HERMOSA BEACH : City Loses Case to Pair Planning 2 Condos
A judge has awarded an Arizona couple $213,300 in damages from Hermosa Beach because officials unlawfully blocked their plans to build two condominiums in the city, an attorney said.
Doug and Cheryl Clark sued the city after they were denied permits in 1992 to build two Mediterranean-style condos at Hermosa Avenue and 29th Street. A Torrance Superior Court judge awarded them damages and gave the city until Tuesday to issue a permit for the project, said Kathy Jenson, the couple’s attorney.
On Tuesday, the City Council directed staff members to set up a public hearing on the project in about a month. A permit cannot be issued without a hearing, officials said.
City Councilman John Bowler said that “the judge’s decisions were based on erroneous facts” and that the city will consider an appeal.
The project originally was approved by the city Planning Department but was then denied by the council.
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