sawtelle Japantown Association to the WLA Neighborhood Council. See presentation content on page 48.

COMMENTS: 1. Keep building heights low and similar to existing neighborhood buildings (4 stories) 2. Keep Community Garden (no preference in location) 3. Chop down Municipal Building—build up to 4 stories 4. Sufficient parking for residents and neighborhood 5. Eliminate “Beacon” buildings to keep public open space

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COMMENTS: 1. This is too dense and should connect and be part of the community as a whole with more open space.

2. Buildings on Iowa should be 1 to 3 stories to relate to neighboring residences.

COMMENTS: 1. The project on City/County-owned land is privatizing what should be public space for too much market rate housing. This community really needs the affordable units. Out older adults, students, Japanese, and Oaxacan communities have been pushed out of this area. The project should better serve the community.

2. The historic bandshell is one of the most interesting architectural features of the site and should be restored and retained, not demolished and rebuilt.

3. The “Beacon” unit should not be built in the Courtyard. The public open space should be retained.

4. Housing units should be reduced to 300–450.

c o mm unit y- revi sed si te maps

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COMMENTS: 1. The density / number of housing units should be reduced.

2. No new structures should be built in the existing Courtyard. The existing Senior Center should be torn down to create more open space and a place for skaters.

3. The Senior Center should be rebuilt on the corner of Iowa and Purdue.

4. Buildings on Iowa and Butler should be 4 stories.

5. The “Boulevard” buildings should be 6 stories.

COMMENTS: 1. Less housing! Delete X’d buildings to create open spaces 2. Public Gardens—food, flowers 3. Projects / Stores: grocery store, dry cleaners, bookstore, bakery 4. Public Art

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COMMENTS: 1. Keep some trees 2. Make park out of parking lot at corner of Corinth and Iowa.

3. Make a dog park 4. Make a designated Skater Zone behind Senior Center out to Corinth Avenue.

COMMENTS: 1. Traffic analysis included in EIR. 2. Ground floor development should be neighborhood services (e.g. dry cleaner) 3. Honor Japanese heritage of Sawtelle Japantown 4. Set-backs for adjacent buildings 5. More parking 6. Public entry points from Butler Avenue

c o mm unit y- revi sed si te maps

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COMMENTS: 1. Maintain all current Courtyard / Purdue open space 2. Increase height of Butler and Iowa buildings by 2 stories 3. Reconfigure “Boulevard” building to be one building and add 7 stores of housing.

4. Increase height of Senior Center 5. Add Police Maintenance Yard to project and make dog park and community garden.

6. Add Library to project and increase height by 5 stories.

COMMENTS: 1. Save the Bandshell 2. Make a Park on Santa Monica Boulevard 3. No housing on Iowa. Instead, make an open space park, skate park, and playground 4. Keep Municipal Building at 2 stories 5. No rooftop pool on Courthouse 6. Maintain historic architecture 7. Less than 500 housing units

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COMMENTS: 1. Maintain current skater area.

2. Keep number of housing units at 926 by eliminating “Beacon” and making other housing taller / higher density.

3. Tear down Senior Center and move Senior Center inside Courthouse Building.

4. Land where Senior Center was on Corinth becomes more community open space.

COMMENTS: 1. Keep the area bordered by Santa Monica–Idaho and Purdue–Corinth all public space

c o mm unit y- revi sed si te maps

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COMMENTS: 1. Lose the east “Beacon” building, and redistribute housing units to buildings on Butler and Iowa.

2. Preserve bandshell and open space east of bandshell.

COMMENTS: 1. Install sound wall with mural on east “Beacon building and Senior Center.

2. Preserve ledges used by skaters indicated in yellow and purple.

3. Build new stage.

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COMMENTS: 1. Lose eastern “Beacon” building, and rotate west “Beacon” building 90 degrees to preserve most of existing open space.

2. Designate 40,000 ft2 to Skate Plaza off of Corinth Avenue 3. Maintain 926 housing units by increasing density / height of Iowa and Butler residences.

COMMENTS: 1. Tear down Senior Center and make that area a skate park 2. Keep rest of West LA Commons plan and move Senior Center to another building on site.

c o mm unit y- revi sed si te maps

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COMMENTS: 1. Either reduce the number of units to 500 or increase height of “Boulevard” buildings. Reduce footprints of all buildings.

2. Increase number of affordable units to at least 50%.

Reduce market-rate and moderate units to 50% or less.

3. Preserve the VERY LARGE mature trees on site to make humane, livable areas for residents and neighbors.

4. Increase space between buildings and create private open areas for residents.

5. Make ALL residential buildings have rooftop open space for residents (not just market rate units).

6. Make building on the corner of Iowa and Corinth Senior (affordable) housing for easy access to Senior Center.

7. Preserve current skater area and bandstand.

COMMENTS: 1. Either reduce the number of units to 500 or increase height of “Boulevard” buildings. Reduce footprints of all buildings.

2. Increase number of affordable units to at least 50%. Reduce market-rate and moderate units to 50% or less.

3. Preserve the VERY LARGE mature trees on site to make humane, livable areas for residents and neighbors.

4. Increase space between buildings and create private open areas for residents.

5. Make ALL residential buildings have rooftop open space for residents (not just market rate units).

6. Make building on the corner of Iowa and Corinth Senior (affordable) housing for easy access to Senior Center.

7. Relocate skater area to area behind Courthouse.

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c om m unit y feedback

Participants in recent discussions among concerned citizens who talked about building community in the Sawtelle neighborhood and the proposed development of the West LA Civic Center each made a list of no more than 8 things we’d like to see for the redevelopment of the Civic Center.

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Group asks for the Civic Center 1. A place where all neighbors can feel safe gathering with others regardless of ethnicity, age, and income level. Make this a place where we can meet with neighbors and get to know each other better in the context of community meetings and offerings.

2. Fewer structures and less height 3. Preserve and add open space to what is already in the courtyard 4. This is a gateway to West LA. Make this a place that celebrates that.

Nancy Vescovo 1. Less units and the remaining very low and subsidized. (maybe even rent-to-own.)

2. Japanese, Oaxacan and elderly first for housing (in other words OUR community FIRST!!)

3. Open community meeting space (for people, not a dog park) Carole Nakano With this project being the gateway to WLA, it should reflect a welcoming atmosphere.

1. Lower buildings, possibly some 5 stories and 6 stories. Anything higher will block the sun and air flow.

2. More green space - to abide with climate change policies.

3. No neon or other bright lights on the buildings.

4. Use non-reflective material on the buildings - thus avoiding disturbing/reflecting heat or light into the neighborhood/drivers (unlike the new Manatt building).

5. Ensure low income tenants will not all be placed next to cell tower or trash receptacles.

Tina Turbeville 1. Cut the number of units on site to no more than 450 with no more than 30% of these market rate. Make the rest affordable and moderaterate housing with priority given to neighborhood seniors and long-time Sawtelle residents displaced by private land development.

2. Double or triple the open public gathering areas from the current Civic Center courtyard area to make room for current and added residents to the neighborhood. (Not a park with grass—think Japanese gardens.)

3. Preserve as many of the 30-plus mature trees on the site as possible (at least half).

4. Make sure that all residents, regardless of rent prices, have private open space on rooftops and at ground level.

5. Make sure that there is enough parking for residents, businesses, and recreational users to not have parking spill over onto adjacent streets, and make all resident parking spaces EV-ready with at least 50% fully set up 6. Impose the strictest energy efficiency standards on the project.

7. Keep housing away from cell tower.

6. Explain how 926 units help our drought situation vs a less dense project.

7. Explain how 926 units helps WLA’s infrastructure issues.

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c o mm unit y feedback Pamela Farber 1. At least one designated contiguous Park green/ open and play/meeting space per the Quimby Act: 3 acres of park area per 1,000 persons.

For reference, The World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 9 m2 of green space per individual with an ideal UGS value of 50 m2 per capita.

Janet Cromwell (Associate Pastor, West LA United Methodist Church) 1. Significantly reduce the number of residential units to 300.

2. If “Sovereign Immunity” has been enacted by County, the removal of such, so that project conforms to ALL zoning regulations of both the County and the City! Unbiased EIR findings should be adhered to!

3. Add more public outdoor space, not only for the new residents, but for those of us already residing in this area who need more outdoor areas to rest and enjoy.

3. City/County permanent line-item budgets to include funding for recreation/park programs, staff, facility enhancements and maintenance derived from income generated by taxes or rental income of project property. NO City or County staff/services paid for out of City/County funds for use within project (i.e. those activities for the sole purpose of residents or retail tenants or for the enhancement of this project in future years.)

4. Reduce number of overall housing units with higher percentage of total units given to existing low-income, local community of: elderly; Oaxacan; and Japanese with the establishment of “Rent Control” within these low-income units.

Pierre Tecon (Sawtelle Neighborhood Council Board Member) A few of my takes from the public comments presented at the April 13 Neighborhood Council Town Hall: 1. We have a low income housing problem, not a housing problem.

2. The key issue is that it is “public” land.

2. Reduce the building height to a reasonable number of stories that matches what is already in the area—to 4 or 5 stories at the most.

4. Add public amenities, such as a swimming pool, kid’s jungle-gym equipment, and other userfriendly spaces.

5. Ensure that there is plenty of on-site parking for residents, their guests, and businesses so that parking does not spill over and choke the surrounding area.

6. Add crosswalks and other safety measures to make the intersections safe for pedestrians.

Sawtelle Japantown Association* 1. Create Japanese Garden with in the WLA Commons project. Southern exposure should be considered in its development.

2. Large Mosaic Mural with depiction of historical Japanese American, Mexican American, WLA Indian cultures.

3. Add Japanese Architectural features to ground level and 2nd level of some buildings. Hire Japanese architect to join team.

4. Create a space for community room—meetings, discussions, cultural events, planning, and community socializing.

3. We need to build a community not just housing.

4. The incredible attachment to the site from skaters— I had no clue.

5. Create a couple of ways to remember the history of the community. * SEE DETAILS OF THIS PLAN ON PAGE 48

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Tahkeshi Kudo (Skater Community and artist) 1. I like the availability of access to the public use at all times of the clock. Keep the ledges/benches that surround the trees, the fountain (both upper and lower), the stage and maybe keep/add some stairs big and small.

2. The preservation of the mature trees is crucial.

3. The design of the development can be so much more than just stacked boxes of residential income. It can be a global focal point that can be desired and visited from all parts of the globe, thus bringing in an economy of its own because, let’s face it, skateboarding is one of the largest glues in today’s youth as well as a community of all backgrounds. Think of all the historic skate spots that have been removed. For a lot of those spots I’ve never even visited but would watch the progress of skateboarding and limits being surpassed in skill through videos/social media.

Isabelle Duvivier (Citizens Forestry Advisory Council—Urban Forestry) 1. My main concern and I’m interested to know if others are also concerned, is about the amazing large ficus trees next to the Main civic building.

I want those trees to stay. The shade and cooling effect they produce will become increasingly rare due to temperature rise. They clean the air and provide great habitat for wildlife. It will take 50 years for newly planted trees to be as large and beneficial. (Koenig Eizenberg successfully saved 4 giant ficus trees in Santa Monica on the Park project aka 500 Broadway. They can do it here.) editor’s note: Two huge ficus trees in the parking lot on Butler are like no others in the neighborhood, and they deserve to stay also.

4. Artists, skaters, developers and city officials should come together with the best ideas to accommodate culture and create new history with the historic value of the West Los Angeles Courthouse soon to be West LA Commons.

vid e o- re corded comment s April 13, 2022 West LA Sawtelle Neighborhood Council Town Hall

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/BGYFFnbmlbwAbOhzQI9Aubo1Zauuwaw97jN6P_H7b4BOq-yQcKdrBlpIJEORulMpOt-UEgcAh-wSPfBE. M00MWE3jUaEAozqe?continueMode=true&_x_zm_rtaid=HiZZE3zTTJ6AAyk8TEh9gA.1653712177123.7a849fbaac9e6689681c99f7dfe8a861&_x_zm_rhtaid=109

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sup p or t in g document s

These include letters to and presentations made in front of West LA Sawtelle Neighborhood Council, letters from stakeholders to city and county officials, and letters sent to the West LA Commons development team. Also included are links to online City and County documents concerning the Civic Center.

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Dear Councilman Bonin, City Staff, and Neighborhood Council Members, I regret that I am unable to attend the meeting this evening regarding the West LA Civic Center Project however, I would like to submit the following comments and concerns regarding this renovation and development project.

I write to you as a decade-long West LA Resident, living just three blocks south of this proposed development.

Over the years, I have expressed my concern regarding the over-development of this small quadrant of our city nestled between the 405 Freeway and Bundy, Ohio to the north and Olympic Blvd to the south.

As residents, we have seen thousands of new units built in this small section of the city, causing rushing cutthrough traffic, lack of available parking for residents and guests, the demise of historic single-family homes, and a loss of a sense of “neighborhood” that Sawtelle has historically been known for. With high-rise, gated apartments and condos, we no longer meet or know our neighbors. A sense of safety and “community” has been lost.

After seeing the massive Martin Cadillac development approved, I was shocked that another massive development would be thrust onto this area. The overwhelming proposed number of units means more congestion, more cut-through traffic, less accessible street parking, and greater stress on our neighborhood’s aging infrastructure, It also places a burden on the Police Department across the street as they require quick egress to respond to crisis calls in West LA and beyond.

Please do not place this burden on the people who are already living and struggling with over-development in West LA. Please hear and respond to the need to: • Significantly reduce the number of residential units to 300.

• Reduce the building height to a reasonable number of stories that matches what is already in the area to 4 or 5 stories at the most.

• Add more public outdoor space, not only for the new residents, but for those of us already residing in this area who need more outdoor areas to rest and enjoy.

• Add public amenities, such as a swimming pool, kid’s jungle-gym equipment, and other user-friendly spaces.

• Ensure that there is plenty of on-site parking for residents, their guests, and businesses so that parking does not spill over and choke the surrounding area.

• Add crosswalks and other safety measures to make the intersections safe for pedestrians.

Yes, development is part of the future of Los Angeles, but West LA does not need to be the sole location for all of this housing and development! As a resident of this area, it feels like we have accepted more than our fair share of all the new housing and business for which the city is advocating.

Thank you for your time and attention to these concerns. I welcome your response to these important changes in the Civic Center plan.

Sincerely, Janet Cromwell 10+ year West LA Resident

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In October 2021, Randy Sakamoto made a PowerPoint presentation to the Neighborhood Council on behalf of the Sawtelle Japantown Association. What follows are excerpts from the presentation.

There is a large concern about this development in the following areas: 1.

This is public land. Why is this land optimized to the max for housing and not for community needs?

2. Poor outreach. People not aware of this development going on.

3. Community needs are not represented by this development.

Community does not need large housing developments. Community needs space to “live”. I would guess this development does not meet LA ordinances on density for community open spaces. Community wants large park.

4. Buildings are too tall. They are out of family with the entire area.

5. Parking in this corner of Sawtelle has the 405 on/off ramp bottleneck results in large traffic flow. This planned flow must violate traffic density ordinances for LA.

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suggested improvements:

• Give buildings names associated with Japanese community history.

1. Create a Japanese Garden and park within the WLA Commons.

• Name different walkways between buildings community memorable names.

• Size would be 0.7 acres of contiguous space. This could be a combination of Japanese garden and park.

• Location of the Garden/Park within the Commons. For the reasons of transition of height on the Iowa side and improved sunlight exposure to the Garden/Park, it is strongly desired that the Garden/Park be on the Iowa side of the Commons development.

2. Large Mosaic Mural with depiction of historical Japanese American, Mexican American, WLA Indian cultures.

• Create a mosaic murals on housing walls • Local Artists can do the art work.

3. Japanese Architectural Features as part of the buildings on ground level and 2nd level.

• First and 2nd levels give the strongest connection to people walking through the different areas.

• Give first floor entrance to some buildings a Japanese accent. Japanese entrances to buildings are distinct and minimalist with lots of visual comfort. This would add to atmosphere of the walking areas. The 2nd level could have some fascia (texture,geographic images, Japanese mon or Japanese Icons.

• Add a Japanese architectural design consultant to advise on 1st and 2nd level design features.

4. Create a space for community room meetings, discussions,cultural events, planning. community socializing. The space could be created in different ways.

• Residential buildings could have community spaces on the first floor.

• Alternative: Add a third story to the Felicia Mahood Senior Center.

• Make a community room that is audio/visual equipped and has large hardwood floor space with tables and chairs, all mobile. Equip with a large screen with projection.

5. Create a couple of ways to remember the history of the community.

• Create a small Museum within the Commons. Perhaps a room in the community area in 3rd floor of Mahood Center. This would be a Sawtelle History room—history of founding of Sawtelle, ethnic populations history (Japanese, Mexican, Indian), school, special businesses, special memories, • Large Map of Sawtelle with indicators of locations.

• Create a walkway with history pavers. Paver could be a brick design with a small amount of text allowed. These bricks could capture the businesses, people, families, individuals, ….

Community to manage with donations for each brick.

Ketchie’s Stand

Inouye Hotel 1932

Yamaguchi Store

OK Nursery 1947

. . . many others

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April 13, 2022 To LA City and County Officials Re: Redevelopment of the West LA Civic Center I am a 30-year resident of the Sawtelle Neighborhood in West Los Angeles, and I write to you with my concerns regarding the proposed changes to the West LA Civic Center.

General Comments As population density continues to increase at a fast rate in the Sawtelle Neighborhood, the amenities to residents decrease at a similar rate. The number of parks, recreational facilities, schools, and trees is not increasing to match the added population to the area. Mature trees, in fact, are being removed at an alarming rate to make way for denser housing.

Most of the development in the neighborhood is taking place on private land with profit-based motives. The Civic Center properties, however, are public land with a history of providing open meeting space for neighborhood residents. Over time, the properties have become rundown and are not used as fully as they once were 20 years or so ago. It is disturbing to me that the government overseers of the land (City and County) have chosen to offer leases and outright sales options to a development plan that basically erases the open space historically available to the neighborhood. Ironically, the open space was originally designed to serve a neighborhood population a fraction of what it is today. The projected population of the West LA Commons would add another 1600-plus residents without adding additional nearby parks, recreation facilities, schools, and other public services.

City officials and candidates running for city offices say they are setting priorities for these three things in Los Angeles: (1) homelessness, (2) affordable housing, and (3) crime. The proposed development does little to address any of these issues.

Having read the request-for-proposals documents, I see that the original call was for a minimum of 300 housing units on the 8 acre site. Instead of encouraging less-dense plans, the government evaluation committee selected the West LA Commons proposal that has 926 units with 500 units designated as market-rate housing. The remaining 426 units are various levels of lower income housing. While we don’t have numbers for the rent prices for these lowerincome units, they will be calculated on the area median income (AMI) for the surrounding neighborhood. As developers continue to develop single-family-home lots into multi-unit dwellings in the neighborhood, the median rents will only increase as will the (AMI) of residents who can afford to purchase or rent housing in the area. By the time the proposed West LA Commons project is completed, ongoing Sawtelle Neighborhood development may very well have driven the AMI of the neighborhood out of range for affordable housing in greater Los Angeles.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Regarding the Redevelopment of the West LA Civic Center | from Tina Turbeville Sawtelle Neighborhood resident | 4/13/22 | page 1

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The request for proposals also asked for mixed-use ideas that include supporting retail and dining components, open space, neighborhood connectivity, parking, safety, and sustainability.

After the dense housing component, the accepted proposal is heavy on retail space and light on open space and sustainability elements—in fact, the West LA Commons proposal will raze ALL current trees on the property. Government officials are not looking to a strong sustainable future with humane living conditions for the property’s proposed residents and visitors.

Instead, they accept a proposal with a densely populated area that only minimally meets sustainability and open space requirements—thus maximizing profits for the developer. Here, city officials’ stated goals of alleviating homelessness, creating affordable housing, and addressing safe neighborhoods take a back seat to the developers’ profit margin.

In addition, the proposal application did not require traffic impact studies; environmental impact studies; research into the impact on local schools, parks and recreational facilities, and municipal services; or a comprehensive analysis of any historical significance the existing structures and courtyard may have to the immediate neighborhood and city at large.

Furthermore the call for proposals to the selection of a proposal took place over a five-month period (May–October 2020) during the height of COVID making public input near impossible.

Neighborhood Livability I feel that neighborhood livability includes a responsibility to infrastructure and services available to residents. Public parks and recreational facilities and green spaces cut back on crime; schools and after-school programs also cut back on crime. I implore city and county officials to set parks and recreational facilities as a priority and to consider setting a quota for open space for neighborhood population densities. In today’s world we try to encourage practices to cope with diminishing resources and to fight our individual impact on climate change, yet we are failing to take a hard stand on regulations for builders and neighborhood development.

What I Think City and County Officials Should Consider for The West LA Civic Center Public Property Development As public land is developed, I feel the standard should be much higher than that for private land. To that end I suggest: • Cut the number of units on the site to no more than 450 SUGGESTED NUMBERS MODIFIED 5/11/22 • Cut the market-rate units to 25% of the total units 30% • Make 35% of the units very low income units including senior living units 50% 20% • Make the remaining 40% of the units moderate income units • Make all resident parking places EV ready with at least 50% fully EV set up.

• Impose the strictest energy efficiency standard on the project.

• Preserve as many of the 30-plus mature trees on the site as possible (at least 1/2) • Double the public gathering areas -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Regarding the Redevelopment of the West LA Civic Center | from Tina Turbeville Sawtelle Neighborhood resident | 4/13/22 | page 2

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What I Think City and County Officials Should Consider As Much-needed Housing Is Built Around LA • Make a commitment to building more public recreational facilities that are open yearround as neighborhood populations increase significantly.

• Greatly increase the minimum percentage of affordable units in large developments near public transportation lines.

• Require traffic impact studies and environmental impact studies before any permit to develop denser housing on a property proceeds.

• As development ensues, preserve as many mature trees as possible (that help slow climate change and provide homes for urban wildlife).

• Make energy sustainability a much stronger component of new development standards.

I implore outgoing and incoming elected officials to take a much closer look at the redevelopment of the West LA Civic Center. I feel that this project deserves more consideration both by officials, residents of West Los Angeles, and the public at large.

I have attached a file with two (rough) footprints of the West LA Civic Center that compare the current footprint to the proposed West LA Commons one to help illustrate some of my points.

Best Regards,

Tina Turbeville tina@scatterit.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Regarding the Redevelopment of the West LA Civic Center | from Tina Turbeville Sawtelle Neighborhood resident | 4/13/22 | page 3

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P OST O FFIC E

P RIVAT E BU S IN ESS

SENIO R & CO M M U NIT Y C ENT ER

L I B RA RY

B A N DSTA N D

2 stories

CO U RT H O U SE

West LA Civic Center Now

MU N I C I PA L B U I L D I N G

P OST O F F I C E

P RI VATE B U S I N E SS

2 stories

7 stor ies

8 stories 7 stories

7 stor ie

s

8 stories

7 stories

7 stories

B A N DSTA N D

COU RT H O USE

West LA Commons Proposed

2 stories

SE NIO R & CO MM U NIT Y CEN TE R

L I B RA RY

MU N I C I PA L B U I L D I N G 5 stories

7 stories

5 stories

8 stories

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l inks to onli ne document s Request for Proposals May 15, 2020

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiQycXf_ KD4AhVzD0QIHfqzCggQFnoECCQQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwestlacommons.com%2Frequest-for-proposals-for-the-west-los-angeles-civic-center-and-courthouse-developmentproject%2F&usg=AOvVaw2Yyww_D3-8_O3G-u_pLU4g

Finalist Proposals — Berklee School of Music & West LA Commons https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YoUnmye7ZYCY2pL7Q4kqvJKMmbhbI-BI/view?usp=sharing

West LA Commons Application to redevelop the West LA Civic Center https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s-j6zBEzMkHQBtBpppMCrOq3N2r1CaJ4/view?usp=sharing

Appendix A to WLA Commons Application

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mkyIlUXSy0RbyLVWZPJMbbz8i90QROS6/view?usp=sharing

January 27, 2021 — Report from Office of City Administrative Officer RFP and Authorization to Enter into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with WLA Commons https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2019/19-0987_rpt_MFC_02-01-2021.pdf

WLA Commons Environmental Impact Review (EIR) Application to City of LA https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G_5pGsDo_DP50A6bL9qzSsswzHzUzsse/view?usp=sharing

Accompanying Plans to EIR Application to City of LA https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZODlU3n0nvY6KcR-PH7mZkzmntgmua7x/view?usp=sharing

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Status Report on West LA Commons — May 19, 2022 https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2022050406

Preparation of County Draft EIR documents for (June 14) Public Scoping Meeting, West LA Commons https://planning.lacounty.gov/case/view/prj2022-000303

Documents Filed with City Clerk’s Office — File #: 19-0987 https://cityclerk.lacity.org//lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=19-0987

Quimby Funds Guidelines — 2016

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiNivHq1J74AhViK0QIHdXXDWgQFnoECCcQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fplanning.lacity. org%2Fordinances%2Fdocs%2Fparksdedication%2FQuimbyFinal.pdf&usg=AOvVaw288X-3xgNuUmfg9Rj2FldI

Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) on Open Space

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiS_5GuoaH4AhWrK0QIHQRDCfMQFnoECA8QAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww. planning.lacity.org%2Feir%2F1045Olive%2Fdeir%2FELDP%2FStaff%2520Reports%2520and%2520Determinations%2Ffiles%2FZA-2017-4745-ZAI. pdf&usg=AOvVaw0AzYO3mHqY8FFVaxYA4kBC

Los Angeles City Affordable Housing Incentives Guidelines

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiM1brD2qH4AhUdK0QIHarBAqYQFnoECB4QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fplanning.lacity. org%2FCode_Studies%2FHousing%2FDRAFTUPDATEDAffordHousingGuide.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0eBxgWjuq7fHwXQbWCNiVq

Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles Section 8 Income Limits — May 2022 https://www.hacla.org/en/about-section-8/income-limit

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c ont act Get involved. Write a letter.

People you can write to with your comments and concerns about the redevelopment of the West LA Civic Center CURRENT OFFICIALS City Councilor Mike Bonin (CD11) and his representatives Mike Bonin councilmember.bonin@lacity.org Jason Douglas Jason.P.Douglas@LACity.org Gaby Markley Gaby.Markley@LACity.org County Supervisor (District 3) Sheila Kuehl and her representatives Sheila Kuehl sheila@bos.lacounty.gov Zachary Gaidzik ZGaidzik@BOS.LACounty.gov Fernando Morales fmorales@bos.lacounty.gov City Planning Office Courtney Shum

Courtney.Shum@LACity.org

County Planning Office Jolee Hui

JHui@Planning.LACounty.gov

West LA Sawtelle Neighborhood Council Jamie Keeton, Board Chair jamie@westlasawtelle.org MAJOR CANDIDATES (as of 6/23/22) MAYOR candidates Karen Bass info@karenbass.com Rick Caruso info@carusocan.com CD11 candidates Erin Darling Traci Park

tim@erindarling11.com (Tim, Campaign Manager?) traciparkforla@gmail.com

County Supervisor District 3 candidates Bob Hertzberg info@hertzbergforsupervisor.com Lindsey Horvath Lindsey.P.Horvath@gmail.com ALSO Evan Gordon is with Marathon, the lead on communications and community outreach for the developers Avalon Bay/Abode Communities. egordon@marathon-com.com

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other sources not cited elsewhere www.smconservancy.org/property/kuruvungna-sacred-springs/ gabrielinosprings.com/wpsite/?page_id=385 www.college.ucla.edu/events/restoring-the-ancient-tongva-village-of-kuruvungna-in-west-los-angeles/ prime.dailybruin.com/Tovaangar laist.com/news/what-to-know-about-land-acknowledgment www.britannica.com/place/California-state/History sawtelle1897to1950.wordpress.com/ laplanninghistory.wordpress.com/1941-1950/ laplanninghistory.wordpress.com/1950-1970/ historicplacesla.org/reports/9ee4ba62-6bfe-40fe-9044-d3fb5404d63b data.cdp.net/Emissions/2016-Citywide-Emissions-Map/iqbu-zjaj www.facebook.com/SawtelleJapantownAssociation/?ref=page_internal www.californiajapantowns.org/sawtelle.html rafu.com/2015/02/sawtelle-gets-official-japantown-designation/?fbclid=IwAR2bKrL2E15Khu997B4Y9WmG-AoidJCrx5YL-6f21PUCa6tUYSPieaHjC8M kids.kiddle.co/Sawtelle,_Los_Angeles centurycity-westwoodnews.com/los-angeles-metro-sees-15-9-percent-increase-in-median-rent/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawtelle,_Los_Angeles en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serra_Springs_(California) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rancho_San_Vicente_y_Santa_Monica en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawtelle_Veterans_Home https://westlacommons.com/ Fujimoto, Jack. Sawtelle—West Los Angeles’s Japantown. ©2007 www.championdontstop.com/site3/projects/LACourthouse/LAcourthouse.html thehundreds.com/blogs/content/west-la-courthouse skateboarding.transworld.net/features/interview-alec-beck-liberating-courthouse-slo/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_LA_Courthouse_skate_plaza @savecourthouse

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West LA Civic Center Redevelopment—The Problems With the Plan was compiled and designed by Tina Turbeville in June 2022. contact Tina with feedback about this document at: tina@scatterit.com The document’s intent is to spark meaningful conversations between Sawtelle community stakeholders, public officials, and developers.

contributors Ali Abadalov Cesar Aranguri Walton Chiu Courthouse skater community Janet Cromwell Isabelle Duvivier Pamela Farber Jerónimo Garcia Chris Giamarino Kent Kaisaki Rose Kato Takeshi Kudo Monica Mejia Lambert Carole Nakano Ben Pearce Jay Ross Randy Sakamoto Sawtelle Japantown Association Pierre Tecon Tina Turbeville Matt Vescovo Nancy Vescovo West LA Sawtelle Neighborhood Council Louis Zeledon

WEST LA CIVIC CENTER REDEVELOPMENT THE PROBLEMS WITH THE PLAN

Many Sawtelle stakeholders support a project with: LESS DENSITY MORE OPEN SPACE for residents and community with preservation of existing architectural and natural elements AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRIORITY to low-income Sawtelle residents and those displaced by neighborhood development AMPLE ON-SITE PARKING for residents and shoppers