Posted on 04/10/2008 7:22:41 PM PDT by Lorianne
Taking the advice of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's top planning appointee, a Valley Village woman has sued the city over a new rule that allows developers to build taller, bulkier buildings if they include affordable units.
Last month, city Planning Commission President Jane Ellison Usher sent an e-mail to community groups, criticizing the recently adopted density bonus ordinance and laying out a legal strategy to challenge it.
On Thursday, homeowner Sandy Hubbard filed the first lawsuit using Usher's suggestions. A group of home and business owners is also considering a lawsuit.
Usher and community groups have complained that the density bonus ordinance allows large, bulky developments with fewer parking spaces on residential sites that have no transit or jobs nearby.
Hubbard's attorney, Noel Weiss, called the density bonus rule "political malpractice" and said he hopes to force the Planning Department to rewrite the law.
"They need to redo the ordinance in a way that is lawful and meets the needs of the community and middle class in an honest and realistic way," Weiss said.
City leaders argue that a state law enacted in 2005 requires the city to grant density bonuses. The legislation was designed to make it easier for developers to build affordable housing.
Councilman Ed Reyes, who heads the council's planning committee, spent several years developing the density bonus ordinance and said it's a way to promote the creation of much-needed affordable housing in all neighborhoods. Faced with a legal fight now, Reyes said he would like to see density bonus opponents propose other ways to build more housing for the poor and middle class.
"If they can come up with alternatives to generate more affordable housing throughout the city ... that would be a multiple benefit."
LOL - That is the last objective of these Social Engineers. They could care less about the Middle Class, their objective is the Upper Class (Funds) and Lower Class (Votes). The Middle Class is for paying the Property Taxes.
The city leaders have a point. State law mandates that each city have a density bonus ordinance. They also review them pretty carefully. I tried to point out to the elected officials in my community that their draft ordinance didn’t comply with the law. They blew me off and sent it in. The state sent it back with ‘try again’ note attached.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa won’t be happy until he can turn every house with a yard into apartments and cement. He won’t be happy until he has displaced every American with his poor brown brothers from Mexico. Any normal mayor would want to make his city a nicer place to live.
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