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Council approves Manchester Square property acquisitions for airport mitigation, asks for open‑space zoning review
Summary
The council approved batch purchases tied to LAX mitigation and urged a follow‑up zoning/plan study to designate Manchester Square open space or parkland. Residents who supported the voluntary acquisition program urged the council to proceed so homeowners already in escrow would not be stranded.
The Los Angeles City Council on March 28 approved a motion advancing voluntary property acquisitions in Manchester Square associated with Los Angeles World Airports' (LAWA) mitigation and soundproofing program. The item generated opposing views in the meeting: some residents and community groups urged the council to proceed with acquisitions now to allow property owners in escrow to complete sales and avoid leaving a partly demolished neighborhood; others worried that land purchases and concurrent zoning changes could accelerate airport expansion and asked the council to initiate an open‑space designation for the area.
Speakers from Manchester Square described homes already purchased and partially demolished by LAWA and warned that halting acquisitions would leave remaining property owners unable to sell at fair market prices. David Brown and other residents said the voluntary program resulted from the soundproofing/mitigation process and that LAWA already owned about half the single‑family homes in the neighborhood. Brown asked the council to "continue the acquisition program now because people lives and livelihoods are at stake." Several residents said removing the remaining houses without a settled plan would invite blight and crime.
Opponents, including community groups concerned about airport expansion, worried that rezoning the parcels from residential to public facilities could make future conversion to airport or cargo uses easier. They urged the council instead to initiate a zone change to OS (open space/parkland) so that acquired properties would become a buffer and not part of future airport development.
Councilwoman Mysikowski moved approval of the item and also sought action to initiate a plan amendment and zone change to open space; she noted the airport had already committed properties to the program and that hundreds of homeowners had advanced acquisition applications. The council recorded 10 ayes on the motion and approved the item forthwith. Members said they would move separately and quickly to start the process of considering open‑space designation so that acquisitions would not be used for airport expansion.
Why it matters: Manchester Square sits adjacent to LAX noise contours and is part of the airport's mitigation conversation. Residents and homeowners argued that the voluntary acquisitions are compensation for airport impacts tied to previous expansions and that stopping the program midstream would harm homeowners in escrow. Opponents warned that rezoning could remove future land‑use protections unless the council moved proactively to designate the land open space.
Implementation notes: Council instructed staff to proceed with the acquisition batches as approved and to initiate a plan and zone review for open‑space designation (OS) to be considered at a subsequent meeting, with a follow‑up public process.
