Billboard Development Deal Could Taint Council's Approval of Centrum Sunset Project

When residents had attended two Planning Commission meetings in July and August to speak in a majority against this 52,000-square-foot project, there was something odd about the last meeting.

While many of the residents could not figure out why the commission did not make any real final decision to approve or vote against this project, several things happened after the August meeting that shed new light on an old problem.

Since there is now a development deal attached to the Centrum Sunset project, giving fees from the billboards revenue on the proposed project to the city, it leaves a very slippery slope for City Council.

How will the five council members be able to vote clearly and cleanly on this project if a majority vote approves this project that now gives fees to our city? How can residents and local businesses compete with this kind of proposed development incentive?

The answer is we can’t. Residents and local business owners do not have the huge billboard revenue fees to kick back to the city. And we don’t have campaign checks to write to the city council members either.

So what now? Next Monday, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m., when the council has to deliberate on this Centrum Sunset project, what if any of the other issues like: the massive 52,000-square-foot footprint of this project that overpowers an already gridlocked intersection, the jeopardizing further of emergency vehicle access, the over 1,200 new vehicles added to Sunset, the over 550 u-turns added to Sunset, the not sufficient parking spaces, the idiotic plan to have any entrance or exit or Horn Avenue, and the electronic LED lighted billboards that will cause urban blight and distract drivers, will really weigh in the council members' minds that night?

The City Council meeting will take place at the West Hollywood Auditorium at 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard.