Streamlining Permits
* “Building Permit Process Targeted” (March 7), on the mayor’s efforts to streamline the permitting process, was quite revealing. All of the anecdotal horror stories certainly make these efforts sound appealing. Who wouldn’t want to eliminate unnecessary delays and redundancies? But the key statement came from an architect complaining of having a project delayed for five months “because the city insisted on a public hearing for his Pacific Palisades apartment project.”
Public hearings are not bureaucratic red tape. Even though developers regard them as inconvenient, the public is entitled to register concerns about projects.
Those of us who have been cautious about embracing streamlining are not encouraged by statements of this nature. In fact, this serves as evidence that developers view streamlining as a way to eliminate legitimate input from neighbors and other concerned citizens. We want the City to protect us from irresponsible and/or dangerous development by preserving the public’s role in the process, not eliminating it.
ROBERT LOCKER, President
Pacific Palisades Residents Assn.
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