May 3, 2024 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Board of Supervisors approves modified zoning plan to protect Santa Monica Mountains

 

Courtesy Photo
The modifications made to the zoning plan was supported by environmentalists and equestrians, but protested by vineyard owners. Courtesy Photo

The Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 Tuesday to approve modifications to a zoning plan aimed at protecting the Santa Monica Mountains, drawing praise from environmentalists and equestrians but protests from vineyard owners.

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who championed the plan, urged his colleagues to act, saying the Local Coastal Program is “designed to protect one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in all of California … it’s a remarkable place.”

Seventy-odd modifications were proposed to the plan by the Coastal Commission after public hearings in April and July. Most of the changes focused on equestrian uses, according to a county planner, and the commission unanimously approved the plan as modified.

Though horse owners and trail riders are now satisfied, vineyard owners contend the plan is unfair.

The LCP allows existing vineyards to remain in the mountains, but prohibits permits for expansions or new vineyards.

“I feel that grapevines are being discriminated against,” said grower David Gomez, who noted that other agricultural uses are not banned under the LCP.

Gomez’s wife Ruth said she was worried about how the plan would affect the couple’s plans for retirement.

Yaroslavsky countered that “nobody’s ripping out anyone’s vineyard,” adding that environmentalists weren’t worried about boutique vineyards, but rather larger operations that would rip out chaparral and destroy ridgeline views.

If vineyards are operating without a permit, they would be forced out under the LCP, but the same would be true under current Coastal Commission rules. The Coastal Commission has not issued a permit for a new vineyard in the last five years, according to Yaroslavsky.

Growers said grapevines use less water than other crops and traditional landscaping. However, some of their neighbors said vineyards were endangering local water sources and wine growers were using chemical pesticides that damage native habitat.

Leah Culberg said one vineyard owner had dammed up a creek, causing Culberg’s own well to drop more than 100 feet in one year, while another dug a 2,000-foot well to service vines.

“That’s like putting a pair of straws down to the bottom of our canyon to suck everything out,” Culberg said.

Dozens of environmentalists offered their support for the plan to ban ridgeline development, protect oak groves and local wildlife. Several local politicians did, as well, including Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, and both
candidates for Yaroslavsky’s seat — former Santa Monica mayor Bobby Shriver and ex-Sen. Sheila Kuehl.

Elliott Dolin, who has 900 vines on a three-quarter acre site, urged the board to regulate and monitor new vineyards rather than prohibiting them altogether.

Supervisor Michael Antonovich said the LCP would deny some residents their property rights and cost the county millions of dollars in fighting legal challenges.

“If an individual wants to plant a vineyard on their property, that’s a decision that they should be able to (make),” Antonovich said. Existing vineyards provide tens of thousands of dollars of revenue and hundreds of jobs, he said.

Antonovich proposed that vineyards be permitted, drawing a second from Supervisor Don Knabe, but that motion failed on a 2-2 vote. Three votes are required for passage. Yaroslavsky and Supervisor Gloria Molina dissented and Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas did not attend today’s meeting.

Antonovich dissented when the LCP itself went to a vote.

The plan, which still needs an administrative sign-off from the Coastal Commission’s executive director, will allow the county to directly issue land use permits in an area covering about 80 square miles in the Santa Monica Mountains. As it currently stands, applicants must follow a two-step process,seeking approval from the county and the Coastal Commission.

At least one lawsuit has already been filed against the Local Coastal Program, according to Yaroslavsky.

Related Posts

Wise & Healthy Aging Goes Gray on Denim Day

May 3, 2024

May 3, 2024

In observance of April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a nonprofit that advances the dignity and quality of life for older...

Kesha to Headline WeHo Pride Presents Friday Night at OUTLOUD Music Festival

May 3, 2024

May 3, 2024

West Hollywood Gears Up for a Weekend of Electrifying Performances The City of West Hollywood has announced that pop sensation...

An Interview With the Owners of Tito’s Tacos, Lynne Davidson and Wirt Morton

May 3, 2024

May 3, 2024

New Menu Items, This Year’s Fiesta Mexicana and a New Documentary By Dolores Quintana With the new chicken burrito slated...

CDC Investigates E. coli Outbreak Linked to Organic Walnuts Distributed on the Westside

May 3, 2024

May 3, 2024

Walnuts From Gibson Farms Have Sickened Six People in California Health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

UCLA Faculty Group Demands Amnesty for Palestine Protesters, Issues Statement of Support

May 3, 2024

May 3, 2024

Faculty Calls for Legal Protection After Violent Crackdown on Campus Demonstration A group of UCLA faculty members have issued a...

Human Rights Play Center Stage with Two Award-Winning Films Opening this Weekend at Laemmle Monica Film Center

May 2, 2024

May 2, 2024

Cinema Libre Studio, a Burbank-based independent distribution company with a focus on social issue films, has two powerful films opening...

UCLA Gaza Solidarity Encampment Dismantled After Night of Counter Protesters’ Violence

May 2, 2024

May 2, 2024

LAPD and Other Agencies Sent in For “Student Safety”, Students Arrested  The UCLA Gaza Solidarity Encampment was removed during the...

UCLA Gaza Solidarity Encampment Attacked by Counter-Protesters During the Night/Early Morning Hours

May 2, 2024

May 2, 2024

Violence Erupts as Demonstrators Face Aggression During Tense Overnight Attacks On the night and early morning of April 30 into...

(Video) Footage of the Violent Counter Protesters at UCLA. TW: For Language and Violence

May 2, 2024

May 2, 2024

This reporter was grabbed and cursed at the end of the video. @culvercitywlanews Footage of the Violent Counter Protesters at...

Reactions From Local Authorities About the Violent Attacks April 30 at UCLA

May 2, 2024

May 2, 2024

Condemnation for the Incident and How it Was Handled Pour In After the terrifying events on the night and early...

New Bakery, Petitgrain Boulangerie, Set to Open in Santa Monica in Broadway Bakery Space

May 1, 2024

May 1, 2024

Industry Veterans Bring Their Expertise to the Wilshire Blvd Location By Dolores Quintana Petitgrain Boulangerie, a new bakery, is taking...

Tensions Rise Again at UCLA Pro-Palestine Encampment After Weekend Chaos

May 1, 2024

May 1, 2024

UCLA Administration and Student Group Issues Statements After Late Night Incident By Dolores Quintana The Pro Palestine Encampment at UCLA...

Westside Man Man Pleads Guilty to Decade-Long $1 Million Tax Evasion Scheme

April 30, 2024

April 30, 2024

Beverly Hills Resident Admits to Concealing Income From IRS Haim Jerry Kohen, a resident of Beverly Hills, California, admitted guilt...

Mayor Karen Bass and Mayor Phil Brock Converge on D.C. to Tackle Homelessness Crisis

April 30, 2024

April 30, 2024

Bipartisan Coalition of Mayors Advocate for National Solutions Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors...

Cinespia Returns to Hollywood Forever Cemetery with Fan Favorite Lineup

April 29, 2024

April 29, 2024

Experience Movie Magic Under the Stars Starting Memorial Day Weekend Cinespia, LA’s beloved outdoor cinematic experience, will kick off Memorial...