Sunset Blvd. Apartment Project Moves Backwards

In an unusual turn of events, the West L.A. Planning Commission will re-hear the appeal of a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) for Stefano Coaloa’s proposed 49-unit apartment building in Pacific Palisades.   On January 16, the Commission, with one of its five members absent, voted 2-2 and failed to reach a consensus on whether to approve or deny the appeal. At the time, the Commission believed that City of Los Angeles Zoning Administrator Fernando Tovar’s decision to approve the CDP for the high-end apartment complex at 17030 Sunset Blvd. (just east of the SRF temple) would remain in effect.   However, the commission’s 2-2 vote on January 16 did not constitute an action on this matter, which is required by the Los Angeles Municipal Code, said Commission Executive Assistant Rhonda Ketay, citing information from the City Attorney’s office.   According to Ketay, the City Attorney’s office informed her to direct any inquirers to review ‘Section 12.20.2 h of the Municipal Code, Chapter one, Article two.’   On Monday, Tovar confirmed that a decision on the appeal will not be made until at least three of the Commission members reach a consensus, if only four are present. The anticipated meeting date for this re-hearing is March 6.   The Edgewater Towers Homeowners Association had appealed the zoning administrator’s decision to approve the CDP for Coaloa’s proposed development in 2011, citing concerns over geology, traffic and other factors. Nonetheless, after reviewing environmental reports and traffic studies provided by Coaloa, City Planning Department staff recommended that the Commission deny the appeal.   The terraced development, consisting of three fragmented buildings divided by an artificial canyon (hence the name Sunset Canyon), is proposed for an empty parcel located on an active landslide between two apartment houses.   In 2010, the Pacific Palisades Community Council asked the City to require Coaloa to complete an environmental impact report to further study the Sunset Canyon site. As reported by the Palisadian-Post,’the City said an EIR was not necessary given the scope of the project, and that a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) would be sufficient.   Victoria Coaloa, the project’s designer and a Palisades High graduate, said Monday that ‘we were told’ by the Planning Department that no decision has been made in regards to whether or not the appeal would be heard again. When asked to comment, she said: ‘I can’t comment until we hear differently.’   Andrew Montealegre, a land-use consultant working for Coaloa, said ‘the City’s rational was explained’ to him but that they (Coaloa) ‘haven’t received any confirmation as to a new hearing.’   The municipal code is clear on zoning variances and Conditional Use Permits when faced with a ‘no action,’ but is silent when dealing with appeals of Coastal Development permits, Montealegre said. ‘We don’t understand why there isn’t a decision.’