Architect's lament: Citizen advisory unit nixes condominium projects in Westwood.

Architect's lament: Citizen advisory unit nixes condominium projects in Westwood

A Westside citizens advisory board has once again spurned design plans for two large Westwood Boulevard condominium projects, prompting one architect to assail the legitimacy of the seven-member board.

The Westwood Community Review Design Board voted unanimously to reject an $18-million, 22-unit condo project planned for the northeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Malcolm Avenue. It was the seventh time since August that Steve Gegner, the project's architect, was unsuccessful in gaining approval from the design board, which acts as the Westside arm of the Los Angeles Planning Commission.

Gegner said the design board rejected the condo plan because it's width exceeded the city's zoning restriction of 75 feet, even though that rule usually applies to high-rise buildings. "We feel we are in the right and are looking forward to a favorable decision from the planning director," Gegner said. The head of the planning department reviews the recommendation of the design board before the city approves or rejects a project.

"We have a problem with the jurisdiction of the board," added Gegner, who is designing the project for Century City-based Primaco XII Partnership. "The board seems to be going past what they are supposed to do: reviewing the design of a project and not making interpretations of the zoning code. "They are going beyond their mandate when they go against interpretations [on zoning rules] made by the city."

But Beverly Hills attorney Richard Agay, chairman of the design board, refuted that idea. He said the design board was "only doing its job" when it rejected the Gegner project because of problems related to its proposed height, basic design and construction materials. The design board, composed of private citizens appointed by Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky last year, determines if planned projects conform to the Westwood specific plan. That plan spells out specific design and construction requirements for most Westside developments, Agay said.

Besides the Gegner project, the design board also issued a fourth rejection of plans for a $60 million, 109-unit condo tower also slated for Wilshire Boulevard. The land for that tower was recently sold to Lee Danielson from Westside developer Paul Amir, who has also questioned the board's role in evaluating design. Groundbreaking on the Forte project is a year behind schedule.

Supporting the design board's position on both projects was Friends of Westwood, a Westside-based environmental membership group. "The board didn't feel it had enough information on the [Forte] project," said Friends of Westwood President Laura Lake. She said the proposed condo tower was "not compatible" with its surroundings and that the board was concerned about how the project's planned height would affect the residential housing next door.

"Danielson wanted a one-step approval because the escrow on the land was about to close," Lake said. "But the board, which didn't even want to vote on the tower, said come back later with more information."

Lake, who called the Gegner project an "ugly box," said the design board was within its jurisdiction when it rejected both projects.