Municipal Facilities Committee approves leases, parking agreement and funding transfers; farmer’s market must meet zero-waste rule

The Los Angeles City Municipal Facilities Committee voted to approve a series of lease and funding actions that will keep transitional housing and city office space operating, continue repair work at the Lankershim Arts Center and renew a private parking-pass arrangement. Committee members also adopted an amendment requiring the city hall farmers market agreement to comply with the city’s zero-waste policies.

The measures moved through the committee with brief staff presentations and unanimous voice votes. Council member Padilla, Council member Lee and Council member Gerardo registered affirmative votes on the items as presented in the meeting record; where a member was recorded as saying “Aye” or “Yes,” the item was recorded as approved.

Renewal for Venice transitional housing lease

The committee approved a proposed nonprofit ground lease allowing Venice Community Housing Corporation to continue operating a transitional housing site at 650 Westminster Avenue in Venice (ZIP 90291). Amy Benson, Director of Real Estate for the Department of General Services (GSD), said the property has been used by Venice Community Housing Corporation (VCHC) since the early 1990s to provide temporary housing and supportive services. Benson said the site has historically housed up to eight families and offers case management, housing navigation, life skills and parenting support in partnership with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and Saint Joseph Center.

Committee members had no additional questions and approved the recommendation to renew the lease.

LA Housing Department office expansion at 1910 W. Sunset Boulevard

The committee approved a lease expansion for the Los Angeles Housing Department at 1910 West Sunset Boulevard. A department representative (identified in the meeting as Whaley) said the department will add roughly 9,000 square feet to its existing office footprint (the department already occupies about 10,000 square feet) to accommodate code, Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) and compliance staff; the expansion is expected to house approximately 66 employees from those units. The committee approved authorization of the lease under the presented economic terms, which include an annual increase provision and four months’ rent abatement while the landlord completes tenant improvements.

Parking-pass agreement for LADOT lot

The committee approved a proposed parking agreement renewing 57 parking passes for a private tenant at a Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) lot at 12225 Ventura Boulevard. Staff said the agreement covers 57 spaces at the DOT lot adjacent to a Bank of America building in Studio City, and will be backdated to an expiration date of Sept. 1, 2023, for a five-year term at revised parking rates approved by LADOT.

Transfers to continue Lankershim Arts Center repairs

The committee approved a report transferring $1,600,000 from the Municipal Barubick Corporation Los Angeles funds to Department of General Services budgetary accounts and $700,000 to a Bureau of Engineering project account for the Lankershim Arts Center project. Melinda Dyer, senior administrative analyst in the Office of the CAO’s municipal facilities group, said the center (in Council District 2) is in a multi-phase repair effort; unforeseen circumstances in phase 2 raised costs and prompted a revised scope. Dyer said the transfer will allow phase 2 work to continue; she also said the project currently faces a projected shortfall of $1,800,000 for phase 3 and that the shortfall was identified in the CTIEP portion of the FY 2025-26 budget request.

Records schedule, farmers market amendment and other procedural items

The committee approved a departmental records disposition schedule and a series of additional items on the agenda with brief motions or staff recommendations. For the city hall farmers market agreement, a councilmember moved to amend the item to require compliance with the city’s zero-waste policies; another councilmember seconded the amendment and the committee approved the item as amended.

Votes at a glance

- Item 1 — Venice Community Housing Corporation ground lease at 650 Westminster Ave.: Approved. Recorded voice votes: Padilla — Yes; Lee — Aye; Gerardo — Yes. Outcome: approved. - Item 2 — Lease expansion for Los Angeles Housing Department, 1910 W. Sunset Blvd.: Approved. Recorded voice votes: Padilla — Yes; Lee — Aye; Harano — Yes. Outcome: approved. - Item 3 — Parking agreement (57 passes) for LADOT lot at 12225 Ventura Blvd.: Approved. Recorded voice votes: Padilla — Yes; Lee — Aye; Gerardo — Yes. Outcome: approved. - Item 4 — Transfer of $1,600,000 to GSD and $700,000 to BOE for Lankershim Arts Center project: Approved. Recorded voice votes: Padilla — Yes; Lee — Aye; Gerardo — Yes. Outcome: approved. - Item 5 — Departmental records disposition schedule: Approved. Outcome: approved. - Item 6 — Farmers market agreement amended to require compliance with city zero-waste policies: Approved as amended. Recorded voice votes: Padilla — Yes; Lee — Aye; Harano — Yes. Outcome: approved as amended. - Item 7 — Motion to adopt (unspecified in record): Approved. Outcome: approved.

Public comment

The meeting opened with a public comment period that included multiple speakers. Several public comments recorded in the transcript were non-substantive or contained profanity; staff and committee members proceeded to agenda presentations after calling forward speakers on the sign-up list.

What happens next

Approved lease and contract actions proceed to implementation under the terms described in staff presentations, including tenant improvements and rent-abatement arrangements where noted. The Lankershim Arts Center will continue into phase 2 with the transferred funds; committee and city staff identified an outstanding phase-3 shortfall of $1.8 million that will need further budget consideration.