Solutions for Lot C





The voters’ rejection of Measure Z established four principles that should define future development for Lot C. Voters came together on the following concepts:

We do not want a megastore of any kind on Lot C.

We want to limit and control traffic on Lindero Canyon Road.

Residents of Westlake Village, especially those who live north of the 101, must be respected as to what goes on Lot C.

We want a quality project on Lot C, whatever it might be.

The attempt to characterize Z as a choice between a Lowe’s and “offices” was a false choice. The current zoning for Lot C allows for “office and accessory commercial uses, professional, medical and financial services, restaurants (excluding freestanding fast food establishments).” Within those parameters, the city could allow the development of a “town center” that features restaurants, shops and offices. Without any significant change in the zoning, Lot C could be developed as a “town center.”

As an example of the kind of project that could be accommodated within the current zoning, take a ride to the Santa Clarita Valley and visit the Valencia Town Center. It has a combination of office buildings, shops and restaurants. It has the excitement of the city, but maintains a small town ambience. It is the kind of project that could minimize traffic, but maximizes tax revenues for the city.

The reality is that offices are a minimal generator of traffic while big box stores generate high volumes of traffic. Restaurants are also high traffic generators. Any change in the zoning of Lot C must confront that traffic formula.

In planning for Lot C, Westlake Village needs to adopt a new approach to development if it expects a quality project on Lot C.

The rejection of Z presents a great opportunity for our community. We need to look at our planning process and consider how we can improve it. The question remains whether we will take off our blinders and undertake a more sophisticated approach to the development of Lot C.

Fundamentally, the poor quality of some of the building that now exist in Westlake North, the high volume of traffic on Lindero Canyon, and the current projects which exist without any synergy between them and which are unfriendly to pedestrian traffic are cause for us to look for a better approach.

It has been said that insanity involves repeating the
same flawed behavior and being surprised when it yields the same bad result. We
have repeated the same flawed approach to planning projects in Westlake North
for more than a decade. Isn’t it time we stopped repeating the same mistakes and
adopted a new approach?
Jonathan
Greenspan
Westlake Village




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