Group Sues Over Curbs on Mountain Ridgeline Building
A homeowners group has sued to overturn a county zoning ordinance that strictly limits development along the scenic ridgelines of the Santa Monica Mountains.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday challenges a recent ruling by the Board of Supervisors that strengthened the North Area Plan, which established that 33 square miles of unincorporated land in the mountains be managed with resource protection paramount.
The supervisors decided in December to require a conditional-use permit for property owners who wanted to grade more than 5,000 cubic yards of land. Previous rules allowed builders to grade 100,000 cubic yards -- the equivalent of 10,000 dump truck loads -- before obtaining a permit.
The ordinance adopted last month also prohibits construction atop scenic ridgelines that wander through 572 parcels of land, many of which are privately owned. The ordinance requires landowners to build any new structures at least 50 feet below and away from the ridgelines.
In the suit, the plaintiffs argue that the ordinance conflicts with a grandfather clause in the plan.
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