WHITTIER >> The City Council on a 4-0 vote Tuesday approved a revised plan for a 76-unit three-story apartment complex that would go on the former site of the Mitsubishi auto dealership.

The vote — Councilman Joe Vinatieri had to leave before it was taken because of a family emergency — rejected the appeals of numerous residents opposing the project proposed by West Hollywood-based The Charles Co.

However, council members said the project, 14339 Whittier Blvd., is in synch with the revised Whittier Boulevard Specific Plan that was approved three years ago.

“This is a quality project,” said Councilman Owen Newcomer. “Even those who had concerns mentioned that it’s a good-looking project. It is what we asked for in the Whittier Boulevard Specific Plan.”

Newcomer said there’s a need for more apartments in Whittier.

“Many of us start living in (apartments) before we can afford a house,” he said. “We need to have places for our upwardly mobile young people and those who aren’t so young who would prefer to have something of quality.”

But residents who live near the project proposed by West Hollywood-based The Charles Co., said it was too big and would cause safety problems for students traveling to the adjacent East Whittier Middle School.

“It’s an issue about numbers,” said resident David Brigham.

“The traffic is numerically more than we can handle right now,” Brigham said. “During the hours of high-density traffic, you have a tremendous amount of students walking to and from school. They have a tendency not to be aware of traffic around them. They’re kids. They have to be protected.”

But officials from The Charles Co. said cars from the complex in the morning won’t be able to go on to Catalina Avenue which is next to the school.

The gate to the alley from the parking structure will be closed from 7 to 9 a.m.

“There will be no impact of traffic going into the alley during peak hours,” said Penn Hsu, architect for the project.

In addition, the architecture of the building was revised to make it more compatible with the adjacent East Whittier Middle School.

“The architect has done a great job of breaking up the massing with the different roof lines,” said Councilman Fernando Dutra. “You guys have done a good job of mitigating the traffic issue.”

But those changes didn’t satisfy the residents.

“The architect did make some modifications,” said resident Kathy Orio. “But it’s still the wrong project in the wrong area. If it meets the code, then the code needs to be looked at. It’s in the wrong place.”

Resident Marlene Gaw also still thinks the project is too big.

“The size and scope of this building is not appropriate,” said Gaw. “A three-story building can’t be aesthetically pleasing in the middle of Whittier Boulevard.”

Councilman Bob Henderson said any development will cause change.

“Do you really want to keep an abandoned car dealership so there’s never a possibility of someone moving into the city?” Henderson asked. “We want some activity in this town. We want jobs and some places to go.”