Trousdale View Ordinance Gets Another Council OK

The City Council on Tuesday furthered the process of establishing a for Beverly Hills' Trousdale Estates hillside neighborhood.

"The intent of this ordinance is to restore and preserve certain views from substantial disruption by the growth of privately owned trees, vegetation, or a combination thereof while providing residential privacy and security; maintaining the garden quality of the city; insuring the safety and stability of the hillsides; and, acknowledging the importance of trees and vegetation ... as an integral part of a sustainable environment," the ordinance states.

The new law also outlines a legal procedure for homeowners who seek to restore and preserve views from their hillside properties.

Before involving the city in a dispute, view owners must show that they've attempted to settle the disagreement with the foliage owner privately. If that doesn't work, the view owner must offer private legal mediation before the city will consider a view restoration application.

If view and foliage owners can't reach an agreement on their own, the view owner can file for a view restoration permit. At that point the director of community development and the Planning Commission will mediate the issue through a public hearing process. Parties have the right to appeal to the city council for a final decision.

View owners can take the matter to civil court at any point in the process to enforce a foliage owner's compliance with a view restoration permit issued by the city.

The council will consider fees for the permit process at an unspecified future date, according to a report by City Attorney Larry Wiener.

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