Local News in Brief : San Fernando Restricts Development on Street

Future development on a main street through San Fernando’s oldest Latino neighborhood will be restricted to houses and small apartment complexes under a new zoning ordinance approved by the City Council.

A seven-block stretch of Kalisher Street, between O’Melveny and Coronel streets, had been zoned for commercial buildings, which was inconsistent with the city’s general plan for the neighborhood.

Last year, the city revised the general plan, a blueprint for community development, and stipulated that Kalisher Street retain its predominantly residential uses.

The council’s approval in a 4-1 vote Monday brought the zoning and general plan into agreement, which is mandated under state law.

Several hundred residents had signed a petition in favor of the new residential zoning, which affects about 50 properties, said City Administrator Donald E. Penman. But property owners sent letters of protest to the council, saying that a zoning change would reduce their property values because it would make their land less attractive to buyers, Penman said.

About 12 small businesses, including a bakery, a beauty shop and a convenience store, line the street. But most of the structures are houses and small apartments.