Bradley Rips, Vetoes Demolition Measure

Mayor Tom Bradley on Friday vetoed two ordinances that would have halted demolition of single-family homes in two areas of Los Angeles, describing them as “seat-of-the-pants planning at its worst.”

The measures, authored by Councilman Nate Holden, a political rival of Bradley’s, would have placed indefinite demolition moratoriums on single-family homes in the Pico-Fairfax District and an area near Wilshire and Crenshaw boulevards. Both are in Holden’s council district.

Holden, who said the ordinances were intended to protect the dwindling supply of homes from apartment developers until a new community plan could be developed, charged that Bradley was caving in to development interests.

Bradley said the moratoriums would haphazardly restrict development and make the city liable to an “endless number of lawsuits.”

The measures had been approved by the City Planning Commission and was unanimously approved by the City council. The vetoes followed the mayor’s veto of a popular police foot patrol program one week ago. Bradley issued only two vetoes in the first six months of the year. It takes 10 votes of the 15-member council to override a veto.