by Garth Meyer
City Councilman Zein Obagi, Jr., has invited residents to submit pictures to him of new homes in their neighborhoods that are examples of “something that shouldn’t be built, and tell (me) what you don’t like.”
Obagi’s e-mail address is: zein.obagi@redondo.org.
Obagi, and councilmembers Scott Behrendt and Paige Kaluderovic voted July 18 to shorten a list of design rules proposed by the planning commission related to height, setbacks, roof decks and landscaping. Councilmember Nils Nehrenheim against the motion. Councilman Todd Loewenstein was absent.
The majority vote was criticized by planning commission members.
Councilman Behrendt, who served on the planning commission prior to being elected to the council in April, defended his vote against the commission’s recommendations.
“I voted to protect Redondo Beach homeowners, to disincentivize developers from turning our single-family homes into over-densified 4-on-a-lots with reduced parking,” Behrendt said. “And to avoid lawsuits and wasting taxpayer money that likely would’ve occurred had some of the planning commission suggestions been adopted. I did not vote for developers or the mansionization of our city.”
The council is expected to hold another public hearing on the design guidelines this month. ER
