Citizens Group Sues to Block Marina Plan

A group of residents and boat owners recently filed a lawsuit against the California Coastal Commission and Los Angeles County challenging a controversial plan to redevelop the marina.

The Friends of Marina del Rey, a local citizens group, charges in the suit that the plan violates eight ordinances of the 1976 California Coastal Act, which requires that coastal development provide and protect public access.

The alleged violations in the plan include excessive private use of the marina instead of public recreational use and inadequate safeguards against traffic congestion caused by the development.

The plan, already passed by the County Board of Supervisors and the California Coastal Commission, could significantly alter the height and density of residential, hotel and commercial buildings around the harbor.

Marina residents and others say the harbor plan could become a “Century City by the Sea” by permitting buildings up to 225 feet high. Critics say that high-rise development could change wind patterns and block sunlight and ocean views. They have gathered more than 1,200 signatures against the plan.

“We’ve filed suit because we want a plan that’s consistent with a recreational small-boat harbor, not a ‘Wilshire by the Water,’ ” said Iylene Weiss, spokeswoman for Friends of Marina del Rey.

Marina del Rey is owned by the county and leased to developers who operate the harbor’s residential and commercial facilities.

The redevelopment plan would allow 2,585 additional residential units in the existing marina, 905 new hotel rooms, 1,875 restaurant seats and 383 boat slips. The proposal would also grant an extra 207,000 square feet of retail space, 58,000 square feet of office space, a 40,000-square-foot conference center and a new wing for the library.

County officials who support the plan argue that the aging marina needs redevelopment to attract the public and provide the county much-needed revenue from long-term leases. They say new boat slips, restaurants, offices, apartments and shops would revitalize the harbor, which in some areas is showing signs of decay. Many argue that redevelopment is crucial, considering the impending competition from the planned $7-billion Playa Vista project nearby.

The Friends of Marina del Rey will hold a public meeting to discuss the lawsuit on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Burton Chace Park Community Building, 13650 Mindanao Way in the marina.

Information: (310) 577-2265.