The West Hollywood Planning Commission last night unanimously endorsed a plan to replace an eight-unit, 1920s-era building on Detroit Street with 22 units of affordable housing.
The commission’s decision apparently brings to an end a months long controversy over plans to tear down the existing Detroit Bungalows and replace them with a building that will be known as Blue Hibiscus.
Opponents of the project, who were especially vocal during the March and June City Council elections, have the right to appeal the decision within 10 days to the council. However the fact that no one spoke against it at last night’s Planning Commission hearing, and that several former opponents said they now support the project, suggests that that is unlikely.
Blue Hibiscus is a project of the West Hollywood Community Housing Corp (WHCHC), a non-profit organization that has developed 16 affordable housing projects, with 14 of those in West Hollywood. WHCHC needed the Planning Commission’s endorsement to obtain a demolition permit from the city and unite the two adjacent lots on which it plans to build Blue Hibiscus. One of those lots contains a single-family house and two apartment units.
Opposition to the project has been led by Dr. Pamela Love, a resident of the Detroit Bungalows. Love has said that the elderly and disabled residents of the bungalows shouldn’t be forced to move for construction of a new building. Love also has engaged in a complicated debate with WHCHC over a number of issues, including its refusal to support her application for a federal rent subsidy. Supporting such a subsidy now would complicate WHCHC’s efforts to empty the bungalows so that it can begin construction. Love did not speak at last night’s hearing.
A WHCHC representative told the Planning Commission last night that it will send formal notices to vacate to the Detroit Bungalow tenants within the next 30 days or so. Residents will have 120 days to move, and WHCHC has promised to help them find a new temporary home and has pledged to pay each of them $17,000 to help subsidize their rent. Construction is expected to begin early in 2017.
Three outspoken former opponents of the project, Cathy Blaivas, Stephanie Harker and Michael Wojtkielewicz, have now said they support it because WHCHC has guaranteed that the Detroit Bungalow residents can become residents of Blue Hibiscus. Sheila Lightfoot, a planning commissioner, asked WHCHC to make clearer to Detroit Bungalow residents what steps they must take to ensure they will be accepted in the new building.
@jonathan simmons. you really need to do some research before commenting on subjects like this. the community housing company is tearing down eight housing units and replacing them 22 units for low-income people. So how is that a “LOSS of MORE existing low income units “? And the housing company is paying each resident who moves something like $17,000 and helping them find a temporary place to live and guaranteeing them an apartment in the Blue Hibiscus when it’s built. So how is that really “kicking out low income weho residents in the process.” And the Ellis Act is not… Read more »
What I find disturbing is the HYPOCRISY of the endless “preservation” of old classic buildings as well as how terrible it is there are fewer and fewer low income units in weho each year due to “bad” developers. But putting out existing low income residents in a classic example of the era of a courtyard bungalow apartment bld in a quick unanimous vote is either the product of totally irrational thinkers on the planning commission – or else all the years, meetings, delays, allegations against developers who want to do the same – is a disingenuous (to be polite) and… Read more »
There are other grants available to the current tenants at the state and Federal level. This would exceed the $17,000. The figures would be calculated on an individuals circumstances and, in-fact, could exceed $40,000.
Congratulations to the WHCHC, Blue Hibiscus, and West Hollywood. With great anticipation, I am looking forward to the next project.
So glad to see this vote for compassion and that there was no opposition! Dare I hope that the voices that oppose housing/ affordable housing have been shamed and that I won’t have to waste any more evenings in endless hearings to say what should not need to be said? (That affordable housing is a core value of our city and the right thing to do.) Probably not, unfortunately.
This is not a standard relocation. Look at the WeHo rebroadcast of the meeting. Then you will understand why $40K.
$40,000 per tenant would be ridiculous, even for disabled tenants. The standard relocation is closer to the $17,000 stated in the article.
I was at this meeting and as I recall the WHCHC clearly stated that the relocation fees, in this situation would be some $40,000 per tenant with a commitment to allow each of them to return when the building is ready for occupancy.
Glad the commissioners got the message on this project. Thanks for the unanimous decision. During the meeting the same commissioners must have gotten their wires crossed or perhaps their reception was compromised on the Verizon issue. Please try again!