Archdiocese Denied Rezoning to Allow Houses Near College

The Rancho Palos Verdes City Council on Tuesday rebuffed an attempt by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese to have 3.9 acres rezoned for single-family housing.

The parcel is on Palos Verdes Drive East, west of Marymount College, a private Catholic junior college.

The hearing on the request revealed that the college and the archdiocese disagree on what to do with the land, now zoned institutional.

College representatives told the council that they would like the present zoning to remain, since they hope to buy the property to expand the college, but cannot afford it now. The archdiocese had asked the council to consider an amendment to the General Plan that would allow the parcel’s being zoned single-family residential.

The archdiocese had already begun negotiating with S.D.Z. Land Co., which hopes to buy the land and which filed the request for a zoning change on behalf of the archdiocese.

Neighboring residents told the council they prefer that the property be kept as open space or developed as housing. “We see less impact to our community with this kind of zoning” than from a larger college, said Keith Reynolds, president of the El Prado Estates Homeowners Assn.

Councilman Robert Ryan, who alone voted for the archdiocesan request, argued that the people should be permitted to decide whether the zoning is changed.

Mayor Mel Hughes said the barren site now acts as a buffer between the college and neighboring residents. “If we put housing there, tomorrow we’ll have people in complaining about the impact on residential. One of the goals of the General Plan is not to create conflicts.”

Councilwoman Jacki Bacharach said she did not want an expensive initiation process begun when she believes the residents really want open space.

“I’m not convinced that the request for residential use is really what the neighbors want,” Councilman Douglas Hinchliffe said.

Bacharach said the council might consider a General Plan amendment for the land if Proposition B, a county measure to fund parklands and wildlife habitats, is approved by the voters in November. Proposition B funds could finance the city’s acquisition of open space, she said, and the 3.9-acre parcel might qualify as that.