Vote Postponed on Parking Deck for Iranian American Jewish Federation Temple

After a nearly three-hour public hearing Monday night on a proposed parking deck beside the Iranian American Jewish Federation (IAJF) temple, the West Hollywood City Council delayed its final vote on the deck plan, citing problems with its design.

The parking deck, planned for the northwest corner of Crescent Heights and Fountain Avenue, would accommodate the people who attend events held at the IAJF’s banquet hall, which is used for religious celebrations including weddings, bar mitzvahs and high holidays.

Residents living nearby have long complained of noise resulting from people leaving the banquet hall late at night. They say the hall is a commercial facility that operates with nightclub hours, often staying open until after midnight on weeknights, even later on weekends.

The city has long tried to find a way to control the noise problem. The IAJF has frequently cited the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), which gives religious institutions the ability to avoid zoning restrictions on their property.

At one point, the city was to operate their banquet facilities. Other churches and synagogues in the city cried foul, saying that would punish them when the ordinance was aimed solely at the IAJF.

The IAJF indicated it was willing to accept certain restrictions on the banquet hall if the city approved the parking deck. However, neighbors living beside the deck came out in force to speak against it on Monday night.

Among their complaints, residents said the deck would be a mere five feet away from their apartments and flood lights on the deck would come into apartments late into the night.

The council members shared residents' concerns about the shallow five-foot setback and the lighting, and suggested deeper setbacks and some type of covering on the roof of the deck.

The council voted unanimously to postpone its final vote on the parking deck until its Dec. 5 meeting. They instructed IAJF officials to submit a new plan for the parking deck within two weeks so city staff can have sufficient time to send out notices to the neighbors.

During their discussions, each council member was required to disclose any contacts they have had with the IAJF regarding the parking deck. Most had met with IAJF officials, some even touring the site. However, John Heilman, Abbe Land and John D’Amico all neglected to mention that they each  

That financial disclosure was apparently not required by law, but several people during public comment made reference to those donations. That prompted Heilman to say that while the IAJF did donate $500 to his campaign (the maximum allowed), IAJF members also contributed heavily to a third-party, independent campaign against him. Neither Land nor D’Amico mentioned the IAJF campaign donations during their comments.

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