Is this the Hollywood of tomorrow?

Reminders: 

The City Planning Commission hearing on the Millennium project is on Thursday, March 28th (Time and location to be announced). Six groups have filed appeals to the decision of the Advisory Agency to approve the Vesting Tentative Tract Map and to the entire Environmental Impact Report (EIR). There was a legal deficiency in the decision because the map was based on the zoning change, variances and conditional uses, which Millennium is seeking. However, those changes have not yet been approved, so the decision is invalid.

Caltrans objects to the traffic study prepared by the Millennium: Caltrans is concerned that the project impacts may result in unsafe conditions due to additional traffic congestion, unsafe queuing, and difficult maneuvering. Caltrans is also concerned that the freeway ramps will back up, creating a potentially unsafe condition. Without the necessary traffic analysis, Caltrans cannot recognize this project as adequately identifying and mitigating the its impacts on the state highway facilities.   

The most nagging deficiency in the EIR is the absence of any specifics about the project. It's written to allow any combination of office, hotel and retail space. The City claimed that each possibility was reviewed with worst-case impacts considered. In fact, the phrase "worst-case" appears 35 times in the document. There is so much latitude in the EIR that it is impossible to know what the project will be!

Please get emails to James.K.Williams@lacity.org to support the appeals against the Millennium Project. Type this in your subject line: VTTM 71837-CN

The City recommended that any additional objections to the project be added to the appeals by tomorrow, Monday, March 18th, 10 days prior to the March 28th hearing. They will be included with the Planning Department staff recommendation package submitted to the Central Planning Commission. Please send the email TODAY!

Rally neighbors, friends, and family to come to the March 28th hearing. The Millennium administrative record will remain open until the City Council votes, so you can still submit comments, research information, etc. Send them to luciralia.ibarra@lacity.org. Use subject line: CPC-2008-3440-ZC-CUB-CU-ZV-HD.

Last Wednesday, the Hillside Federation voted unanimously to oppose the Millennium project following a presentation by the project promoters. Nobody was fooled by a slide show that featured almost exclusively artist drawings of promised open space while including almost no details about the buildings themselves.

Tom LaBonge has consistently said that he objects to the 55-story design. At the February hearing Tom LaBonge proposed a 22-story maximum. However, at the Community Leadership meeting this month, he proposed a 29-story maximum. He said that the lower number of stories was more difficult for him to negotiate with the rest of the City Council members. He heard from many at that meeting asking him to not retreat from the original number. Labonge said that we all have to state specifically what height is acceptable in our comments. So, be very specific about what heights are acceptable. In your comment (whether email or at the hearing) remind the Central Planning Commission that:

• The area was always 150 feet, to maintain the Historic Scale. (12-14 stories)
• Capitol Records Building is 12-14 stories.
• Hollywood Blvd. is historically designated for no higher than 150 feet.
• The W Hotel conformed to 150 feet to maintain the historic scale of the area. (This is probably one of the many reasons they spoke out against Millennium at the last hearing. They complied with the historic height and Millennium will OUT VIEW them at their non-conforming proposed heights.)
• The Blvd6200 project (across from Pantages) is also complying with the historic 150 foot scale (Garcetti wanted that much higher).

Only Millennium wants to exceed the historic scale of the area and even 22 or 29 stories do not comply with that historic 150-foot scale.

The Hollywood Heritage website has a great letter about their opposition to Millennium projects and why they oppose it: http://www.hollywoodheritage.com/preservation/preservation.html  

(Also, there's good information on their site about preservation and historic Hollywood issues.)

L.A. Conservancy also has part of their website dedicated to the Millennium projects. Look in "Preservation Advocate" section. Here's a link:  http://www.laconservancy.org/issues/issues_capitolrecords.php  

Their concern is about the buildings being so close to the historic Capitol Records building. Here's their letter to the Planning Dept: L.A. Conservancy Letter   

Spread the word that three neighborhood councils, out of four that voted, so far, and the Hillside Federation voted to oppose the Millennium project.

And don't forget to support the SaveHollywood.org's Hollywood Community Plan lawsuit. If won, the Millennium project will be history. The Millennium lawyer at the February hearing said that the legal challenges against the Hollywood Community Plan are holding some things up regarding their projects. At the Hillside Federation meeting, they said that if they don't get the 6:1 floor area ratio they are seeking then they would abandon the project. Send your check to: SaveHollywood.org, P.O. Box 3943, L.A., CA 90078!