City Council Delays Decision in Development Appeal Fees

The City Council has put a hold on a decision to charge more fees to individuals and groups that challenge development decisions, reports the Los Angeles Times. The council was devising a plan that "required residents to pay as much as $500 to appeal a zoning decision and as much as $3,000 to challenge a permit issued by the Department of Building and Safety." Homeowner and environmental groups were PO'd at the suggestion, though the city said the fees would help them recoup some of the money it costs to process the appeals. According to the piece, "the city typically spends $13,000 to process an appeal of a development decision to the planning commission and $11,000 to process an appeal of a development decision to the city council." The new possible charges aren't completely dead—a revised proposal is being readied for next month. Councilman Greig Smith also argued that the development appeal system is being abused by businesses that "seek to derail development or keep a competitor from completing a real estate project."
· City Council Pulls Back on Plan for Development Fees [LA Times]