Council OKs Orlando Avenue Condo Conversion

West Hollywood City Council gave the go ahead Monday night for an apartment complex on Orlando Avenue to switch to condominiums.

In 2007, the city approved an application to build a three-story, four-unit apartment complex on the northeast corner of Orlando and Rosewood avenues. That building is partially built, but the property owner now wants permission to sell the units as condos.

In February, , disturbed that the owner stated he’d intended to go to condo all along. The approval process for apartment buildings is different and easier than it is for condominiums, thus the owner took the easier route.

The Commission found a loophole in the zoning ordinances to justify the denial. In 2007, the property was zoned for three stories, but since the adoption of the city’s new General Plan, the lot is now only zoned for two stories. The Commission rejected it saying the project’s construction permits for a three-story building would not be good on a lot zoned for two stories.

The City Council thought poorly of the Planning Commission’s loophole.

State law prevents the city from compelling anyone to be in the rental business, thus the Council had no choice but to approve the request to subdivide the lot for sale as condominiums.

Mayor Pro Tem Abbe Land pointed out that the city would not be loosing affordable units by this condo conversion. These are new units which would not be subject to rent control ordinances even if they were to remain apartments, Land said.  

The council approved the request 4-0. Councilmember John Duran was not present at the meeting as he is participating in the AIDS LifeCycle bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

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