CIVIC GROUP JOINS CHARTER FRAY; COALITION WANTS ADVISORY PANELS IN REFORM BID.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

Fearing ``not in my back yard'' opposition to projects it values, a new organization of civic groups announced plans Tuesday to join forces to push for the inclusion of advisory-only neighborhood councils in any charter reform effort placed before Los Angeles voters.

Organizers of the group, called the Civic Coalition, said they want to prevent a NIMBY mentality from dominating land-use decisions and blocking projects such as affordable housing. Charter reform proposals nearing final approval would allow nonresidents who work or have businesses in a neighborhood to serve on local councils with homeowners, renters and others.

``NIMBYism is one of our main concerns,'' said Bud Hayes, executive director of the SRO Housing Corp. ``It's hard enough for us to place affordable housing in parts of the city without having neighborhood councils try to block us.''

Local councils and their powers have been among the main issues in the debate about a new City Charter. Los Angeles' appointed and elected Charter Reform Commissions are nearing the completion of their proposals for a new charter to submit to city voters in June.

Dennis Zine, a member of the elected Charter Reform Commission and an advocate of neighborhood councils with authority over land use, said he doesn't believe NIMBYism would develop if the local panels have decision-making power.

``If I don't want to have a convenience store next to my house or some other kind of enterprise, I should have a say,'' Zine said. ``All it would mean is that there would have to be some negotiations and some compromise, but you aren't going to see NIMBYism. People will talk and cool heads will prevail.''

In addition, he said, a safeguard could be built into the system so neighborhood council decisions could be appealed.

``Everyone recognizes the need for controlled growth, but not the patchwork quilt we've had,'' Zine said. ``What you're seeing is too much fear of NIMBYism. I don't think it will develop.''

The Civic Coalition believes advisory neighborhood councils is the best way to encourage public participation including homeowners, renters, businesses and others including nonresidents, said Cindy O'Connor, a vice president of the League of Women Voters.

``For months, the voices being expressed on charter reform have reflected business, labor and homeowners,'' O'Connor said. ``We are adding a new voice that is an association of L.A.'s health, human service, ethnic, religious, community development and civic organizations. We are those organizations whose mission is to create a better community for all of us.''

O'Connor said the group has yet to take a position on the number of neighborhood councils to be created throughout the city or the size each one should be.

The elected Charter Reform Commission and a conference committee of the elected and appointed commissions have adopted a proposal to create an Office of Neighborhood Empowerment, which would be charged with developing advisory neighborhood councils.

O'Connor said members of the Civic Coalition will be testifying on behalf of that proposal.

Xandra Kayden, League of Women Voters president, said she sees the neighborhood councils as a way to develop future leaders of the city without having the pressure of raising funds.

More authority could be given to the councils as they develop over the years, she said.

``This is an experiment,'' Kayden said. ``You have to see how it works out before they are given more power. It's much easier to add power than take it away.''