Council denies Pustilnikov appeal of builder’s application
by Garth Meyer Leo Pustilnikov’s 9300 Wilshire corporation lost its appeal Tuesday after its application to build 2,700 housing units, a hotel and commercial space at the AES site was deemed incomplete. The Redondo Beach city council voted 5-0 to concur with Community Services Director Brandy Forbes’ assessment of the August 2022 application. She told the council that it lacked a list of requirements, from zoning amendment requests to proof of ownership, hard copies of drawings and even payment of fees. The central question at Tuesday’s public hearing was whether Redondo Beach had a legitimate housing element filed with the state on July 5, or not until September 1. If it was the later date, Pustilnikov had jurisdiction to use the California “builder’s remedy” to go ahead with his project, according to 9300 Wilshire attorney Michael Shonafelt (Newport Beach). The builder’s remedy states that if a city does not have a current, 8-year housing plan certified by the state, its local zoning laws may be trumped by builders (to alleviate the California housing shortage). Redondo Beach submitted its 2021-29 housing element (its third iteration) July 5. The state replied Sept. 1 that it…
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