Sherwood Forest Elder-Care Facility Fails to Win Support of Land Use Committee

A 140-unit elder-care facility proposed for a single-family Northridge neighborhood failed to get the support of the land use committee of the Northridge South Neighborhood Council Monday.

The project offered by land-owner Fred Selan and politically connected developer Ted Stein was turned down by an 8-0 vote with two abstentions, according to Judi Greenberg, vice president of the Neighborhood Council.

The 83,026-square-foot commercial facility on 2.34 acres at the corner of Pathnenia Street and Shoshone Avenue would be two-stories high, with a three-story wing in the central courtyard, according to Tom Stemnock of Planning Associates Inc. Of the 140 residences, 105 would be for assisted living and 35 for memory care.

A single representative of the Sherwood Forest Homeowner's Association attended the committee meeting to represent the more than 300 Association members who turned out Jan. 24 to protest the project, Greenberg said. Stemnock represented the developers.

The Sherwood Forest website advises:

• That the project is incompatible in size, scale and appearance with the "unique, single-family residential community,"
• That it will create substantial environmental problems such as increased traffic and noise,
• That access to project is located on a small road with no sidewalks and no public transit,
• That the proposed parking lot is extremely small and the overflow will impact the neighborhood by clogging streets, and
• That there is no demonstrated need for this warehouse-sized facility as seniors needing care in the community are already well served by existing, compatible facilities.

The land use committee's decision will go before the full Neighborhood Council board for ratification 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 28, at Northridge Middle School, 17960 Chase St. 

In Chatsworth, Councilman Mitch Englander joined with the land use committee of the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council to oppose a proposed 99-bed elder-care facility on DeSoto Avenue. He said that project didn't fit the surrounding neighborhood of horse-keeping properties.