Affordable Housing a Possibility for Washington Near Tilden

More affordable housing could be on the way in Culver City, as the Los Angeles Housing Partnership made a presentation Thursday to the city for Tilden Terrace, a mixed-use development proposed for Washington Boulevard near Tilden Avenue. 

The 33-unit project at 11042-11056 Washington Boulevard would stretch from Tilden to Harter avenues, and would include 13,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. The second and third floors would offer one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments designed for moderate-income families and seniors, according to housing partnership representatives.

The presentation to the city's Advisory Committee on Redevelopment was an opportunity for its members to gain information and ask questions about how the project could be improved or changed in the coming months.

The committee assists the Redevelopment Agency in examining potential projects.

Tilden Terrace and a recently approved project on Irving Place come as the city works to meet its state-mandated 504 affordable housing unit requirement. 

The housing partnership presented an unsolicited proposal to the city and has chosen to meet with community members to get feedback on the project before formally submitting a proposal to the Redevelopment Agency, said Dana Sayles, a consultant with Sayles Consulting Group who is working with the developer.

Parking would be available on the ground floor for patrons of the planned businesses and resident parking would be built under the development. The Tilden Terrace proposal calls for 111 parking spaces, slightly more than what is required by the city.

On the financial end, the developer would apply for tax credits to fund the project. It is unclear what the city's exact financial commitment would be, but it could be 30 percent, said Tevis Barnes, housing administrator with the city's Community Development Department.

Housing partnership Executive Director Mary Silverstein said the group has a "long and successful history" of building projects with tax credits but reiterated that Tilden Terrace has a long planning process ahead.

"Until we solidify what we're building, it's hard to say how much money," Silverstein said. "At this point we're looking for a conceptual blessing, then we apply to the city and go through the normal process."

At Thursday's meeting, concerns expressed by two Tilden Avenue residents included parking, the safety of the intersection of Tilden and Washington Boulevard, the negative impact of ficus trees on the sidewalk and the project's density.

One of the residents, George Marsh, said crossing the intersection was "treacherous." 

"The light on Tilden is very short," he said. 

Resident Susan Hoyt said she didn't think Culver City was the place for the project.

"I'm seriously, seriously unhappy the city is considering this project," she said. Hoyt acknowledged that not all of the neighborhood's issues stemmed from the project, including the need for more parking, but said the city may have to "re-engineer the intersection."

In response, Silverstein said her group was working with the city to see about changing the street sweeping day from Friday to another day. Friday is a busy day for the nearby mosque and people are often looking for parking then. 

She also said her group is looking at how to make the intersection safer to cross, especially for children walking to school or the nearby park. 

"It's our neighborhood too," she said. "In many developments, LAHP becomes a neighbor." In the case of Tilden Terrace, there would be an on-site apartment manager.

"We want to help you because at the end of the day, we benefit," Silverstein said to the audience. "We're going to be your neighbor."

The Los Angeles Housing Partnership is holding a series of outreach meetings regarding the Tilden project,  with the next one scheduled for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at La Ballona Elementary School.