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 [ ARCHIVE ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=16)

#  Hollywood’s Biggest Eyesore: Blame Developers? No, Blame NIMBYs

![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Mar-2015/018v.png)UEST COMMENTARY-Once upon a time, Target had an ambitious plan to build a new shopping center at the southwest corner of Sunset Boulevard and Western Avenue.

The complex would offer a modern, pedestrian-oriented design, with ground-level retail, a plaza and outdoor dining, as well as wide sidewalks and landscaping. Target center would also transform the blighted corner into a vibrant, safe, family-friendly community. While the project was met with some opposition, as such developments typically do, most residents supported it.

The only issue is the overall project height, being slightly above the area’s zoning ordinance. Nevertheless, it was well worth it: the project would bring hundreds of jobs and a major improvement to the area. So, the city council approved it, and the construction commenced shortly thereafter.

But…

The eastern Hollywood area unfortunately also has NIMBYs, including a local group “Citizens Coalition Los Angeles” (CCLA). NIMBYs are infamous for rejecting any & all developments – even if it means improvement – as long as it would be “in their backyard”. So, the lawsuit soon followed – in an attempt to block the project under any pretense. The NIMBYs did succeed, and the judge – as ridiculous as it sounds – [blocked the construction](http://www.latimes.com/local/cityhall/la-me-hollywood-target-20140821-story.html) that was already well under way.

*[(Read the rest.) ](http://la.streetsblog.org/2015/02/27/opinion-hollywoods-biggest-eyesore-blame-developers-no-blame-nimbys/%20)*

-cw

CityWatch

Vol 13 Issue 18

Pub: Mar 3, 2015

{module \[1177\]}

Written by Alexander Friedman.

March 02 2015

<a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a>[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)

![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Mar-2015/018v.png)UEST COMMENTARY-Once upon a time, Target had an ambitious plan to build a new shopping center at the southwest corner of Sunset Boulevard and Western Avenue.

The complex would offer a modern, pedestrian-oriented design, with ground-level retail, a plaza and outdoor dining, as well as wide sidewalks and landscaping. Target center would also transform the blighted corner into a vibrant, safe, family-friendly community. While the project was met with some opposition, as such developments typically do, most residents supported it.

The only issue is the overall project height, being slightly above the area’s zoning ordinance. Nevertheless, it was well worth it: the project would bring hundreds of jobs and a major improvement to the area. So, the city council approved it, and the construction commenced shortly thereafter.

But…

The eastern Hollywood area unfortunately also has NIMBYs, including a local group “Citizens Coalition Los Angeles” (CCLA). NIMBYs are infamous for rejecting any &amp; all developments – even if it means improvement – as long as it would be “in their backyard”. So, the lawsuit soon followed – in an attempt to block the project under any pretense. The NIMBYs did succeed, and the judge – as ridiculous as it sounds – [blocked the construction](http://www.latimes.com/local/cityhall/la-me-hollywood-target-20140821-story.html) that was already well under way.

*[(Read the rest.) ](http://la.streetsblog.org/2015/02/27/opinion-hollywoods-biggest-eyesore-blame-developers-no-blame-nimbys/%20)*

-cw

CityWatch

Vol 13 Issue 18

Pub: Mar 3, 2015

{module \[1177\]}

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##  Featured CityWatch Stories

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/fd/064h-fdb0b507.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29355:remembering-ken-draper-citywatch-and-transparency-are-his-legacy&catid=12)

### [Remembering Ken Draper: CityWatch and Transparency Are his Legacy](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29355:remembering-ken-draper-citywatch-and-transparency-are-his-legacy&catid=12)

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### [Brace Yourself For A Worse Housing Crisis](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33148:brace-yourself-for-a-worse-housing-crisis&catid=398)

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### [Be Prepared to Protect Our Democracy in November From a Trumpian Plot](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33204:be-prepared-to-protect-our-democracy-in-november-from-a-trumpian-plot&catid=9)

BE AWARE - Back in the days when conservatives were so hungry for media platforms that they’d come on progressive shows…

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/ab/063e-ab3b1ba1.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33174:nithya-raman-loses-the-homelessness-gavel-her-record-explains-why&catid=396)

### [Nithya Raman Loses the Homelessness Gavel — Her Record Explains Why](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33174:nithya-raman-loses-the-homelessness-gavel-her-record-explains-why&catid=396)

THE BOTTOM LINE - Raman wants Los Angeles voters to promote her to mayor. Before handing her the keys to City Hall, v…

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/75/064a-75d5dbb3.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33199:your-boss-owns-your-workday-not-your-brain&catid=425)

### [Your Boss Owns Your Workday—Not Your Brain](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33199:your-boss-owns-your-workday-not-your-brain&catid=425)

THE NEURAL WORKPLACE - California must protect workers before workplace surveillance crosses the final frontier: the hu…

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##  [ ARCHIVE ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=16)

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Apr-2018/034e.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15339:early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles&catid=16)### [Early Intervention and Jobs are Key to Stemming Chronic Homelessness in Los Angeles](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15339:early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles&catid=16)

### [Tucker Carlson and Gay Rightwinger Blame California Wildfires On Hiring LGBTQ People](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18755:tucker-carlson-and-gay-rightwinger-blame-california-wildfires-on-hiring-lgbtq-people&catid=16)

### [Anti-LGBTQ Veep Just Can’t Stop Talking about Mayor Pete](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17690:anti-lgbtq-veep-just-can-t-stop-talking-about-mayor-pete&catid=16)

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Apr-2018/033j.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15316:news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties&catid=16)### [NEWS PULSE: ‘Corrupt System’ Reason for Not Voting in 2018 … Majority Wants More Than Two Parties](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15316:news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties&catid=16)

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Jan-2016/1404d.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10245:dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles&catid=16)### [Dead Dog Set on Fire … Sparks Fears for Strays in Los Angeles](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10245:dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles&catid=16)
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