8787 Venice Blvd Mixed Use Neighborhood Concerns

I live directly across the building site on Hutchison Ave. I have been for 20 years. While new construction is expected, this is too large of a scale for this and the surrounding neighborhood. Losing the view of the Helms Bakery sign I can live with, losing all the light coming into my ground floor apartment as well as the ocean breeze - NOT ACCEPTABLE.. These are two MAJOR reasons I have not moved!!! Also, a major concern is parking and traffic. Has the city not noticed the traffic increase over the last 10 years!?! It's like they don't care about the impact. It's such a shame that the historic Helms wants to add such an eyesore in the name of the almighty dollar. How about 3 stories? Geez, where is the compromise? Unless the owner has plans for future Helms neighborhood domination. So disappointing.

Traffic is already a nightmare in this neighborhood. Venice in the morning is a parking lot. It sometimes takes me 20 minutes to drive less than 1/4 a mile from Cataragus to Robertson. We don't need to bring in MORE apartments and MORE people and MORE traffic. We also do not need MORE empty office / retail space. There are so many empty office and retail spaces in our area it's ridiculous to think someone wants to buildd more that will go unused. These issues are noting compared to the nightmare of the upheaval that the construction of these 2 monstrosities will bring to our neighborhood- the noise, the shaking, the massive trucks blocking our streets. No doubt the developers of this pending MESS do not live in the area and will suffer none of the nightmares that their wealth generating cluster bomb will bring to us lovely commoners. I live on Hutchison and it's laughable to think that someone believes they can build a massive apartment complex that will exit onto our tiny street.

3 years ago Featured

The scale of this proposed project is in poor taste and unsafe. There are ways to undertake mixed-use projects and respect neighborhoods and the people who live close to these projects. Why can't the project be limited to 4 stories to ensure the safety and well-being of current and future residents? The traffic generated by this project would be substantial in an already congested area of the city. Please consider each point in this petition. Neighborhoods with well-thought out planning can thrive as new projects are created, but current residents must be considered as decisions are made.

3 years ago Featured

I don’t agree with this project. It is too large for this neighborhood and will add more traffic to our streets. We already have too many cars going through our narrow streets taking a short cut to and from Robertson Blvd. This neighborhood is being bought by young families and with all the speeding cars it is already dangerous. This project sounds more like a hotel with one bedroom apartments. It is not beneficial for the families currently living here or for future residents. I also agree with all of the concerns listed above and with all of the other commenters.

Who will afford to live here? This will bring more traffic than there already is.

I don't agree in this project

This project needs a lot more reviews and scrutiny!

This mixed use building unit does not serve our family neighborhood in any capacity but enables a transient lifestyle of bachelors cyclically living in single bedroom apartments that will endanger our quaint neighborhood. The businesses are meant to function only for the apartment units, creating an unwelcome environment for the generations of neighbors surrounding it. The proposed unit is uncharacteristically large and tall for our neighborhood, it threatens our neighborhood’s privacy with it’s mere height, and will add to the pollution of the area with the 75 car minimum it will bring in. This property could be made into a welcoming plaza of cafes, small market, and park area for our neighborhood. Respect our neighborhood and us neighbors.

I call the nuisance law on this project. The overlooking, noise, and style/size of these buildings are completely out of touch with the character of the local community. These proposed out of character over-scale buildings also would impact sunlight, visual qualities of the local community and create over shadowing to the neighborhoods as well as create visual blocks. Again the loss of privacy for neighbors are going to be impacted and (our visual features could be seen within 80 feet) and our safety and privacy is at risk. Step backs and setbacks are in need to be provided for neighbors along the property line. Setbacks within an 80ft reasonable space from the building project should be reasonable space allowed for neighbors to have privacy barriers like trees and allow for sunlight and privacy to be maintained for neighbors. And if setbacks aren’t going to be reasoned step backs of at least 60 feet should be substantial to maintain privacy of neighbors. Firewalls around the building need to be installed and adequate space needs to be provided. Trash should be roofed enclosed and should also be internal and not impact the neighbors with pestilence. This building is going to be built south of many single unit family homes so their plants and their homes and yards are going to be getting more shade and this will affect them. Traffic would also be impacted and wouldn’t help our community but hinder it with more than 30 people at the bus stop in peak hours it would cause overcrowding, and traffic congestion. With a high school and more than 3 elementary schools nearby I don’t believe 1 bedrooms are needed in this neighborhood as the demand is obviously needed for families. So I respectfully call this project a nuisance and call on the nuisance law. I also think it would be beneficial to look into the California Environmental Quality Act on this proposed project.

Traffic doesn't move at all and lack of street parking already keeps us from bringing more business to this area

I

The proposed mixed-use development is a multistory monstrosity that doesn't belong in this neighborhood for the reasons listed on the petition and more.

I’m concerned that this building is too large scale in an already congested area. This will contribute to more air pollution in a neighborhood that’s next to a freeway, highway and multiple boulevards. This project isn’t like The Ivy Station in Culver City, in that it’s not just across the way to residential neighborhoods - it’s actually on a residential block. There is no evidence that such high density buildings contribute to less cars being driven, either. More, I fear that a six story building with 1 bedroom apartments will add to transitioning people in and out of the neighborhood, instead of building community. For an area where families and many young women and teens are walking, bachelor one bedrooms takes from the family friendly atmosphere, more it is concerning from a safety standpoint. These buildings don’t match the areas 1910s and 1920s California style homes. It looks like a cold hospital. I wonder if anyone who would want to approve this would want this in their own backyard next to their own families. It’s easy to pin this on a neighborhood that was mostly working class. The owner says he wants ten families to live there in affordable housing, this is why he claims the project must be this large scale. Yet all units will be one bedroom. I don’t think 10 one bedroom apartment units will do much of anything to help families or individuals in our area with housing. The buildings, being high density, pose a public health safety concern, particularly considering recent international viral outbreaks. There needs to be more outdoor recreational space than just walkways. Usually when such projects are built, something is offered that would be beneficial to the community. What is this project offering? Is it more green space, trees, safety features on the boulevard for pedestrians? Beautification? I don’t see anything. That specific area is zoned for open space, and there must be a reason for that, particularly as the neighborhood is a

Not suitable for our neighborhood! Parking and traffic congestion are already a problem in this area.I fully agree with the cons stated in this petition. More of these building are not what we need!!

Rental properties erecting everywhere, overcrowding our neighborhood, causing more traffic congestion, not enough parking and not to mention the owners and developers are not taking safety into consideration. Their concern is to profit only.Why one bedroom apartments, when there are families to house or people who have to split the rent because rent is so high? This needs to stop, enough is enough. Don't need to feel like we are living in New York..

I’m concerned with increased traffic and noise levels should this project move forward. I’m also concerned with the scale of the development. The proposed architectural design of the development would not compliment the neighborhood. Preferential parking for current residents and their visitors within the neighborhood should not be negatively impacted. Buisnesses within the mixed-use development should contribute to the overall welfare and economic prosperity of the neighborhood. Units within the development should accomodate families and pets. Surveys of the land should be completed before any construction should start.

This is madness that must be stopped!

I am concerned with increased traffic and noise levels should this project move forward. I’m also concerned with the overall scale of the building and how it’s architectural design would not compliment the neighborhood. This project should not negatively impact parking for current residents and their visitors. Surveys of the land should be conducted before any construction should start. The proposed development should include units that would accomodate families and pets. Buisnesses within the mixed-use development should contribute to the welfare and economic prosperity of the neighborhood.

I am not against the development as a whole. I definitely feel that the additional traffic on already busy residential streets and that fact that all 73 proposed units are one bedroom needs to be addressed.

Agreed