Local News in Brief : Apartment Building Controls Approved

Tough controls on apartment and condominium construction in a small, predominantly single-family neighborhood of North Hollywood were unanimously approved by the Los Angeles City Council on Friday.

The council sent to Mayor Tom Bradley for his expected approval an ordinance requiring developers to widen adjoining streets, provide at least one guest parking space for every four units and keep the height of buildings to no more than three stories.

The measure would affect property zoned multiple-family residential in an area bounded by Tujunga Avenue on the west, Magnolia Boulevard on the north, Lankershim Boulevard on the east and Camarillo Street on the south. It would be in effect for a year to give city planners time to prepare permanent controls for the area.

The measure was proposed by Council President John Ferraro, who represents the area, in response to complaints from longtime homeowners. The homeowners said the proliferation of large apartment and condominium buildings has caused parking problems and congestion on their narrow residential streets.

Similar controls on apartment and condominium construction are in effect in the Valley Village area of North Hollywood and a large part of Sherman Oaks.

The city Planning Commission is expected next week to consider another moratorium on building in an area surrounding the 4100 and 4200 blocks of Tujunga. A proposal for that moratorium was sparked by a developer’s plans to build six apartment projects in the area of mostly single-family homes.