L.A. City Council Blinks, Public Wins
Categories: politics
A controversial plan to more than double planning department appeal fees was set aside today by the Los Angeles City Council.
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| Los Angeles City Hall |
Today's city council vote came after homeowner groups, neighborhood councils, and environmental groups crammed into Los Angeles City Hall and protested the plan at a council meeting yesterday. It would have dramatically hiked fees for appealing real estate development projects with the city's Planning Department.
Mount Washington Homeowners Alliance member Daniel Wright says the increase created a "huge outrage" among community activists, who complained that the hike would make appealing such projects as a strip mall or skyscraper too expensive and therefore allow developers to do whatever they please.
The city council is still looking to rework appeal fee costs, according to the L.A. Times, and wants to come back with another proposal within 30 days.
Besides the fee increase, community activists were also angered by a lack of transparency by the city council when attempting to push through the initial hike.
Contact Patrick Range McDonald at pmcdonald@laweekly.com and follow at http://twitter.com/PRMcDonald.
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