The Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council

Alternative 2: Maintain the area fronting Riverside Drive as a commercial village, leave everything up to the alley commercial, and on the north side only, allow residential from the alley to the 134 freeway. Also keep parking only “at grade” or underground for newly constructed projects. Require a 60’ minimum deep commercial use on the ground floor of the buildings; maintain the existing alleys, retain the 33’ height maximum per the current zoning and require an additional 3’ setback on the sidewalk face of each new building.
Options: Allow up to three story buildings with residential above retail; this would have a maximum height of 45’ and would require a minimum setback at the third level of at least 15’ on both the front and rear sides.
Require a minimum ceiling height (18 or 20 feet) for storefront retail units. This would probably on leave room for one level above within the 33’ maximum building height.

Alternative 3: Allow Mixed Use with a maximum height of 45’ for all properties on Riverside Drive within the CDO district. Require an 8’ setback from the property line (face of sidewalk) on the street. Allow residential with a height up to 55’ or 65’ maximum on the properties north of the North Alley, these properties are between the alley and the 134 Freeway. Allow residential with a height up to 33’ feet for the properties adjacent to the R-1 on the south of the South Alley. Also consider abandoning a portion of the North Alley and the closing off of the side streets which dead-end into the freeway.
Discussion followed with questions and answers to all of the alternates by various committee and team members. Unfortunately, none of the property owners were in attendance, although they were invited to come. The consensus was that Alternative 2 (with some adjustments) responds best to the criteria provided in the previous Surveys and Workshops. It will be refined and will serve as the base for the development of additional design guidelines.

Toluca Lake Project Preserves Area History Posted on: Councilmember LaBonge's website on Feb 25, 2009

Rendering of the 68-unit mixed-use development approved for the current site of the Toluca Lake Florist.

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a new mixed-use development in Toluca Lake, which includes restoration of a historic home that the community wanted to be preserved. The developer, long-time owner of the Toluca Lake Florist on this site, is restoring the historic Bakman House for commercial use and building a 68-unit residential/commercial project around it.

"This project brings new housing to Toluca Lake while preserving a piece of its history," Councilmember LaBonge said. "My office worked hard with the developer and the community to come up with a plan that works." The project, which will be built on Riverside Drive at Cahuenga Boulevard, will have 68 apartments with ground-floor commercial and retail space. The Bakman House, a 1929 Spanish colonial home, will be moved off-site during construction and re-installed for commercial use afterwards.

URGENT: PROPOSED CITYWIDE SIGN ORDINANCE Re: CPC-2009-0008-CA Revisions to City Sign Code
The City is in the process of adopting a new citywide sign ordinance that is on a fast-track schedule. This process, driven by an extremely short ICO, has not allowed adequate oversight by Neighborhood Councils. Comment on proposed citywide sign ordinance ASAP to let your views be known by the City Planning Commission (CPC). Write or email cpc@lacity.org. The City Planning Commission is under intense pressure to ACT at a Special Meeting on Wednesday, March 18 at 8:30 a.m. in City Council Chambers at City Hall.

Neighborhood Councils and Stakeholders have the opportunity to come to the hearing on March 18 to express your Neighborhood Council’s opinions, and separately your own personal opinions and those of other organizations. Be present and let your views be known.

ITEMS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST:
- Proposed Sign Districts. Eligible locations include, but are not limited to, Regional Centers, the Downtown Center and Regional Commercial Areas. See map in file for some possible locations. Note exceptions. Criteria for Sign Districts?
- Should a release mechanism for large development sites outside the Sign Districts be allowed?
- Off-site signs.
- On-site signs.
- Digital signs, new and conversions.
- Supergraphics.
- Murals to be designated as art and regulated by Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee.
- Limitation of exceptions.
- Regulations of height, size, number, placement and other aspects of signs.
- Criteria for freestanding signs.
- Signs in residential neighborhoods.
- Protection of public health, safety, the environment and historical sites/architecture.
- Protection of visual surroundings.
- Meaningful penalties.
- Funded enforcement in a timely manner. Inspect, penalize, remove sign when indicated.
- Dealing with “grandfathering” requests.
- Total signage limit. Current is about 4:1. Proposed reduction to 2.5:1, still more than the average in cities. Is this enough of a reduction?
- Prohibited signs: digital, off-site, roof (maybe not historical), and sign types not yet defined (except for within Sign Districts if allowed).
- Architectural concerns: shrouding of buildings and buildings designed to accommodate signage.
- Protection for surrounding urban, suburban, and rural neighborhoods.
- Preserving neighborhood character, scale and quality of life.
- Dealing with proliferation of signs and needed reduction in number and size. Incentive to reduce and comply.

Your comments and presence at the March 18 CPC hearing are critical for your community to be represented.

CAHUENGA STREET IMPROVEMENTS Please review Public Safety & Traffic Committee Minutes for updates on this project.
Paul Meshkin P.E. for City of LA Department of Transportation gave an update at the June 17th GTLNC Board Meeting <click here for more>. Also see Public Safety & Traffic Committee Page under October 2008 Meeting Minutes for for update on this project.