Construction is moving along at Kensington Gardens, the new 59-home subdivision located adjacent to Lindsley Park, the Santa Fe Trail, and Shadyside Lane.
A quick look at some of the homes for sale in the subdivision reveals that they are a bit pricier than we originally reported — listing around $599,000-$719,000.
Although nearby Hollywood Heights/Santa Monica conservation district residents will likely see an increase in their own property values as a result of the Plano-based Megatel development, further development plans have raised a flag for some neighbors.
“The neighbors don’t want this developed at all,” one neighborhood association member (who opted to remain anonymous for this article) says.
In fact, a small group of HSMNA members are headed to City Hall today, July 10, at 1:30 p.m., when the zoning application is under review by the City Plan Commission, to oppose the development. The 1.5-acre tract of vacant land on the west corner of Shadyside Lane and East Grand Avenue is currently zoned for commercial uses; the application asks for the zoning to allow a 13-unit single family detached home subdivision. Neighbors believe that that density is too high, particularly for that tract of land, which is just outside the conservation district but happens to be located within a floodplain.
“We have concerns about flooding on adjacent, existing property, destruction of the habitat, and the potential for apartments being built there,” the neighbor says.
Unlike the land across Shadyside Lane where construction on the $500,000 tudor-style homes is in progress, the 1.5 acres in question have largely remained vacant over the years, save for occasional small retail places, as evidenced by several old pecan trees on the property.
“This tract of land is home to owls, hawks and other wildlife that help make Hollywood/Santa Monica and the Santa Fe trail gems in our community,” the neighbor says.
And the goal at City Hall today? The neighbor says they’re hoping for a zoning recommendation with lower density.
“I think that our main desire is to retain a large strip of land near the creek as protected to ensure that a proper flood study is performed, and that no clearing of the land is performed until homes on it are sold.”
