Panel Delays OK of Project

Faced with opposition from City Councilman Jack Weiss and homeowner groups Thursday, the Los Angeles Planning Commission delayed approving a $100-million complex of apartments and shops in Westwood Village to give critics a chance to work out a compromise with developer Alan Casden.

With opponents saying that the Palazzo Westwood project would be too big for the village and that a planned street closing would make traffic worse, some commissioners sounded doubtful that the two sides could agree.

If no compromise is reached, it appeared a majority of the commissioners would lean toward approving the project, which would include 350 luxury apartments and 115,000 square feet of shops in a pair of five-story buildings at the southwest corner of Weyburn and Tiverton avenues.

“I was struck by an area that is dying,” said Commissioner David Burg of a visit to the village. “My concern is: If this project doesn’t happen, how long will it be before another project comes along?”

However, Weiss, who represents the area, is in a position to have the City Council overturn commission approval of exceptions to the Westwood Village Specific Plan, which would allow 236 apartments without city action.

“In my view the plan put before you is not appropriate to be approved,” he said. “The height and density are inconsistent with the village nature of Westwood.”

The hearing took place just months after the indictment of one Casden executive and 13 of the developer’s subcontractors on charges of making illegal campaign contributions to city candidates.

In addition, Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley has said that Casden himself is a target in the continuing investigation.

Critics voiced concern that Planning Commissioner Ernesto Cardenas is the brother of Councilman Tony Cardenas, who received political contributions from six of the indicted Casden subcontractors for his 2002 election campaign.

Opponents of the project, including Laura Lake of Save Westwood Village, also noted that Casden Properties had contributed $100,000 to Mayor James K. Hahn’s anti-secession campaign in 2002.

Thursday’s hearing became heated when some of the 40 opponents present brought up the criminal inquiry into Casden subcontractors and media reports that members of other city commissions might have raised campaign contributions from city contractors.

“Mr. Casden has been a very generous donor to the mayor,” said Tom Patterson, one area resident. “Please use your conscience, rather than directions from the mayor, when you make this decision.”

The commissioners denied that the mayor or his aides had lobbied the panel on the project.

Homeowner activist Laura Burns followed up by asking the commissioners to disclose whether Hahn had asked any of them to raise funds for him or whether they had raised donations from Casden.

Commissioners said they had not been asked by the mayor to raise money or tapped Casden for contributions.

In interviews later, Commission President Joseph Klein and Commissioner Bradley Mindlin said they had raised funds for Hahn, but only on their own initiative.