Atwater Village is great place to live. It is also a great place to work and do business. We have a robust and diverse business community that serves Atwater and neighboring communities. Hundreds of local businesses, both small and large, deliver a wide range of goods and services. These businesses provide real jobs for thousands of local residents and people from surrounding communities.
Our principal commercial corridors are Fletcher Drive, and Los Feliz and Glendale Boulevards. We also have a vibrant industrial and equine area in North Atwater and in South Atwater we have light manufacturing and creative workspaces on Casitas Ave.
Today, Atwater Village has less land for new businesses to open or existing businesses to expand then we have had in the past. Since 2006 we have lost, and continue to lose, commercial and manufacturing space to developers that manipulate and take advantage of the City’s Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance. These developers have converted many of these limited spaces into high-priced residential homes. This is especially true on Casitas Ave where million dollar, often vacant, homes have taken over space that once created jobs and income for Atwater Village.
Right now there is another effort by a land developer, Paul Pagnone of Piedmont Investment Company, to convert an industrial small lot on Casitas Avenue into high-priced 11 unit residential complex. The small lot (3450-60 Glendale Blvd) is currently zoned MR1-1 “Restricted Industrial Zone”, a zoning with the specific purpose to preserve commercial land for light industrial uses to ensure the City’s employment base.
The Atwater Village Chamber of Commerce (AVCC) finds the proposed residential development in direct violation of the current use and zoning for land site, or other light industrial properties along Casitas Ave. MR1-1 zoning is rare in Atwater Village and Council District 13. This type of zoning serves a real function in our community. It needs to be preserved so local businesses can thrive and provide livable-wage employment.
Presently there is a real demand for viable industrial land in Atwater Village. Currently there are no vacancies along the Casitas Ave and very few vacancies community wide. Many commercial property owners along Casitas Ave are investing in expanding and improving their MR1-1 properties for their intended use, accommodating ongoing demand and should not be denied their right under MR1-1 zoning.
Please lend your voice in support of preserving MR1-1 zoning that will help local businesses thrive and provide livable-wage employment in Atwater Village. Send an email to the City Planning Department and our Councilmember in support of this important issue.
Click here to send emails and sample text provided below OR cut-n-paste email addresses and sample text provided below (feel free to write your own letter):
EMAIL ADDRESSES
councilmember.ofarrell@lacity.org, mayor.garcetti@lacity.org, board@atwaterchamber.org
SAMPLE TEXT (FEEL FREE TO WRITE YOUR OWN LETTER)
RE: Case(s) # APCE-2015-3241-ZC-ZAA, VTT-73709, ENV-2015-3242-EAF, I support preserving MR1-1 zoning for 3450 Glendale Blvd
To whom it may concern,
As a stakeholder in Atwater Village I support in keeping the MR1-1 “Restricted Industrial Zone” at 3450-60 Glendale Blvd and deny the applicants request to change the property to residential use.
MR1-1 zoning is rare in Atwater Village and Council District 13. This type of zoning serves a real function in our community. It needs to be preserved so local businesses can thrive and provide livable-wage employment. In addition there is a real demand for viable industrial land in Atwater Village. Currently there are no vacancies along the Casitas Ave and very few vacancies community wide. Also, many commercial property owners along Casitas Ave are investing in expanding and improving their MR1-1 properties for their intended use, accommodating ongoing demand.