Dear Editor,
The recent purchase of the Fox Hills Plaza property by HSH Management has many of us living in Fox Hills quite concerned for its future and ours because their proposed preliminary review (PPR) submitted to the city contains 775 housing units. Yes, you read that right, 775 housing units according to Michael Allen, Culver City’s Contract Planning Manager of the Culver City Planning Division. (Please see www.fhnacc.org/plaza for further description of the project.) It is a “comprehensive plan” which basically amounts to a zone change request. Presently it is zoned for Commercial Regional Retail.
When HSH Management first described the project, the Fox Hills Neighborhood Association board clearly advised them of the new apartment complexes in the Howard Hughes area (920 units) and the size of the residential area of Fox Hills (approximately 2600 units in over 25 complexes). Currently Culver City has the requirement of 50 units/acre for mixed-use, 2 parking spaces for 1-2 bedroom units and 1 guest space for every 4 units. The developers are asking for 60% more units than Culver City requirement and make a fraction of the parking that is needed.
Our neighborhood is the densest for housing in all of Culver City, which is why the idea of building yet more housing in Fox Hills is incongruous. Over the past several years the issues of lack of parking and increased traffic congestion have been ongoing problems that the FHNA has addressed with the Traffic Engineer resulting in creative ways to increase the parking availability, still leaving the area in great need of additional parking spaces. Fox Hills is currently surrounded on all sides by gridlock traffic at rush hour by Centinela, Slauson and Sepulveda. Traffic has been increasing due to developments in the Silicon Beach area and two huge developments in the aforementioned Howard Hughes area. It is obvious that adding 775 housing units will only add to the current parking and traffic problems. The need for housing that the city wants to fulfill should not be on the backs of Fox Hills that already has its more than fair share of housing. The Culver City General Plan will take a few years to develop and in the meantime, Fox Hills should not be targeted as an area to take up the slack until the plan is completed.
There are many great uses that have been suggested by our community for the Fox Hills Plaza. Hopefully we can work with the people from HSH to create a forward looking project that will benefit our community now and in the future. Our community deserves a City Council that acts as a strong advocate and supports developments address and promote the quality of life for the residents of Fox Hills.
Yes, change is a-coming and we want to be a part of it and not a victim of it!
The first community meeting about this project is being held on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH FROM 6:30 TO 8:30PM at the FOUR POINTS SHERATON HOTEL AT 5990 GREEN VALLEY CIRCLE (ADJACENT TO MARSHALL’S). HSH Management will be presenting the project and listen to feedback from the community. Please visit the Fox Hills Neighborhood Association website at www.fhnacc.org and join our email list at [email protected] for updates. If you cannot attend the meeting, please forward your comments pertaining to this project and we will read them at the meeting.
Judi Sherman
President, Fox Hills Neighborhood Association
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