West Los Angeles Sawtelle Neighborhood Council · Held

West Los Angeles Sawtelle Neighborhood Council meeting, October 20, 2026

October 20, 2026, 7 p.m. · Updated October 21, 2026

On the agenda: The West Los Angeles Sawtelle Neighborhood Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee and board were scheduled to hold a joint meeting on Zoom on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, at 7 p.m. The agenda listed motions to oppose the City's proposed increase in non-applicant planning appeal fees under Council File 09-0969-S4, to oppose the City's draft Missing Middle ordinance, and to file a Community Impact Statement asking for Sawtelle-specific analysis of SB 79 under Council File 25-1083. It also listed a 36-unit, seven-story project at 1770 S. Sawtelle Blvd. and a retail and gym reuse of the former Sport Chalet at 11801 W. Olympic Blvd. The agenda had 24 items. Minutes were not posted on the council's website as of Oct. 21, 2026.

Agenda only. As of October 21, 2026, minutes for the October 20, 2026 meeting of the West Los Angeles Sawtelle Neighborhood Council had not been posted. This summary is based on the agenda and does not report what was decided.

The agenda set a joint regular meeting of the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee and the board, held online by Zoom with phone access. Public comment was set at 90 seconds per speaker. Under item II, the agenda says the board will vote on Oct. 28 to confirm the committee’s officers, and it listed a motion by Jay Ross (“JR”) that meetings be video only, with an in-person meeting possible for large or controversial projects. The agenda says every item may lead to a Community Impact Statement (agenda).

VI.a. Reusing the former Sport Chalet at 11801 W. Olympic Blvd.

• What it asks: The applicant seeks a Specific Plan exception to use the existing building of about 48,000 sq. ft. for retail, or up to about 28,430 sq. ft. for a recreation facility or gym. The request would allow 60% gym floor area instead of the Expo Corridor Transit Neighborhood Plan’s 10% maximum, up to 100% retail instead of 20%, and a single retail tenant of up to 48,000 sq. ft. instead of 5,000 (agenda).
• Earlier position: The agenda lists a past motion, “approved by Board,” in which PLUM recommends support and a Community Impact Statement, on condition that a front entrance and greenery be added on Olympic Blvd. (agenda).
• Who brought it: Applicant B.H. 11801 Olympic Boulevard LLC, represented by Manatt, Phelps & Phillips; case APCW-2026-4593-SPPE, filed Sept. 3 (agenda).

VI.b. New West School traffic on Armacost Ave.

• What it asks: The agenda lists a motion, marked as passed by PLUM on Sept. 15, recommending that the board file a complaint with City Planning, Building and Safety code enforcement and CD 11 about possible violations of the school’s conditional use permit and traffic management plan, review suggestions to cut pickup and dropoff traffic, and file a Community Impact Statement (agenda).
• Who it affects: Residences on the east side of Armacost Ave. (agenda).

VI.c. Follow-up on a citation at a residence on Missouri Ave.

• What it asks: A motion by David Swartz (“DS”) asks CD 11 to coordinate with Building and Safety on an open citation at a residence near Federal Ave.: reinspect the property, report the case number, violations, deadline and status, pursue enforcement, and update the council until the cited conditions are removed or brought into compliance (agenda).

VI.d. Noise and dust at a construction site on Butler Ave.

• What it asks: A motion by Jay Ross asks Building and Safety to enforce and cite noise and dust rules at an ADU and duplex construction site. The agenda says neighbors have complained about work starting before 7 a.m. and that no construction permit was posted (agenda).

VI.e. Alcohol permit for a restaurant at 2129 Sawtelle Blvd.

• What it asks: Possible motions on on-site alcohol service at a strip-mall restaurant with 22 indoor seats and an eight-seat patio, open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The agenda says the project has been on hold since July 20 and that the committee asked the planner for an update on Oct. 2 (agenda).
• Who brought it: Applicant GPA Inc.; case ADM-2026-1599-RBPA, an administrative clearance filed April 1 (agenda).

VI.f. Opposing higher appeal fees for non-applicants (CF 09-0969-S4)

• What it asks: A motion by Jay Ross to oppose the City’s proposed increase in planning appeal fees. The motion says the non-applicant appeal fee would rise from $229 to $1,145 for people inside a project’s notice area and $2,289 for people outside it (agenda).
• The council file: On Aug. 25, 2026, the Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee voted 5-0 to recommend setting the non-applicant fee at 5% of cost recovery, or $1,145, inside the noticing radius and 10%, or $2,289, outside it, and asking the City Attorney to draft the ordinance (committee transmittal).
• Neighborhood council positions: The file lists no Community Impact Statements as of Oct. 16, 2026 (CF 09-0969-S4).
• What’s next: The Budget and Finance Committee concurred with the PLUM action on Oct. 6, 2026. The file lists no Council vote as of Oct. 16, 2026 (CF 09-0969-S4).

VI.g. Demolition and construction guidelines

• What it asks: A motion by Jay Ross to adopt guidelines for contractors. They list City requirements (a posted permit with the company’s phone number, a 6-foot fence with green screen, asbestos and lead paint remediation, and start times of 7 a.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. Saturdays and none on Sundays) and add council requests: active dust control, a 20-foot plywood fence, daily cleanup, a predictable window for the loudest work, and a direct contact for neighbors (agenda).

VI.h. Opposing the draft Missing Middle ordinance

• What it asks: A motion by Jay Ross to oppose the City’s proposed Missing Middle ordinance “as presented at the Oct. 1 public information session.” It asks the City to target RD1.5 zones instead of R1 and R2, cap ADUs at the state baseline instead of the six per lot it says the draft allows, keep front yard setbacks in line with each block, require at least 25% permeable deep-soil area per lot, and drop mobile tiny homes (agenda).
• Who it affects: The motion says the council’s area has six blocks of R1 and six blocks of R2 left after the Housing Element and SB 79 upzoning (agenda).

VII.c. $50,000 developer agreement for the FK Nursery project

• What it asks: A motion by Jay Ross asking CD 11 to execute a developer agreement guaranteeing that the developer of 40 detached three-story condominium houses at 2007-2045 S. Colby Ave. and 2020-2024 S. Federal Ave. spends $50,000 on transportation improvements in the council’s area (agenda).
• Background on the agenda: The board resolved on Aug. 27 to ask for the $50,000 as a condition of its support. The motion says the planning approval is administrative, so the money cannot be guaranteed without CD 11 (agenda).

VII.d. Community Impact Statement on SB 79 analysis for Sawtelle (CF 25-1083)

• What it asks: A motion credited to “JR/JH” asking CD 11 to direct City Planning to add Sawtelle-specific analyses to its review of SB 79 under CF 25-1083: existing density, cumulative growth, a comparison with other CD 11 neighborhoods, and alternatives that keep remaining R1 blocks. It also asks Planning to assess the departments’ reports on SB 79’s unfunded costs and authorizes the chair to file a Community Impact Statement (agenda).
• The council file: The file began with a Sept. 16, 2025 motion by Traci Park, seconded by John S. Lee and Monica Rodriguez. City Planning filed a report dated Oct. 6, 2026, and the Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved it as amended on Oct. 13, 2026 (CF 25-1083).
• Neighborhood council positions: The file lists Community Impact Statements from other neighborhood councils and none from West Los Angeles Sawtelle as of Oct. 16, 2026 (CF 25-1083).
• What’s next: The report is also referred to the Budget and Finance Committee, which had not acted on it as of Oct. 16, 2026 (CF 25-1083).

VIII.a. 36 units at 1770 S. Sawtelle Blvd.

• What it asks: Possible motions on a project that would replace a 3,300 sq. ft. one-story commercial building with a seven-story, 78-foot mixed-use building with 36 units, six of them affordable (four very low income, two moderate), 1,058 sq. ft. of commercial space and 21 parking spaces. A motion by Jay Ross asks the Bureau of Engineering to waive the street dedications so neither Sawtelle nor Nebraska is widened. The agenda marks the item “[Nov 17 meeting]” (agenda).
• Who brought it: Applicant Causeway Ventures Inc.; case EAR-2026-4428-DB-HCA under the State Density Bonus Program, filed Aug. 25 (agenda).

Previous meeting: September 23, 2026 · Next meeting: October 28, 2026 · All meetings