L. A. Council Moves to Restrict Development in Valley Village

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday ordered the drafting of an ordinance to severely restrict building in Valley Village, a small area of predominantly single-family homes in North Hollywood.

The action, approved 13 to 0, was requested by Councilman Joel Wachs, whose constituents from the three-square-mile area had complained about increasing high-intensity development in their quiet neighborhood.

Wachs also won council approval of the residents’ requests that Valley Village be separated from the rest of North Hollywood for planning purposes and that the residents be given a voice in the preparation of a more restrictive zoning plan for their community.

The ordinance requested by the council would restrict development in Valley Village until city planners can prepare a zoning plan for the area, which is bounded by Burbank Boulevard on the north, the Hollywood Freeway on the east, the Ventura Freeway on the south and the Tujunga Wash on the west.

Among other things, the ordinance would reduce the maximum permissible height of new buildings to two stories from the three stories now allowed under the North Hollywood community plan. Until several months ago, taller buildings were allowed under more generous zoning for the area.

The ordinance also would change the permitted size of commercial development from three times the size of the site to 1 1/2 times the square footage of the lot.

The ordinance must go back to the council for another vote, but council members generally defer to a district’s council member on issues affecting the district.

Wachs said he is worried that current zoning allows development that could cause “excessive traffic, parking on adjoining streets, blocked views and incompatible scale with adjoining single-family residential neighborhood.”