Senate OKs Airport Law Exemption

The state Senate on Friday approved, on a 22-8 vote, a bill by Sen. Robert Beverly (R-Manhattan Beach) to exempt Los Angeles County from a tough new airport land-use law.

Under the current law, the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission is required to develop comprehensive land-use plans to ensure that proposed building projects are compatible with development patterns around the county’s 17 airports. Earlier this year, the Legislature extended the deadline for county compliance with the law by six months, to Jan. 1, 1992.

Beverly’s bill, which now heads for the Assembly, seeks to exempt the county entirely from the law. The bill’s supporters contend that the law’s required review of all developments near airports will place an unfair burden on county planners.

Beverly said his proposal may be modified to establish a new commission that would be charged with reviewing airport-related planning issues in Los Angeles County.

Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach), who authored the current law, opposed Beverly’s measure. She described the proposal as inappropriate because it would make Los Angeles the only county in the state without a plan for dealing with construction around airports.

Among the bill’s supporters are Los Angeles County and the cities of Torrance, Hawthorne, Gardena, Lomita and Avalon. It is opposed by the city of Los Angeles.