Fairfax : Group Praises Market Plan

The Park Labrea Tenants Assn. hailed City Councilman John Ferraro’s proposal for a scaled-down Farmers Market development as striking “a remarkably reasonable balance” between the economic interests of the neighborhood and the property owner.

Association President David Hamlin, in a letter to the councilman, said Ferraro’s call for 700,000 square feet of new development instead of the 2 million square feet proposed by the A.F. Gilmore Co. goes “a long way toward controlling the impact of that project.”

Hamlin said the association’s board was also happy about Ferraro’s suggestion that 150 housing units for senior citizens be included.

“The threats of congestion, traffic and pollution presented by the huge proposal originally put forward by Farmers Market were dire, but when the community rose up to challenge those threats, Councilman Ferraro listened and heeded the message,” Hamlin said.

“He also listened to the voices, which want the market to remain viable as a treasured neighbor,” he said.

The Park Labrea complex, located just across 3rd Street from the Farmers Market, is made up of about 4,200 rental units.

Forest City Development, which operates the complex and owns a half-interest in it, hopes to build a large-scale office and residential expansion of its own on four nearby parcels of land.

Its proposal is being analyzed for an environmental impact report, after which a request for zoning changes will be considered by city officials. Although the projects are separate, Ferraro and other city officials have said they will take both into account in future planning decisions.