Overflow Crowd Jams Hearing on Westlake Village Project

More than 200 people jammed a public hearing Wednesday before the Westlake Village City Council, which was considering a controversial residential and commercial project known as Westlake North.

The council had not made a decision by late Wednesday. Because of the large number of people wishing to speak, Mayor Franklin D. Pelletier said he expected to continue the hearing at 7 p.m. today at Westlake Village City Hall.

About 100 people filled the council chambers, forcing officials to seat 100 more in an adjacent community center where the proceedings were shown on cable television.

The proposal involves 129 acres north of the Ventura Freeway and east of Lindero Canyon Road.

Westlake Village Associates, a firm run by Daniel K. Ludwig, at first proposed 1.5 million square feet of commercial space and 400 condominiums. After several months of controversy over the project’s size, the residential portion of the project was reduced to 250 dwelling units, and this week Westlake Village Associates proposed to reduce the commercial area by 6%.

The reduction brought the commercial square footage into accord with the city’s general plan and prompted hope by council members that the developer would reduce his requested height limit of five stories. But under questioning by council members at Wednesday’s hearing, Westlake Village Associates representative Charles H. Fry said the firm would continue to ask for five stories. Fry noted that his company had originally sought six stories.