A group of Sun Valley neighbors are ready to battle it out with a developer to keep what they call their neighborhood quiet.
Two dozen families live just 40 feet away from an old industrial gravel pit in Shadow Hills where Line 204 Studios founder Alton Butler plans to build state-of-the-art sound stages and a catering and prop facility.
The proposed project would take over 10 acres with buildings standing at 54 feet high. Butler added that the new plan will not only enhance the neighborhood, but it will provide jobs to almost 800 people.
“I could clean up a community that I think means a lot me,” Butler said. “Sun Valley is my neighborhood.”
However, families in the area feel that the new development would jeopardize their quiet neighborhood lifestyle.
“We lived in the city on the westside,” JD Barrale said. “Moving out here was to have a break from living in the city.”
Many affected residents attended a Los Angeles City Council meeting on Friday to present their concerns to the board. Councilwoman Nury Martinez, who represents the district where the planning will take place, supports the plan. The City Council granted Butler a zoning variance to build on the agricultural land.
“It’s been vetted over and over,” Martinez said. “The developer has gone above and beyond to meet their concerns.”
Martinez added that the project would be a great opportunity for the community.
Plans for the new sound stage are currently moving forward, but neighbors are not backing down.
They have started a petition that 150 neighbors have signed to stop further building.
They claim that neighborhood councils were not told the truth about the projected plans. Sun Valley resident Bill Eick says the company serves as a 24/7 catering and events company, a vital point many neighborhood councils claim they didn’t know.
Butler confirmed that aspect of the business and said his website clearly shows what his company does, but he’s building a $900,000 sound wall to reduce noise from the sound stage.
Butler expects five trucks to move in and out during peak hours that could be after 10 p.m. Butler has also made the space to keep the trucks furthest away from the homes.
Residents in the area are still not content with the City Council’s decision to approve the project.
Barrale says he is ready to take the matter to court. Until then, the company has the right to begin building.
