Report Details Possibilities of Use for VA’s Westwood Property
Residents of west Los Angeles have voiced concerns that a 23-page summary report released Monday by PricewaterhouseCoopers, which detailed possibilities for development on the 387-acre Veterans Affairs complex in Westwood, contains loopholes and could lead to major development in an area they say is "already congested," the Los Angeles Times reports.
The site, surrounded by the 405 Freeway and San Vicente Boulevard, currently contains the 800-bed VA hospital and outpatient treatment facilities. Other than that, the property remains largely unused.
The report calls for developments that would allow institutional and office space use, supporting or complementing the needs of veterans, such as assisted living, transitional housing and recreational research. The report also noted that it did not consider "certain reuses of the property for commercial purposes" -- including movie theatres, convenience stores, fast-food outlets and industrial manufacturing activities. However, the report called for possible mixed-use residential development without identifying a connection to veterans.
The report said the government planned to honor a previous agreement to build a state veterans home on 12 acres at the complex. California has committed $14 million to the project and has spent $4 million on design work.
An open forum for public comment will be held Sept. 22 at the VA complex, and two additional public meetings will be scheduled later (Groves, Los Angeles Times, 9/13).
The report is available online.