Groves will flip to graves in Woodland Hills, the place a developer has plans to redevelop Boething Treeland Nursery right into a cemetery.
The 32-acre nursery has grown bushes and different vegetation for the San Fernando Valley for the final seven a long time, nevertheless it offered final yr for $3.96 million to Dignity Memorial, the nation’s largest funeral supplier. The corporate is within the strategy of submitting plans to town of L.A. to get approval for a cemetery and funeral residence on the property.
Some locals aren’t so prepared for the change. The location is sandwiched between a trio of prosperous communities — Woodland Hills, Hidden Hills and Calabasas — loaded with well-known and outspoken residents.
The area, recognized for its rolling hills and serene setting, has turn out to be a sizzling spot for rappers, athletes and Kardashians on the lookout for privateness exterior the bustle of L.A. Such peace has a price ticket — properties there frequently fetch $10 million or extra — so when the proposed improvement grew to become public, residents began petitioning, claiming non secular objections, site visitors considerations or the fright issue of dwelling subsequent to a cemetery.
Extra just lately, the locals employed a regulation agency, Raskin Tepper Sloan Regulation, to push again on the challenge. On Monday, the agency despatched a letter to the L.A. Planning Division urging town to evaluation the plans earlier than giving it the inexperienced mild.
“We perceive this represents a big change for the neighborhood,” mentioned Aaron Inexperienced, the challenge’s spokesperson. “We worth being a very good neighbor and stay up for open conversations as we transfer ahead with our plans.”
The location is sandwiched between a trio of prosperous communities — Woodland Hills, Hidden Hills and Calabasas.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Occasions)
Inexperienced mentioned the cemetery can have a serene and garden-like aesthetic, full with fencing and a landscaped privateness wall across the perimeter. Two buildings will probably be added: a storage facility and an area for celebration of life providers. Memorials will happen solely throughout the day.
The developer will get development and grading permits to make the property extra walkable and add locations for burials. Based on Inexperienced, the land is already zoned to be used as a cemetery by proper, which means the method is expedited and doesn’t require any public hearings.
Inexperienced famous that Dignity Memorial has already began talking with native stakeholders, regardless of plans not but being submitted.
For some residents, that’s not sufficient. In response to mounting objections, town of Hidden Hills launched an replace final month saying that the property is exterior town’s sphere of affect, and that since no new zoning is critical, it doesn’t anticipate any public enter within the course of.
No lawsuit has been filed, however the letter despatched by the regulation agency claims that the challenge shouldn’t routinely be granted the zoning rights the developer claims it has. As a substitute, it argues it ought to undergo a extra rigorous approval course of with a CEQA evaluation that measures the cemetery’s potential impacts on the surroundings, site visitors and the encompassing neighborhoods.
“Dignity Memorial is trying to sneak ‘by proper’ approvals for his or her large 32-acre cemetery with none public course of or environmental evaluation. Regardless of what could also be months, if not years, of inner planning, Dignity has not proven a single website plan to close by residents, companies or faculties,” mentioned Scott J. Tepper, the lawyer representing the residents.
Tepper mentioned the locals aren’t NIMBYs; they’re simply asking for a extra rigorous evaluation course of.
To ensure that a challenge to obtain the expedited timeline granted from zoning by proper, it has to satisfy sure standards that ensures it doesn’t disrupt the neighborhood. Inexperienced claims the cemetery plans meet all the standards.
For instance, town requires that any added buildings be no less than 300 ft away from adjoining buildings within the surrounding neighborhoods. Inexperienced mentioned the 2 buildings will probably be that distant.
Town additionally requires safety fencing across the complete property. Inexperienced mentioned the fence and landscaped wall fulfill that requirement.
That hasn’t stopped locals from weighing in.
“The place was the method on this one?” wrote Helene Chemel underneath a Fb submit from Valley Information Group, which has been reporting on the proposed improvement.
Others are extra welcoming.
“The neighbors will probably be a lot quieter than those that may have been anticipated if the unique plan had gone by way of,” wrote Alison Kenney, referring to earlier makes an attempt to develop the property.
In 1985, the Boething household proposed a 22-building complicated with places of work and condos, a 200-room resort, and parking for 3,630 vehicles. The challenge was met with backlash and fizzled out.
Plans ramped up once more in 2017, with purposes submitted for a 60,000-square-foot aged care facility, 26 single-family properties and 95 small-lot dwellings for a complete of 413,588 sq. ft of constructing area. Protests mounted once more, and the plans by no means materialized.
“Our household determined the nursery couldn’t proceed indefinitely, and neighbors made clear they didn’t need a big residential challenge,” mentioned Bruce Pherson, chief govt of Boething Treeland Farms. “We felt Dignity Memorial was the fitting purchaser and we knew a cemetery can be far much less impactful.”
Dignity will submit plans to town subsequent month. Upon approval, development will begin subsequent yr with the aim of opening the cemetery by late 2026 or early 2027.
Inexperienced mentioned that whereas public hearings gained’t be obligatory, the corporate will interact with neighbors as soon as plans are submitted.
“A cemetery is likely one of the least impactful, community-sensitive makes use of that may be proposed for this property,” he mentioned.
