The party turns sour for RPV `event garden'

Developer Jim York may not be able to move forward after all with controversial plans to hold parties and weddings on his vacant coastal Rancho Palos Verdes property.

[BInformed]

As usual, the rich, bored, and lonely need something to complain about. Next time you are on the Hill, drive by the disputed area. Trust me, there is nothing there to complain about. The snobby always want to protect what isn't even their's in the first place. Must be the high altitude that does it. HAMBURGER HILL, never changes.

[Mary]

Sharon Nolan is a bag of hot air, and I'm sure the "attorney" hired by the group is her husband. Does she wan't to corner the market on holding large parties in Portugese Bend? If it is private property and parties are held at reasonable times, I don't see the issue, in fact it would be parties held by LOCAL people who know and respect the area.

[Another RPV Resident]

Mary wrote:

Sharon Nolan is a bag of hot air, and I'm sure the "attorney" hired by the group is her husband. Does she wan't to corner the market on holding large parties in Portugese Bend? If it is private property and parties are held at reasonable times, I don't see the issue, in fact it would be parties held by LOCAL people who know and respect the area.

100 parties a year as proposed is a lot and seems like more than just a facility for locals. It sounds more like a commercial establishment in a residential zone.

[South Bay Native]

I don't see what the big deal is! He is not going to be organizing Harley parties with keggers on HIS property. Or even rock concerts. It sounds like it will be 90% garden weddings. PB needs to get over themselves

[Sam]

Another RPV Resident wrote:

<quoted text>
100 parties a year as proposed is a lot and seems like more than just a facility for locals. It sounds more like a commercial establishment in a residential zone.

If you look where the property is located it is NOT in a residential area, it is next to a residential area. The reason he wants to have parties is because they will not allow him to build residential units there. The language is UP TO 100 parties a year which is 2 a week. That number could certainly be reduced, but then it should apply to everyone in the community.

[Jake]

How about the city buying this property to keep it open space?

[westside steve]

Suggestion: let the guy apply for, say 5 individual "parties", and see how it goes vis-a-vis traffic, drunks in the neighborhood, parking and such. Hold a hearing after the 5 and look at the FACTS (pro and con) before proceeding.
BTW, some commenters says its not residential, others that it is. What does the zoning map say?-that is the law, right?

[Willy]

westside steve wrote:

Suggestion: let the guy apply for, say 5 individual "parties", and see how it goes vis-a-vis traffic, drunks in the neighborhood, parking and such. Hold a hearing after the 5 and look at the FACTS (pro and con) before proceeding.
BTW, some commenters says its not residential, others that it is. What does the zoning map say?-that is the law, right?

The city of RPV is very covert regarding zoning and public access to a map. The city used to have a map of RPV hanging on a wall at the Planning/Building department with color coated areas for the respective zones.

When the area of OH (open area hazard) became an issue they took the map down.

FYI: The (OH) zoning says or said no building. It also specified that no golf course or driving ranges were allowed.(This was removed without the public's knowledge). They have allowed Trump to build in OH zones. RPV citizens with the same existing OH overlays are their properties are screwed. WHY?

[foxy]

All this media attention for an "event garden"? W/TF cares other than a handful of crotchety old timers in the Portugeezer Bend area?

[Jeffrey Lewis]

Westside Steve,

1. The land is zoned residential.

2. Mr. York has held and may continue to hold a limited number of events on the property under the city's special use permit (SUP) process. The SUP process requires that he apply to the city for a permit separately for each event. The question now before the planning commission is whether any residential land owner may apply for a conditional use permit (CUP) which would allow any residential owner, including Mr. York, to conduct multiple events on a piece of residential property with conditions to be reviewed only on an annual basis. If the planning commission denies Mr. York the ability to apply for a CUP (and that decision is upheld by the city council), Mr. York will still be able to conduct events under the SUP process.

Jeffrey Lewis
Candidate, Rancho Palos Verdes City Council

http://www.PalosVerdes.com/JeffLewis

[Willy]

Jeffrey Lewis wrote:

Westside Steve,
1. The land is zoned residential.
2. Mr. York has held and may continue to hold a limited number of events on the property under the city's special use permit (SUP) process. The SUP process requires that he apply to the city for a permit separately for each event. The question now before the planning commission is whether any residential land owner may apply for a conditional use permit (CUP) which would allow any residential owner, including Mr. York, to conduct multiple events on a piece of residential property with conditions to be reviewed only on an annual basis. If the planning commission denies Mr. York the ability to apply for a CUP (and that decision is upheld by the city council), Mr. York will still be able to conduct events under the SUP process.
Jeffrey Lewis
Candidate, Rancho Palos Verdes City Council
http://www.PalosVerdes.com/JeffLewis

Jeffrey,

You seem knowledgable and motivated.

Maybe you could shed some light on the OH zoning issue and why Trump is able to build and RPV homeowners/citizens cannot even add on.

[SB Girl]

Oh Please these people have nothing better to do than complain.If it is not one thing it is another! York is not doing anything wrong but trying to find some use for his property. They are worried about noise? Please it is far away from anything you cant even see it! Let him do something with the place its his right! Stop your whining PB brats!!!

[SBC]

No one seemed to complain when the Catalina Room held weddings and parties.
Why are people complaining now? I know it is a different location, but were there any "keggers" at the Catalina Room. I don't think so.

[GET REAL]

Jeffrey Lewis wrote:

Westside Steve,
1. The land is zoned residential.
2. Mr. York has held and may continue to hold a limited number of events on the property under the city's special use permit (SUP) process. The SUP process requires that he apply to the city for a permit separately for each event. The question now before the planning commission is whether any residential land owner may apply for a conditional use permit (CUP) which would allow any residential owner, including Mr. York, to conduct multiple events on a piece of residential property with conditions to be reviewed only on an annual basis. If the planning commission denies Mr. York the ability to apply for a CUP (and that decision is upheld by the city council), Mr. York will still be able to conduct events under the SUP process.
Jeffrey Lewis
Candidate, Rancho Palos Verdes City Council
http://www.PalosVerdes.com/JeffLewis

Are you FAT

[GET REAL]

If tour the donald you can do whatever you want

[Thin Air]

RPV always needs some kind of drama. I think it lets the house fraus up there think they are really involved in something productive. I was born and raised in the beach area of the South Bay and RPV has always had something going on where everyone was divided. Honestly, get over yourselves. Either way, you still have to come down off the hill once in a while. Why not act like regular people for a change.

[RHEMom]

Look, I was up at the location earlier this month for an event and had the opportunity to meet Mr. York and discuss his plans for the property. The location of this land is actually situated some ways away from it's nearest neighbor and has it's own road coming up from PV Drive South. Because of it's private road, there would be zero impact on neighborhood traffic. During the event I was at, they had a DJ playing music over a PA system. The music was at a reasonable level and Mr. York even had the DJ turn it down a notch when someone called to complain. In the middle of the day. Because the area is zoned residential the property has to abide by the 10pm rule. And there are city ordinances about decibel levels during the day already in place. As long as the events taking place abide by those rules, there shouldn't be a problem.

[fyi]

There is some precedent for a CUP in residential property. There is an organization, Ride to Fly, that uses a residential lot on Narcissa Drive for their horseback riding program for disabled children. Also the Portuguese Bend Pony Club has a CUP on residential property on Peppertree for their events and use. At least I think these are CUPs. Maybe they are Special Use Permits but they are renewed every few years or so.

[Another RPV Resident]

Sam wrote:

<quoted text>
If you look where the property is located it is NOT in a residential area, it is next to a residential area. The reason he wants to have parties is because they will not allow him to build residential units there. The language is UP TO 100 parties a year which is 2 a week. That number could certainly be reduced, but then it should apply to everyone in the community.

The property is residential zoning. He has not yet followed through on an application to build homes there so "they" have not prevented him from doing so.

[Mary]

Another RPV Resident wrote:

<quoted text>
The property is residential zoning. He has not yet followed through on an application to build homes there so "they" have not prevented him from doing so.

Okay Mr. Long. No one is going to jump through hoops and land in fire. RPV is unreasonable. It's a fact.