Playa Vista Plows Forward

An updated version of the EIR (Environmental Impact Report) for phase II of the Westside master-planned community Playa Vista was released last week, local newspaper the Argonaut reported. The report, which was rejected by a California appeals court in 2007 for not conforming to environmental investigation standards set forth by the CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act), will be circulated amongst local homeowners, environmental groups, and community organizations for discussion. The Westchester-Playa del Rey Neighborhood Council has already publicly expressed support for the project. Opponents of the plan cited methane gas and water shortages as issues that were poorly investigated in the original EIR, which they say, having been written in 2004, is no longer applicable.

Playa Vista is an enormously controversial master-planned community located on more than 1000 acres in the Ballona wetlands between the LMU campus and Marina del Rey. Despite having been designed with progressive intentions (bike paths, green space, housing-above-retail, walkability), much of the opposition to the development comes from the fact that it is built on some of the sole remaining natural wetlands in the city. The landscape is sensitive here, and is home to several native species of birds and shrubs. The already built portion of the development which sits between imposing natural bluffs and the wide drainage channel Ballona Creek, has led many to complain about increased traffic and the eyesore cookie-cutter architecture.

Phase II, dubbed 'the Village,' will host 150,000 sf of retail and 175,000 sf of office space, in addition to new housing. While this will most likely put more traffic on surrounding streets and threaten the local water supply, Playa Vista is a green-minded development that has so far complied with community demands, and its New Urbanist vision will not be complete without the grocery store, office space, and other added amenities. Those who have already moved into the community did so with the expectation that the plan would eventually be complete - and they are interested in walking to the grocery store and biking to the beach. In the face of a dreadful housing shortage citywide, the developers have complied with the low-income minimum, and are committed to spending $125 million in traffic mitigation. Additionally, they have set aside about 40% of the parkspace as "passive," meaning minimal intervention.

Whatever happens, the dust will start to settle in a few years and it won't look like such an awkward tract development plopped down in the middle of the city. Big-scale drop-ins are one of the only ways to get anything built in this town, wetlands or not. But with Caruso Affiliated as the retail designer/developer, let's just hope we don't get 'The Grove' transplanted on the Westside.