The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved plans for the Academy Museum project on Wednesday despite a challenge from a neighborhood activist organization.
The spherical theatre will be a main attraction at the museum. (photo courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
Fix the City group lost another round against the $300-million project when city council voted 13-0 after the Los Angeles Planning, Land Use and Management [PLUM] committee denied Fix the City vice president James O’Sullivan’s appeal on Tuesday.
It wasn’t a battle the conservation group was expecting to win, but it doesn’t mean the war is over.
“I’m done talking about it,” O’Sullivan said. “I’ve had it. I’m in war mode.”
The PLUM commission held a public hearing Tuesday at city hall to consider O’Sullivan’s appeal for the Academy Museum project at Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue. The committee also considered the environmental impact report, mitigation monitoring program, and an ordinance relative to a zone change, and sign district for the museum. The project will rehabilitate the former May Company building at the site.
The total floor area for the $300 million project will be approximately 208,000 square feet. The project proposes signage and code-required parking.
O’Sullivan filed an appeal on June 8 citing concerns about a lack of analysis and discussion of the project’s effect on traffic and parking in the Miracle Mile.
After hearing from the project developers, O’Sullivan and Councilman Tom LaBonge, 4th District, among others, committee chairman Councilman Jose Huizar recommended that city council deny the appeal. The other two members of the PLUM committee were absent.
“I was very confused because there wasn’t a quorum there,” O’Sullivan said citing problems his group has with the sign district, parking availability and neighborhood intrusion. “Fix the City will file a lawsuit if they do not come up with a way to address the community concerns.”
O’Sullivan said when the developers say they have enough parking, they aren’t taking neighboring daytime businesses into consideration.
“The added parking lots that they keep telling us is all smoke and mirrors,” O’Sullivan said.
The council sustained the planning commission’s May 14 recommendation to proceed with the project, to approve a zone change and a signage district, approve a master conditional use permit and allow on-site sales and consumption of alcohol.
Construction could begin this summer.
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