Panel Begins Work on Determining Future Look of Warner Center

With discussion focused on high-rise development at Woodland Hills’ Warner Center, a Los Angeles city committee Monday night began mapping new construction rules to guide the growth of the area through the year 2000.

The 14-member advisory panel, appointed by West Valley City Councilwoman Joy Picus, is expected to spend the next year writing a “specific plan” to set the tone for Warner Center development by regulating such factors as building density and design, traffic patterns and project landscaping.

If approved by Picus and endorsed by other council members, the recommendations would be added to the city’s zoning ordinance as new standards for building permits within the 1,100-acre Warner Center area.

The height limit issue has been smoldering since October, when the City Council for the first time approved a building height rule for Warner Center. The council set a six-story limit for most areas but excluded a site targeted for a controversial high-rise hotel and office building project.

Dispute Between Developers

The dispute has pitted Warner Center’s largest landowner, Robert Voit, against developer Norman Kravetz, who plans to build the hotel and a pair of 17-story office towers. Voit has argued in the past against Kravetz proposal.

Voit turned down an invitation from Picus to serve on the advisory committee, but asked that an aide, Norman Emmerson, represent him. Kravetz is a committee member.

Picus predicted at the Monday evening meeting that the two developers will agree on guidelines for Warner Center high-rise development as the committee deliberates over the next few months.

“I have confidence people will look at existing conditions objectively and resolve any differences of opinion,” she said.

Monday evening’s meeting was more cordial than the last one at which the rival builders faced each other. At the City Council hearing in October, supporters of Kravetz and Voit argued bitterly over the right to build future high-rise office buildings.

The height issue has been viewed as crucial to the future of Warner Center, which is considered the city’s boldest effort yet at mixing residential and commercial development. The area is bounded by the Ventura Freeway on the south, Topanga Canyon Boulevard on the west, De Soto Avenue on the east and Vanowen Street on the north.

Warner Center, now dominated by a 20-story, mirror-sided building near its middle, includes 90 acres of condominiums and apartments scattered around two shopping malls, offices and manufacturing plants that employ 35,000 persons.

Los Angeles planning officials have called the Woodland Hills site a showplace urban communitiy, one that shows how proper planning can minimize traffic and design problems that have vexed areas like Century City.

But that very success set the stage for last fall’s debate over the high-rises.

Plan Considered

The occasion was the Los Angeles City Council’s consideration of a revised Canoga Park-Winnetka-Woodland Hills District Plan that would set broad development guidelines for the entire southwest Valley through the end of the century. It turned into a duel between Kravetz and Voit over Warner Center’s density.

Until the council’s October action, Voit had controlled virtually all Warner Center property targeted for high-rise development.

Earlier guidelines drawn up by city officials called for taller builders to be concentrated in the middle of Warner Center. Adjacent neighborhoods of single-family homes would be buffered from the high-rises by low-rise offices and manufacturing plants.

Voit, who owns most of the Warner Center core area, has plans for a $500-million high-rise office and commercial complex on his land. He launched his development four years ago with a 20-story office building and last year began construction on a nearby 17-story Mariott hotel and office tower.

Rival Complex

Kravetz entered the picture last year when he announced plans for a rival complex consisting of a 14-story Hilton hotel and two 17-story office towers several blocks away, near the intersection of Canoga Avenue and Victory Boulevard.

Kravetz’s plan quickly drew criticism from Voit, who argued that a height moratorium on land away from Warner Center’s core was needed to safeguard the area’s “integrity.”

Voit was supported by Mayor Tom Bradley and city planning commissioners, who called for implementation of a six-story height limitation on Kravetz’s property.

But before the city could act on the recommendation, Kravetz broke ground for his office towers last fall. He argued that his Trillium project would be the best development in Warner Center and he charged that Voit was attempting to throttle high-rise competition.

By the time pile drivers began pounding away at the Canoga Avenue project site, Kravetz was chipping away at his City Hall opposition. By the time of the October hearing, he had won the support of Picus.

The West Valley councilwoman helped steer the 13-0 vote that excluded Kravetz’s property from the six-story height limitation.