Details about a new five-story affordable housing development on Martel Ave. one block south of Santa Monica Blvd. were unveiled Wednesday at a lightly attended virtual neighborhood meeting.
The complex will contain 50 units for low-income and special needs households making 25 to 80 percent of the L.A. County area median income.
Andrea Urmanita with KFA Architecture described the planned building and the developers’ efforts to integrate it into a neighborhood of one- and two-story residences.
Clad in wood, metal and masonry elements, The Martel Apartments are designed upon the idea of a “communal U”-shaped courtyard on the second floor. The building’s facade will be pulled back from the street and landscaped with native, drought-tolerant flora. The northeast corner will serve as a “front porch” type of space, connecting residents to the pedestrian-friendly alley — all in the hopes of “building a strong community through connection,” Urmanita said.
A mere handful of neighbors attended the meeting and even fewer came with questions.
“This is much larger than zoning in the area both in terms of height and density,” Michael Garski said. “How does that work?”
Steven Spielberg with EAH Housing explained that state law allows 100 percent affordable housing complexes such as this to exceed the local zoning code. The Martel Apartments could have been as high as six stories, he said, but the developers settled on five.
“When are you going to evict the current residents?” asked another attendee.
Spielberg noted the preferred term — “relocating” — and said they don’t expect to initiate the process until shortly before the beginning of construction, scheduled for March 2023.
“We won’t start until we have to,” he said.
The Martel Apartments are set to be complete by September 2024.
A five story structure does not belong in a neighborhood with mostly one and two story homes….period.
Oh yipppeeee, another ugly, cheap tenement box.
I’m willing to bet that the hard-working American citizens that live in the current property feel like they are being evicted not “relocated” as they prefer to say. actually, when you think about it, it’s the new low-income residents that are being ” relocated”. it’s sad the city continually evicts people who can afford to live in West Hollywood and replaces them with people who can’t. call me naive, but I still believe in the old adage “a person’s home is his castle”.good luck trying to” relocate” me out of my beach house.
Cheap-looking, bland, and ugly… just like all the other new builds going up these days. Seriously, where do all these no-talent architects come from?
I’m all for it but what are the breakouts of cost in terms of how much public money is involved? Cost per unit? The only issue is whether it is Sustainable Building economically. No one is building/developing out of the goodness of their hearts. What lobbyists were hired? What donations did they make? Curious. It looks like a nice building and Heaven knows we need affordable housing. Plenty of people work and live here a long time but have been priced out. I think it is a little unfair to some extent in life to make someone move away because… Read more »
Yes, it houses 50 people. It is stark, primarily institutional, without warmth and seems to be planned without trees or other vegetation with the exception of a few saplings. The rendering included a lone tree branch from across the street. The gardens seem to be proverbial decorative “planter” gardens not particularly engaging. The beauty and warmth of a structure is an attribute that positively influences one’s psyche. Yes, even though it houses 50 people, it does not provide homes for 50 people. Looking for improvement.
Agreed. It needs trees and warmth.
Unless there are mature trees on the property that can be included in the design, it will take time to grow new ones. You do know that’s how nature works, don’t you?
No need to be sarcastic Mr. Know It All. Many times mature trees can be moved and successfully replanted. The city has never kept an inventory of trees that suffer at the hands of total demo but it would be wise to contemplate this. Another aspect of conservation.
Hope come on now, a little sarcasm can be fun . as far as the huge cost of moving and replanting huge trees would you be willing to contribute to that? I’m assuming you live in low-income housing, perhaps you have a little leftover every month with what you save on your rent?
Unfortunately wrong on all assumptions. And I do know a thing or two about relocating mature trees, thank you. Try chastising someone else, it makes you look like an idiot.
so to begin with, it’s sad you revert to such name-calling. Rudy is Mr. know it all and I’m an idiot?? I know that I am right on all my assumptions because I’ve seen it a million times . it’s always the people in low-income housing that complain about low-income housing because it’s never good enough. and you know absolutely nothing about moving and replanting mature trees or you would know that mature trees cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars and a crane is required to move and replant them which cost additional hundreds and hundreds of dollars. (probably thousands… Read more »
LOL, the original comment was an ask for warmth and beauty and a request for improvement and what was the response? Sarcasm, about trees and such and how I couldn’t possibly know the cost, transportation and planting of mature trees all assumptions. Then moving on to living in low income housing. Yikes. While I take do back personalizing the statements you and Mr. Logan made, they were indeed uninformed, idiotic and know it all. Seems pretty confrontational, no? Further moving on to the supposition of “liberals like yourself”. Thanks for the humor this morning. We still need trees and more… Read more »
typical liberal response, lots and lots and lots of words without really saying anything at all . I stand by what I said.
you’re forgetting it’s low-income housing that someone else is paying for it. What are you thinking, a backyard with a pool/cabanas and a sun deck?
Exceptional! What an improvement for this area.
I don’t know why the numbers 1 – 7 are on the image, but where is 5?
It’s driving me nuts trying to find it!
The Senior Apartments at 1435 Havenhurst set the high bar on its own and in context with the numerous historic buildings on the street. Other than that one building, little else has approached the high bar. Why is that?
consider making a donation to the next low-income housing project and perhaps you could help it approach the high bar, whatever your idea of that may be.
Beautiful
Lol.
It blends in well w/the neighborhood.
Build more low income housing. Turn weho into downtown.
Whoa!!!! If one wanted to live in downtown presumably they would. Changing Weho into dense downtown would babe unhealthy for the community.
As friend once said “give it enough time and S/M Blvd will look like a canyon” – and he was a trusted elected official who now lives on the eastside. I wonder how he feels now.
it’s called sarcasm, ever hear of it?🤣
You can always move 👋👋
It seems you have a limited one track mind and make no meaningful contribution.
If your not contributing keep your opinions to yourself or move. We are just tired of all the NIMBYS. Seriously just move to Texas …. and make sure you don’t get anyone pregnant. 🤷🏻♂️
Don S “The Bot”
tell it to the Socialist liberals in charge. oh, wait, better not give them any more brilliant ideas.