Politics & Government

ERNC Opposes Developer's Requested Variances in Mt. Royal Project

The development would be on a 1.59-acre hilltop area that is connected to the rest of the community by a narrow road and serves as a wildlife corridor for animals.

The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council voted at its Oct. 1 meeting to send a letter to the city's Planning Department officially opposing the variances that were requested by a developer for properties at 5370 and 5382 Mt. Royal Drive. 

The devlopment in question—which would build eight homes in a gated community on the hillside property—has received significant crititcism from residents in the neighborhood and the greater Eagle Rock community. A big reason for the opposition is because the development would require several zoning adjustments and several variances, including that of the city’s hillside ordinance. 

In a phone interview with Patch, ERNC Vice President David Greene pointed out that the letter does not oppose the development itself, but specifically the variances that the developer requested. Here is a link to the ERNC's copy of the developer's application

"The neighborhood council can't do anything as far as the development is concerned, whether it's aesthetics or anything else, because we only deal with what is on paper, which is the variances that are requested," Greene said. 

The proposed development has already been discussed at two previous Land Use Committee meetings, and Studio City-based developer Stan Fargeon appeared at both the meetings to give a presentation. Fargeon also spoke at the Oct. 1 meeting. 

Eagle Rock Patch covered a meeting in May where dozens of residents filed into the Eagle Rock City Hall to voice their opposition to the project, many upset about the disruption to wildlife the project could cause. The development would be on a 1.59-acre hilltop area that is connected to the rest of the community by a narrow road and serves as a wildlife corridor for animals. 

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The ERNC has also received petitions against the project, and Greene said all the feedback the council has received about the project, other than the developer himself, has been negative. 

"There was 100 percent, in terms of input we got at meetings and written—this is all the letter, frankly—was 100 percent opposed. Opposed to the development itself and opposed to the variances," Greene said.

Find out what's happening in Eagle Rockwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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