By DEBORAH STAMBLER | Contributing Writer
The Pacific Palisades Civic League meeting on Aug. 22 began with little fanfare.
The seven committee members sat behind a fold-out table piled high with calculators and building plans. In light of recent mansionization ordinance discussions, the Civic League plays an interesting role in the Palisades community.
At this month’s meeting, the Civic League reviewed building and landscape plans on seven different properties making their recommendations.
A property on a rare double lot at 380 Grenola St. up for review brought the developer and residents out to the meeting. The developer had to answer questions about overages in height, landscaping and the setback from the street. Residents who attended the meeting spoke out against the proposed design, scope and size of the project.
As housing styles change in the Palisades and mansionization continues as a pressing issue in the area, the Civic League meetings offer a glimpse into the concerns residents bring to the forefront. The committee members pour over the blueprints, calculating land use percentages, acceptable overages and make their recommendations before next steps can be taken up with city planning and the coastal commission. The guidelines they follow move from sharp clarity to the more subjective accounting for style, taste and compatibility in the neighborhood.
The property on Grenola was tabled and no vote was taken. The developer needs to come back to the committee with adjustments for height compliance and to show a landscaping plan.
The next meeting of the Pacific Palisades Civic League will be on Sept. 26 at the Methodist Church.
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