One in a series. 

Kevin Lachoff, chair of the Planning Commission, did not hesitate when asked a personal question.

When a baker’s dozen worth of mid-town residents recently punctuated a discussion of mansionization by urging the City Council to replace the appointed Commissioners with outside consultants, did Mr. Lachoff flinch?

Was he tempted to respond, “We can do this ourselves”?

“I know staff is capable of handling this situation,” Mr. Lachoff said.

But a professional boost may be called for.

“Toward the end of the discussion, (City Manager) John Nachbar had mentioned that due to some of the intricacies Council was asking for in reviewing the situation neighborhood by neighborhood, it might make sense to look at the cost of a consultant or a contract person,” Mr. Lachoff said.

“They would do the work at staff’s direction, whichever of the two makes more sense.”

When he conversed earlier and separately with overbuilding protestors during this six-month process, Mr. Lachoff told them “it might not be” that outside parties can produce solutions “significantly different” different from Commission and city staff recommendations.

Being practical in a warning kind of way, “there are only so many ways you can restrict development on lots of our size in Culver City before you become overly burdensome and really do negatively affect property values.”

(To be continued)