Extension for General Plan Sought

The Lawndale City Council voted unanimously Thursday to seek a one-year extension from the state to revise and enact a General Plan, which cities are required to have in order to pass zoning laws or issue special zoning permits.

The city has been without a valid General Plan since November, 1989, when voters refused to endorse the plan that had been enacted in 1976, saying it was too outdated. The request for an extension must be approved by the state Office of Planning and Research.

For the last year, a General Plan review committee has been working on a revision. In its request for an extension, city officials cited Planning Department staffing problems and budgetary constraints as reasons for the delay in getting a new plan before the voters.