PVE Community Newsletter

Serving Lunada Bay, Malaga Cove, Montemalaga and Valmonte

Save our Parkland (Open Space)

Dear Neighbors,

100 years ago our city founders planned for 30% of our land to be Open Space with 3,038 acres of undeveloped Parkland, maintained in its natural state to preserve the rural atmosphere.

COUNCIL’S ACTIONS :

2021: the City and PVE Foundation, began studying development of Parkland, disregarding Deed Restrictions and legal precedence.

Sept 2025: Council heralds progress getting LA County Fire to partner with them to develop our Parkland. If successful, it will establish legal precedence to develop Parkland.

COUNCIL’S NEW TAX PROPOSAL:

Council advocates an unjustified $200 million in new taxes over the next decade (approx. $40,000 per household). New fire and police stations do not make us safer.

Why This Matters:

Our assets, both land and financial, are placed at risk by Council’s pursuits (Roundabout, Parkland development, audit issues, etc.).

Links, sources and details follow…

RESIDENTS’ DILEMMA:

Will it take another lawsuit from residents (AGAIN) to stop Council from developing our Parkland ?

PVHA Homes Association:

PVHA is legally obligated to uphold our deed restrictions LINK (page 5 last sentence). But so far, PVHA has allowed the City’s development study to progress.

What’s Next?

Council continues to move forward with new zoning maps, tax plans, and collaboration with other governmental agencies to advance Parkland development. Residents have an opportunity to demand transparency, accountability, and genuine parkland protection by:

• Requesting full justification for the tax and development plans

• Asking the City and PVHA to uphold all deed restrictions, as legally obligated

• Staying informed, voting accordingly and taking additional steps as necessary to block these actions

We are the current owners and caretakers of our beautiful city, after 100 years of predecessors who protected it. Our choices make our City special. By ensuring our city is not transformed, we can pass our beautiful city intact to our successors.

Thank you for caring about our community’s future.

• The Residents of PreservePVE

Details follow…

HISTORY: The City’s five year pursuit to Develop Parkland:

The City progresses Parkland Development in four steps over five years:

Step 1

2021: PVE Foundation began their AECOM study VIDEO to develop many Open Space lots with parkland deed restrictions.

The City partnered with the Foundation/AECOM and assigned taxpayer funded Staff to help PVE Foundation study the development of parkland. During this time, Staff left the city in large numbers citing workload demands and dysfunction.

• Data research assigned to staff LINK

• Meetings required of staff for the AECOM project: LINK1 LINK2 LINK3 LINK4

• AECOM had direct Staff access LINK

Step 2

But, Parkland Deed Restrictions prohibits development Link. The wording, shown below, was upheld in Court in the 2018 parkland sale lawsuit and a 1949 case where the city was not even allowed to erect a shed for maintenance equipment.

Yet, here is a letter written on April 1, 2025 by the City Mgr pursing the development of new Fire and Police Stations on Lot O, which is Parkland. This is part of the AECOM development plan LINK.

Step 3

In 1949 the Court ruled Link that the City’s attempt to build a shed for maintenance equipment on Parkland was a violation of the deed restrictions and therefore prohibited.

‘that except as provided above, no buildings, structures or concessions shall be erected, maintained or permitted upon the said realty, except such as (in the opinion of the Park Department of Palos Verdes Homes Association), are properly incidental to the convenient and/or proper use of said realty for park purposes.’ 

Sept 9, 2025: Undeterred by what the Residents want, CM Lazzaro, argued (VIDEO at time 2:22:53) the Deeds DO allow Parkland to be developed if it is for “governmental purposes”, which conflicts with the Court’s ruling Link that does not allow that exception.

Did you know Council wants to Develop our Parkland?

Step 4

Apr 1, 2025: continuing the AECOM development plan, the City Manager wrote a letter LINK to LA County Fire seeking support to develop new Fire and Police Stations on Parkland. The location is Lot O, next to City Hall where the peacock pen is located.

“The city has a vacant parcel of land (adjacent to the existing building) that could potentially accommodate a “Public Safety” building housing both the expanded fire station and quarters for the PVE Police Department. If this parcel were to be utilized, it could accommodate a strategy whereby a replacement building could be constructed without disrupting the status quo.”

Aug 1, 2025: The City Manager actively pursued LA County Fire’s support for five months: LINK

Sept 9, 2025: Mayor Lozzi announces VIDEO the City manager said LA Fire “has an interest in renovating the existing Fire Department Facility”, then describes this use on Lot O. How can one renovate an empty lot? Why not just be honest with residents about Council’s intentions to develop Lot O, which is an undeveloped deed protected Parkland lot?

Transparent?

10/5/23: A Finance member asks CM McGowan about a new fire tax on residents’ property tax bills. McGowan states the cost to residents needs to consider a new fire station. VIDEO

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9/1/22: The city disclosed portions of the AECOM contract which includes development LINK of commercial and housing (Task 2) on Open Space/parkland LINK.

10/19/22: Contrary to the city’s disclosures, CM McGowan publicly stated VIDEO

“There is NOTHING that has ever been said about any kind of low income housing, commercial development or any other potential strategy.”

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Oct 2021: Conflict erupts on Council when CM McGowan tries to circumvent the Council to get the cost of his AECOM Development project loaded directly onto the City budget bypassing Council/public disclosure VIDEO.

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July 2022: McGowan votes against the PVE Land Preservation Act. The Act requires a vote of approval by residents before Open Space/Parkland can be rezoned LINK

The City needs a Conflict of Interest Policy to addresses Council members that are CEOs of Organizations that do Business with the City

Council’s New Zoning Map of the City

2022: Staff reported LINK the city’s zoning map had been lost and all city owned land on the coastline was Open Space. So, it was protected by the PVE Land Preservation Act.

Sept 9, 2025: Staff provides Council a proposed new zoning map LINK identifying the shoreline (shown with red line below) as R1 which allows residential housing. Staff noted that city ordinances prohibit this area from being developed. But this can be changed by Council.

Council agreed (VIDEO time: 2:10:30) they will approve the new map. One Council member suggested Council discuss, some time in the future (no due date), whether this area should be zoned Open Space and protected by the PVE Land Preservation Act.

Council should align the Coastal Zoning to the Deed Restrictions to Eliminate Conflicts Causing Legal Exposure