BEST BUY REVISIONS CHALLENGED NEIGHBORS COMPLAIN TO CITY.Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer The Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, backed by Councilwoman Wendy Greuel Wendy Greuel is President Pro Tempore of the Los Angeles City Council representing the 2nd District. Greuel was elected in 2002 to fill the remainder of the term of Councilman Joel Wachs. She was elected in her own right in 2003 and reelected in 2007. , asked city planners on Thursday to explain why restrictions on a big-box store This article has multiple issues: * Its factual accuracy is disputed. * It does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by citing reliable sources. proposed for the area were revised without a public hearing or explanation of the change. The homeowners' group filed a formal complaint alleging the South Valley Planning Commission Noun 1. planning commission - a commission delegated to propose plans for future activities and developments commission, committee - a special group delegated to consider some matter; "a committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours" - Milton Berle made ``illegal, behind-the-scenes changes'' they said could allow Best Buy to build a taller store than would otherwise be allowed under the Ventura Boulevard Ventura Boulevard is one of the primary east-west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real (the trail between Spanish missions), Ventura Boulevard is the oldest route in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S. Specific Plan. Greuel said she shared the SOHA's concerns about the changes in language approving the plan. ``The apparent effect of the change ... is to permit greater height than was permitted in the commission's original action,'' Greuel wrote in a letter to Planning Department Director Con Howe requesting a written explanation for the change. Planning Deputy Bob Sutton Bob Sutton is the defensive coordinator of the New York Jets. He was named defensive coordinator on February 20, 2006 after the dismissal of the Jets' former defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson. said the revision does not loosen restrictions and that the commission revised its decision to correct technical mistakes that should have been caught earlier in the process. ``We are so overloaded o·ver·load tr.v. o·ver·load·ed, o·ver·load·ing, o·ver·loads To load too heavily. n. An excessive load. Adj. 1. we're lucky we don't make more mistakes. It's unfortunate we make mistakes on projects like Best Buy that are so controversial,'' Sutton said. The debate surrounds the commission's ruling that the Best Buy project conforms to the specific plan and can be built at Van Nuys Boulevard and Milbank Street without additional public hearings. The Best Buy would be one of the first big-box stores in the area, which has prompted traffic concerns among neighbors. The commission released its ruling on March 31 and a revision on April 7. The SOHA SOHA Spotted Owl Habitat Area SOHA South Okanagan Horse Association (Penticton, BC, Canada) SOHA Special Operations and Humanitarian Affairs took issue with language that on March 31 limited the height to 33 feet from the ground to the building's highest point, which can mean the roof, parapet wall or mechanical equipment, such as an air conditioner conditioner, n 1. an additive substance used to increase the effectiveness of another substance. 2. a substance added to enamel that improves a sealant's ability to adhere. . The April 7 version says only that the building height should be limited to 33 feet. Sutton said the change was made because the Planning Department follows guidelines of the the Department of Building and Safety, which measures from the ground to the highest point of the building, excluding mechanical equipment on the roof. But Nancy Kaleel with SOHA said the language changes were never brought up in prior reports or public hearings. ``There were opportunities for that language to be modified in public process. Why was the language changed to favor the developer after the appeal was completed?'' Kerry Cavanaugh, (818) 713-3746 kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): map Map: Proposed Best Buy Daily News |
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