Harding said his firm has tried to work out a compromise with the city, but when officials would not recognize that they must conform to state law, the lawsuit was the housing council’s only option.
“We have made it clear we were willing to litigate on this issue,” Harding said. “It’s not about punishing the city, this is about housing.”
Darrell Clarke, chair of the planning commission, said it is very rare for the city to deny projects or reduce the number of units in a building based on aesthetics or neighborhood compatibility.
“Of condominium projects that have come before the planning commission, we have made design changes,” he said. “But we just try to make sure it fits in with the neighborhood.”
And Councilwoman Pam O’Connor said it’s part of the city’s role to make sure a development fits in with an area so residents are not inconvenienced and they are able to still enjoy living in their neighborhood.
“People want neighborhoods, they don’t want tenements,” she said. “We could build structures that strictly house people, but those buildings also have to work for people. It’s about building neighborhoods.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 14, 2002. Read the original PDF.