Future small lot subdivisions that are popular in Venice will comply with the Venice Specific Plan as of 23 October.

Planning issued a directive in August clarifying that the Venice Coastal Zone Specific Plan (VCZSP) trumped the small lot subdivision. It was appealed and the appeal was heard 23 October and denied.

This is what Challis Macpherson, former chair of Land Use and Planning had to say about the appeal hearing.

What can I say……………….we won. Unanimous decision by City Planning Commission to deny appeals and uphold DIR 2014-2824-Dl. Life is good until the next fight anyways.

We got there just in time. Twenty plus Venice stakeholders were ready and willing to appear at 1:00 pm – but it was over by then. I emailed appreciation to them with many thanks.

Alan Bell, Planning Deputy Director, presented Planning’s argument for denying the appeal to DIR 2014-2824-Dl in its entirety in his own elegant, professional manner. The opposition (appellants) was left with whining about how they were stuck with projects that cost many thousands of dollars to plan and could not be built now because they didn’t conform to VCZSP. I am not sympathetic. Our specific plan has been in place since 1999, plus revision 2004.

As explained by Alan Bell in rebut after general testimony, if a project has been vested (which I presume means application process has started and there is a case number) it will continue on course. Projects not vested (no case number) will not.

We won big time for Venice and any developer’s future forced adherence to Venice Coastal Zone Specific Plan; however, current projects that have cleared the planning system prior to this (vis-à-vis latest interpretation DIR 2014-2824-Dl) will continue. Adherence to VCZSP or not. There is no mechanism, to my knowledge, available to dismantle a project that has all necessary permits. I could be wrong on this. Check it out.

There is no softening that blow. Sorry.