West Los Angeles Sawtelle Neighborhood Council · Held

West Los Angeles Sawtelle Neighborhood Council meeting, July 22, 2026

July 22, 2026, 7 p.m. · Updated October 2, 2026

From the minutes: The board of the West Los Angeles Sawtelle Neighborhood Council voted 8-1-1 on July 22, 2026 to send a letter asking the Council and Mayor to get full reimbursement from LA28 for 2028 Olympics costs, opposed the 1928 Federal Ave. apartment project as designed after amending its suggested height limit to three stories (7-1-2 on the roll call), and voted 10-0-0 to ask the City to cut MIIP, AHIP and CHIP housing incentives, according to the board's minutes. It approved $5,250 in grants and program spending (our sum of items 14, 15 and 23.1), approved the nomination of Natasha Harkinson to the North East seat and approved Walton Chiu as chair, Malcolm Ray as vice chair, James Altuner as secretary and Jay Handal as treasurer. The agenda was numbered 1 to 30 (item 29 was left blank).

Outcomes for the July 22, 2026 meeting of the West Los Angeles Sawtelle Neighborhood Council come from its posted minutes.

Ten of 14 board members were present; Adriane Ransom, Alexandra Polin, Ron Ben-Yehuda and Tascha Folsoi were absent. The meeting adjourned at 8:33 p.m. (minutes).

Votes on routine items, from the tally sheets at the end of the minutes, each 10-0-0: the June minutes; the May and June expenditure reports (10.1); the nomination of Natasha Harkinson to the North East seat (11); Walton Chiu as chair, Malcolm Ray as vice chair, James Altuner as secretary and Jay Handal as treasurer (12); election hours and location (21); and sunsetting the WLA Municipal Plaza ad hoc committee (27). The minutes record no action on an election committee chair (20).

14. $1,500 grant to ITSC

• What it asks: Approve a $1,500 neighborhood purpose grant to ITSC, listed as a pre-budgeted item. The agenda gives no other detail (agenda).
• Amount: $1,500 (agenda).
• What happened: Approved 10-0-0 on a motion by Malcolm Ray, seconded by Walton Chiu (minutes).

15. $2,250 grant for Bundy Triangle Salsa Night

• What it asks: Approve a neighborhood purpose grant to FOWLA for a salsa night at the Bundy Triangle (agenda).
• Amount: $2,250 (agenda).
• What happened: Approved 9-0-1 on a motion by James Altuner, seconded by Jay Handal; Monica Mejia-Lambert abstained. The minutes include no tally sheet for this item (minutes).

16. Letter on LA28 reimbursement for Olympics costs

• What it asks: A letter to the City Council and Mayor demanding full reimbursement from LA28 for any shortfall in expenses from hosting the 2028 Olympics, in support of a motion by Councilmember Rodriguez (agenda).
• What happened: Approved 8-1-1 on a motion by Malcolm Ray, seconded by Walton Chiu. Danilo Torro voted no and Pierre Tecon abstained (minutes).

23.1. $1,500 for a Sawtelle Tree Program

• What it asks: Buy equipment and trees, stored at the council office, for a pilot planting three trees in Sawtelle with residents and volunteers (agenda).
• Amount: $1,500. Items 14, 15 and 23.1 total $5,250, our sum (agenda).
• Who brought it: The Mobility and Environmental Committee (agenda).
• What happened: Approved 10-0-0 on a motion by James Altuner, seconded by Walton Chiu (minutes).

25.1. Opposing the 1928 Federal Ave. apartment project as designed

• What it asks: Oppose the project as designed, with its incentives and waivers, request a revised design with at most four stories, on-site parking, setbacks, open space and canopy trees, and file a Community Impact Statement (agenda).
• Who brought it: The PLUM Committee, 6-0-0 (agenda).
• What happened: James Altuner moved the motion and Walton Chiu seconded. The minutes record one vote, which passed: an amendment by David Swartz, seconded by Altuner, changing the suggested maximum height from four stories to three. The records conflict on the tally: the roll-call sheet shows 7-1-2, with Monica Mejia-Lambert voting no and Jay Handal and Vic Pacheco abstaining; the narrative says 8-1-1, with Mejia-Lambert opposed and Pierre Tecon abstaining (minutes).

25.2. Construction management plan for 1747 Stoner Ave.

• What it asks: Ask the applicant for a construction management plan covering hours, dust, noise, truck routes, worker parking and resident notice, and a community liaison, and file a Community Impact Statement (agenda).
• Who brought it: The PLUM Committee, 5-0-0 (agenda).
• What happened: Approved 10-0-0 in one vote with item 25.3, on a motion by James Altuner, seconded by David Swartz (minutes).

25.3. Reducing MIIP, AHIP and CHIP incentives

• What it asks: Ask the City to cap incentives at two added stories or 22 feet, 40% added density and 1.0 added floor area ratio, limit side yard and open space cuts, or else require 50% affordable units; create a separate land use category limiting R2 to two units; and file a Community Impact Statement (agenda).
• Who brought it: The PLUM Committee, 5-0-0 (agenda).
• What happened: Approved 10-0-0 in one vote with item 25.2 (minutes).

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