Excerpt:
Orange County Superior Court Judge James J. Di Cesare reset May 5 for a hearing over the suit, which was filed last March by Friends of the Canyon, a group led by local resident Jackie Gallagher.
The suit asks the court to order the California Coastal Commission to rescind its January 2015decision granting a coastal development permit for Longi’s artist live work complex.
“Our biggest issue is allowing development within five feet of the bank of the creek; it’s an inadequate buffer for the habitat,” San Diego lawyer Julie M. Hamilton said in an interview this week.
Longi and Dornin Investment Group won cityapproval to build 30 artist work-live units in 2014. The decision was appealed to the Coastal Commission, which prompted Longi to work with coastal staff to pull back decks and agree to habitat restoration in answer to concerns raised by Friends of the Canyon and others, says a court filing filed Jan. 26 by Longi’s attorney.
The lawsuit challenges aspects of the proposed development, including the stream set back requirements and compliance with visual resource and hazard policies, Deputy Attorney General Jennifer W. Rosenfeld, who represents the Coastal Commission, says in responding to the suit on Jan. 27.
Sculptor Louis Longi, succeed in winning a development permit from the Coastal Commission for his Laguna Beach live/work project at a hearing in January 2015..
“All of these issues were addressed in earlier efforts to halt this project and were fully aired at the Commission’s hearing on this matter,” Rosenfeld said in her 20-page filing.
Hamilton also alleges that the commission’s decision should be revoked because five of its members failed to file required public disclosure documents in a timely manner about meeting with a lobbyist hired by Longi. “We had no knowledge these meetings occurred,” she said.
At the public hearing itself last January, five commissioners did disclose meeting with Bonnie Neely, a former commissioner turned lobbyist, hired to promote the project, Hamilton said. That is not the “manner required by law,” she said in her pleading for the court to revoke the commission’s decision.
This is only confusing if someone's worldview is that progressives are opposed to all development, which absolutely isn't the case.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't confusing at all. Progressives are for development that makes them money , especially with other's money.
DeleteRailroading projects that they are politically biased against is okay. Nice try.
Bonnie Neely was a six-term Humboldt County Supervisor and a 12-year member of the California Coastal Commission. She served on the Commission — which she chaired in 2009 and 2010 — as a governor's appointee. She is currently a senior policy advisor at Nossaman.
ReplyDeleteHer colleague at Nossaman;
Robert D. Thornton pioneered the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) concept creating the first such plan for the area around San Bruno Mountain. He authored and advocated the HCP provisions of the Endangered Species Act. Since 2006, Mr. Thornton has been ranked as one of the top 10 environmental lawyers nationally by United States Lawyer Rankings. He is a partner at Nossaman and located in Orange County.
in Manila where HCP Category WETLAND ENHANCEMENT monies were used to remove non-natives, the wetlands have drained and now fail to function. There has been zero-oversight on these projects, yet, not to be deterred by failure they are starting to remove the iceplant at the Ballona Wetlands. When considered with sea-level rise, and loss of wetland function, these projects are backwards if not criminal.
Neely supports development WHEN it's grants for campaign supporters, parks, trails and the arts. Neely believes in philanthropy, but as Chiv points out, using other people and their money to achieve a political want.
ReplyDeleteNeely has always been the Hillary Clinton clone of Humboldt County. Neely can't be trusted, ever. She pulls faces like a chameleon with the best of them.
Neely is so good at disguise, she passes as an actress.