Planning Commission Ignores Citizen Outcry

* What the riots, floods, earthquakes and fires didn’t destroy in the city of Los Angeles, the mayor’s Planning Commission will.

This Planning Commission (aka the Gang of Five) has declared war on every family neighborhood in the city, by rubber-stamping approvals for any and all projects that developers throw in front of them. They not only have ignored the cries of outraged citizens, but have overturned and disregarded local community development plans, environmental impact reports, and the recommendations from the police and other city agencies.

A case in point is a General Plan amendment and zone change requested by a group of speculators, which is led by a development attorney in Sylmar. This group has asked for and has received permission from the Planning Commission to rezone its properties from agricultural (RA) to commercial (C-2). This was granted despite the fact that there is no formal project, no developer, no buyer for the land, no anchor tenants and no funds set aside for construction.

The commission not only disregarded the arguments against it, but denied community members the opportunity to present their reasons or even to speak when the issue came before the commission. It was apparent from the start of the meeting that the Gang of Five had no intention of hearing the citizenry and was hell-bent on granting the application.

An unbiased commission would have heard the reasons against, from over 98% of the surrounding community, such as:

* The zone change runs with the land and would give any potential developer the ability to “build by right,” even if the site plan changed for the property. If allowed, the surrounding community would be cheated out of the opportunity for a say in any post-zone change site planning.

* A commercial zone change is an encroachment into what has always been a residential community and is contrary to the city’s own 20-year plan.

* Commercial is not needed; shops on San Fernando Road are empty and vandalized and more than 60% vacant. The Sylmar Chamber of Commerce is against the idea as well.

* The cost of mitigating measures are extreme, estimated to be more than $5 million.

* An increase in crime is forecast by the local police captain. Empty malls and shops are hangouts for undesirables.

This project is only one example. There are many others. By granting every carpetbagging developer a free hand, this Planning Commission has shown itself to be out of control and beyond the scope of good reason and sound judgment.

TIMOTHY S. SHANNON

Sylmar