Culver City : Washington Blvd. Rezoning

The City Council on Monday approved a zoning change to allow construction of a three-story commercial building along a blighted section of Washington Boulevard in the eastern section of the city.

Lots on Washington Boulevard between Sherbourne Drive and Cattaraugus Avenue, now zoned R-4 for medium-density, multiple-family dwellings, will be changed to a C-3, opening the area to commercial use.

Property owner Moshe Shemian said he expects the ground level of the building to contain retail stores such as a food market and drugstore, and the second and third floors to be office space.

The council also overturned the Planning Commission’s rejection of Shemian’s site plan. The commission’s principal objection involved parking arrangements.

The council approved the project on the condition that Shemian post signs to direct motorists to the parking facilities. The signs are to be supplemented by a person to direct traffic should the signs prove ineffective.

Council members asked the city engineer to prepare a study on the traffic that the project would generate and suggested that a traffic light be placed at one of the three intersections near the site if needed, to be paid for by Shemian.