Eastside, Westside

SHOULD THE OWNERS OF vacant property lose the right to develop their land just because their buildings might wreck your view of the ridgeline? If you got to grade your property years ago, should others now lose their right to grade theirs because erosion caused by their project could damage your land? If they paid taxes on empty land when the market dictated against building, should they lose their right to build now, when the real estate market is hot?

For years, these questions have been answered differently in different parts of Los Angeles. Wealthy homeowners on hilltops and in canyons commanded the attention of city planners and elected officials. Together they crafted and approved specific plans that attempted to balance competing property interests while preserving some of the hallmarks of the L.A. lifestyle: a woodsy feel in the midst of the city, open space and priceless views -- not just for those who can afford them but for anyone who takes a drive along Mulholland or a walk in the Brentwood hills.

Northeast Los Angeles has been more like the Wild West. In places such as El Sereno and Glassell Park, developers and builders could build unimpeded by land-use plans that dictate setbacks, restrict tree removal and govern grading. Hillsides remained open because fewer people wanted to live there, not because development was heavily regulated.

Now many owners of open lots in northeast L.A. want to build, and they chafe at efforts by their wealthy neighbors and city officials to impose an “interim control ordinance” that would set some of the same standards that apply on the other side of town.

They have a point. But this proposed ordinance for northeast L.A. is not unduly burdensome. It is intended to be temporary, lasting one or two years -- enough time for studies to determine what kind of development guidelines are right for this part of town. And the rules would protect public safety -- assuring that new construction allows for roads wide enough to permit firetrucks to pass, for example. This is a limited government intrusion on property rights.

The rules also would protect the quality of life by providing access to public parks and preserving ridgeline views, the same way the Mulholland Specific Plan does a few miles to the west. Density is promoted in areas that can handle it, controlled in areas that can’t. The woodsy hillsides of El Sereno and Glassell Park are preserved not just for the people who live there but for all Eastside Angelenos who want to take a drive or a hike into the hills.

Opponents of the ordinance have so far prevented it from even coming to a vote. Does the Eastside warrant the same protections as the Westside? That’s the question the City Council needs to answer.