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EL SERENO, Calif. () — Residents and business owners in El Sereno gathered for a demonstration Thursday to protest a proposed 111-unit housing development they say would negatively affect the neighborhood because it does not include parking.
The proposed residential complex would be built on a vacant lot at the corner of South Huntington Drive and Portola Avenue.
Opponents of the project say the development does not include any parking spaces despite plans for more than 100 apartments.
“It’s just not built with us in mind,” said Vanessa Gutierrez, an El Sereno business owner.
Residents and business owners participating in the protest said the lack of parking is their primary concern. They argue that more than 100 apartments without dedicated parking would increase demand on already limited street parking and affect nearby businesses and neighborhoods.
“It’s just sad to think that this monstrosity is going to be built with zero parking. I think that really impacts values in the neighborhood and we should all be concerned about that,” one resident said during the demonstration.
The development is being proposed by Sola Impact, a private equity real estate firm that specializes in low-income housing. Some residents also alleged that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is helping advance the project without community input.
Demonstrators emphasized that their concerns are not about low-income housing itself, but about the potential parking impacts of the proposed development.
“After this we’re going to get permit parking, after that we’re going to get metered parking. All of our businesses are going to shutter, and all of our property value is going to go down,” said Kendall Key, a real estate agent.
For some residents, parking issues are already a source of frustration.
“It is a parking war,” Gutierrez said.
Eyewitness News sought comment from both Sola Impact and the mayor’s office regarding the El Sereno project, but neither agreed to an interview.
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