Developer’s Plan Divides Neighbors : Housing: A Woodland Hills neighborhood has been told to put up with aging two-story apartment buildings or accept a taller complex.

A developer has presented a group of Woodland Hills residents with a choice: Put up with the deteriorating two-story apartment buildings adjacent to their homes, or allow him to build a taller, luxury apartment complex in their place.

The choice has divided homeowners who live near the apartment buildings on Avenue San Luis between Abbeyville and Dunman avenues, which mainly house low-income Latinos.

Although some of the property owners say that they are concerned about gang members who reportedly live in the buildings and that they are tired of noise from the project, they are convinced that a taller building, even if more attractive, would just add to their woes.

Stephanie Connelly, who has lived in the area for more than six years, acknowledged that the two-story apartment buildings have caused problems. But replacing them with a taller complex is not the answer, she said.

“A building that large will cut off my sunlight and take away my feeling of openness,” said Connelly, whose back yard is adjacent to the buildings. “I don’t want to live next to a high-rise. If I wanted to do that, I would move to Warner Center.”

But Osie Smaeff, who has resided in the community for two years, said she prefers the proposed project. “I get glasses and beer in my back yard all the time, and I always hear shotguns,” she said. “I don’t like what’s there one bit. Now we can get rid of it. I’m all for it.”

Real estate experts said the proposed project would also raise property values. They estimated that homes in the area are worth $315,000 to $350,000.

The group of apartment complexes, totaling 91 units, has been plagued with an increasing number of problems in recent years, city officials said.

Sgt. Bill Martin of the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Valley gang unit said that residents had complained of noise and gunshots coming from the apartments and that gang graffiti has been seen on walls in the area. “Their concerns seem to be valid,” he said.

Cindy Miscikowski, deputy to City Councilman Marvin Braude, who represents the area, said some of the one-bedroom apartments are inhabited by more than one family. She said it was not unusual for seven or eight people to be living in one apartment.

The Sherman Oaks-based Lycon Group wants to develop a 223-unit, two-building apartment complex on the site. William S. Lyons, president of the firm, said the apartments would be luxury residences and would rent for at least $1,000 a month.

Each of the buildings would have a pool, spa, recreation room and suntan booth, Lyons told a group of homeowners Wednesday. The buildings would have three stories of living space, with parking for residents and guests underneath.

Greg Piele, a real estate broker who owns property in the area, said initially that he was opposed to the project. But he said he was swayed when the Lycon Group agreed to a number of concessions requested by the homeowners, including the planting of $300,000 worth of landscaping to shield the back, front and sides of the complex from neighboring homes.

“They are willing to do a lot of things to make it work,” Piele said.

Lyons said he wanted to give eviction notices to the present residents later this month and start construction on the complex early next year.

But city codes stipulate that nothing above two stories can be built in the area without the approval of at least half of the residents. Piele said the project has the necessary backing in the community. The project must also be approved by the city.

However, some of those in the neighborhood charged the project’s advocates with racism.

“Where are the people who live there now going to go?” said resident Joyce Piper. She said the apartment proposal was a ploy to evict low-income people from the area. “It’s awful. These folks are going to be homeless.”

But Piele said it was not a matter of racism. “We’re talking about neighborhood blight here,” he said. “That’s a cold, hard fact.”

Another resident was more adamant. “There are no other options,” said Sandy Sklar, who has lived in the area for two years. “That place is bringing down our values. We don’t want those people here. Do you really care about those people, or about your property values? I know what I’d pick.”