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Thomas Safran moves ahead with 98-unit affordable resi in Venice

Project faced opposition from locals, but the developer scaled back proposal

Thomas L. Safran and the Thatcher Avenue site
Thomas L. Safran and the Thatcher Avenue site

A public-private partnership is moving forward with a scaled-back plan for an affordable housing complex in Venice.

The Department of City Planning accepted an application for the 98-unit updated version on Tuesday.

The developer, Thomas Safran & Associates, wants to build one- to three-story apartment buildings for seniors and families. The project is slated for 3311-3233 S. Thatcher Avenue, a vacant two-acre parcel of city-owned land known as Thatcher Yard.

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The low-slung design was in response to community concerns that a tall complex would change the area’s single-family home character, according to Venice Update, a local blog. Thomas Safran first revealed plans for the updated version in December 2017.

A group called Oxford Triangle Association formed to oppose an earlier version of the project, which called for 150 units. The revised plan has the support of a City Council member Mike Bonin.

The city tapped Thomas Safran to redevelop the site in late 2016. It once housed city-owned street maintenance equipment used in the area.

The Brentwood developer builds both market-rate and affordable projects and manages 61 properties in the L.A. area. It’s working on a 68-unit affordable senior living facility in Hollywood.

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