Planners OK 188 Luxury Apartments in Encino : Development: Neighbors want the project limited to 122 units. The builder agrees to also construct affordable housing.

Despite objections from Encino homeowners, Los Angeles planning commissioners on Thursday approved a proposal to build 188 luxury apartments on the former site of Rancho Los Encinos Hospital after the developer agreed to also construct affordable housing.

Homeowners, fearing their quiet neighborhood of million-dollar homes will be disrupted by transient renters, wanted the project at 5333 Balboa Blvd. restricted to 122 units. “Do not let greed eat away at our quality of life,” resident Bill Jasper told the commission.

But commissioners voted unanimously to allow developer Don Levin to build 188 apartments because he promised that 37 of them would be rented to low- and moderate-income families.

Ironically, it was Rob Glushon, president of the Encino Property Owners Assn., who proposed including affordable units in the complex--the element that helped win approval for the project.

Attorney Benjamin M. Reznik, representing the developer, then offered to alter the proposal to include affordable housing if the commission allowed the construction of the number of units originally requested. Commissioner Fernando Torres-Gil said Reznik’s proposal was reasonable and other commissioners agreed.

Outside the hearing, homeowners said they will appeal the decision before the City Council. They said traffic from the complex will clog local streets and complained that apartments are out of character with the neighborhood, which is made up of single-family houses and condominiums.

“Many neighbors are apprehensive about the increase in crime because apartments attract more transient types,” resident Kathy Lewis said.

In earlier concessions, developer Levin agreed to build two single-family houses as a buffer between the complex and Genesta Avenue on the east. Residents wanted the two 5,000-square-foot houses to be built at the same time as the apartment complex, but commissioners decided that requirement would have been unreasonable.

Times staff writer Carol Watson contributed to this story.