Review of Development Appeal Fees Is Sought : Finances: City councilwoman calls the charges ‘burdensome and unfair.’

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Laura Chick called Tuesday for a review of fees that opponents must pay to appeal development projects, after revelations that critics have been asked to pay up to $64,000 to air complaints.

Chick said the charges were “burdensome and unreasonable,” adding that the city should consider setting a sliding fee scale or allowing the submission of petitions instead of the higher fees.

The fees passed the City Council in April with little discussion and remained unknown to most city officials until complaints last week. Opponents of the proposed Playa Vista development near Marina del Rey were asked to pay a $64,000 fee to appeal the Planning Commission’s approval of that project.

The higher fees were imposed in an effort to discourage “frivolous” appeals. They allow property owners within 500 feet of development projects to appeal for a $64 fee but require those outside that boundary to pay 85% of the fees owed by the developer.

Chick said the increased fees are “sending the wrong message.”

“It’s harder for people to be involved,” she said. “I want to send the opposite message, that we want more people involved.”

Chick’s request for a review of the fees will be heard by the Planning and Land Use Management Committee within two weeks, then go to the full council.

The San Fernando Valley councilwoman said she learned of the problem from a constituent who wanted to object to construction of a Jack in the Box restaurant in Canoga Park but could not afford the fees, which have averaged about $2,000.

“She said she couldn’t pay and she walked away from it,” Chick said.

Last week, three opponents of the Playa Vista project--state Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica), the Friends of Sunset Park homeowners group and the city of Santa Monica--were thwarted in filing appeals when they were told of the $64,000 fee.

Other critics of the project who were not subject to the higher fees appealed by Monday’s deadline and forced a hearing before the council.

Two of those appealing--the Road Ranger auto repair shop and Woodley Tire Co.--are small businesses within 500 feet of the Playa Vista property. The third appeal was by Caltrans, the state transportation agency. All three appeals were allowed under the $64 fee.

Hayden’s office encouraged the appeal by the auto repair shop and even paid the fee.

But Chick, Hayden and others said the fact that appeals were filed in the Playa Vista case does not make the law any less unfair. Among other problems, they said, is a provision that permits property owners to appeal under the lower fee but not renters.

“It seemed to me that this ordinance treated renters as a different class of citizens, who lack the same rights as property owners,” Chick said.

City Councilman Hal Bernson, who proposed the higher fees, said they have served the intended purpose. “I don’t want to go back to the days where you have people appealing every damn case,” Bernson said. “All that does is drive up construction costs and drive up prices, and that’s not good.”