Sylmar, the northernmost neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley, could see the addition of a mixed-use development near Interstate 210.
Located at 14971 Foothill Boulevard, under the gaze of the San Gabriel Mountains, the proposed site would be improved with a five-story apartment building featuring two commercial spaces totaling 1,337 square feet.
Two single-family homes would be razed to make way for the mixed-use project, which would increase Sylmar’s rental housing stock, made up primarily of buildings constructed in the ‘70s and ‘80s. There would be a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units, ranging from 385 to 883 square feet. Nineteen apartments would be set aside as affordable, while the remaining 113 units would be market-rate.
Three levels of parking would provide 143 vehicle spaces. A first-floor bicycle storage and repair room could accommodate up to 120 bicycles, however, each floor would also contain its own bicycle storage facility with enough space for 18 bicycles. Sylmar is known for its abundance of nature trails, used by mountain bikers, horseback riders and hikers.
Two open-air courtyards landscaped with Japanese maple and Eastern redbud trees would be accessible to residents, in addition to a rear patio with barbeques that is “shielded away from the streets and freeway,” according to a findings document. An expansive roof deck would include vegetable gardens, oversized planters, fire pits, barbecues, dining tables, bench seating and a dog run.
Designed by Archeon Group, the 61-foot-tall building would be clad in dark grey-blue stucco, tan horizontal siding, stacked stone veneer and white-trimmed vinyl windows. The contemporary-style structure would be accented with decorative wood brackets and corbels, wrought iron balcony railings, and varied, gable roofs featuring ceramic tiles.
Daniel Wishard is listed as the applicant and property owner. He is requesting a number of building incentives in exchange for the inclusion of affordable units. The neighborhood consists of mostly single-family homes, with a handful of apartment buildings and a hotel located down the street. Olive View-UCLA Medical Center is just over a mile away, an academic county hospital that serves as a rotation site for medical students.
