West L.A. Planning Board Denies AT&T Plans for Cell Towers on Washington Boulevard

A proposal by AT&T to install a cell tower on the roof of a hotel on Washington Boulevard was denied earlier this week and the Venice Neighborhood Council in a related action imposed a one-year moratorium on new wireless antennas.

The Venice Neighborhood Council in October voted against the proposal for a wireless antenna array to be installed atop the Best Western Plus at 737 W. Washington Blvd., but the proposal was approved by the city's Planning Department. An appeal was lodged and the West Los Angeles Planning Commission on Wednesday voted 3-0 to support the appeal and deny the cell tower.

Jim Murez, a longtime member of the neighborhood council's Land Use and Planning Committee, outlined to the West L.A. Planning Commission on Wednesday why the cell tower should be denied. He pointed out that the 37-foot tall tower was taller than the height allowed under the Venice Coastal Zone Specific Plan.

More than 500 people had signed a petition opposing the installation of the wireless antennas. The Venice Neighborhood Council on Tuesday night voted unanimously in support of the appeal.

In a related move, the neighborhood council voted 10-3 with one abstention Tuesday in support of a cell tower and antenna policy for Venice that would place a one-year moratorium on new cell towers to allow cell companies and the community to work together on guidelines.

One of the policy considerations calls for antennas to be placed on public property, where possible, with proceeds from the lease going into a trust for community improvements. Another consideration was turning the cell towers into public art projects so they could double as art displays and telecommunication stations.