Woodland Hills residents erupt at planning hearing over senior-housing project

At a Los Angeles City Planning Commission session, Woodland Hills residents clashed loudly with developer Akhilesh Jah over his plan to raze a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home on Del Moreno Drive and erect a 71-unit senior living facility that would include a cafeteria and medical office. Neighbors shouted accusations, with one attendee calling Jah a “perv” and another threatening black magic, prompting police to escort a disruptive woman out of the hearing.

Critics said the proposal would overwhelm the quiet neighborhood, provide no parking, and sit inside an LA Fire Department fire zone. Jah defended the project by pointing to California’s developer-friendly housing statutes that grant density bonuses and allow projects with affordable units to bypass certain local restrictions. Most of the requested variances have already been approved, though additional permits are still required, and Jah warned that construction may not begin for several years. The episode is part of a larger statewide pattern in which developers use new state incentives to introduce larger, higher-density housing into traditionally low-density suburbs, sparking fierce local opposition.