Opponents of Projects Are Given 2nd Chance

Mayor Tom Bradley has given homeowner groups and slow-growth advocates a new chance to object to about 150 development projects routinely approved by Los Angeles officials over the last 13 months.

Complaints about the effect on traffic or noise--or virtually any environmental intrusion--will be taken for 15 days. If sufficient objections are raised, a project may face a new review by city officials.

Each of the 150 projects is large enough to fall under a state law that requires environmental reviews if the development could degrade the quality of nearby life.

But all are also small enough that the city’s Department of Building and Safety had issued rulings, called “negative declarations,” that a study was unnecessary.

Environmental Reviews

The administrative rulings were all issued in the 13 months since Bradley directed city officials to subject more development projects to environmental review.

The mayor’s directive followed a successful lawsuit by the Friends of Westwood organization against a high-rise planned for Wilshire Boulevard.

Under Bradley’s new order this week, the so-called “negative declarations” on the 150 projects will not necessarily be lifted. But letters and evidence of environmental harm will be accepted and looked at to see if a study is warranted.

Public reaction to the developments will be accepted for 15 days after a notice is published in Los Angeles newspapers.

A notice inviting comment was already published for each of the 150 projects, but the city has recently changed the notice to make it more informative and Bradley said it would be prudent to reopen the files on these developments.

Only development projects that have not begun construction are affected by Bradley’s order, but leaders of neighborhood groups were pleased.

‘A Second Chance’

“It’s a second chance at the ones that got away,” said Laura Lake, a Westwood leader of Not Yet New York, a community group that has pushed for more environmental reviews.

The notices announcing new negative declarations, usually published on Thursday in the Herald-Examiner, are closely watched by activists and homeowner leaders as a tip-off to potentially controversial developments in their areas.

Homeowner groups tried unsuccessfully this week to have the comment period on all development projects extended to 30 days. Activists say they often do not have the time or expertise to respond with a well-reasoned objection within 15 days.

The City Council rejected the move for 30 days, however, deciding instead to publish the notices more widely.