Los Angeles City Council Passes the Westwood Village Specific Plan Amendment Ordinance And “Red Tape” Cutting Ceremony

Los Angeles City Planning has approved to amend the Westwood Village Specific Plan. The amendments will support local businesses by simplifying regulations.

LOS ANGELES, CA, USA, October 11, 2022/EINPresswire.com/ -- After years and a lot of work, the Westwood Village¹ Specific Plan Amendment Ordinance was approved by the Los Angeles City Council on Friday, October 7, 2022. The passing of the Westwood Village Specific Plan² Amendment Ordinance will help support local businesses by:

• Eliminating outdated definitions and restrictive ratios, particularly for food use
• Returning parking requirements to General Zoning Code
• Eliminating parking requirements for business change of use in spaces up to 15,000 square feet
• Providing for administrative approval of signage under the specific plan regulations
• Reduces barriers to entry for new businesses

This Ordinance will help address the evolving retail landscape and changing consumer preferences by supporting a mix of uses that will aid in the reduction of commercial vacancies in Westwood³ Village.

"The Westwood Village Specific Plan amendments will help revitalize Westwood Village while addressing the chronic retail vacancy issue. I am committed to ensuring that the businesses in this community are given the opportunity to thrive, and barriers to entry are reduced for new businesses. These Specific Plan amendments will bring changes, big and small, to the project review and permitting process in Westwood. I want to thank the Westwood Village Improvement Association for their help in gathering community and business owner support for these changes and helping make informed recommendations to the ordinance that highlighted the key needs of the business community. I also want to thank City staff and all of the Westwood Design Review Board members for their hours of hard work and careful review over the years. I look forward to the next chapter for Westwood Village and the many possibilities for the future. " - Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz, Council District 5

We invite you to come to celebrate this monumental occasion with a “red tape” cutting ceremony along with LA City Councilmember Paul Koretz on Thursday, October 13 at 4:00 pm at 1031 Broxton Ave during the Westwood Village Farmers Market.

About the Westwood Village Specific Plan:

The Westwood Village Specific Plan was established in 1989 and is the guiding document for all urban planning and business development in the Village. The Specific Plan originally contained many outdated prohibitive definitions and restrictions that have resulted in an over 35% vacancy rate in Westwood Village. The Los Angeles Department of City Planning and the Westwood Village Improvement Association made recommendations to the City Planning Commission on an ordinance to amend the Westwood Village Specific Plan to help support local businesses.

About the Westwood Village Improvement Association:

The WVIA is a Non-Profit Business Improvement District (BID) Organization. Our mission is to make Westwood Village a clean, safe, and friendly place for the community through maintenance, security, and enlivening programs. For more information, visit www.thewestwoodvillage.com.

Megan Furey
Westwood Village Improvement Association
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¹ http://www.thewestwoodvillage.com
² https://planning.lacity.org/plans-policies/overlays/westwood-village
³ http://www.thewestwoodvillage.com