WeHo’s Hayworth Avenue Development Becoming a Flashpoint

It seems the N. Hayworth Avenue development is fast becoming a flashpoint.  The six story, 12 unit project from Blackacre LLC would take down three small apartment buildings just west of Fairfax and replace them with a new infill building designed by 64North. Two apartments are set aside as affordable through the city’s density bonus program, with plans showing a small subterranean garage to accommodate three parking spaces, a rooftop deck, and a back area patio.

The item was presented to the Planning Commission’s Design Review Subcommittee, and is still in design review, which means demolition and construction cannot begin until additional approvals are in place. The initial reporting came from Urbanize Los Angeles.

Neighbors took the debate to Nextdoor earlier today, where sides were taken pretty quickly. Pro more building of apartment voices argue that adding the units on Hayworth, a block off Fairfax near Romaine, is a way to ease rent pressures and grow in the places already seeing mid scale housing.

Single-family home preservation voices counter that tearing out what is left of smaller residential buildings and dwindling single-family housing stock — without adding meaningful paths to affordable home ownership — makes buying a home in West Hollywood even harder, if not impossible, especially for first time home buyers.  The city lost 66 single-family homes in the last 10 years alone. Yes, there’s been growth in “single-family housing” but not in homes. That 15% growth over the past has 20 years has primarily been buildings with 5 or more units, which is fine, but many say is not the same.  These oversized developments are altering if not destroying much of the community’s character and these once charming neighborhoods.  

West Hollywood’s 1.9 square miles leaves no margin for sloppy choices. The subcommittee is advisory only, City Hall makes the final call at the Planning Commission, and the question hanging over this is simple: can the city add homes without closing the door on affordable homeownership for the people who want to stay, put down roots and build families.  

The rallying cry cannot just be to build more affordable housing (which in reality is a myth with too many rents out of reach for many), but also, for building and preserving affordable single-family homes.