|
Coalition Sues City; wants Approval of Zoning Ordinances, Development Deals, Put on Hold |
|
|
The City
By Ken Draper
Taking a unique tack to slow unbridled development in Los Angeles until the city’s General Plan is brought up to date, the LaBrea Willoughby Coalition and its president, Lucille Saunders, have sued the City.
 The group is asking a Superior Court Judge to stop the City from
approving any zoning ordinances, General Plan amendments, development
agreements or Specific Plans until the City … in particular the
Planning Department, obeys the law.
In short the brief says that the Planning Department, by law, is
required to monitor population growth, infrastructure and services …
and provide an annual report on the results of that monitoring … so
that decisions made by the city on development, zoning, transportation
and Specific Plans can be done so with real and timely knowledge on
whether the LA is prepared to support those decisions.
The Coalition argues that the City issue close to two million construction permits for new building just in 2nd quarter of this year, yet the last annual report, which helps determine if the city’s infrastructure and transportation system can handle those permit approvals, was issued in 2000 for the years 1996-1998..
Saunders says that her Coalition is concerned that these plans, like Housing Element Framework for which somewhat controversial hearings are currently being held, continue to perpetuate polices and approve developments based on outdated information … in the end, harming all of LA’s neighborhoods.
The suit is not asking for any monetary recovery but wants the Annual Report produced post-haste, as the law requires. (Read the entire suit here. Read complete analysis of this unique action: Next CityWatch.)
CityWatch
Vol 6 Issue 53
Pub: July 1, 2008
|
|
|
