Planner Soon to Be Based in West Valley Office

Beginning Nov. 4, West Valley residents and business owners who need assistance with zoning or planning issues will be able to visit a locally based county planner, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning.

A planner from the department will be available every Wednesday from 8 to 11:30 a.m. at the county building and safety office in Calabasas, said Rudy Lackner, administrator for the department’s Land Use Regulation Division.

In addition to Calabasas, planners will be provided on selected days at regional building and safety offices in the Antelope Valley, East Los Angeles, La Puente, Lomita, the San Gabriel Valley, Santa Clarita and South Whittier, Lackner said.

“The planner will be there to provide information, to respond to planning questions and to take in planning cases that are related to unincorporated areas in and around those local offices,” Lackner said.

Mark Pestrella, district engineer at the building and safety office in Calabasas, said having a local planner will also make it convenient for those applying for residential and commercial building permits.

“People can visit us locally instead of making the trip downtown to the regional planning office on Temple Street,” Pestrella said.

Individuals can meet with the planner on a first-come, first-served basis, Pestrella said. For more information, call the county building and safety office in Calabasas at (818) 880-4150.