RAD reply: Developer revisits Bus Barn plans
VENICE BUS BARN — A private developer has agreed to change his plans to turn an under-used bus yard into a high-density condominium complex until more people support it.
Representatives with RAD Jefferson, LLC, informed community members last week they will re-visit a proposal to erect a 214-unit condominium complex and retail center at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s bus yard site, located at 100 E. Sunset Ave. By doing so, they hope the project they ultimately push for will have more community support, they said.
A public hearing with the Los Angeles Planning Commission, set to have taken place on Oct. 27, was put off at RAD’s request so the developer might begin to consider community concerns that have been raised over the project.
“We want to be a good neighbor and work with the community so there is more consensus,” said Melissa Sweeney, RAD spokeswoman.
Sweeney did not specify when RAD would be ready to move forward with the project, indicating more meetings with community groups would be likely.
In September, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board of directors approved an agreement with RAD Jefferson, LLC, on plans to exchange MTA’s 3.13-acre bus yard property located at Sunset Avenue and Main Street in Venice for construction of a new 4.66-acre transportation facility on Jefferson Boulevard in West Los Angeles.
The proposal called for constructing a 255,766-square-foot building at the Bus Barn site that would have been up to 56 feet tall, and include 214 condos and 20,000 square feet of commercial retail space.
However, members of a planning committee, part of the Grass Roots Venice Neighborhood Council (GRVNC), attended an Oct. 19 meeting in which they wrote 16 recommendations they wanted RAD to address before they’d sign off on the development. At the same time, Los Angeles 11th District Councilman Bill Rosendahl said he will not support the project, which is to be built within his jurisdiction, unless RAD receives a nod from the GRVNC, which hopes to become a revitalized community group during Rosendahl’s term.
“I sat down with RAD and encouraged them to withdraw their application and begin having serious and meaningful discussions with groups in the community,” Rosendahl said. “I also encouraged them to set aside a substantial amount of the site for affordable housing and (I) expressed concerns about traffic mitigation as well.
“We’ll see what happens.” The Venice property has been used by transit agencies for more than 100 years. However, it’s inefficient, costing $5 million a year in wasted drive time — the distance in miles a transit bus must travel before entering a revenue-generating area, according to MTA officials.
The Venice bus division accommodates 77 buses and can’t handle clean-air natural gas (CNG) fueling. Before the swap occurs, RAD Jefferson is to build MTA’s new facility, which will include CNG fueling, according to the agreement. The new West LA facility will handle 150 buses — all of which will operate on CNG — according to MTA officials.
The Venice Sunset property is valued at $12.9 million, and the agreement calls for MTA to kick in $8 million to make up the difference in the cost of the new transportation center.
In a letter sent to the Los Angeles city planning department, Rosendahl indicated he has heard an outcry from constituents who oppose the RAD development. In particular, he has issues with exemptions the developer seeks for height, density and design.
The GRVNC’s land use and planning committee voted (5-2) in favor of recommending 16 changes to RAD’s proposal.
Among the design changes, the committee requested the building’s maximum height be reduced from 56 to 35 feet. Commercial development would be broken up from one tenant occupying 20,000 square feet to 10 tenants occupying 2,000 square feet, committee members said.
In addition, the developer would be required to make several concessions for public benefit, including: An arts component added to the site; the expansion of sidewalks, bus, bike and other traffic mitigation measures; and the creation of a park area and community room.
Committee members said 20 percent of housing units should be designated for very low-income residents and 10 percent should be designated for moderate-income residents.
Calls to committee members were not returned.
Jody Litvak, regional community relations manager for the MTA, said the agreement with RAD would allow the transit agency to provide better service to users in which the buses would use cleaner gas.
Litvak said MTA has been working for 25 years to relinquish the Venice bus yard property.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 2, 2005. Read the original PDF.