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Sparks Fly at Council Meeting

By Gene Williams
Staff Writer

March 25 -- Friction inside the City Council caused sparks to fly during a marathon session Tuesday night that lasted more than six hours.

The fireworks erupted around 11 p.m. shortly after the elected body deadlocked over how long to extend a 2003 emergency ordinance that places tough building restrictions for single family homes in Sunset Park and North of Montana.

The council took the matter up after listening to three residents and an architect testify that the set-back requirements and other provisions of the ordinance were unreasonable for the narrow lots in Sunset Park.

Peter Schechter, a 28-year resident of Sunset Park and an architect who has built or remodeled some 30 homes in the neighborhood told the council, "What started out as what seemed to be a good idea has turned into a nightmare."

Other residents testified that the required set-back would take up as much 30 percent of the width of their lots and that it would cost them small fortunes to request variances they might not get.

There was general agreement among council members that the ordinance -- designed to curb the building of "monster mansions" –- was passed with the best of intentions but should be modified.

However, there was disagreement over what would be a reasonable time frame to allow Planning staff to develop changes to the ordinance.

On one side were Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR) Council members Ken Genser, Kevin McKeown, Richard Bloom and Mayor Pam O'Connor, who backed a motion based on staff recommendations to extend the ordinance for another two years, giving planning officials the maximum amount of time to work out the bugs.

But Council members Bobby Shriver, Herb Katz and Bob Holbrook objected, arguing that staff has already had enough time and should be given an extension of only a few months.

"I just can't face this family here and tell them they have to wait it out another two years," Shriver said of one of the families who testified. "I feel uncomfortable with it and I'm going to vote against it for that reason.”

Holbrook agreed, saying that "staff will not be pressured to do the work unless they have a deadline."

"It's been two years and nothing has been done," said Katz, who later added that a tight deadline would put "pressure on staff that hasn't been done before."

But Genser replied, "I think that's very unrealistic. It just can't be done that quickly," he said, adding that it would "put the neighborhoods at unnecessary risk.

"The idea (of the ordinance) is to get smaller houses than the ones people were maxing out at," said Genser.

If the ordinance were to lapse, Genser warned, the council would be breaking a "promise that we made to the people in those neighborhoods" to limit development.

When neither side garnered the five votes needed to pass an emergency ordinance, Genser suggested a compromise of extending the ordinance for one year.

But Holbrook, Katz and Shriver wouldn't budge.

Fuses were getting short as Mayor O'Connor tried to broker an end to the deadlock.

Tempers flared after Genser commented, "I feel very sad that people are willing to play this level of brinkmanship with the future of a neighborhood."

He was about to say more, when Katz interrupted, "Come on, come on Ken. I'm tired of that!"

As the two argued, Shriver joined in saying "I have a point of personal...."

It was difficult to tell who was saying what during the melee of words that ensued as Mayor O’Connor tried to restore order.

"Okay guys. Guys! No, no, no!" O'Connor said, admonishing her colleagues for the emotional outburst.

The room quieted down. "Come on guys, let's move it forward," O'Connor told the council.

As she tried to move ahead with a role call vote on a new motion, Genser cut in saying repeatedly, "I want to finish my comment."

Reluctantly, O'Connor yielded the floor to Genser, who again made his charge of "brinkmanship" and criticized the resistance to compromise.

"We need to look at how we can move the public's agenda forward without playing these kinds of games," Genser said.

Shriver responded. "The number one way to move the people's agenda forward is to not call people names. To say we're engaging in brinkmanship is wrong. We're not.

“We're responding to this couple here (who testified earlier) who have disabled people in their house and are trying to get an answer from the City," Shriver said.

"I resent that I've been accused of brinkmanship. I won't put up with further talk like that in public," he said, adding, "Everybody here is trying to do the best they can."

Then Katz put in his two cents worth.

"I feel the same way as Council member Shriver," said Katz. "I'm not doing this for brinkmanship, I'm doing it for the people. And I'm damn tired of when someone doesn't agree with Council member Genser he goes off on 'somebody's doing something wrong.'

"I'm tired of it, so I don't want to hear it in public anymore," Katz said. "I take it as a personal affront."

Finally, the council unanimously approved extending the ordinance into August. It also asked staff to meet with local architects to see how the ordinance and permit process could be improved.

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