New Version of Lindbrook-Gayley Development Gets Council OK

The Westwood Neighborhood Council convened for its March meeting Wednesday night to discuss issues including land-use exemption requests for the Lindbrook-Gayley Project, public safety concerns about an increase in neighborhood crime, as well as two grant requests.

Both the land-use and grant requests were met with positive feedback and were overwhelmingly approved by the council.

Lindbrook-Gayley Project Requests Approved

A new version of the Lindbrook-Gayley project, which consists of the planned construction of a residential and commercial building on the corner of Lindbrook Drive and South Gayley Avenue in Westwood Village, was presented to the council by attorneys Benjamin Reznik and Sheri Bonstelle representing site owner and developer Ronald Simms, and architect Dale Yonkin, who designed the building with Nadel CEO Herbert Nadel.

“One of the big issues we confronted when the project first came up last year was design,” said Reznik. After receiving suggestions from council members, Reznik added that architects Yonkin and Nadel, “sat down and redesigned the whole project, based on historical aspects of the building, what belongs in the building and what really does work.”

After initially designing a larger, more modernist structure, Yonkin said the team is back to a smaller, more traditional project. The current design features three levels of apartment units over a 5,000 square foot retail level and amenities for housing, as well as two levels of subterranean parking.

The three exemption requests were for an increase from 20 to 34 residential units, a compliance permit, and additional approvals for building under the sidewalk, as well as a zoning adjustment.

The council members approved the requests with one abstention.

Public Safety Concerns

According to council member Michael Stajura, the city is experiencing a seven percent year-to-date increase in crime over last year due in part to prison realignment, which allows for the early release of nonviolent offenders from their sentences.

“(The crime rate) has been going down every year for six or so years, so at some point it’s going to plateau,” said Field Deputy Sarah Mallory, from Councilmember Paul Koretz’s office.

Nevertheless, Stajura said, he wanted to reiterate that most property crimes, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, are crimes of opportunity. That is, “things that are left out in the open or unlocked.”

Stajura is working with Westwood resident Paul Cerutti to firm up neighborhood watch organizations.

“Another crime that we’ve seen more frequently,” added Mallory, “are .

Neighborhood Grant Requests

Laurie McGahey, associate director of development at the requested and received from the council a $5,000 grant to help fund the Hammer’s Family Flicks film series, which offers free, family-friendly matinee screenings of new and classic films.

Amy Smith, a representative from Friends of the Westwood Library, initially requested a $2,500 grant for the Los Angeles Public Library’s Hot Off the Press program, which secures a larger number of new, best-selling books at participating branches. A motion was then presented and approved by the council to increase the request from $2,500 to $4,500, due to a healthy budget.

Lastly, council treasurer Brent Gaisford will be resigning his position at the end of the fiscal year, and the members of the council approved a motion to nominate and elect council member Mark Rogo, who was absent from Wednesday’s meeting, as next year’s treasurer pending his approval.