U.S. Army Corps Again OKs Playa Vista Plan

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has determined that plans for the giant Playa Vista development do not violate the Endangered Species Act.

In January, several environmental groups sued the corps, charging that the developer’s plans to build a 1,000-acre residential and commercial complex in the Ballona Wetlands area would harm 19 species of birds and animals.

The corps’ review of the claim found that “despite repeated surveys by qualified biologists, there continues to be no confirmed sighting of listed species on the ground” within the site.

The corps--one of the agencies with permit power over the development--in effect reiterated an earlier finding it made.

The decision was a blow to environmental groups, who say they will continue to fight the project.

“While we were hopeful that this reevaluation would be done in a thorough way, it obviously hasn’t been,” said Marcia Hanscom, executive director of Wetlands Action Network, which sued the corps along with the Southwest Center for Biological Diversity and the California Public Interest Research Group.

By the spring of 2000, Playa planners hope to have built 600 to 800 of their projected 13,200 townhouses and apartments and opened a component of what will one day be up to 5 million square feet of commercial office space and 600,000 square feet of retail stores.

Project developers say they will restore 51 acres of marshland on the 1,000-acre property.