LOS ANGELES : Proposal for 4 Planning Panels Called Too Costly
A proposal by Los Angeles City Councilwoman Joy Picus to scrap the Planning Commission in favor of four separate commissions would be too costly and Balkanize the city, according to a report released this week.
After a review of the report and a brief debate Tuesday, the council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee postponed action on the Picus plan for another 30 days. Picus hopes to place the proposal on next year’s April ballot.
Picus has argued that four commissions--one each from the Valley, the Westside, Central City and the Harbor area--would be more responsive to the citizenry, with each commission consisting only of persons who live in the affected area.
But Planning Director Conn Howe predicted in the report that the expense of four panels would be hard to justify during a period of tight finances at City Hall. Currently, the annual cost of operating the commission is about $247,000. Howe said four commissions would cost $614,000.
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