Panel OKs Barrier to City Status for Marina

A bill supported by Marina del Rey landlords that would make it more difficult for residents of the coastal community to form a city and impose rent controls was approved by the Assembly Local Government Committee on a 9-0 vote and sent to the floor Tuesday.

The measure, authored by Sen. Joseph Montoya (D-Whittier) and approved by the Senate last month, is aimed at preventing areas where more than 50% of the land is publicly owned from becoming cities. The 804-acre marina is owned by Los Angeles County.

The Assembly committee amended the bill Tuesday, narrowing its focus to apply only to situations, such as in the marina, in which incorporation could reduce the amount of revenues collected by the county.

The committee also amended the bill to give the tenant-led drive to incorporate Marina del Rey until Feb. 15 to present petitions to the Los Angeles County Local Agency Formation Commission, which must rule on the feasibility of incorporation. The Senate version would have barred all incorporation attempts in the marina after the end of this year.

A preliminary staff review of the proposal issued by the commission earlier this year said an incorporated marina--which would contain more than 10,000 residents, all of them renters--would face a first-year deficit of nearly $2 million because it would not raise sufficient tax revenues.

Should the commission rule against city status and the bill be approved by the Assembly and signed by Gov. George Deukmejian, the tenants would face more hurdles in a future incorporation campaign.

Under the amendments adopted by the committee Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors could stop a future campaign merely by filing an objection with the local agency commission.

Moreover, as amended, the bill provides that a new city in the marina could not adopt any policy that would limit the amount of revenues the county receives from its leaseholds.

The marina incorporation drive was begun nearly a year ago, sparked by tenant desires to put a lid on rent increases.

The county-owned community--with boat slips, shops and apartments--is located between Venice and Playa del Rey. It was created by the county 30 years ago and has turned into a mecca for affluent young professionals.