Century City : Fox Wins Condo Ruling

A Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against the City of Los Angeles by three Westside homeowner groups, who were seeking to block Fox Studios’ right to build luxury condominiums on its Century City property if its studio expansion plans go awry.

The homeowner groups contended that Fox’s right to build more than 2,000 condominiums had expired and that the city’s decision to automatically grant the studio an extension was illegal under state law.

But Superior Court Judge Robert H. O’Brien disagreed. Spokeswomen for the groups--Cheviot Hills Homeowners Assn., California Country Club Homes Assn. and Friends of Westwood--said they will appeal.

“This lawsuit is more than just a land-use issue,” said Friends of Westwood President Laura Lake. “It is about a politically bankrupt city that shuts out communities, makes up its rules as it goes and defies state law.”

Fox is protecting its condominium development rights in case its 771,000-square-foot studio expansion plan is thwarted by the city, which is about to release an environmental impact report on the project.

Fox Vice President David Handelman has for two years warned that the studio will pull up stakes and move if it can’t expand on its 53-acre Century City lot.

He said this week that the homeowners’ second unsuccessful lawsuit detracts attention from the real issue--”the economic importance of Fox Studio to the Westside.”