Stop Adoption HPOZ Westwood Meeting

The Stop Adoption HPOZ Westwood Meeting was held June 30, 2016. This was the first meeting held in Westwood by a collective of Holmby Hills property owners who are against having a HPOZ enacted in Holmby Hills in Westwood or learning more about the proposals being made. Residents gathered who felt they had been misinformed, or not informed about the proposed adoption of a HPOZ for their neighborhood. The proposed Westwood Holmby Hills HPOZ will contain regulations specific to the neighborhood restricting building and remodeling within the community . In the future if you want to make changes to your home you would be subject to approval from the HPOZ.

Some of the concerns brought up at the meeting are the possible restrictions ,color of your home, replacing windows, replacement of doors, tree’s and landscaping, room additions, 2nd story additions etc. With the proposed HPOZ you would not just go get a building permit, you would have to go through a process of approval through the city so that what you are doing will not go against the architectural history of the neighborhood. There are good reasons to retaining the character of a neighborhood and restrict overbuilding or building in bad taste but there are other ways to achieve this preservation IE: the BMO or baseline mansionization ordinance that is being reviewed and improved is being noted by those against the proposed HPOZ as sufficient way to help impose improvements and building restrictions . The committee against the HPOZ adoption feels it will be too restrictive and hard to ever undo and end.

You can read more about all these points through some of the links attached to this article. I have written articles on the subject before. This meeting was the first public meeting held to Stop Adoption HPOZ Westwood. Click here to see a video of the meeting to learn more. Ben Reznik, Land use attorney spoke to the crowd of Westwood homeowners who had gathered to address the many questions neighbors had. There is a petition circulating against the HPOZ enactment and a committee e mail formed to get more information. ([email protected]) The current proposed HPOZ can be read here.

These are all very important links to understand the proposed HPOZ and the issues against the proposed HPOZ — see all the details proposed here.  This evening, July 14,2016 is the first meeting to discuss the HPOZ draft at St Albans Church.  The Stop Adoption HPOZ Westwood Meeting group will be present to ask many questions. The pros and cons of preserving the historic value of a neighborhood versus the freedom to choose what you want to do will be discussed at the meeting and secondary meeting on July 21,2016. There are many previous articles I have posted on the subject. Whether an HPOZ will help or hinder property values in the area will continue to be discussed. Other neighborhoods including Bel Air, Brentwood, Venice etc are all experiencing similar issues as growth and development, and remodeling will continue to present issues of preservation. There are so many issue discussed in the posted links so don’t miss the opportunity to view videos and important links.

Caron Schwartz is  realtor who works in Holmby Hills and Westwood and has written many posts about the area which includes the Wilshire Corridor and Bel Air. Homes for sale in Westwood are affected by these decisions that are being made. Bel Air Real Estate is facing all the issues of HPOZ and Baseline Mansionization Act. There is currently a IOC in these areas.(Interim Control Ordinance).

For more information contact https://caronschwartz.com

Stop Adoption HPOZ Westwood Meeting
Contemporary home Holmby Hills
HPOZ Opposition