15278 Antioch Street proposal approved despite community pushback
City officials have been the green light for the Hydration Room to move into the Palisades despite community pushback.
After the Pacific Palisades Design Board nixed the application of a potential Palisades location of The Hydration Room, The Los Angeles Department of City Planning has decided to approve the chain’s proposed location at 15278 Antioch Street as reported by the Palisades Post. The DRB met more than once to review the application and their ruling against the business location was unanimously approved in September.
The Board’s ruling said, “The DRB does not feel that the proposed business enhances or protects the community-oriented uses, or preserves the quality of the existing residential area. It does not promote the general welfare of the community and is inconsistent with the purpose, objectives and standards set forth in the Specific Plan. The proposed business is inappropriate for the site, surroundings and environmental setting. Located across a narrow street, adjacent to a community park, the Village Green, the proposed business is not compatible and consistent with the general character of the community as stated in the Pacific Palisades Specific Plan.” The DRB also asked The Hydration Room to consider eliminating “IV and Injection Therapy” from the store’s signage and revise plans to obstruct the public’s view of the business by erecting full-height wall partitions and the use of window tinting. The feeling among the DRB members was that the business would be more appropriate in a building of medical suites or a medical clinic. The members of the Board became concerned when no attempts to address their stated issues with design revision.
The Department of City Planning’s Director stated the opposite, namely that the ways section did not apply in this case “because the project is limited to a change of use of a retail to medical office use, exterior improvements and a 23 square-foot sign.” Furthermore, the ruling said that the building has no unified color palette and each tenant uses their own color scheme, but that the plan for The Hydration Room states that the body of the building will have a light grey color and a darker grey canopy that doesn’t clash with the nearest tenants color scheme and blue sign.
This ruling also stated that “No new building materials are proposed that will not complement the existing building or other existing buildings within the general area. Therefore, the project complies with … the Specific Plan. The proposed project will include a new metal canopy … [which] will provide … partial shade for the pedestrians below consistent with the nearby commercial properties and general character of the Pacific Palisades area.”
With the ruling, The Hydration Room is asked to submit an updated and finalized plan to the Department of City Planning for a final review and approval.
DRB Chair Donna Vaccarino was quoted by the Palisades Post and said, “I’m just profoundly disappointed in the city, not working with us, not asking for further clarification, or not … [letting] it go to a broader hearing so more people can be involved,”
“They don’t have the best interest of the community at heart. I don’t know who they’re representing here but it’s not the Palisades.”
