A 100-year-old Westlake theater that had its last live performance over 50 years ago may soon be Los Angeles' newest live-music theater.

A veteran New York-based independent concert promoter submitted plans with the Planning Department to revert what was once the Playhouse Theater at 1234 West 7th  St. back into an entertainment mecca for central city residents. Bowerly Left LLC will present their project at tonight's Westlake South Neighborhood Council Board Meeting.

Bowery Left LLC's backers know the live music venue business.  The applicant - through its parent company, Bowery Presents - owns and operates several venues in New York City, most notably the Bowery Ballroom (a 550 capacity venue voted the "Best Venue in America" by Rolling Stone Magazine on several occasions, according to the applicant). The company owns theaters in other East Coast states; the Playhouse Theater site would be its first site outside the Eastern time zone.

The developer's Conditional Use Permit request is to rehabilitate the 9,453 square foot theater and restaurant so it can accommodate a total of 440 seats or 708 patrons, allow alcohol sales from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, and allow live entertainment and incidental patron dancing. The developer also is requesting a Project Permit Compliance to allow the change of use from print shop back to theater and restaurant and to allow a new marquee on its facade. The project is located within the Central City West Specific Plan area.

The Playhouse Theater operated from its opening in the early 1910s to 1960. It was a print shop for about 50 years and is currently a violin repair store.

The applicant's representative said that the print shop conversion didn't hurt the integrity of the theater. The marquee is gone, but the existing domed ceiling, the original lobby area, and the stage are intact, which the rep says will make the conversion back to a live music venue easier and less impactful on the 100-year-old building.

The applicants submitted a petition with several signatures of support with their packet to the Westlake South Neighborhood Council. Tonight's WSNC meeting at the Royal Palms Recovery Center (360 S. Westlake Ave.) starts at 6 p.m.

The project's draft Mitigating Negative Declaration was published last month and the Zoning Administrator's hearing for the Conditional Use requests was held earlier this month. A decision letter has not been issued yet, however.

Westlake South Neighborhood Council agenda:
http://ens.lacity.org/ensnc/southwestlakenc/ensncsouthwestlakenc321885172_11252013.pdf

Planning Department case:
http://planning.lacity.org/cts_internet/index.cfm?urlCaseId=193294&caseNumber=ZA-2013-2868-CUB-CUX-SPP&fuseaction=case.summary

Bowery Presents Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bowery_Presents

One of the largest and oldest Korean American churches can dramatically increase its Los Angeles campus by replacing its nearly 50-year-old facility with a 3-story, 27,000-square-foot sanctuary with seating for 1,755 parishioners, a 60,000-square-foot community center and two levels of subterranean parking.

As first reported by LandUseLA.com, the Berendo Street Baptist Church, which is located in the heart of LA's Koreatown, submitted an application on Jan. 2 for its expansion project.  Among the entitlements needed were a Site Plan Review and Zoning Administrator's Adjustments for reduced yard setbacks for the new buildings and the subterranean parking.

The approval letter from the Office of Zoning Administration was issued last month and became final last week when no one appealed the approval. The church received all of the requested entitlements but did withdraw its request for a reduced rear yard of 10 feet and will instead meet the 15-foot minimum rear yard.

The public hearing was mostly attended by supporters of the project. But a lawyer who represented both a neighboring medical office building and a nearby residential building spoke in objection to how closely the church was building its subterranean parking to his clients' buildings. The lawyer's clients were apparently satisfied with the church's response since the approval wasn't appealed.

The church was organized in March 1957, only the second Korean Baptist church in the United States. It has been called the "mother ship" of Korean Baptist churches in the U.S. because of its activist role in training Korean Baptist ministers and the missionary services that its members have traditionally provided around the country.

ZA Approval Letter:
http://zimas.lacity.org/reports/cee25a68541992bd86a67ad5facb9d08.pdf

LandUseLA.com: Historic Koreatown Church Plans Major Expansion
http://www.landusela.com/1/post/2013/08/historic-koreatown-church-plans-major-expansion.html

One of the largest and oldest Korean churches in the United States plans to dramatically increase its Los Angeles campus by replacing its nearly 50-year-old facility with a 3-story, 27,772-square-foot sanctuary, 57,536-square-foot community center and two levels of subterranean parking with 380 spaces.

Public hearings were held last week and earlier this spring for the entitlements needed by the Berendo Street Baptist Church, which is located in the heart of LA's Koreatown. Among the entitlements needed are a Site Plan Review and Zoning Administrator's Adjustments for reduced yard setbacks for the new buildings and the subterranean parking. The project's draft MND was published last month; no potentially significant environmental impacts were determined by the Planning Department.

The church was organized in March 1957, only the second Korean Baptist church in the United States. It has been called the "mother ship" of Korean Baptist churches in the U.S. because of its activist role in training Korean Baptist ministers and the missionary services that its members have traditionally provided around the country.

The Zoning Administrator's Determination Letter on the new project has yet to be issued. Typically, the ZA's office issues its ruling 4-6 weeks after the public hearing, so the church should know by early October whether it can proceed with its ambitious growth plan.

Berendo Street Baptist Church is located at 975 S. Berendo St.

ZA-2013-0001-ZAA-SPR
http://planning.lacity.org/cts_internet/index.cfm?urlCaseId=189871&caseNumber=ZA-2013-1-ZAA-SPR&fuseaction=case.summary

ENV-2013-0002-MND
http://planning.lacity.org/cts_internet/index.cfm?urlCaseId=189872&caseNumber=ENV-2013-2-MND&fuseaction=case.summary

Korean Council to meet in L.A.
http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20May08/Art_May08_LA1.html

History of the Korean immigrant Baptist church movement:
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/A+history+of+the+Korean+immigrant+Baptist+church+movement+in+the...-a0130777643

A mixed-use project with 411 residential units and 43,800 square feet of retail space will cover both sides of half a city block in the Wilshire area if plans filed this week with the City Planning Department ultimately get approved by the City Council.

The project is the latest lare-scale Koreatown development from Christopher Pak, a Koreatown-born architect and developer described by the Los Angeles Times as " turning Koreatown into a testing ground for a vision of a dense, taller L.A."

The project is proposed for both sides of James M. Wood Boulevard east of Vermont Avenue. On the north side, the developer proposes 187 residential units and 18,000 square-feet of retail. On the south side of the street would be 224 units and 25,800 square-feet of retail.

The project is located within the Wilshire Center/Koreatown Redevelopment Project Area and a Los Angeles State Enterprise Zone, important designations which could allow for more dense development and a faster approval process. It is located in the MacArthur Park Neighborhood Council area, on the eastern flank of Koreatown. The project is located primarily in Council President Herb Wesson's 10th District but its eastern edge is in Councilman Gilbert Cedillo's 1st District.

The project requires a General Plan Amendment, Zone Change and new Height District designation, which are entitlement requests that ultimately require approval from the City Council.

Pak is a "prominent campaign fundraiser," according to the Los Angeles Times, whose wife was appointed to the City Ethics Commission in December 2012 by Wesson. Pak raised money for Wesson, Cedillo and Mayor Eric Garcetti, among others, before the recent citywide elections, according to the Times.

The Planning and environmental cases were filed on Tuesday so it could be several months or more before the draft Mitigated Negative Declaration is published and the first hearing date is set for the entitlement requests.

Planning Department case:
http://planning.lacity.org/cts_internet/index.cfm?urlCaseId=192244&caseNumber=CPC-2013-1996-GPA-ZC-HD-SPR&fuseaction=case.summary

LA Times: A taller L.A.? He's making it happen
http://articles.latimes.com/2007/aug/23/local/me-pak23

LA Times: Wesson's choice of fundraiser's wife for ethics panel criticized
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/dec/20/local/la-me-wesson-ethics-20121220

The Northridge East Neighborhood Council is expected to vote tonight on a proposal to "disapprove" of a proposed elder-care facility in Northridge, the latest skirmish in a long-running battle over this specific project and elder-care facility proposals across the Valley.

The 3-story, 140-unit facility proposed for a 2.3-acre site at Parthenia Street and Shoshone Avenue received Zoning Administrator approval in April. But the case was appealed by  Tom Bramson, president of the Sherwood Forest Homeowners Assn., along with Colleen Marmor and Lisa Cerda of the Community Rights Foundation of Los Angeles.

Cerda wrote in a guest column on CityWatchLA.com that the ZA's approval was "fatally flawed, and could not withstand a judge’s review." She also claimed that Councilman Mitch Englander will soon introduce a motion that would "relieve the community of the burdensome Eldercare Facility Ordinance. " 

The NENC meets tonight at 7 p.m. in the Northridge Recreation Center, 18300 Lemarsh St. It should be noted that the NENC, like all neighborhood councils, does not have the authority to approve or deny an entitlement request such as the proposed elder-care facility. The NCs do serve an advisory role to the Planning Department and the council offices, however, on local land-use issues.

The appeal has not been scheduled with the North Valley Area Planning Commission yet.

Northridge East Neighborhood Council agenda:
http://ens.lacity.org/ensnc/northridgeastnc/ensncnorthridgeastnc241383075_07032013.pdf

LA Times:  Residents battle proposed Northridge elder-care complex
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/mar/18/local/la-me-elder-care-20130318

Appeal of ZA-2012-3545-ELD-SPR-1A
http://planning.lacity.org/cts_internet/index.cfm?urlCaseId=191351&caseNumber=ZA-2012-3545-ELD-SPR-1A&fuseaction=case.summary

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/

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