City Planner Nick Vasuthasawat shared this rendering, of the building that is to replace the current one-story Jack in the Box restaurant, with PPRA President Sarah Conner.
City Planner Nick Vasuthasawat wrote Pacific Palisades Residents Association President Sarah Conner on June 26, refusing to change the July 6 hearing date for the proposed development on the former Jack-in-the-Box site on Sunset Boulevard, near Vons and PCH.
Conner had asked for an extension or postponement of the date. Vasuthasawat wrote, “The initial hearing date for this project will continue as scheduled. Additionally, the comment letter received will be forwarded for the consideration of the City Planning Commission which is the authorized review body who will review/determine to either approve, deny, or continue this project based upon the information received.”
Conner responded, “Is it fair to our community to give us little to no notice, no plans, and hold such an important meeting after a holiday weekend?”
She noted, “The City has the authority to postpone and it shows tax-paying neighbors no regard by proceeding with this timing to follow a holiday weekend.”
The meeting will be held virtually at 12:30 p.m. (Public participants should dial by phone: (213) 338-8477. When prompted, enter the Meeting ID: 921 9119 7700# The meeting’s agenda will be provided no later than 72 hours before the meeting at https://planning.lacity.org/about/commissions -boards-hearings.)
Conner told Vasuthasawat that the community was not interested in cosmetic changes, but rather was concerned because the proposed building did not follow the Pacific Palisades Specific Plan.
“PPRA has asked the City to keep the file open for 30 days because inadequate time has been given to provide feedback,” Conner said. “Holding the meeting on July 6 with letters to be submitted before then seems to disadvantage the community.”
According to the specifications, the building will have 39 dwelling units (four will be restricted to very low-income household occupancy) and there will be about 2,900 square feet on the ground floor for commercial uses.
There will be 49 parking spaces for commercial/residential uses in the five-story, 60’9” tall, 32,225-sq.-ft. building. A retaining wall will be built into the slope between the project and Edgewater Towers.
In August 2019, the Pacific Palisades Community Council wrote that the proposed plans violated the Pacific Palisades Commercial Village and Neighborhoods Specific Plan, which limits buildings to a maximum of two stories at 30 ft. with a floor area ratio (FAR) of 1:1. visit: https://www.circlingthenews.com/community-counci…-oppose-proposed/).
A week later, the project, designed by Farzin Maly, was brought before the Pacific Palisades Design Review Board (DRB), which also rejected it.
The DRB told the applicant, California Food Managers, LLC — whose principals include Beverly Hills investors (Masoud) Michael Aminpour, (Farshad) Dan Ashoori and Jack Farshi — that the project was not compatible with the one-story buildings on either side of the proposed site. DRB members also noted that the proposed structure, which would include ground-floor retail, didn’t have a setback.
Edgewater Towers Condominium Homeowners Association has hired a lawyer, Thomas Donovan, who also sent a July 2 letter to City Planning asking them to change the date of the hearing.
Edgewater is also opposing the project because it does not comply with Pacific Palisades Specific Plan, the Coastal Act, the Public Resources Code and is not in conformity with the Coastal Act Regional Interpretive Guidelines.
In the July 2 letter to Nick Vasuthasawat, Edgewater’s lawyer noted that the geological studies were inadequate, the proposed rooftop space would adversely affect residents and parking would be inadequate, causing increased street parking demand and increased traffic congestion.
Contact: nick.vasuthasawat@lacity.org or 213-978-1250.
This would be the view from the sidewalk along Sunset Boulevard of the proposed building.