Rancho Palos Verdes affordable-housing plan aired

[PV school grad]

It would be really nice to have a more open discussion of this.
Is it really about a state tax advantage for the city and what are the requirements to qualify. I am worried about the traffic impact of any new building that effects the already congested PV North and Crenshaw route, which this will. I would like to know exactly how much will the rent be or if this will be HUD voucher residents. What are the state qualifications.

[Another RPV Resident]

PV school grad wrote:

It would be really nice to have a more open discussion of this.
Is it really about a state tax advantage for the city and what are the requirements to qualify. I am worried about the traffic impact of any new building that effects the already congested PV North and Crenshaw route, which this will. I would like to know exactly how much will the rent be or if this will be HUD voucher residents. What are the state qualifications.

All of the issues you raise were discussed in the staff report and at the council meeting on March 3rd which resulted in the approval of the project. The staff report and the meeting can be viewed on the city website. Among the qualifications are that residents must all be 62 or older and have no criminal record. They must abide by a long list of rules or be subject to eviction. And no it is not about a "tax advantage" to the city, it is about obeying a state law requirement and using funds that are restricted to affordable housing for affordable housing.

All development brings some additional traffic. But a development full of 62 plus year old people with relatively low incomes seems like less of a traffic burden than other realistic possibilities for the property.

[Pittakos]

Plus, can you imagine all those old people trying to drive up or down Crenshaw really really slow?

[formerly really]

So, the city can just ignore zoning when it's expedient? Open Hazards in a geologically unstble area just magically resolve themselves? That's the first step down a bad road, Tom. Just look to LA's developer friendly policy if you don't believe me.

Now that the housing has been approved, when the building subsides who will be sued?

[Tom Long]

formerly really wrote:

So, the city can just ignore zoning when it's expedient? Open Hazards in a geologically unstble area just magically resolve themselves? That's the first step down a bad road, Tom. Just look to LA's developer friendly policy if you don't believe me.
Now that the housing has been approved, when the building subsides who will be sued?

The city can change OH zoning designations. And in many cases the designations were not based on any study at all but just drawn based upon unproven assumptions. It is expensive to do geologic studies and so the OH zoning was drawn widely at the city's founding. Here the OH designation was changed to for a small part of the property that will be developed.

Tom Long
Councilmember, Rancho Palos Verdes

[formerly really]

Tom Long wrote:

<quoted text>
The city can change OH zoning designations. And in many cases the designations were not based on any study at all but just drawn based upon unproven assumptions. It is expensive to do geologic studies and so the OH zoning was drawn widely at the city's founding. Here the OH designation was changed to for a small part of the property that will be developed.
Tom Long
Councilmember, Rancho Palos Verdes

Then all properties with OH zoning should be treated the same way by the city. Just because it is city owned property (or Trump owned, for that matter) shouldn't give it special status.

[Tom Long]

formerly really wrote:

<quoted text>
Then all properties with OH zoning should be treated the same way by the city. Just because it is city owned property (or Trump owned, for that matter) shouldn't give it special status.

Who says it had "special status?" The procedure for redrawing the OH zoning lines is outlined in city ordinances and requires a report by the city geologist. The Crestridge property and every other property that I have seen get an adjustment of the OH zoning line had to go through the exact same processand had to have a geologic report. Why do you just assume there is some different treatment? I think you need to be more careful to learn the facts before opining on something.

[Willy]

Tom Long wrote:

<quoted text>
Actually the land involved is city land, not developer owned. As you point out part of it is zone OH (open-space hazard). The OH zoning lines were often drawn without a geologic report and based on limited information available at the time. City ordinances allow for the line to be changed based upon a geologic study and report. There is such a geologic study in the staff report on this project. If the city did not allow such changes we would be stuck with OH lines drawn based on limited information and that sometime go right through people's homes. Zoning ordinances are not carved in stone. For good reason. Allowing changes does not mean that the OH designation "doesn't mean anything."
Again, these comments are just my own opinion. Anyone can read the staff report and come to their own conclusions.
Tom Long
Councilmember, Rancho Palos Verdes

This is a license to steal.

[Willy]

Tom Long wrote:

<quoted text>
Who says it had "special status?" The procedure for redrawing the OH zoning lines is outlined in city ordinances and requires a report by the city geologist. The Crestridge property and every other property that I have seen get an adjustment of the OH zoning line had to go through the exact same processand had to have a geologic report. Why do you just assume there is some different treatment? I think you need to be more careful to learn the facts before opining on something.

Actually you do Tom

[Willy]

Tom,

We miss your prompus blabbling. As soon as you stop crying over the election, please come back and show us you brillance.

[Steve]

Willy you might want to learn how to spell before Tom or anyone waste their time dealing you.

Willy wrote:

Tom,
We miss your prompus blabbling. As soon as you stop crying over the election, please come back and show us you brillance.

[Fred]

Tom Long wrote:

<quoted text>
The city can change OH zoning designations. And in many cases the designations were not based on any study at all but just drawn based upon unproven assumptions. It is expensive to do geologic studies and so the OH zoning was drawn widely at the city's founding. Here the OH designation was changed to for a small part of the property that will be developed.
Tom Long
Councilmember, Rancho Palos Verdes

Tom,

Did you ever think it is "expensive" to the homeowners to have lines "drawn based upon unproven assumptions"? I know you will read this so please don't cower away. Let us know?

[Willy]

I would love an answer also, Tom

[David]

Run and hide Tom. Just come on the form for the easy to answer questions.

[Willy]

Tom,

It has been a while since you told us how smart you are. Can you please come back with that venimous and condesending writing that is you. We tend to forget how "confused" we are until you remind us.

[David]

Tom is this to hot to touch.

[David]

David wrote:

Tom is this to hot to touch.

?

[Tom Long]

Fred wrote:

<quoted text>
Tom,
Did you ever think it is "expensive" to the homeowners to have lines "drawn based upon unproven assumptions"? I know you will read this so please don't cower away. Let us know?

Of course its expensive to the homeowner. All zonging regulations are. I cannot replace my house with a high rise condo complex or a business. Similarly I must comply with today's building codes if I seek to remodel my 1966 tract house. We could read through all of the codes and find lots of things that cost property owners mmoney. None of that means that the city can or should pay to help you address the issue. The OH lines are there to protect against problems. The city has had a lot mroe damage to properties from geologic problems than from fires and yet no one complains about regulations designed to protect homes from fires.

Again, Willy, whatever your personal problems are with the city they do not justify your ad hominem attacks on me so this will be the last time I respond to you in this forum. Feel free to write or call me directly as any of my constituents can--if you have the courage to show your real identity.

[David]

Is your 1966 tract house built zoning "drawn based upon unproven assumptions"?

[Fred]

"And in many cases the designations were not based on any study at all but just drawn based upon unproven assumptions."

Tom how can you stand behind this type of statement? I would think this unfair to the taxpayers of RPV.