The city’s Design Review Subcommittee on Thursday will review plans by Empire Property Group for a proposed 34-unit residential building on Norton Avenue.
The five-story building, at 8017-8029 Norton, between North Crescent Heights and North Laurel, just north of Santa Monica Boulevard, would replace several two story and one one-story buildings. It would contain five units for low- and moderate-income renters and provide 61 parking spaces. It would combine three existing residential lots.
In 2008 the City Council granted an appeal by local residents to reject a plan to replace 13 apartments on two lots at 8017-8023 Norton with a 16-unit condominium building. Council members argued that the design was mediocre and did not provide adequate parking.
The city’s urban planner, Stephanie Reich, is recommending several changes to the design of the building to make it seem less bulky, to provide a more visible entry and add more trees.
The subcommittee also will review plans for a seven-unit building at 812-816 Huntley Drive, north of Sherwood. That three-story building would replace two single-family homes on adjacent lots.
The subcommittee will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Conference Room at City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Blvd. at Sweetzer.
The tampered with design plan by the planning committee HAS AGAIN made AN MORE UNATTRACTIVE design that both stands out even more in the existing lower height residential street and not just Look UGLY but will age in style much quicker than the more conventional and traditional plan which includes a very symmetrical over all end result. Once the wood facing starts to wear, it will look bad (a couple years) and in the future it will become one of those buildings everyone says “I can’t believe that anyone ever thought that was an attractive style” thank god those days… Read more »
Hi Jonathan: you voiced some legitimate observations. We could use more scrupulous thinking and comments during the planning process by folks that know what they are looking at and how to convey appropriate information to actually improve projects. Could you please dedicate some time to come to Design Review? Otherwise we have folks bringing up irrelevant and inappropriate information at every opportunity which completely mucks up the process.
I would point out that I fought successfully to lower the heights and densities in my neighborhood on Huntley. I sold my home of nearly 30 years because it was a prudent move which will enable me to at some point retire. It was not a decision my spouse and I made easily, particularly given the fact we had such wonderful neighbors. This project consists of two lots, only one of which belonged to me. It should be noted that the building to the rear of the property is three stories and the property immediately to the south is two… Read more »
What about all the residents who will be evicted? One of them is a man who is over 80 and has lived on Norton since 1956 ! Where is the humanity?!
Architect Ed Levin’s proposal for Norton is the type of handsome architecture that was needed as our gateway on the east side at La Brea and Santa Monica. While the design appears a bit strong for this residential street perhaps it can be softened into a more elegant context with some minor adjustments.
Steve Martin apparently missed a great opportunity to interact w the developer that purchased the Huntley property to in order to actualize his goals of compatible neighborhood architectural development thereby reducing the possibility of what has been proposed. Perhaps a series of townhouses designed by an architect truly in tune with the balance of earlier architectural styles and modern amenities could have prevailed. Could also achieve the spirit of the guidelines recently approved by adjacent West Hillywood West Homeowners Association. Lauren Meister might have contributedan as an unofficial advocate.
Thankfully this has been directed back to the drawing board.
Money and profits are core principles, most assuredly, for those who lack a social conscience.
Money and profits are still core principles, whether yours or not is the only question.
Someone who still has and adheres to their core principles would not take the money.
Cmon, seriously? Who wouldn’t take a lot of money for their property if offered by a developer, or anybody for that matter???
OMG !!! When will this INSANITY S-T-O-P ? ! ? ! If Steve Martin did sell his house to a developer to enable this possible obscenity, then shame on him ! (STAFF – I’ve notice this before but you seem to not include the exact date of a meeting as this should have been noted as Thursday, June 11).
Standard AP style is to give the day of the week for events in the coming six days and the date (month and day) for events after that
All I see is more rental units being torn down for condos.
This project is Steve Martin’s house that he sold to a developer to combine with the next lot to build these large rental units with $6000 a month rentals. He talks a lot about anti-development but when it comes to selling out to a developer he decided to put the money in his pocket.