Local Land-Use Hearings to Be Conducted in Valley

The City Council directed the Los Angeles Planning Department on Friday to conduct hearings in the San Fernando Valley on any subdivisions proposed in the Valley.

Councilman Hal Bernson proposed the change, saying it does not make sense that the advisory agency of the Planning Department has been holding all hearings downtown, even though half of the projects are in the Valley.

Bernson was absent Friday, but his colleagues supported the change.

“I think it’s a good idea to have as many land-use matters as possible heard in the areas in which they are on,” said Councilman Mike Feuer. “It makes it much more likely that residents will be able to have meaningful input into decisions [that] affect our quality of life.”

The council also approved another Bernson motion Friday, asking the Planning and Building and Safety departments to recommend whether stricter rules are needed for construction in the city’s hillside areas. New maps put out by the U.S. Geological Survey identify areas with unstable soils.