“Lake WeHo” to Be Filled In

At the February 18 West Hollywood City Council meeting, Director of Community Development Nick Maricich provided a quarterly update on the city’s major development projects, including the Melrose Triangle. Maricich noted that the entitlements for the previously approved Melrose Triangle project had expired, and no new proposals had been submitted by the property owner.

He went on to inform the Council that the city had required the applicant to secure the necessary permits to backfill the excavated area and restore the site. As part of the permitting process, a community meeting was scheduled for February 26th, with multiple Zoom sessions for residents and local businesses. Notices were sent to businesses and residents within 200 feet of the site, and additional information was made available on a dedicated website.

Councilmember Erickson raised concerns about the environmental safety of the dirt being brought in to fill the hole. He asked whether the fill material would be tested for potential contamination, noting that some of the dirt around the site might have been sourced from areas impacted by fires. “I want to make sure that we test the dirt to ensure it’s not coming from potentially toxic or environmentally unsafe areas,” Erickson urged.

In response, Maricich assured the Council that the fill material would be certified on-site before being brought to West Hollywood. “Both in the building code and in our requests to the developer, the infill does have to be certified before it gets shipped to West Hollywood,” he confirmed. Erickson also pressed for a more expedited timeline, expressing frustration over the six- to nine-month window given for completing the work. “Is there a way we can implement a financial penalty or expedited timeline for this?” he asked.

Building and Safety Manager Ben Galan responded that the refilling process would require approximately 27,000 truck trips, a figure that Maricich had earlier highlighted, which could take up to nine months depending on weather and material availability. Galan also clarified that the dirt would come from three different sites outside the county.

Meanwhile, Councilmember Meister questioned the adequacy of the notice radius for the community meeting, suggesting that 200 feet might be insufficient given the scale of the project. “200 feet barely gets you across Santa Monica Boulevard,” Meister remarked, proposing the radius be expanded to 500 feet. Maricich agreed to verify the notification details and pledged to ensure that the necessary steps were taken to keep residents informed.

In addition to the Melrose Triangle project, Meister brought up the broader issue of delayed developments, referencing ongoing projects such as those along Robertson Lane. She expressed frustration over why some approved buildings had not yet been demolished, particularly given the negative impact on the surrounding neighborhood. “Certain buildings that are approved being demolished are still there. These buildings should just be demolished,” she said.

Vice Mayor Heilman echoed the frustration with delayed projects, noting that changing market conditions and rising interest rates had affected the viability of some developments. He suggested that the city might benefit from bringing in a real estate expert to provide additional guidance. “Maybe we need to bring in somebody who has some real estate development expertise to help us figure out how to navigate these challenges,” he said.

As the meeting concluded, the Council discussed various ways to address the complexities of the development process. While the Melrose Triangle project remains a central issue, the broader challenges of delayed construction, environmental concerns, and developer accountability are expected to remain key discussion points in future meetings.