The Culver City Council adopted a resolution to move forward with the Fox Hills Specific Plan; what exactly does that mean?
The background: Fox Hills was largely developed in the 1970’s and includes suburban-style office park uses with surface parking, a large indoor shopping mall – Westfield Culver City- and multi-family apartments and condominiums, as well as a large park and a cemetery.
In the required Housing Element of the General Plan 2045, the commercial uses in this area are designated to include residential uses with a base density of 65 and 100 dwelling units per acre. The city’s need to meet the state’s mandated requirements for housing now have five major developments in the pipeline for Fox Hills, adding up to a total of 2,901 new units being added to the area.
Local residents have expressed that there are too many new units being permitted for the small area, and are advocating that the city re-think how Fox Hills moves forward. The plan will set land use and development standards for private property, development standards for streets and public right of way, and improvements for City facilities such as parks, recreation centers, bikeways, and roads.
While some of the housing developments are already on secured status with the city’s planning department, the consultant will likely be encouraged to find some way to mitigate the immense amount to development looming over Fox Hills.
The city has awarded the task for the Fox Hills Specific Plan to Studio One Eleven, an architecture and design firm based in Long Beach for amount not to exceed $800,000. City Council also approved the acceptance of $505,000 from the SCAG to conduct the project.
Judith Martin-Straw
