County Supervisors Approve Redevelopment Projects in Marina del Rey

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a group of redevelopment projects for Marina del Rey that include: a two-piece, 526-unit apartment complex, a 114-unit residential facility for seniors, a new commercial complex with a six-level parking structure and a wetlands park.

Supervisor Don Knabe, whose district includes Marina del Rey, also had the board successfully remand a scaled-back project that had called for a 288-room, 19-story hotel and timeshare tower. The project was sent back to the Regional Planning Commission and the Design Control Board for review because the developer submitted new plans that feature a pair of five-story towers and fewer overall units.

The board voted after hearing roughly two hours of testimony from dozens of speakers on the projects and the process. The speakers, who had two minutes each to speak, included governmental representatives, speakers from residential groups who believe the marina is being overdeveloped and developers who have been jumping through regulatory hurdles for more than a decade to build in the lucrative marina.

Whitney Blumenfeld, a senior planning deputy for Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, told the board that the councilman disapproved of all five projects being heard at this time. Rosendahl objected because the projects are part of the marina's Local Coastal Plan Major Amendment, which has not yet been approved by the California Coastal Commission. The amendment is a major redevelopment plan that seeks zoning changes in Marina del Rey to accommodate several housing and commercial projects. The commission, which has final authority on coastal development, is scheduled to consider the major amendment in June.

Bobbi Buescher, a representative of state Assemblywoman Betsy Butler (D-Marina del Rey), said the state lawmaker also was opposed to the hearing.

Butler, a 20-year resident of the marina, issued a letter that was read aloud by Buescher that objected to the process and called the five projects "very troubling" because they would "drastically alter the quality of life in the marina." In her letter, Butler said the concerns of residents about the loss of open space and recreational opportunities were being ignored by the supervisors.

"These projects are being done in piecemeal process that is contrary to the intended process set forth by the California Coastal Commission," Buescher read on behalf of Butler. "I strongly urge the board of supervisors to include all proposed projects in one comprehensive plan including an environmental impact report for the entire master redevelopment project."

Developers stood up for the proposed projects, saying that the process included multiple public hearings that has resulted in public benefits.

Sean McEachern of Legacy Partners talked about the Neptune Marina-Legacy Partners Apartments complex that includes a 400-unit complex to replace the aging 136-unit Neptune Marina and a new 126-unit apartment complex that will be built on a public parking lot. The plans also include a 1.46-acre wetland park that shares an environmental impact report with the two projects.

"The public benefits of this project are many and through the public input process, … the project truly has evolved into a smarter design and a more viable project," McEachern said.

McEachern said the complex will add 81 new affordable housing units where none currently exist, will include a new 174-boat slip and improve public access to the water with a 28-foot pedestrian promenade.

David Barish, co-director of the residents' group "We ARE Marina del Rey" that favors recreational preservation over development, blasted the supervisors over the process.

The marina was built in the 1950s and 60s with local, state and federal funds to provide low-cost access to coastal resources, Barish said, and the steady conversion of the marina from a recreational harbor to a private residential and commercial development "violates the pact the county implicitly made with the public when it sought public funds for construction."

He said the five projects were inconsistent with the intent of the marina and asked the supervisors to review a 66-page report that outlined how the projects were in violation of the Coastal Act.

"I object to the way this process is being handled and I hope that you deny all these projects," Barish said.

Barish said later that his group would appeal each project to the California Coastal Commission and were preparing a lawsuit because the projects were being considered piecemeal and without proper environmental review.

Knabe pointed to the redesign of the Woodfin Hotel as evidence that the county and developers had heard the complaints of residents and listened to their concerns.