Council reopens site-plan for 70-unit affordable project, orders improvements before occupancy

The Los Angeles City Council on a court-ordered rehearing affirmed the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee’s report on a contested site-plan review for a 70-unit affordable housing project and clarified the timing of required traffic improvements.

The hearing followed a stipulation and a writ of mandate issued by the court directing the council to set aside its July decision and rehear the matter; the writ addressed procedural defects and did not resolve the merits of the project. Attorney Arthur K. Snyder, representing the developer, described the project history: the property had been proposed at a higher density (162 units) but was reduced to 70 units after neighborhood rezonings and planning approvals. Snyder said planning staff and the Planning Commission had found the project met site‑plan standards and that the remaining dispute centered on timing of traffic improvements.

Neighbors, traffic engineers and retired city officials emphasized safety at the…