Gayley complex may become condos
By Michaela Hulstyn
April 4, 2007 9:30 p.m.
Los Angeles city planning officials are proposing to turn an apartment complex at 747 Gayley Ave. into condominiums later this year.
A public hearing is set for next Wednesday at City Hall to discuss the potential conversion and allow people to voice their concerns.
These new condominiums will be more expensive than the existing apartments, which Joey Vasquez, the city-planning associate in charge of the proposal, said he believes may affect the residents it attracts.
“The starting price should be around $300,000,” he said.
Brian Murray, a third-year business economics student who currently lives in the complex, said the tenants living there are mostly students, and that he believes the conversion would “absolutely” affect who could afford to live there.
Eric Young, a fourth-year political science student who also currently lives at 747 Gayley Ave., said he is not sure, but that the pricing of the condominiums will most likely affect the number of students living there.
“It’s hard to say ““ if the renting price is way more (than existing rates) students probably won’t live there,” he said.
Young said he and his roommates are currently paying a total of $2,150 a month for their apartment.
Vasquez said student concerns and the current residents are not as much of a factor as the owner’s decisions on the complex.
“We can’t prohibit him from taking units off the market,” he said.
He said that after Wednesday’s hearing, the Department Advisory Agency will make a decision to approve, deny or offer an advisement in response.
Vasquez said the main reasons for denying condominium conversions is the issue of available parking for the building.
Condominiums require that each unit be assigned two parking spaces.
“In this case, they do meet the requirement,” he said.
Vasquez said if the conversion proposal is approved, a determination letter to make the changes will be created within a month, which will mark the beginning of a 10-day appeal period.
After this period, existing tenants will be given 180 days to vacate their units, or prepare to apply for the new condominiums, he said.
Vasquez said he was not sure if such conversions would become a trend in Westwood.
“This is one of the first in Westwood,” he said. “You see a lot in the Valley.”
Neither Murray nor Young were aware of the proposal, but said it will not affect them as they are both planning on moving out after this year.
“I probably would want an apartment,” Young said.
Murray said he would recommend the complex to those looking for a “first-apartment” type living situation.
“It’s a nice first apartment, but later on (the tenant) might need more space,” he said.
Young said it was “pretty quiet” and that many of the tenants vacate the building on the weekend.
