Champion Real Estate Company, through 806 West Adams Property LLC, proposed 102 apartments on a 2.8-acre site it bought in 2018 for $26 million at the southeast corner of Adams Boulevard and Severance Street in University Park, less than a mile from USC. The plan has 100 five-bedroom units and two three-bedroom units, five of them for very low-income households, in six buildings of three stories over a podium plus a four-story clubhouse, 45 feet tall. USC is not involved. On May 17, 2019 a city zoning administrator granted a Class 32 infill exemption from CEQA but denied site plan review, citing "noise and music" from rooftop decks. The project was redesigned in a Craftsman style with inset decks and limited deck hours; the Planning Commission approved it on October 10, 2019, and the City Council upheld the exemption on February 4, 2020. The West Adams Heritage Association and the Adams Severance Coalition sued. On August 10, 2023 the Court of Appeal, in an unpublished opinion, voided the exemption because the city had relied on deck-noise restrictions as mitigation. AB 1307, signed weeks later, says occupant noise is not a CEQA impact. After the California Supreme Court sent the case back, the Court of Appeal ruled again on October 31, 2024: noise no longer counted, but the exemption stays set aside until the city finds the project consistent with the Exposition/University Park Redevelopment Plan, which a 2019 ordinance gave the force of zoning. No such finding has been reported. Champion separately obtained a ministerial permit in November 2022 for a four-story, 52-unit building on one parcel, which a trial court upheld against a separate CEQA suit in May 2024; neighbors appealed. The court said Champion had not abandoned the larger plan.
Staff · Planning Commission · City Council · Court · City of Los Angeles · California Second District Court of Appeal
| Date | Event | What the record shows |
|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2019 | Zoning Administrator Exempts Project but Faults Rooftop Decks | A Class 32 exemption is granted, but site plan review is denied over deck "noise and music." Court of Appeal: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/B319121.PDF |
| October 10, 2019 | Planning Commission Backs Craftsman Redesign | The commission denies Jim Childs's appeal and limits deck hours. Court of Appeal: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/B319121.PDF |
| February 4, 2020 | City Council Upholds Exemption | The council denies Childs's appeal. Court of Appeal: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/B319121.PDF |
| November 1, 2022 | Champion Gets Permit for 52-Unit Building | A separate four-story building with six affordable units on one parcel (month only). Urbanize LA: https://urbanize.la/post/52-apartments-underway-806-w-adams-boulevard-university-park |
| August 10, 2023 | Appeals Court Voids Exemption Over Deck Noise | In an unpublished opinion, the court holds that the city improperly relied on mitigation. Court of Appeal: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/nonpub/B319121.PDF |
| September 7, 2023 | Newsom Signs AB 1307 | Occupant noise is no longer a CEQA impact. CalMatters: https://calmatters.org/housing/2023/08/ceqa-noise-pollution/ |
| November 21, 2023 | Supreme Court Grants Review and Holds Case | The court holds case S281588 pending the People's Park case and denies publication of the 2023 opinion. California Supreme Court: https://supreme.courts.ca.gov/sites/default/files/supremecourt/default/documents/cr112123.pdf |
| May 31, 2024 | Trial Court Upholds 52-Unit Version | The neighborhood groups appeal (B339952). Court of Appeal: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/B319121.PDF |
| July 24, 2024 | Supreme Court Sends Case Back | The case is transferred to the Court of Appeal after the People's Park ruling. California Supreme Court: https://supreme.courts.ca.gov/sites/default/files/supremecourt/default/documents/cr072424.pdf |
| October 31, 2024 | Court Drops Noise Issue but Requires Redevelopment Finding | The exemption stays set aside until the city finds the project consistent with the Exposition/University Park Redevelopment Plan (106 Cal.App.5th 395). Court of Appeal: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/B319121.PDF |
| Date | Body | Action | Vote | Staff rec. | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2019 | Staff | denied | — | None | Court of Appeal: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/B319121.PDF |
| October 10, 2019 | Planning Commission | approved | — | Unknown | Court of Appeal: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/B319121.PDF |
| February 4, 2020 | City Council | appeal rejected | — | Unknown | Court of Appeal: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/B319121.PDF |
| August 10, 2023 | Court | ruling issued | — | Unknown | Court of Appeal: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/nonpub/B319121.PDF |
| October 31, 2024 | Court | ruling issued | — | Unknown | Court of Appeal: https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/B319121.PDF |
Rating 4 of 5. Primary records for the key facts; minor details may rest on reporting. Corrections: https://whokilledthebuilding.com/corrections.