WEST HOLLYWOOD—The city of West Hollywood posted a schedule for public meetings that will discuss the Planning Commission in respects to the city’s Draft General Plan, Draft Climate Action Plan and Environmental Impact Reports.
This month’s most recent meetings have taken place on September 16 and September 23 at 6 p.m. at West Hollywood Park Auditorium 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. An upcoming hearing is scheduled for September 30 at the same time and address, and additional meetings for the adoption of the General Plan and Climate Action Plan may be scheduled for October.
The Draft General Plan is a comprehensive blueprint that will highlight the community’s long-term commercial, residential and developmental needs.
The city reports that the general plan may assist in estimating the city’s overall character and physical development, including how the city will use and manage its physical, social and economic resources for the following 25 years. The plan, which has been in progress since 2007, will feature workshops, neighborhood meetings, a general plan advisory committee (GPAC) and collaboration between various city commissions, with emphasis on feedback provided by community members.
Other items that will be addressed through the project will include the city’s goals, policies and implementation efforts in regards to governance, land use and urban form, historic preservation economic development, mobility, human services, parks and recreation, infrastructure, resources, conservation, safety and noise and housing. The proposed measures will address the facets of transportation systems, focus on environmental preservation, and the continued support of other
human social services already available to community members.
“The General Plan is a 25-year policy document,” Bianca Siegal, of West Hollywood’s Community Development Department, told Canyon News. “Every city and county in CAis required to have one. For that 25-year time we are to develop a broad vision for our city’s needs, and over the past three years we have come up with ideas for community outreach programs and a wide range of other activities that may benefit our city. The plan includes a chapter on human services along with areas such as transportation, economic development and parks and recreation.”
Canyon News asked Siegal if certain topics are emphasized during the city’s public meetings, and she stated, “Land use and transportation are matters that are given a lot of attention, so they are hot topics at the meetings. We also have the Climate Action Plan, which is a more aggressive document that focuses on policies and actions taken by businesses, residences and city operations to help improve our environment. As far as land use and mobility goes, we are trying to work on reducing traffic in the Beverly Hills and West Hollywood areas, and we are working on creating commercial corridors and other options to make it easier for bicyclists and walkers to travel.”
When asked by Canyon News about any shared opinions or desires expressed by residents at the city meetings, Siegal said, “It varies, but the community members seem to emphasize a desire for existing residential neighborhoods to maintain their character. There is a wide range of opinions and we try our best to acknowledge everyone’sconcerns about the proposal and the parts of the plan that they are enthusiastic about, so our staff tries their best to clearly present these opinions to the Planning Commission. If we feel that any changes in policies need to be tweaked in documents then we recommend that to City Council for consideration.”
Siegal added that affordable housing is another topic that is stressed during city hearings. “Discussing housing topics is required by state, and the housing element is updated much more frequently than the rest of the plan,” she said. “One of the challenges we are facing now is that much of our building stock for affordable residences were built during the 1950s and 1960s, so these buildings are older and more difficult to maintain. They also tend to be more affordable, so we are exploring additional opportunities for housing and ways to increase and manage energy, as well as to manage rent control and help residences and property owners cooperate with each other. But the term ”˜affordable housing’ can be confusing for some because in the housing world there is a specific definition for low-income. Finding the proper funding sources and housing adjusted to every income level is a specific process for every individual. The senior population in our area is very high, so we are discussing housing programs that may fit for low-income residents who are seniors or who have special needs, and are working closely with the West Hollywood Housing Corporation, which is a separate non-profit agency. But housing is definitely a priority in our plan.”
For further information on this project, visit weho.org/generalplan, the city clerk’s office, or the planning counter at West Hollywood City Hall at 8300 Santa Monica Blvd. or contact Bianca Siegal in the Community Development Department at 323-848-6853 or bsiegl@weho.org. For the deaf and hearing-impaired, contact 323-848-6496.
