Planners Balk at Sunset Height-Limit Proposal : Development: Boulevard homeowners want to keep new apartments and condos from looming over houses.

Pacific Palisades homeowners say the character of their community is being endangered by a canyon of apartments and condominiums built along Sunset Boulevard, but city officials said last week that they won’t restrict development unless they are convinced that there is a problem.

The Los Angeles City Planning Commission on Thursday postponed a vote that would have limited the height of apartments and condominiums built near single-family homes along Sunset. Commissioners said they wanted proof that there has been a proliferation of such structures.

The commission’s reluctance to impose height limits on Sunset between Pacific Coast Highway and Chautauqua Boulevard followed by one day Mayor Tom Bradley’s declaration that homeowners groups are largely to blame for the city’s housing shortage.

“This is clearly the type of thing the mayor was talking about,” commission President William G. Luddy said of the proposed Pacific Palisades height restrictions.

The commission postponed consideration of the height limits until Sept. 5 to give the city Planning Department more time to present evidence that there has been excessive construction of apartments and condominiums along Sunset.

Nearly five years ago, the Los Angeles City Council called for a citywide law that would limit the height of apartments and condominiums built next to single-family homes.

But with the ordinance still tied up in the city’s bureaucracy, Pacific Palisades community groups asked City Councilman Marvin Braude to enact local controls. Braude’s proposal would reduce the 45-foot height limit currently permitted along most of Sunset. It would impose a sliding scale, with buildings next to single-family homes limited to 30 feet and buildings more than 50 feet away from homes allowed 35 feet. Buildings more than 100 feet from homes could still be built to 45 feet.

The ordinance would reduce the allowable size of buildings by one floor or more in many cases, builders and planning officials said.

Pacific Palisades is a well-heeled section of the city of Los Angeles that stretches along the coast from Malibu to Santa Monica. Single-family homes make up the bulk of the community. Winding Sunset Boulevard is the area’s principal thoroughfare.

About a dozen homeowners told the commission Thursday that the height restrictions are needed because the looming apartments and condominiums are blocking their sunlight and views and stealing their privacy with windows that overlook their back yards.

“We feel this is a very minimum step to preserve the livability of our community,” said Rita Dalessio, chairwoman of the Pacific Palisades Community Council.

But several other property owners told the commission that the restrictions are unnecessary.

“This whole thing has been blown way out of proportion,” said Dean Strong, who spoke for more than 40 property owners along Sunset. “Even if everything was built to the absolute maximum, there would only be a maximum of 90 more units along a mile stretch of Sunset.”

Strong said he was pleased with the commission’s delay. “They obviously threw it out for a lack of facts and a lack of merit,” he said.

Rita Gordon, president of the Pacific Palisades Civic League, said she was “very disappointed.”

“They had a few questions about there not being enough statistical data to support the ordinance,” Gordon said, “but they sounded as if they don’t think we really need it at all.”

Luddy confirmed that he is not likely to be sympathetic to the height limits when they are presented to the Planning Commission again Sept. 5. He noted that the citywide limits are finally near completion and are scheduled to come before the commission in October.

“I would really question the need for this interim ordinance,” Luddy said, “since there is a citywide ordinance coming.”

But Gordon said residents have waited too long for the city to crack down on the proliferation of apartments and condominiums near houses. Asked if she believes citywide height limits will soon be the law, she answered: “Absolutely not.”