The East LA Area Planning Commission could not decide Wednesday night whether to approve a proposed development project on César Chavéz Avenue. After four hours, the commission unanimously determined at a public meeting at Ramona Hall Community Center that more information was needed in order to deliberate. The item will be discussed at another meeting on March 13.
Tiao Properties, a Los Angeles-based Real Estate Company, wants to demolish its current property within the Brooklyn Ave. Historic Corridor and build a six-story apartment building. The proposal includes five stories of apartment units, a ground floor for commercial use, and an underground parking garage. Five out of the 50 apartment units will be set aside for affordable housing.
Dozens of attendees, many of them residents of Boyle Heights and surrounding Eastside neighborhoods, told commissioners this development will displace current tenants from their homes and storefronts.
Viva Padilla, who owns the bookstore Re/Arte Literario at the property, expressed her discontent with the development. Padilla filed an appeal last September against the Los Angeles-based company’s application. “Will Tiao has not shown care for our community,” Padilla said on Wednesday.
Rosa Garcia, an apartment tenant and business owner at the property, said during public comment that she and her elderly mother will have nowhere to go if she is forcefully evicted. “Are we just going to be an addition to the homeless people in our community,” Garcia asked the commission.
Other speakers, such as a Boyle Heights resident who identified herself as Jasmine, contended that building market rate housing will amplify existing gentrification efforts that negatively impact the neighborhood’s predominantly low-income, Latino community. “This project will replace old residents with new settlers,” Jasmine said.
Heidi Gonzalez said she’s concerned about the potential environmental risk the demolition will pose to people living and working in the corridor. “You won’t see the results right away and you say you don’t have a basis to see the effects now but we will see them in the future,” Gonzalez said.
Steven Bautista, a representative for Councilmember Kevin de León, told the commission they need to consider a myriad of factors regarding this complex case.
“The project does have merit in the technical aspect by conforming to the present land use regulations and entitlements set in place,” Bautista said. “But we cannot support a project that is fundamentally at odds with the various policies that we’ve worked to implement that are making their way through the legislative system.”
Councilmember de León opposes the project and authored legislation for an interim Control Ordinance (ICO) recently passed by the City Council. The ICO temporarily prevents the issuance of demolition permits for replacing older and historic buildings with rent-controlled units.
Planning staff recommended that the commissioners deny Padilla’s appeal and approve the project, because their review determined the proposal complies with standards set forth by the LA Municipal Code and the Adelante Eastside Redevelopment Plan. Staff also rebuffed concerns about health risks and gentrification, calling them speculative and not supported by their findings.
Staff also noted that the building is not considered a landmark despite being built in 1910 and its location within the Brooklyn Ave. Historic corridor.
Aaron Belliston, a real estate broker and representative for Tiao properties, said their project fulfills all requirements including the addition of affordable units and a “right to return” clause. According to Belliston, the development is beneficial and opponents have not proven otherwise. “There is no evidence of an adverse impact,” Belliston said.
Commissioners appeared to take attendees’ concerns into account and asked for additional materials. Commissioner Lydia Avila-Hernandez asked for data about the number of evictions in Boyle Heights while Commissioner Gloria Gutierrez asked whether a soil inspection could be conducted.
Commissioner David Marquez mentioned he would prefer to wait on deliberating until the Updated Boyle Heights Community Plan takes effect. The plan’s new guidelines will include, among other things, new zoning rules that would provide protections for buildings with rent-controlled units.
Staff mentioned they aren’t sure when the plan will be implemented and advised against waiting. Still, Marquez said he believes it might be worth waiting to make a decision based on new guidelines. “If our job is planning,” Marquez said, “then we have to use the most up-to-date plan.”
Bunch of cowards and losers at the East LA Area Planning Commission and an awful sign of things to come if this is how they deliberate with a project that replaces 3 regular units with 5 EXTREMELY LOW INCOME units (ie 30% of the area median income). They’re stopping 50 people/households coming in because of some nebulous claims about gentrification. If they do deny the project, the city attorney basically said the city would be subject to a lawsuit. They should get sued and maybe Bass will rethink her awful appointments.
This project will destroy the neighborhood. It will only cause gentrification. It will displace long time tenants.
This project would destroy the neighborhood.
Thank you Councilmember Kevin DeLeon for standing up for the community and against this project !