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Eastwood Coalition - Whold Foods Design Team Meeting Report May
25th, 2004 The
Gershwin Hotel Guest:
Ira Dankberg representing Bond Development Design
Team Members Present: Nancy
Brown Ira
Dankberg was on hand to answer questions that the Eastwood Coalition’s
Design Team had on the Whole Foods project. Ira
told us that the Bond Group decided against their former architect.
There are two architects working on the plan now going in two
different directions with the design that the previous architect started.
Ira is interviewing them both.
After the Bond Group chooses one architect/design, we will get to
see that concept and then give input. Parking: There
will be two levels of parking but it is not clear whether there will be
160 or 210 spaces. Much of
this outcome will depend on the structural configuration, i.e. columns and
other support structures. There
may be a few more or less after the structural system is designed. Dave
mentioned that he went to the Glendale WF where they have 180 spaces.
But the employees are told to find parking in the neighborhood.
He doesn’t think that 210 spaces, with 20 – 25 spaces for
residents, adds up to enough parking yet he feels that three levels up
would be out of scale for the neighborhood.
Underground parking should be explored.
Many other nearby properties have underground parking and he wants
WFs and Bond to go back and get serious about the parking issue.
He adds that most of the employees at the nearby Ralphs drive to
work. Ira
says that WF expects 80 employees per shift and that he’s in
conversation with the Hollywood-adventist church for satellite parking for
the employees. They haven’t signed anything with the adventist church
yet. Fran
asked about the soils tests that seemed key to the decision against
underground parking. Ira says
that MacTech conducted the tests, but that it was the expense of the
excavation and shoring that would cause the project to not be feasible. Dave
is concerned about the future – will there be enough parking to meet the
needs of the neighborhood and the project in the future? Michelle
mentioned that there’s underground parking at the nearby Ralph's. Ira
says that this makes practical fiscal sense because of the higher income
stream that residential gives to the project, and there are apartments
built on top of the Ralph's. The
expense is also being shared by the other merchants in the complex: Ross',
Shoe Pavilion, Quizno's, etc. The
WF project doesn’t have this element.
Underground parking is common only with larger projects. KC
asked if WF would be taking any existing street parking spaces away?
He was concerned that it would be impossible for a tractor trailer
to back into the loading dock with cars parked on either side of the
street. Ira said that there
were no plans to take any of the parking spaces away on Garfield.
In fact, he said that we might be getting a couple of more parking
spaces there. Adam
asked with the permit process, is there a way to restrict the employees
from parking in the neighborhood? This
idea met with mixed reactions as permit parking is outside Ira’s scope
and is up to the neighborhood to pursue.
Dave suggested that now is the time to address this parking
situation so we don’t find ourselves forced to do permit parking as a
result of this project. Ira
reminded us that this project lies in a S.N.A.P. zone, which only allows 2
parking spaces pre thousand sq. ft. of retail space (maximum).
This means that WFs should only be awarded a total of 85 spaces for
this project. Therefore, Bond
will be asking the neighbors help in getting a variance to create MORE
parking and depart from this SNAP limitation. KC
asked if there were plans to restrict the parking only to those using the
Wf's? He mentioned that
residents and patrons to other places might get frustrated and park in the
lot. Ira said that there were
no plans yet to restrict the parking lot but they might look into putting
in a raising gate and having a ticket stub validate the parking. Ira
and the Bond Group met with reps from the DOT and CD 4 Planning Deputy,
Renee Weitzer regarding traffic counts, driveway access, and the
intersection of Hollywood and St. Andrews Place. The
current plan is to have the customer driveway on Hollywood Blvd. right
next to the driveway of the Downtowner.
The DOT says “No” to that plan.
Ira told them that the architects, Bond, and the neighbors want the
driveway on Hollywood Blvd. This
resulted in an impasse. Ira asked that our organization be available to
help persuade the council office that the driveway needs to be on
Hollywood Blvd. The group agreed to make a special effort to not only
invite the usual CD 4 guests to our meetings, but extend invitations to
Renee Weitzer. Ira asked that
we dialog with the council office on this particular issue. He also asked
the DOT for the crosswalk to be switched to the west side of St. Andrews.
The EC Design Group agreed with this change and will help remove the
impasse by working with CD 4. Loading
Protocol: The
dock is meant for smaller trucks and is ramped down to load and unload
into the back loading dock, however, larger trucks will back in. Dave
asked about the tractor trailers. Can they back in without blocking
traffic? What happens when you have two trucks delivering at the same
time? Dave is concerned about loading protocol. Ralphs shuts off the beeps
on their tractor trailer to not disturb the neighbors. Dave wants to have
a discussion with WF about this protocol because these issues can drive a
neighborhood insane. Brent
– is there a schedule for the vacating of properties and the demolition.
He asked because of the security – some cottages are boarded up.
Ira had to hire a security company and the the sheriff boarded up
the vacant cottage. They are applying now for the demolition. Ira
assured us that Bond has a vehicular patrol check out the property once
during the day and twice at night. They
get out of the car and check the cottage property and the parking lot. He
also assured us that they would be putting in temporary lighting while
there are still cottages. The demolition may happen mid June or July. Dan
questioned that the tractor trailors can back into the loading dock
without blocking traffic. The street (Garfield) is 42’ wide. The tractor trailers are 40’ long not counting the front
cab. This issue needs to be addressed by the bond company. An
added concern was expressed by KC. He
is hoping that the trucks will not go northbound on Garfield when they are
finished. This would add an
additional neighborhood burden to their existing problem; they have buses
using this street all day and evening as a turn around. Permits: First
Bond needs to get an architect back on board.
Their entitlement consultants are working on the traffic studies
and researching the SNAP ordinances in order to create the necessary
variance applications. They are having DOT discussions and preparing a
formal application to get the environmental review.
This is a complex process. Fran
requested the plan be shown to the neighborhood for input just prior to
the application for the environmental review. Her rationale is that,
during the process of the review, prior to the neighborhood being able to
give input, it [the review] is circulated to all the various city
departments including the council district. After each has signed off, it
is difficult to make changes. So we
need to see the DRAFT application prior to submitting it. KC
is also concerned that shoppers will drive down Garfield to go shopping,
adding still more stress to the neighbors, and wanted to know if anything
was being done to manage the impact of that increased traffic? Speed bumps won’t work because of the buses.
KC has asked the CRA to work on helping to solve the bus problem.
But, in the meantime we will have delivery trucks, garbage trucks,
buses, and hundreds of cars on Garfield.
Ira said that the DOT is studying 12 intersections surrounding the
project to help create mitigations, like turn signals, re-striping,
signage, etc. KC
asked about the number of hourly customers expected; surely it would be in
a business plan. Ira said
this is a question for Whole Foods and not Bond. Adam
Kear asked to see the EIR that was generated for the new WF's store in
Glendale. Adam will
check with the library for a copy of the Glendale EIR.
Dave mentioned that WF probably has a copy. Dave
is concerned about design – we can’t approve or buy into any part of
this until we see a new design. However,
the group did agree to work with CD 4 and Bond to remove the impasse
regarding the driveway and the St. Andrews intersection. Setback: Dave
asked about the setback. Ira
said that the city has a highway dedication line which is 7’ further
back than the chain link fence. They are going to put the patio seating
within this 7’. We
recommended they look at the Thai supermarket and others along Hollywood
Blvd. Their setbacks are more than 20’. Dave would like the 7’ to be given to the neighborhood and
all the patio space to go behind this. At
closer look at the plan, it was noted by all that the table/patio area is
much too narrow and too close to the sidewalk.
Fran asked that Ira work with the new architects to provide for a
larger setback. There
will be a planter at the ground level on Garfield with greenery. Also, the
highway dedication mandates cutting a 15 x 15 foot notch out of the
southeast corner and that’s where the entrance will be. Impact
on the apartment building on the north: Brent
asked what measures would be taken to block the view/sound for the
apartment building just north of the project: A
new row of trees and/or a greening wall will be created for screening
between the apartments on the north side and the loading dock. Noise: What
noise issues can we plan on? Ira says that the compressors will be on the
p-1 level in an enclosure so the exhaust will go straight up Vacant
lot on St. Andrews: Ira
says that WF and Bond has no control over the vacant lot on the south side
of Hollywood Blvd. Also,
Bond is not looking at the CRA’s RFP.
KC asked if WF was looking at any other location, (including the
RFP) and mentioned hearing that WF’s might be looking to move in the Los
Feliz area. Ira says that
there are no plans in that direction. Dave
asked about the wisdom of putting a suburban-sized supermarket in this
neighborhood. Ira says that
this area is zoned mixed use. Community
Relations: Ira
added that WF has a track record of assisting the community – they give
their employees an opportunity participate in making the neighborhood
better and offers them incentives to do that. The group asked to see the
community relations program even though it’s early. Dave
suggested that Bond and Whole Foods should consider helping this
neighborhood realize its dream of having a local park. Bond has so many
monetary resources that it would be easy for them to help us with this. We
will need to get playground equipment, demolish the concrete, plant trees,
provide appropriate lighting, etc. Glen
Dake (CD 13's Green Deputy) is doing some negotiations with the owner. But, the process would expedite if we had some help from
Bond. This is even more
important since the neighborhood will have to endure a tremendous burden
with the WF project for all time. Dave
added that he would like to have the ribbon cutting ceremony on the
neighborhood park at the same time that we are cutting the ribbon on the
new WF store. Trees: Hollywood
Blvd: What will happen with the ficus trees?
Ira says that they will probably have to be done away with. The
SNAP zone design ordinance allows for jacaranda or palm trees. Existing
palm trees: Ira is talking to an arborist about the palm trees.
Bond had stated at the last meeting that they would look into
transplanting those trees across the street in the green space.
Pastor Greg says that he is okay about planting them in his empty
tree-wells along Van Ness. Dave
says that some can and some can’t be transplanted. Our group had envisioned the larger ones across the street in
the park, however, the smaller ones can be planted at Greg’s church. The
big ones are special and should be planted in the park in their own
neighborhood. Ira
says that we need to look at timing – would the park be ready for the
trees at the time that we need to move them? Ira
said that we can expect some more answers about the project by our July
monthly meeting. Adjournment |
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