Crowding, Noise Fears Cited : Residents Object to Relocation of Complex

A low- and moderate-income housing complex scheduled to be moved to a Santa Monica neighborhood may be scaled down because of opposition from residents.

About a dozen of them attended a zoning hearing Tuesday to protest the Community Corp.’s plan to relocate a three-story building to 1544 Berkeley St.

The nonprofit development agency requested four zoning variances from the city so it can move the eight-unit complex that it bought from Santa Monica Hospital Medical Center. The building has been vacant since 1979 and will be rehabilitated before being occupied.

Community Corp. requested variances to move the building to a lot zoned for two-stories; to alter one of the required 14 parking spaces; to add an extra unit over density limits, and to encroach on a side alley.

But residents said they were concerned about overcrowding, increased traffic and noise, insufficient parking, loss of privacy and property values.

They presented a petition signed by 196 residents opposing the variances, according to resident Cirielle Raphalian.

After listening to the Berkeley Street neighbors, Gary Squier, executive director of Community Corp., said he would be willing to remove the third floor from the project.

Without the third story the development would need a variance only for the encroachment, zoning administrator Suzanne Frik said.

But some Berkeley Street neighbors were not appeased.

“The tradeoffs are not acceptable,” said Fiona LeRoy of 1552 Berkeley St. “We’ll still have the uncovered parking spaces. My car has been broken into five times already.”

Others said the project would overcrowd the densely populated neighborhood. “It’s like putting too many sardines into a can,” Gina Wilcox said.

David Helphand of 1537 Berkeley St. said the lot is too small for the building Community Corp. plans to relocate.

Raphalian also lamented the potential loss of the house standing where the building is to be placed. She said the old single-family house is one of few remaining in the neighborhood. The street is dominated by multifamily buildings.

Squier said the project was slated for Berkeley Street because a tenants organization, Mid-City Neighbors, wanted to bring families into the area that is heavily populated with singles and couples who do not have children.

He said that in similar developments the tenants have worked hard to improve their homes.

The zoning administrator will decide on the variance requests within 30 days of the hearing.