Dense 6-story apartment building adjacent SpaceX in Hawthorne gets initial OK
The Hawthorne Planning Commission has approved a six-story apartment building that would pack about 300 small apartments on less than 3 acres in a booming industrial area near the municipal airport. The proposal flies in the face of zoning codes, placing hundreds of homes in the midst of heavy industrial operations.
The proposal flies in the face of zoning codes, placing hundreds of homes in the midst of heavy industrial operations. But the developer said its modern accommodations and proximity to public transit make sense for the region, and would be convenient for thousands of nearby workers.
The City Council will decide next month whether to move forward with Blackwood Real Estate’s request to override city zoning codes to erect the building at Crenshaw Boulevard and Jack Northrop Avenue, across the street from the SpaceX rocket manufacturing plant.
Planning Commissioner Mike Talleda, the lone dissenting vote Wednesday, said it’s too risky for a city already beset by parking and traffic problems. Commissioners approved the project on a 3-1 vote, with Commissioner Pat Carey abstaining because he has a business in the area.
“It’s such a big project to put on such a small lot,” Talleda said. “Honestly, I don’t see it as a project that we need. And every building we have has an issue with parking. I don’t care how beautifully they present the case, there’s always a parking problem. If and when they do rebuild the (vacant Hawthorne Plaza) mall, that will do more to satisfy housing need.”