Split Council Rejects Housing Proposal

The Westlake Village City Council denied a request that would have allowed a developer to build more than twice the number of homes authorized under the Westlake North Specific Plan.

The developer had requested a rezoning and permission to build 437 homes and 664,000 square feet of commercial and office space. In return, the city would get an 11-acre shared school and park.

On Wednesday night, the council voted 3 to 2 to deny the developer’s request.

The council members, much like their constituents, were divided in their opinions of the project. Some said the promise of a park and school were too good to refuse; others said the city needed to develop a stronger commercial base on the land.

Councilman Doug Yarrow, who supported the developer’s request, said the school and the park would benefit the community. “We have to decide whether we’re going to grasp the golden ring of the park and schools, and a better life,” he said prior to the vote.

But Mayor James Emmons, who was opposed to the revised plan, argued that the area in question had been designated in the city’s Master Plan for low-income housing and a strong commercial base.

“I’m siding with history, with all of the people, all of the developers who worked on the [Master Plan] for this property,” Emmons said.

In a written statement, representatives of Richland-Westlake Ltd., the owner of the property, said they plan to go forward with a development plan based on the current zoning restrictions. The developer already has the authority to build 179 homes with a four-acre park and 1.4 million square feet of commercial buildings on the site north of the Ventura Freeway.