Westchester : Building Rule Extension

Los Angeles Councilwoman Ruth Galanter has called for a one-year extension of the city’s interim controls on development in the Westchester Bluffs area.

Galanter introduced a motion this month to extend temporary restrictions on building while city planners continue work on a final plan to regulate development and protect the scenic bluffs.

The proposed extension has yet to be considered by a council’s Planning and Land Use Committee. It also needs the approval of the full City Council.

The interim controls, which took effect in September, 1988, were intended to limit building on bluff-top lots in Westchester and Playa del Rey while planners wrestled with how to protect the aesthetic values of the area.

The original control ordinance states that if unregulated new development occurred, there would be an “irreplaceable loss” of scenic resources and natural features unique to the area. The fragile bluffs also have experienced erosion and drainage problems.

The area affected by the controls on development extends west from Sepulveda Boulevard along the bluff top to Vista del Mar in Playa del Rey.