ERNC Considers Opposing Mt. Royal Development in Face of 'Universally Negative' Input

The Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council voted on officially opposing a proposed development on Mt. Royal Drive at its meeting on Sept. 3, but the measure did not pass, and the council agreed to revisit the topic at its October meeting.

The council considered sending a letter to the L.A. City Planning Department officially opposing the planned development at 5370 and 5382 Mt. Royal, but the fact that the developer himself had not been made aware of the vote seemed to give some council members pause, and the measure was voted down by a vote of four to six, with two abstentions. 

“The fact that he didn’t know this was occurring today is a problem for me,” said Land Use Co-Chair Oren Bitan.

Council Treasurer Ashley Atkinson said she had meant to send an email to the developer about the vote but had forgot.

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.

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. Karen Shanbron, a resident who lives near the proposed development, also spoke to the council at the Sept. 3 meeting in opposition of the development.

The council has also received petitions against the project, and ERNC Vice President David Greene went so far as to say that “there has been no one except the developer himself” who has spoken in favor of the project.

The development in question would be a gated community of eight homes. A big reason for the opposition is that it would require several zoning adjustments and several variances, including that of the city’s hillside ordinance.

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, Patch previously reported.

Greene said he was disappointed that the developer did not come back with any changes to his plan after the negative input that was received at the first Land Use Committee meeting.

“We have heard from the developer twice at Land Use meetings, with him coming to make presentations, and there has been a lot of public attendance and public input at those meetings,” Greene said. “It is safe to say the input has been universally negative and organized and specific. The second time the developer came back he did not change his plans based on the first meeting.”

The next meeting of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council is scheduled for Oct. 1.