Neighbors Win View Fight : Resident Barred From Adding to Home

A Los Angeles zoning administrator has ruled that the city Building and Safety Department acted properly in issuing a stop-work order against a homeowner’s remodeling project that would block neighbors’ scenic views.

Homeowner Peter Olmstead sought to overturn the Oct. 21 stop order, claiming that he had obtained a valid building permit for work on his home at 345 Adelaide Drive in Los Angeles.

But neighbors claimed that the construction would violate a 1961 zoning ruling that limits the height of the residence and protects their views.

James J. Crisp, a Los Angeles city associate zoning administrator, heard the case Dec. 16 and issued a 17-page ruling upholding the stop-work order on Thursday.

In his ruling, Crisp said the stop order “was validly issued.”

This is a victory for homeowners who have been fighting the construction that would block their views of Santa Monica Canyon and the Pacific Ocean, according to Roger Jon Diamond, attorney for the Adelaide Drive Residents Assn.

The association sued in Santa Monica Superior Court on Dec. 10 claiming that Olmstead had violated the city’s stop-work order by starting construction on the upper level of the residence.

Judge David Rothman granted a temporary restraining order against the project on Dec. 11 and a preliminary injunction on Dec. 24.

The preliminary injunction was in effect until Thursday when Rothman was informed of the zoning administrator’s ruling issued that day.

Diamond has asked Rothman to extend the injunction during an expected appeal by Olmstead to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Homeowners are awaiting a ruling by Rothman, Diamond said.