Playa Vista Funds Delayed Pending Methane Review

A new probe into potential methane gas and earthquake problems at the controversial Playa Vista development site will delay action on $135 million in key public funding until at least next month, said City Councilman Mike Feuer.

Developer Playa Capital learned Monday that a new review of environmental complaints would not be completed this week, as initially hoped. Instead, Feuer said, the matter will not be resolved until next month.

And, until then, Feuer’s Budget and Finance Committee will delay action on whether to release special construction bond money to the developer.

“The jury is out about what’s going to happen at this site,” Feuer said. “We just don’t know enough about it yet.”

Feuer ordered the review after environmentalists contended that the site was unsafe because of methane gas and a newly discovered earthquake fault. Developers insist that the site is safe.

Feuer’s announcement follows a recent court victory for Playa Vista. On Friday, a Superior Court judge rejected opponents’ claims that the development had received permits improperly. Among other arguments, opponents contended in court that officials had not considered the problems of methane gas. Project opponents had filed two similar suits in the past and lost both.