Larchmont : Zoning Change Proposed

Los Angeles City Councilman John Ferraro has proposed a zoning change that would allow antique stores and certain other businesses to operate on Larchmont Boulevard but would limit the number of financial institutions and restaurants.

The proposal, submitted to the City Council on Tuesday, came at the request of merchant groups and neighborhood associations that were concerned about losing small shops that cater to the nearby residential districts of Larchmont Village, Hancock Park and Windsor Square.

Ferraro said he wants to see to it that Larchmont “continues to function as a retail center that primarily serves the surrounding community and secondarily serves the broader regional and tourist market.”

Under the proposed changes, art galleries, bicycle shops, bird stores, second-hand bookshops, dry cleaners, music schools, sign painters, veterinary clinics and other service-oriented businesses would be allowed on Larchmont Boulevard.

Restaurants and take-out food establishments would be restricted to no more than one for every 175 feet of street-front area. Banks, real estate offices and brokerages would be limited to no more than one for every 275 feet of street-front area.

The proposed ordinance is expected to go to the city Planning Department for hearings before returning to the City Council for action next year, a Ferraro aide said.