LUPC crafting new policy on Scale and Character

Following is being submitted to the VNC Administrative Committee for consideration by the VNC Board:

II Challis Macpherson (Chair-LUPC@VeniceNC.org) on behalf of LUPC: I, Challis Macpherson as Chair of the Land Use and Planning Committee, request that the VNC Board of Officers approve the LUPC policy statement on massing, scale and mansionization as approved by a vote of 6-2-0 August 27, 2008 at a regular LUPC meeting. This policy statement will be included in LUPC’s Neighborhood Notification Policy which is sent each applicant for a significant variance to the VCZSP.

LUPC POLICY STATEMENT ON MASSING,
SCALE, AND MANSIONIZATION

To be read or otherwise presented at each neighborhood meeting arranged to present a project to that neighborhood before it goes before LUPC to be heard

1. Venice Coastal Zone Specific Plan (VCZSP) sets out the guidelines for new development in Venice.

2. VCZSP notwithstanding, the LUPC expects that new development projects shall attempt to accommodate neighborhood concerns regarding, in particular, massing and scale.

3. New construction projects should be designed so that they do not completely fill the buildable envelope, but are rather articulated and designed in such a way that they address the scale and massing of the immediate neighborhood for which they are proposed.

4. LUPC believes that in order to address neighborhood concerns on density and scale, compromises between the maximums permitted under the VCZSP and the legitimate desires of neighbors and neighborhoods should be sought regarding height, light, air and space. This issue should be addressed in the Neighborhood Meeting suggested by LUPC and convened by the project applicant.

5. PARTIES MAY consult not only the relevant sections and provisions of the VCZSP, but also the plans drafted by each individual neighborhood, which can be found on the LUPC web site, www.VeniceNC.org or on www.Veniceunchained.com. (The “draft specific plans”).

These plans were created in a public process organized by the city in 1988 and address scale and massing for specific Venice neighborhoods. These documents were not incorporated into the VCZSP when it was compiled by the LA City planning department.

The Draft Specific Plans arguably represent the formally presented ‘intent’ of the Venice neighborhoods and should be consulted by both the applicants and their neighbors prior to the LUPC mandated neighborhood meeting for each new project.

6. This policy statement is issued by the Land Use and Planning Committee of the Venice Neighborhood Council only, and is not binding. Compliance with it does not guarantee a particular outcome of any kind, nor does it obviate an applicants need to comply with any other notices, policies, rules, laws or otherwise as required by city, county, state, federal government or other applicable laws or regulations.