City Planners Apologize to Citizens Planning Board
Moving to quash a revolt by a citizens planning board, Los Angeles city planning officials have apologized to the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Design Review Board and promised to let the panel evaluate landscape plans for a phone company project in the Sepulveda Pass.
Review board members walked out of a public meeting Oct. 5 after a planning staff member announced his intention of approving the Sprint Communications project without their consent.
The incident prompted a flurry of complaints to city officials from Santa Monica Mountains activists and environmentalists who monitor development proposals along the Mulholland Drive.
On Thursday night, activists looked on as the review board reconvened for the first time since the incident. During the session, Robert H. Sutton, deputy director of the city Planning Department, presented a letter of apology from Planning Director Con Howe.
Board members were told the Sprint proposal to built small equipment structures in the 16000 block of Mulholland Drive will be presented to them next month for their review. As an advisory board, their recommendations will continue to be seriously considered by planning staff members, they were told.
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