Friday, January 31, 1997

PETITION:

Aesthetics, parking, facilities cited by Better Bodies' opponentsBy Rachel Muñoz

Daily Bruin Contributor

Better Bodies, a local Westwood gym 400 to 500 members strong, is experiencing a few hurdles in bettering its members' bodies.

Owners of the gym have halted membership sales because their current location violates city planning codes. It could be up to six weeks before the gym receives word whether the county zoning administrator grants a zoning variance, which decides its fate in the village.

The Westwood Village Specific Plan, a guideline for development in the village, does not permit health clubs. A zone variance would change this stipulation.

The gym is located on the ground level of 1096 Glendon Ave. in the Westwood Center building that also houses Monty's restaurant.

The possible delay in receiving an answer depends on many factors, including parking availability, the gym's effect on the village and the aesthetics of the gym's front entrance.

If the variance is not approved, the gym will have to close its Westwood doors.

The zoning hearing was held Jan. 16 at the West Los Angeles Municipal Building, where both sides represented their views about the health club.

First to voice his opinion was Mark Brown, who spoke on behalf of Tom Wilson, owner of Better Bodies.

Referring to approximately 200 letters in favor of the gym's existence, Brown and other Better Bodies supporters stressed that the club is a favorable addition to Westwood, bringing liveliness to an otherwise drab Glendon Avenue.

Kenny Gallegos, a trainer at Better Bodies, believes the gym could only help the community.

"(The) community has everything to lose by us not being in this facility," Gallegos said.

On the opposing side, Steve Sann, a former member of the gym, presented reasons why the variance should not be permitted.

"The gym is not part of what the village is about," Sann said.

Further oppositions to the gym were read from a letter written by Marcus Rosner, the owner of Morgan & Company Jewelers, which is located on Glendon Avenue across the street from Better Bodies.

"A gym would be a highly objectionable use and a neighborhood nuisance, not to mention a complete violation of the historic concept of the village as a pedestrian-oriented, neighborhood-serving retail center as required by the zoning of the Westwood Village Specific Plan," Rosner wrote.

Friends of Westwood president Laura Lake agreed. She is concerned that the street front appearance, which takes up to 400 feet of retail space, faces upscale restaurants and a jewelry store. The sight of members working out is not something that would attract pedestrians, Lake argued.

Currently, Wilson has placed screens over the windows to test reactions from the community. During the day, the screens allow members to see out, but pedestrians cannot see inside. However, at night these same screens allow people on the street to look in and leave gym members unable to look outside.

The availability of parking is another significant problem. The building offers 629 spaces, 540 of which have already been allotted to Mann Theatres to use during non-business hours, according to Heidi Glikbarg, general manager of Westwood Center.

Wilson claims that parking is not a problem because 100 percent of the gym members are people who live or work in Westwood and who wouldn't necessarily need parking.

In addition, Wilson has personally taken a parking count every hour for a week in order to find out how many members used the parking lot. He observed that the parking lot was never more than halfway full at one time, even during the height of daytime traffic.

The council is currently assessing the parking problem and will inform the zoning office of their findings.

The granting of a zone variance also hinges on whether the zoning administrator will allow the gym to be located in an office building, which is not properly equipped for gym use.

Although the gym is open for workouts, there are no locker rooms or showers available in the facility.

The city council is presently in the early stages of assessing all of the possible effects of a gym in its present location.

"I got the feeling like the city was leaning in favor of the opposition," Wilson said. He now describes the situation as "up in the air."