WHITE WHALE STILL REACHING FOR THE SKY
by Marvin
Klotz
I have filed an appeal of the
West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission decision to overrule its staff's
recommendation to disapprove the Best Western Marina Pacific Hotel's request for
exceptions from the Venice Specific Plan (see Free Venice Beachhead, July
2002).
The Commission, as you know, voted to allow the
Hotel to build a fifth story, thus increasing the height of its already
oversized structure from 52 feet to 63.5 feet in an area limited to 35 feet by
the VSP; as well, it approved the Hotel's request to further violate the VSP's
1.5:1 density constraint (it already is at 2:1).
The matter will be heard by the City
Council PLUM (Planning and Land Use Management) Committee, but no date has been
set. The Committee meets on Tuesdays, at 2PM, and must provide 24 days
advance notice.
You may express your
feelings on this matter by FAXing (213-978-1040) or emailing
(jwhite@clerk.lacity.org). John White, the Legislative Assistant to the
PLUM Committee, assures me that all written correspondence will be included in
the case file. If you have questions about procedure, you can call him at
213-978-1068. Correspondence must refer to Council File 02-1870 (Best
Western Marina Pacific Hotel).
You
might note that the Commission ignored its own staff's 46 page recommendation to
disapprove the request for exceptions from the VSP because the Hotel was unable
to meet the conditions for such exceptions set down in the Municipal Code.
Further, note that it will be impossible to apply the 35 foot height limit to
the developers of adjacent vacant lots, if the Hotel is permitted to ignore that
restriction. The Los Angeles City Planning Department points out that the
oversized existing structure could not be built at all under the current
ordinance.
If you would like further
information, please email me--<marvintax@earthlink.net>.
Posted: Tue - October 1, 2002 at 05:49 PM