CROWDS TURN OUT ON NOHO DEVELOPMENT

CROWDS TURN OUT ON NOHO DEVELOPMENT.

Byline: ANGIE VALENCIA-MARTINEZ Staff Writer

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/CROWDS+TURN+OUT+ON+NOHO+DEVELOPMENT.-a0147132685

NORTH HOLLYWOOD -- Hundreds of people packed the first public meeting Thursday night on plans to build more than 1,000 town homes, condos and apartments -- a modernization project that includes revamping the lackluster Valley Plaza shopping center into a $560 million open-air mall.

Neighbors at the meeting, held at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, raised concerns over increased crime, traffic and its impact on schools and city services from the project, located near Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Oxnard Street.

``It's absolutely overwhelming,'' said resident Stephanie Murray. ``A six-story apartment building? No thank you.''

Developer J.H. Snyder Co. is proposing 700 condos, town homes and possibly lofts for sale and about 300 rental units. Snyder also wants a 5-acre park just east of the Hollywood Freeway and south of Victory Boulevard at Laurel and Valley plazas.

While many agreed that the area needs to be revitalized, they opposed the number of rental properties, saying more owner-occupied units should be built.

The company also wants to spruce up the 22-acre commercial complex at Valley Plaza with a cinema complex and department and retail stores, making it the costliest retail development in the San Fernando Valley.

One potential anchor store for the new complex would be a Federated Department Stores Inc.-owned Macy's, officials with the Miracle Mile-based company said. J.H. Snyder hopes to break ground in about 18 months.

The proposed project is being designed by the same architect who did The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles. J.H. Snyder also is building a $200 million complex of lofts, apartments and shops known as NoHo Commons at the core of the NoHo Arts District, to the south of the current proposed residential development.

``Every project we do is a work in progress, nothing is set in stone,'' said Cliff Goldstien, a partner at J.H. Snyder. ``We have a lot of work to do.''

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