With this issue, The Planning Report increases its coverage of land use planning and development in Los Angeles County. To many city dwellers, the County is an unintelligible myriad of areas and jurisdictions. However, for the incorporated cities of Palmdale, Lancaster and Santa Clarita Valley for the unincorporated areas which house 1 million residents, and/or the cities of the future such as Malibu, the issues of land-use planning, development, and managed growth are of overwhelming significance as many of these newer communities evolve and mature. In the months ahead, The Planning Report will cover some of the most important issues of the County:
Malibu The County Regional Planning Commission recently rejected a large project by VMS/Anden to develop 62 single family homes, a golf course and a restaurant along Encinal Canyon Road. The next day, however, VMS/Anden was saved from the clutches of the future Malibu Planning Commission when LAFCO excluded the 270-acre project from the proposed city limits. One week later, the Commission rejected a luxury hotel in Malibu's civic center which was viewed as inappropriate and too large for the current sewer system.
Coastal Plans The local implementation programs, the zoning component of the coastal plans, for Santa Catalina Island, Malibu, and Marina Del Ray will come before the Board of Supervisors in June or July.
Planning Director After several weeks of interviews, the Regional Planning Commission has appointed James Hartl as permanent planning director. Hartl was the acting director.
The Development Monitoring System DMS has been used by the County since 1987 to monitor growth in unincorporated areas and estimate the impact of a development project on the County's infrastructure, especially its water, sewage and transit systems.
Santa Clarita Valley The County is updating the Santa Clarita Valley Land Use Element in coordination with the City of Santa Clarita Valley. Currently, 43 plan amendments are pending since these changes would drive the area's population significantly beyond its capacity.
Twin Lakes Increased development and subdivisions have caused concern about whether the infrastructure can handle this growth. The Regional Commission has discussed issues of fire protection, setbacks, and other development standards for the area. The County has adopted interim emergency regulations as a result.
Santa Monica The city recently passed an emergency moratorium for the next ten months on all new office buildings, stores, and hotels that are more than 22,000 square feet.
Antelope Valley Monthly updates on two of the fastest growing cities in Southern California: Palmdale and Lancaster.
Lennox The County is establishing a Lennox Revitalization Strategy and is currently holding meetings with the community to brief residents on the study.
Housing The Regional Planning Department is preparing the preliminary draft of the housing element of the county wide plan.
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