Next week, the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission will consider a proposal to construct a new apartment building near the UCLA campus in Westwood

The project, located at 626 S. Landfair Avenue, calls for the demolition of an existing fraternity house to make way for the construction of a four-story building featuring 10 residential units and two levels of basement parking.

Developer 626 Landfair, LLC has tapped Los Angeles-based architecture firm Yu & Associates to design the contemporary low-rise structure, which would offer a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, as well as a rear yard and a third-floor deck.

Westwood Community Council member Wolfgang Veith has appealed the project's approvals, alleging that it fails to comply with local zoning standards.  A staff report acknowledges that the project is in fact required to provide more open space than originally designed, but states that it is otherwise designed to code.  The report recommends granting and denying the appeal in part, but not preventing the project from moving forward.

Tempers have recently flared over development in Westwood as UCLA forges ahead with plans for a major expansion of its student housing capacity, pitting students against neighboring homeowners.  The acrimony will culminate in an upcoming election that could see Westwood's neighborhood council split in two.