Whopping Westside Development Needs To Downsize To Get City Approval

Councilman Bill Rosendahl.

After Westside community members expressed concern about the proposed Bundy Village's 21,000-car-a-day impact on West L.A. traffic, Rosendahl changed his stance from green light to yellow, saying the 385-unit, 12-acre project would have to "cut back ... dramatically."

The city Planning Commission on Thursday put off a decision on approving the project for 30 days after Rosendahl's planning chief communicated his concerns.

Bundy Village is a massive development planned for West Olympic Boulevard and Bundy Drive. It would feature medical facilities, retail space and affordable housing, including units for the elderly. The project is being spun as a development for senior living, but only one in five housing units are dedicated to affordable and elderly housing.

"The retail has to shrink and the commercial aspect has to shrink," Rosendahl said. "We obviously want senior housing and medical facilities. But it's already a congested area. [The developer] is going to have to go back to the drawing board."

Rosendahl said he's convening an ad-hoc committee of concerned community members -- including project opponent Tom Donovan of the West Los Angeles Neighborhood Council -- to make suggestions about how the project can go forward. He said the developer would have to work out a downsized proposal with his office in order to maintain his support.

"If it doesn't pencil out for him [developer Michael Lombardi of Stonebridge Holdings] then they're going to have a hard time getting approved," Rosendahl said.

Earlier in the day Lombardi issued this statement:

"We remain confident that we can find common ground and ultimately receive project approval. When completed, Bundy Village will provide high-quality health care services for Westside senior citizens and create permanent jobs in the city of Los Angeles -- both of which are needed in the city of Los Angeles and on the Westside."