It was disappointing to read Benjamin Reznik’s deprecatory article regarding our city’s area planning commissions. (“Reining In Area Planning Commissions”) in the Nov. 15 issue of the Business Journal.
His comments that APC commissioners “do not possess any special training, knowledge or experience in land-use matters” and are “not familiar with the body of land-use and zoning laws applicable to many of their decisions” are particularly objectionable.
It is true that APC members are not necessarily land-use experts when they are appointed. The mayor seeks a balance of interested, intelligent citizens with different experiences and strengths, along with a familiarity with a particular area of the city. Once appointed, APC members quickly gain experience and knowledge. They also can and do rely on the technical expertise of Planning Department staff and the City Attorney’s Office.
But not all APC members are inexperienced in land-use matters and zoning laws before their appointment. As a member of the West Los Angeles APC and a practicing attorney for more than 30 years, I can attest that such sweeping generalizations are not only false, but insulting to the citizens who volunteer and expend substantial amounts of time, without pay, to serve our city.
My law practice involved land-use issues and I served on land-use committees for homeowner associations and the West Los Angeles Neighborhood Council prior to my appointment. Other APC members also have prior land-use experience. It is unfortunate that Reznik has publicly disparaged all APC members simply because an APC disagreed with him on a particular matter.
Educational materials
Reznik’s statement regarding training programs and advice from the City Attorney’s Office is misleading. The West Los Angeles APC has been provided with a variety of educational materials, including the Planning Commissioner’s Handbook, the General and Specific Plans for its area, specific statutes and other land-use information. The Planning Department held a special meeting for the West Los Angeles APC to provide information regarding the facts, processes and range of options presented to commissioners when making decisions on cases. The City Attorney’s Office is always helpful in advising APCs.
Even if budget issues prevent their attendance at every meeting, deputy city attorneys have been made available by telephone before and even during APC meetings.
Certainly Reznik is entitled to crow about his rare court victories, but maligning the citizens who volunteer their time for the city is beyond any reasonable standard for zealously advocating on behalf of his clients. It is similar to belittling the acumen of the entire judiciary because a particular judge ruled against him. This might be perceived as an attempt to intimidate APC commissioners, possibly to gain an advantage in future hearings, and is therefore deplorable.
APCs provide a valuable service to our city. And fortunately for Reznik’s clients, our city’s APCs will continue to act fairly and follow the law, despite their attorney’s ill-advised comments.
Thomas M. Donovan is a lawyer with the Donovan & Sapienza law firm in Santa Monica.
