Synopsis
Tonight, the City of Westlake Village City Council has a hearing about the 180 project to build what the developer calls a “New Senior Living Community and Improved Public Spaces” at the old Westlake Hospital site on Lakeview Canyon and Watergate, next to Westminster Presbyterian Church. It’s a 136 unit senior citizen independent and assisted-living residential development.
The space the developer wants to build on is zoned “Public Institutional”. Typically, this is zoning preserved for things that benefit the City’s residents, such as publicly owned libraries and publicly owned museums; governmental and public services offices/facilities; Public service and utility structures and facilities, etc…
For 180 (the developer) to move forward with the project, the City needs to approve the following:
– Amend the General Plan for land use and housing
– Create a special needs housing overlay to Public Institutional zoning
– Increase the Floor Area Ratio (e.g., denser development)
– Amend the Zoning Ordinance pertaining to building height
– Approve a Development Agreement
– Approve a Planned Development Permit to authorize the construction
– Approve a Conditional Use Permit to authorize Special Needs Housing
Council member Robert Slavin is recusing himself for the vote, so the vote could approve with 3 or more votes, or be denied (2 or more votes against — a tie is the same as not approving it).
The full agenda for tonight’s city council meeting is at:
http://westlakevillage.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=8&event_id=94
At that link, you can see the developer renderings, and a great deal of additional information.
Residents are able to make public comments about the project by filling out a speaker card, and submitting it to City staff.
Tonight’s meeting is at City Council Chambers at City of Westlake Village City Hall, starting at 6:30pm [Ed. Note: Corrected meeting time]
180’s Description of the Project
180 describes the development deal with this text (these are not the words of Westlake Revelations):
“One Eighty has been working diligently with the City of Westlake Village to ensure that the development will be beneficial to its future residents, as well as the community at large. The city will receive one million dollars for sidewalk and pedestrian improvements on nearby Agoura Road. Additionally, 100 parking spaces will be made available to the community and allow neighboring Westminster Presbyterian Church to park for services and religious holidays. The public will also have access to the buildings bistro, coffee shop, and outdoor café.
“The three-story senior living community is designed with a smaller building footprint to allow for greater setbacks from the street up to 10 times greater than code requirements. The design will provide an aesthetically pleasing landscape with trees and plants in front of the building, with greater prominence to the citys green space. The building was designed to blend seamlessly between the two churches.”
Opposition’s Comments
There are multiple HOA’s affected by the project, and they oppose the project for a variety of reasons. These are not the words of Westlake Revelations, but the opposition:
“Loud opposition has been heard from the First Neighborhood, Watergate, and Lakeshore HOA’s that surround this project, exclaiming the numerous levels of negative impact that will befall them if this proposal is approved. Residents believe the result will be decreased property values, increased traffic that includes daily deliveries by 18-wheeler semi’s on the residential street of Watergate. Additionally, residents are citing One-Eighty’s proposal as flawed and deceptively inaccurate due to it’s omission of Watergate Rd on the traffic study, incorrect land use category used on the parking study, and misrepresentative photo renderings. Residents argue that the size and scope of this 3-story massive structure requires 4 changes to the WLV General Plan that include : increasing building height, increased density, changing the property from its intended use of Public Institutional, and swapping a Senior Overlay; all of which are a departure from what has kept Westlake Village the jewel that it is.
“The proposed parking is to be shared by 4 entities: One-Eighty facility, Westminster Church, Warner Pacific, and the park. This scenario is a fiasco in the making, as it requires our city to 24 hour parking enforcement, and the possibility of parking permits, parking hours, or meters.”