LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) the largest global AIDS organization and a key supporter of the recent ballot measure in the City of Los Angeles that sought to rein in ‘mega’ development projects throughout the City of Los Angeles, has reached a settlement agreement in a lawsuit with Sunset Studios (Sunset Studios Holdings, LLC) regarding the studio’s proposed development plans for a parcel at 5901 Sunset Boulevard (corner of Bronson Ave.) in Hollywood, blocks from several AHF facilities, including its world headquarters.
Through the settlement (signed by all parties and executed on June 22, 2017), Sunset Studios has agreed to significantly reduce the density and the height of its current planned building—by 28 feet in height (one less floor of office space and one less floor of parking)—scaling back the proposed project from nine levels of office space, one level of retail and seven levels of parking to eight levels of office space, one of retail and six levels of parking, which is now also to be enclosed. Additionally, the retail space on the ground level cannot be used to house a grocery store, as was initially planned by the developer.
“This is yet another welcome legal victory for AHF,” said Michael Weinstein, AIDS Healthcare Foundation President. “We first filed suit to halt or scale back one more supersized development in the City of Los Angeles. We are largely pleased with the concessions and compromises that this scaled back design represents. We thank Sunset Studios for working together toward an alternative design that we believe is in the best interest of both the community surrounding 5901 Sunset as well as the city at large.”
Should Sunset Studios not proceed with building the scaled back project settled upon in the agreement for any reason, the settlement agreement stipulates that any alternative project it may propose or build on the parcel using the entitlements and Environmental Impact Report at issue in AHF’s lawsuit, “… shall not exceed the Smaller Project’s height or floor area ratio requirements …” as stipulated in the settlement agreement.
As a result of AHF’s litigation and negotiation in the case (Case Number #BS165748 which was first filed in Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles), the 5901 Sunset project has been modified as follows:
- The floor to area ratio has been reduced to 3.99:1.
- The total square footage of the project has been reduced to 268,850 square feet.
- A floor of office space is removed so the project now has 8 stories of office space.
- The height of the project has been reduced by 28 feet to 206 feet.
- The above ground parking has been reduced to four levels.
- The above ground parking is fully enclosed so that it will not appear different from the office levels of the building.
- The above ground parking will be mechanically ventilated so that vehicle noise is reduced and emissions from the parking cars will not be directed over the residents to the north.
- The height of the parking levels closest to the neighboring residents is reduced from nearly 50 feet to 36.5 feet, and there is a 14-foot set back above the 36.5 foot height for the remaining two above ground parking levels.
- The delivery driveway has been relocated from an external driveway to be fully internal to the building.
- The area that was to be used as a delivery driveway has been designated as a passive-use area, and there will be no curb cut to permit vehicular access to this area.
- The truck loading area has been relocated to be 106.5 feet from the property line.
- The retail square footage has been reduced to 14,000 square feet.
- The grocery store use has been eliminated, which eliminates the need for large semi-trucks for deliveries to the site.
“Unlike some of the other projects AHF has litigated and advocated against, this project is for office space, rather than luxury housing that likely would displace people,” added Liza Brereton, Counsel for AHF.
AHF, a founding member of the Coalition to Preserve L.A., has its global headquarters on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood in the Sunset Media Tower at Sunset and Argyle. In addition, AHF has an Out of the Closet thrift store and free HIV testing center as well as an AHF Pharmacy located at 6210 Sunset Boulevard (across from the Palladium).
About AIDS Healthcare Foundation
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 768,000 individuals in 39 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare.
