La Brea Bakery, the LA bread shop credited with sparking the nation's artisan bread obsession, is building a flagship restaurant and gift shop only a pizza-stone's throw from its original location, according to the draft environmental document published by the Planning Department today.

According to the draft Mitigated Negative Declaration, the 5,218-square-foot restaurant will include a new 460-square-foot outdoor patio adjoining 6th Street and the neighboring alley. The restaurant will have 134 seats, 102 of which will be inside and 32 of which will be on the patio. In addition to the sit-down food and alcohol service, La Brea Bakery also proposes to sell beer and wine for off-site consumption in conjunction with the retail sales of baked goods, gourmet groceries, cookbooks and other goods on the premises.

Nancy Silverton opened the original La Brea Bakery in 1989 in conjunction with acclaimed restaurant, Campanile, which she co-owned with her then-husband Mark Peel. Both are credited with setting the gastronomical table of Los Angeles and the world with their emphasis on farm-direct produce and artisan techniques. Silverton sold La Brea in 2001 and the Campanile site closed this past fall.

The Mid-City bakery is located in the 400 block of South La Brea Avenue at the northest corner of 6th Street and La Brea. The new La Brea Bakery will be located about 100 yards north of its original site. No word on when the doors will open althought

La Brea Bakery draft MND:
http://planning.lacity.org/cts_internet/index.cfm?urlCaseId=189794&caseNumber=ENV-2012-3529-MND&fuseaction=case.details

La Brea Bakery website:
http://www.labreabakery.com/la-brea-avenue-bakery/

More than 170 projects with expired or soon-to-be-expired entitlements were revived in the last 12 months by last year's passage of the Multiple Approvals Ordinance, the Los Angeles Planning Department reported today.

The MAO was designed to streamline the review and approval process of projects that need more than one entitlement actions (a Tract Map and a Zone Variance, for example). The MAO also allowed previously approved projects with multiple approvals a one-time extension, which has revived a lot of moribund projects.

"These extensions have played a significant role in jump-starting the local economy by providing more housing opportunities and supporting local businesses," wrote Sr. City Planner Tom Rothmann and Planning Asst. Nicole Sanchez in the quarterly department newsletter.

More than half of the 170 projects have been residential that collectively could add more than 6,000 residential units to the city.

Planning Department Spring 2013 Newsletter:
http://planning.lacity.org/Newsletters/Spring2013.pdf

Guide Dogs of America wants to add a 8,300-square-foot visitors & education center to its Sylmar-based headquarters. The Sylmar Neighborhood Council is scheduled to vote tonight on a recommendation from its Land Use Committee to support the Plan Approval request. The LUC's one condition of support is that GDA provide "as much parking as possible."

GDA has been providing guide dogs and instruction free-of-charge to blind and visually impaired people for over 60 years. Its headquarters is a 7.5-acre site in the 13000 block of Glenoaks Boulevard.

Plan Approval Request:
http://planning.lacity.org/cts_internet/index.cfm?urlCaseId=190609&caseNumber=ZA-1992-369-CUZ-PA2&fuseaction=case.summary

Guide Dogs of America:
http://www.guidedogsofamerica.org/1/

Sylmar Neighborhood Council agenda:
http://ens.lacity.org/ensnc/sylmarnc/ensncsylmarnc83983010_06272013.pdf

The first brew pub in Highland Park - and one of the first in Northeast LA - moved one step closer to approval today with the publishing of the draft environmental report by the City Planning Department.

Highland Park Brewery will be a sister company of and operate within the Hermosillo Club, a hipster beer and wine bar that has grown in popularity over the past year, according to its strong Yelp! ratings.

The draft Mitigated Negative Declaration says the only "potentially significant" environmental impact is odor from roasting grains. Clearly, the associate Planner who wrote that is a teetotaler. What beer drinker doesn't love the smell of roasting grains?!

Anyway, the owner told the Highland Park-Mt. Washington Patch that the project already has the support of the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council, Councilman Jose Huizar's office and the LAPD. The owner said the first batch could be flowing by September if the Zoning Administrator's public hearing is in early August, as he currently believes.

Planning Dept. Draft MND
http://planning.lacity.org/cts_internet/index.cfm?urlCaseId=190677&caseNumber=ENV-2013-691-MND&fuseaction=case.summary

Yelp! Reviews
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-hermosillo-los-angeles

Highland Park-Mt. Washington Patch
http://highlandpark-ca.patch.com/groups/business-news/p/highland-parks-first-brew-pub-may-open-by-september

The City Planning Commission will consider Thursday whether to approve a plan to demolish the 54-year-old St. John's In The Valley United Methodist Church and replace it with 132 condos. Encino-based Montage Development Corp. needs a General Plan Amendment, Zone Change and several other Zoning Administrator actions. The 4.2-acre site is located in the 20600 block of Roscoe Boulevard in Winnetka.

Planning staff recommends approval of all actions requested and no one spoke against the project during a public hearing  in August 2012. The Winnetka Neighborhood Council voted unanimously to support the project as modified by negotiations between Montage and the Winnetka NC Planning and Land Use Management committee.

The CPC meeting this Thursday is at the Van Nuys City Hall's Council Chambers. The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m.

Planning Department report to the City Planning Commission:
http://cityplanning.lacity.org/staffrpt/initialrpts/CPC-2012-1363.pdf

Winnetka Neighborhood Council Aug. 14, 2012 Minutes
http://www.winnetkanc.com/Documents/minutes/2012-0814-minutes.pdf

Montage Development
http://www.montagedev.com/index.html

A proposal to tear down the founding Pinecrest School and replace it with four "traditional single-family homes" and 131 single-family homes in accordance with the Small Lot Ordinance will be considered Tuesday by the City Council's Planning & Land Use Management Committee. The Van Nuys project - which includes a Tentative Tract Map, Zone Change, several Zone Variances and several Zoning Administrator's Adjustments - was already approved by the City Planning Commission in May.

PLUM Agenda:
http://ens.lacity.org/clk/committeeagend/clkcommitteeagend2682963_06252013.pdf

Pinecrest Schools announced sale/closure:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120807005934/en/Pinecrest-Schools-Greater-Los-Angeles-Close-Van

Welcome back ... to me?! To the economy?! To all my followers (both of you?!). Let's just leave it at "Welcome back!" to everyone.

It's been too long since I've posted on LandUseLA and I apologize for the delay. The good news is that business started picking up about 18 months ago, to the point where I couldn't find time to post updates. The better news is that the local LA construction economy (at least my corner of it) is now white-hot. So while I don't have any more time for posting, I'm committed to getting and keeping this site up-to-date.  Hopefully, you'll enjoy what you read.

So welcome back!