Suits Seek to Stop Westwood High-Rises

Hearings are scheduled Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court on two lawsuits filed by the Friends of Westwood, who claim that the city of Los Angeles acted improperly in granting permits for high-rise buildings at Wilshire Boulevard at Glendon Avenue.

The Westwood group is asking for temporary injunctions halting construction of a 25-story retail office and garage at the former site of Ship’s restaurant on the northeast corner, and a 16-story office building on the southeast corner.

Friends spokesman Laura Lake described the lawsuits as “potentially significant, landmark cases.”

In both cases, the Friends are contending that the city had the authority to request an environmental impact report before issuing the building permits, but did not.

According to the lawsuits, the California Environmental Quality Act charges the city with the duty to conduct an environmental review and, in cases where the project may have a significant effect on the environment or where there is significant community concern, to require that an environmental impact report be prepared.

The suits claim that the buildings would overload Westwood’s already strained sewer and street systems, that the building on the southeast corner of Wilshire and Glendon violates the area’s community plan, and that the building on the northeast corner violates both the community plan and the zoning ordinances outlined in the Westwood Village Specific Plan.