LA planners reject appeals to block 54-unit apartment complex in Studio City

Six-story complex across from former CBS studio lot fought by neighbors and property owners as neighborhood nuisance

Project at the southwest corner of Radford Avenue and Hoffman Street (Aimir CG)
Project at the southwest corner of Radford Avenue and Hoffman Street (Aimir CG)

Los Angeles planners have rejected appeals to block a six-story apartment complex across from the former CBS Studio Center in Studio City.

The Los Angeles City Planning Commission unanimously turned down two appeals seeking to block the 54-unit, mixed-use complex proposed for the southwest corner of Radford Avenue and Hoffman Street, Urbanize Los Angeles reported.

The project, proposed by developer Rafi Kuyumjian, calls for razing a vacant auto repair garage to make way for the six-story apartment building with nearly 3,400 square feet of ground-floor shops and restaurants. It would include parking or 77 cars in an underground and ground-level garage.

A group of nearby residents and property owners filed overlapping appeals, saying the new complex would create a nuisance for the neighborhood.

They contended the site should not have been eligible for Transit Oriented Communities incentives, which allowed greater height and less open space than allowed by zoning. In exchange, six of the proposed apartments would be set aside as affordable housing at the extremely low-income level.

Planning Commission staff, finding no evidence for the claims raised by the appellants, recommended the entitlements granted earlier this year should be upheld.

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The white-colored complex, designed by architect Sam Aslanian, would include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The building to be known as Radford Place would include a central courtyard, two patio decks and a recreation room.

In March, the city of Los Angeles rejected an appeal by neighbors to block a 28-unit apartment building just off Cahuenga Boulevard in Studio City.

This week, Manhattan Beach planners rejected appeals by residents to trim a 79-unit apartment complex in the South Bay city.

Last November, Hackman Capital Partners and Square Mile Capital bought the 55-acre CBS Studio Center property for $1.8 billion. The former CBS studios includes 18 soundstages and more than 210,000 square feet of office space.

[Urbanize Los Angeles] – Dana Bartholomew

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