Infill Apartments Win Approval in Los Angeles

A company run by Eric Fishburn has gained approval to build 59 apartments in Beverly Grove, while a firm led by Brian Martin got a green light to construct 22 apartments in Montecito Heights.

The Los Angeles Planning Commission approved both infill projects late last week, Urbanize Los Angeles reported. The commission gave the go-ahead for a seven-story complex at 951-971 North La Cienega Boulevard and a four-story complex at 4221 East Huntington Drive North.

961 La Cienega, a limited liability company led by Fishburn, will demolish two commercial buildings south of Santa Monica and La Cienega boulevards in Beverly Grove, near West Hollywood. The initial proposal was filed by Guild GC, another company run by Fishburn.

Plans include 59 one- and two-bedroom apartments above 8,800 square feet of ground-floor shops and restaurants, with underground parking for 96 cars.

The developer used a density bonus to allow the building to be larger than zoning rules allow in exchange for seven affordable units set aside for very low-income households.

The project, designed by Downtown-based Aux Architecture, includes a four-story, white stucco bank of apartments surrounded by layered terraces of apartments sheathed in wood, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a rooftop deck, according to a rendering.

4215 Huntington Drive North, an LLC run by Martin, will replace a 0.2-acre parking lot at the southwest corner of Huntington and Moonstone drives.

Plans call for 22 studio and one-bedroom apartments above 514 square feet of ground-floor shops, with parking for 13 cars.

The developer will use a density bonus to allow the building to be larger than zoning rules allow in exchange for four affordable units set aside for very low-income households.

The white complex is designed by architect David Gonzalez Rojas, whose company Warexaus is based Downtown. It features floor-to-ceiling windows and doors, with street-facing balconies, according to a rendering.

While the project was slated for approval through the consent calendar, that changed after the project was met by opposition from neighbors who objected to both its size and to its potential gentrification of the area.

— Dana Bartholomew