Panel Upholds Temple, School on Pierce Land Despite Outcry

Over the objections of homeowners, the Los Angeles City Board of Zoning Appeals on Tuesday upheld plans by a Woodland Hills-based Jewish congregation to build a temple and school on property leased from Pierce College.

The Los Angeles City Council, which has the final say, is expected to vote on the project in a few weeks.

The Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization and other residents had asked the board to overturn a ruling by a city zoning administrator in August allowing Temple Shir Chadash to build a 450-seat temple, a 750-seat social hall and a religious school for 300 children without preparing an environmental impact report.

The opponents said the development would increase traffic and take away much-needed open space in the area. They said the location in the 19900 block of Topham Street near Victory Boulevard should be made into a park instead.

Temple representatives argued that they had been unable to please the homeowners, despite making several changes in the project and agreeing to restrict the number of cars coming to the site through the use of car-pools.

“We have acted in good faith and delivered on every promise,” said Gary Riches, president of the temple’s development committee. After spending “$3 million on traffic studies and other studies,” he said, “we are not going to grow corn there.”

Board members told homeowners that an adequate traffic study had already been done on the project and that the impact on neighbors would be lessened by restrictions on operating hours, landscaping and traffic.

“Requiring an environmental impact report would not add anything to the information we already have regarding the impacts,” said Joseph D. Mandel, board vice chairman.

The temple leased 17 1/2 acres from the college three years ago and had initially proposed to build a two-story senior citizens home on the property. After opposition from nearby residents, they revised the project and agreed to build only a school and temple.

The temple kept 5 1/2 acres and subleased the majority of the property to a developer for a proposed 23-house development, which is under consideration by the Los Angeles Planning Commission.

The commission earlier this month delayed a decision on whether to approve a proposed zone change for the property, which is designated as open space, until the Los Angeles City Council voted on whether to allow the temple to move forward.