Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council

Land Use Committee

Minutes

April 21, 2016

Present: Ron Ziff, Chair; Alicia Bartley, Tom Capps, Jackie Diamond; Art Fields; Jeff Kalban; Mikie Maloney; Rick Mayer, Sue Steinberg

1.  Call to Order at 6:30pm

2.  Roll Call – all members of the Committee were present

3.  Approval of March 17, 2016 Minutes – motion by Jeff Kalban and seconded by Tom Capps – Minutes approved

4.  Introduction of Elected Officials and Staff – Julia Duncan from Councilman Ryu’s Office was present and recognized

5.  Public Forum – comments by the public on no-agenda items within the Committee’s jurisdiction – no items were brought up

6.  a. Chair’s Report – Ron Ziff reported the following:

1) a building at 14418 Ventura Boulevard is being demolished. The demo and a new project have not come to SONC. Planning will be reviewing and send it to us.

2) There is a fence around the car wash at Tyrone, Beverly Glen, and Ventura Boulevard. Ron is working with the City Planning Department to find out what is going on.

3) The Pollo Loco at 4544 Saugus is closed and is being torn apart. Ron said he is also trying to track this down and find out what is going on.

4) a four (4) unit small lot subdivision at 14655 Moorpark tried to go directly to City Planning to get approval of the project. Planning is requiring the driveway to be at the back of the property with easements to the residents exit on to Cedros. The project will come back to us at the May 19, 2016 meeting.

5) The apartment building at 14241 Magnolia will have a City Planning Department hearing on May 20, 2016. Whatever the decision is made tonight will be report to the SONC Board for the Board’s review on May 9, 2016.

6) There are three (3) City ordinances and the Metro Plan that we have to review in order to recommend a position to the Board at it May 9, 2016 meeting. It will require a special meeting to go over them. Ron will send out copies of all 4 items in the next few days. The four items are: 2nd Dwelling Ordinance; the Air BnB Ordinance; the amended BMO/HMO Ordinance; and the Metro Plan that is proposed in conjunction with a ballot issue for November. Possible meeting date for this special meeting are April 25, April 28, May 2, & May 4. Ron will send out an email tomorrow to see which date will work. He will also find a meeting venue.

6.  b. Plan Review Board Report – Lisa Petrus was not present to report.

7.  Consent Item – A conditional use permit for a cell antenna at 13425 Ventura Boulevard – Committee voted to approve – 7 yes and 2 abstentions

7.  a. New Business – Mural at McGee’s Closet 15111 Ventura Boulevard – there was discussion about the mural with Jeff Kalban indicating that the mural was an advertisement. There was also a question to the applicant about the long term maintenance of the mural. In the end LUC unanimously approved the mural with the removal of the mural’s text and that the applicant remove the illegal existing signage by the tenant.

7.  b. New Business – Mural at 15122 Ventura Boulevard – there was discussion about the mural and that its content constituted as illegal mural. The motion by Tom Capp and seconded by Jackie Diamond was to deny the application. It passed with 6 yes, one no (Alicia Bartley), and two abstains (Mikie Maloney and Rick Mayer)

c. Returning Business – Rezoning to allow a 29 unit apartment building at 14241 Magnolia Boulevard. The applicant gave a presentation of the modifications and revisions made to the project since the last meeting. There were approximately 18 people from the public who spoke for the project and approximately 7 people from the public who spoke against the project. LUC members also participated with questions and comments. Julia Duncan from CD-4 also spoke and said that the Council Office will have an additional meeting with the residents before the SONC Board Meeting to discuss the many issues and concerns of the project before making taking a position. LUC unanimously approved the sending the project to the Board. Motion: to Recommend Approval of project at 14241 Magnolia Blvd. with the following concerns left to be addressed by the Council Office, the resident neighbors, and the applicant:

a. Parking by tenants on the residential streets

b. Revisions to landscaping which could include the type of Cyprus trees

c. Discussion of the power and telephone lines

d. Access of a crosswalk across Magolia at Tyrone avenue.

e. Vacate Alley

7.  d. New Business – Westfield Fashion Square – Request for approval of changes related to up to 8 new restaurants; hours of operation 7am to 11pm Sunday through Thursday; 7am to 12 midnight Friday and Saturday; change of use for 30,500 square feet fo tetail and 5,500 square feet of “back of house” to restaurant use; no increase in building size; outfoor restaurant patios added; relocation of loading area; construction of a freight elevator; changes in lighting and signage on north and south faces of the shopping center; application for a CUB (Conditional Use Beverage) for onsite consumption of alcoholic beverages in the 8 proposed restaurants. Applicant presented the scope of the project and answered question. There was almost no public comment and this raised a discussion of how much or effective public outreach had been done. There was a motion to reject the proposal and request the applicant come back to LUC. The entire Committee voted yes, in favor of the motion, except for 1 no vote by Alicia Bartley.

8.  Committee Business – the Vision Committee did not report on the parks

9.  Announcements from the Committee on subject matters within SONC’s jurisdiction – no announcements

10.  Meeting was adjourned