Council and CRA continue Westlake Recovery Redevelopment Plan hearing after extensive testimony
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Summary
The City Council and Community Redevelopment Agency held a joint public hearing on a proposed 633-acre Westlake Recovery Redevelopment Plan. Agency staff outlined area conditions and tools, including potential eminent domain in limited cases; public comment both opposed and supported the plan. The joint hearing was continued one week so staff can provide written responses to objections.
City and CRA staff presented the proposed Westlake Recovery Redevelopment Plan and a written report and environmental documents to the joint public hearing. John Malloy, the agencys administrator, summarized findings from the plan and supporting studies: the project area covers about 633 acres, staff reported that roughly 73% of office and commercial buildings and 80% of residential buildings in the area require repair, the plan identifies 17.55 acres of vacant land and notes 80 potentially contaminated sites according to toxic databases.
The plan proposes a package of implementation tools: commercial rehabilitation programs, a housing program to rehabilitate existing housing and create affordable units, strategies to address contamination, and use of tax-increment financing. Malloy told the council the plan also allows eminent domain in specific, limited cases but that any use of eminent domain would require separate council approval. "The ordinance that accompanies the plan specifies that the city council must approve that use of eminent domain," Malloy said.
Public testimony included property owners seeking exclusion of their parcels from the project area, trustees and pastors from Hollywood United Methodist Church (on another agenda item earlier) and Westlake residents and property owners who either supported redevelopment and remediation or warned against forced takings and possible displacement. Council members pressed staff on displacement safeguards; one councilmember emphasized that if displacement were to occur, the council must be assured of permanent housing availability within three years or adequate temporary housing at rents comparable to the community.
After extended testimony and two written objections that required formal written responses, CRA staff advised the council to continue formal action until the next week to allow staff to respond to objections and then proceed with action on resolutions and an ordinance. The council continued the joint public hearing for one week and stated there would be no further testimony at the continued session other than the staff responses.
Next steps: Staff will prepare written responses to the objections and return to the joint meeting next week to proceed with votes on the resolutions and the ordinance.
