City Council Gives Green Light to Walgreens

The Walgreens project got the green light Monday night as the City Council denied an appeal of the controversial project.

In January, the on the southwest corner of Santa Monica Boulevard at Crescent Heights Boulevard.

The project includes 13,276 square feet of retail space for a Walgreens drug store and another 2,138 square feet for other retail stores on street level, plus 20 residential apartments on two levels above.

Neighbors living nearby appealed the project saying it would severely impact the residential areas. They argued that the massing of the project was on Havenhurst Avenue end of the block (closest to the residential areas) rather than spread across the entire project.

They also objected to the diesel-fueled trucks that will use the narrow (30 feet wide) Havenhurst Avenue for deliveries. 

The hearing took up almost two-and-a-half hours of an extra-long (six-and-a-half hour) Council meeting. Thirty-seven people spoke during public comment, the commenters fairly evenly divided for and against the project.

Council Comments

The Council said the project was not perfect, but was a vast improvement over the original big-box project first proposed in 2006. Councilmembers noted the willingness of the developer to work with residents to create a more manageable project.

Councilmember John Duran said that something needed to happen on the block because the Crescent Square strip mall currently on the site was an eye sore. Mayor Jeff Prang agreed, noting that the strip mall would never be approved today.

Mayor Pro Tem Abbe Land acknowledged the project would impact the residents but said it did meet the city’s goals for Santa Monica Boulevard. Councilmember John Heilman expressed hope that the developer would find restaurants and coffeeshops as tenants to help “activate” the street life.

Sky Park

The project also includes a “Sky Park” area above the retail space on the Crescent Heights end of the building which will be used for receptions, parties and events. The developer proposed keeping the Sky Park closed to the general public, that its use be at the discretion of the tenants.

The Council was unhappy with that idea saying there should be more flexibility for public use.

“This can’t be a one-percent park,” said Councilmember John D’Amico. “Residents will wonder why they can’t have access to the park.”

Duran concurred saying if a park was going to be part of the project, it should be open to the public.

Diesel Trucks

The Council did share the residents concerns about diesel exhaust spewing into the air and placed a stipulation that no diesel-fueled trucks could be used for deliveries.

However, the Council was not overly concerned with those delivery trucks using Havenhurst to access the alley for deliveries. Prang noted that Walgreens would only get deliveries twice a week and that residents living in other areas always figure out ways to deal with delivery trucks.

In the end the Council voted 4-1 to deny the appeal and approve the project. D’Amico cast the dissenting vote, saying it would have too much impact of the neighborhood.

Afterward, Rod Wingfield, one of the residents who filed the appeal, said he was disappointed by the decision.

“It’s disappointing that a lot of the people who showed up tonight, walked out of here feeling like their voices weren’t heard,” said Wingfield who lives directly behind the project.

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