With the two-year anniversary of the closing of Brentwood’s beloved Dutton’s Books fast approaching, it is a suitable time for an update on Charles T. Munger’s plan for the “Brentwood Town Green†on what is currently the site occupied by the Barry Building.
While this development project was once hotly contested on the grounds of preserving a designated Historic-Cultural Monument, some of the dissention appears to have dissipated with the passage of time, as evidenced by the trailing off of message board debates on the topic.
That is not to say that the Munger project does not still have its detractors. Several of the Brentwood area’s homeowner advocacy groups have continued to voice disapproval regarding several aspects of the plan as originally proposed.
One of the major sticking points has been the handling of the Munger owned residential property facing Saltair Avenue which was originally designated for parking and then redesigned as two residential homes with underground parking beneath.
In Mr. Munger’s latest proposal this complaint is addressed by repurposing 20,000 square feet of the adjacent residential lot for parking use while combining the two residential units creating ample acreage for a single residential structure with no parking underneath. By building a residence facing Saltair, residents no longer have to worry that there might be an entrance or exit there.
Originally envisioned as a four-story building consisting mostly of condos, this plan was scrapped in favor of a two-story structure which would offer Brentwood residents a one-stop shopping alternative within easy walking distance of many residents. This would help reduce out-of-neighborhood trips.
An earlier plan allocated more space to restaurants and less for parking. The revised proposal suggests a limit to the number of restaurants at four and, although the overall commercial space is increased to 77,000 square feet, more of that space (3,700 sq. ft.) is now devoted to open patio and balcony area conforming with city objectives under Brentwood’s Scenic Corridor Ordinance.
According to the recently filed Statement of Intent, it appears Mr. Munger has opted for a lower density of retail space than would typically be present in a retail complex. The document also emphasizes that the planned parking, which is in excess of what is required by City code, does not portend a future Trojan horse of expanded development on this site.
The architectural design of the “Brentwood Town Green†complex is intended to maintain much of the mid-twentieth century California modern style used by original Barry Building architect Milton H. Caughey, according to Ray Keller, a Brentwood architect who is working for Charlie Munger on this project.
With its larger building area, the total footprint of this architectural style actually increases, according to Keller. The current building was commissioned in 1950 by developer David Barry.
Although the debate over the future of the Barry Building has been going on for over four years, the process is still in its early stages, according to Keller. The next phase is the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process, which commences with a Public Scoping Meeting to be held on Monday, April 26th.
Expected to be in attendance are representatives from Brentwood’s various homeowner associations, who will be permitted to voice any environmental concerns they may have with the new proposal. They will have until May 17th, 2010 to submit comments to The City of Los Angeles, Department of City Planning.
After completion of the EIR there are still several phases to be completed so any ground-breaking is likely to be quite a ways off.
A first “scoping” meeting will be held Monday, April 26 at St. Martin of Tours Church at the corner of Sunset and Saltair. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.
