The new owners of Television City held a public meeting the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 1, to discuss their $1.5 billion plans to redevelop their property. For those who are unaware, they plan to almost double the size with new high rises that will contain 15 additional soundstages, additional office space and 20,000 [square feet] of retail space which could include restaurants, markets and bars.

They are proposing 10 onsite alcohol permits as well as two offsite alcohol permits in an area that is already over-saturated with alcohol, especially from The Grove and Farmers Market, located next door. They are leaving open the option of increasing the development later on, by adding residential units.

Apparently, donating a few hundred thousand dollars to rebuild the burned down children’s playground next door at Pan Pacific Park is supposed to make up for the detrimental effect their massive development will have on our community. They are planning another two meetings with the public in the next few weeks. One is to discuss the impact their massive development will have on traffic in the community.

I urge all of you from the community to attend and express your dismay and also contact Councilmember Yaroslavsky and let her know that their Television City’s massive plan would be detrimental to our community.

Robert Cherno

Fairfax District