CITY PANEL APPROVES APARTMENTS NEIGHBORS SAY 80-UNIT PROJECT WILL RUIN CHARACTER OF REGION.Byline: James Nash Staff Writer PANORAMA CITY - The Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Citywide 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 on Thursday unanimously approved an 80-unit apartment building that neighbors said would ruin the character of one of Panorama City's oldest neighborhoods. Residents of the Los Ranchitos tract - once a collection of spread-out ranches and one of the first postwar housing tracts in Panorama City - said they are being hemmed in by apartments. Planning commissioners, however, said the developer met all requirements for parking, open space and traffic circulation and that the site is zoned for multifamily housing. The project at Van Nuys Boulevard and Vincennes Street was proposed by Montage montage (mŏntäzh`, Fr. môNtäzh`), the art and technique of motion-picture editing in which contrasting shots or sequences are used to effect emotional or intellectual responses. Development, a Tarzana-based company that redevelops blighted blight n. 1. a. Any of numerous plant diseases resulting in sudden conspicuous wilting and dying of affected parts, especially young, growing tissues. b. and vacant lots. ``We like our lifestyle,'' Vincennes Street homeowner Janie Baker told the commission. ``We have been encroached upon.'' Other residents said Van Nuys Boulevard already is lined by apartment buildings that bring crime, noise, litter, graffiti and traffic in the adjacent neighborhoods of small homes. Gledhill Street resident Maria Brough said local public schools already are overcrowded o·ver·crowd v. o·ver·crowd·ed, o·ver·crowd·ing, o·ver·crowds v.tr. To cause to be excessively crowded: a system of consolidation that only overcrowded the classrooms. , preventing children such as her own from attending the neighborhood schools. ``(Montage Development) would make lovely neighbors, but I'd like to support them in some other project more conducive to the neighborhood,'' Brough said. Chuck Francouer, a principal in Montage Development, said the Panorama City apartment building fits with his company's goal of building high-quality, affordable housing on rundown Rundown A summary of the amount and prices of a serial bond issue that is still available for purchase. rundown A list of available bonds in a municipal issue of serial bonds. or empty parcels. Twelve of the 80 apartments are planned as subsidized sub·si·dize tr.v. sub·si·dized, sub·si·diz·ing, sub·si·diz·es 1. To assist or support with a subsidy. 2. To secure the assistance of by granting a subsidy. units for low-income tenants, he said. ``We pick up scraps and we clean up neighborhoods,'' Francouer said. ``We are the owners, operators and managers of all our sites.'' In response to neighbors' concerns about traffic and parking, the developer increased the number of guest parking spaces from 10 to 34 and agreed to pay for speed bumps on two blocks of Vincennes Street if city traffic engineers recommend them. Still, some opponents said they would appeal the commission's decision to the City Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee. ``This is a wonderful, beautiful building,'' Baker said of the plan. ``(But) put it on Sherman Way. We need to protect the single-family homes in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. ,'' Baker said. James Nash, (818) 713-3722 james.nash(at)dailynews.com |
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