Published Date: 19 February 2026
CD11 staff reiterated: per Planning, new application plans have not been received.
In a short check-in meeting with CD11 staff on February 18, 2026, BaBWP requested an update on the controversial ED1 buildings—8820 Sepulveda and 8819 Sepulveda Eastway—in downtown Westchester, currently stalled under application review with Planning.
Planning and CD11’s general take: this developer might be experiencing funding and financing challenges.
Records on ED1 projects across LA show this is a common issue (buildings approved but not yet built due to financing.) While this city-wide trend is accurate, BaBWP pointed out that approved Westchester ED1 buildings in the Reading/Ramsgate area are going ahead, likely due to the significant financial resources of the developer/builder, Tommy Beadel.
Regarding 8820 Sepulveda:
Bed, Bath & Beyond parcels, including the now-shuttered Starbucks building
- Planning repeated facts already known to BaBWP from the building’s original application: waiver requests to reduce open space and void the Community Design Overlay (CDO) mandate of commercial-use only on the ground floor.
- The application has not yet filed vesting information (details on the project’s owner/investors).
Regarding 8819 Sepulveda Eastway:
- Application (including building plans) have been sent back to the developer with a Planning request for changes.
- Note: Planning has not been forthcoming regarding sharing the content of this change request with CD11 or BaBWP.
- Planning did mention they were likely to grant the original applications three Community Design Overlay (CDO) waivers, specifically: reduce # of street trees, no parking on site, and (most concerning to BaBWP) voiding the ground floor requirement for commerical-use only.
Published Date: 17 July 2025
Per CD11 staff, this project is still pending.
Beginning on June 10, 2025, BaBWP has been in regular contact with CD11 field staff to monitor progress of the Planning Department revision or approval process. As of July 15, 2025, CD11 has not seen additional documentation from Planning, and committed to outreach again to Planning for updates.
Published Date: 22 - Apr - 2025
Deficient ED1 Project Application
Our “Building Better” Ideal for Downtown Westchester
Any future project in Mixed-Used Commercial zones should be a 4x win:
- Works financially for developer + future operator;
- Adds affordable housing inventory in our community;
- Creates a walkable neighborhood;
- Supports tenant quality of life through innovative building design.
Project Plans for 8820 Sepulveda (click on image for access)
Our Take
By the standards set in both local ED1 building applications and best-of-class ED1 projects this project is sub-standard.
1. Not compliant with existing Community Design Overlay (CDO) which reserves ground-floor for commercial use only.
Only ~25% of the building frontage on Sepulveda is designated Commercial. The remaining first floor area fronting on Sepulveda is dedicated to a residential lobby, mail room and (confusingly) 1 single apartment unit with windows at ground level.
2. CDO non-compliance also harms the walkable / bikeable neighborhood promise of the Sepulveda corridor’s future as a dense Mixed-Use Commercial community.
3. Deficient open space programming.
We accept that developers can reduce open space under certain Density Incentives and ED1. However, this design limits open space to two ground-floor courtyards between 3 apartment unit towers. This courtyard/airspace width is about about 18′ between towers. (Too tight.) Pedestrian bridges criss-cross the airspace on floors 2 through 8, blocking natural light and amplifying noise.
4. Studio apartments disguised as 1-bedroom units to evade statutory rent caps.
The developer designates the 370 sq ft apartments as 1-bedrooms, not studios. Why not market the units as studios—arguably a more apt designation? Possibly because LAHD allows for a 12% higher rent allowance for 1-bedrooms? We can’t think of any other good reason to add a wall, defining a sleeping space that—as illustrated in the Planning Application—will only fit a single twin bed.
Could this Be a Better Building? Yes.
- We’re seeing better building plans from other local ED1 applications.
- This project’s architectural firm has a track record of more innovative work.
The creative team at 64North appear to leverage good design as a counterbalance technical and financial limitations. With 8820 Sepulveda, 64North has delivered a building lacking community amenities included in other local ED1 applications: balconies, communal yard space, roof-top decks and unobstructed paths for light and air.
Published Date: 14 - Mar - 2025
#2: WHO'S INVOLVED
Owner/Developer
Property Owner: application does not list title holder.
Developer Representative:
- Richard Schloss, attorney
- Karavas Kiely Schloss Whitman.
- 8549 W Wilshire Boulevard Suite 1270, Beverly Hills
- 310-880-8164
- richard@scah-la.com
Developer Organization:
- Southern California Affordable Housing-LA
- 805-490-5723
- Constructionservices@SCAH-LA.com
- Parent organization:
Land Use Consultant
Published Date: 14 - Mar - 2025
#3: PROJECT OVERVIEW
Building type: ED1 100% Affordable Housing with some first floor commercial facing Sepulveda Boulevard
Residential
- 333 studio and one-bedrooms (mix not specified in plans filed with application)
- Affordable: all 333; UrbanizeLA reports that future residents will be in the Low-Income and Moderate-Income affordable categories.
Commercial
- 1 space
- 1825 sq ft
- Approx 24% of total building front facing Sepulveda. (Remaining 76% of building front on Sepulveda for residential use)
Height
- 86′ 11″ not including elevator over-run on roof top.
- Eight stories with building front on West side, facing Sepulveda.
- 5 levels of type IIIA construction over 3 levels of type I-A construction and 1 level of semi-subterranean garage type I-A construction
Timing
- Application filed: 01-31-2025
- Construction Start Date: TBD
- Construction Completion Date: TBD
- Occupancy Date: TBD
Other Specs (taken from Planning files, developer docs, etc.)
Parking / Residential
- Total: 52 (49 standard, 3 compact).
- Total EV Spaces: 16 (30% of total) including 6 EVCS spaces (10% of total # of parking spaces.)
Parking / Commercial
- 4 spaces (all standard)
- 2 > EV
- 1 > EVCS
Parking / Bikes
- 80 spaces total
- 18 designated “short term”
Open Space
- Applicant requesting AB2334 Waiver taking required open space of 33,300 sq ft down to 4090 sq ft total.
- 25% of total sq ft (1023 sq ft) to be Exterior, Planted.
Trees
- Required = 84
- AB2334 Waiver Required = 20 (included in Plan)
Published Date: 14 - Mar - 2025
PROJECT PLAN ELEVATIONS - Building Front, Facing Sepulveda Boulevard
Published Date: 14 - Mar - 2025
PROJECT PLAN ELEVATIONS - Building Back, Facing Sepulveda Eastway
Published Date: 14 - Mar - 2025
PROJECT PLAN PER RESIDENTIAL UNIT
In the 8820 Sepulveda application plans, all 333 units appear to be identical 1-bedroom layouts. The same 1-bedroom floor plan is also presented in the application for ED1 project 8819 Sepulveda Eastway.
Therefore, our assumption is that all 1-bedroom units in both buildings are identical:
- Entire floor area = 396 sq ft based on 18′ x 22′ total space.
- Living+Kitchen Room = approximately 216 sq ft (12′ x 18′)
- Bedroom+Bathroom = 180 sq ft (10′ x 18′)
- Bedroom area alone = approximately 60 sq ft (6′ x 10′)
8819 Sepulved Eastway
All residential units are identical:
8820 Sepulveda
All residential units are identical to those proposed for 8819 Sepulveda Eastway. And identical to one another throughout 8820 Sepulveda: 396 sq ft (18′ x 22′).
