Organized labor at heart of dispute over golf course vote.

In a dispute centering as much on organized labor as on the environment, a developer is seeking $215 million in damages from the Los Angeles City Council for rejecting plans for an 18-hole golf course in Big Tujunga Canyon.

In rejecting the golf course on a 9-4 vote July 22, the council said it was concerned about the environmental consequences of developing in Big Tujunga.

In so doing, the council took the rare action of overriding support for the project by the district's representative, Councilman Joel Wachs. The council almost always defers to the district council member on land use issues.

The developer and landowner contend that the real reason for the vote was opposition to the project by Local 11 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union.

"For some (council) members, I think the record will show it was the only reason," said Ed Casey, an attorney representing Foothills Golf Development Group, the developer, and the L.A. International Golf Club, a subsidiary of landowner Cosmo World.

Local 11 opposes the development because Kajima International, a Japanese conglomerate that owns the New Otani hotel in downtown L.A., once owned the land on which Foothills Land wants to build the Red Tail Golf and Equestrian complex. Kajima still has an $18 million lien on the property.

Local 11 claims that Kajima has prevented workers at the New Otani from unionizing, charges that Kajima and New Otani officials have denied.

The claim for damages - the first step that must be taken before a lawsuit can be filed against the city - contends that the council violated the U.S. and state constitutions by "taking" the land - that is, not letting the owners develop it in a way to recoup their investment.

Mark Armbruster, a longtime City Hall lobbyist who represented Foothills Golf in its dealings with the City Council, said the council's vote against the golf course is a sign that union clout at City Hall is growing.

"This one is an obvious example because you have a project out in Sunland-Tujunga that was defeated because of a hotel in downtown Los Angeles," Armbruster said. "The two are so unrelated, yet that's what happened."

But Local 11 officials say that - although they helped bring to light environmental issues related to Red Tail Golf - they were not responsible for the council's decision to vote it down.

"We put that into the mix, but there is no question if you look at the record that the decision was based on environmental and land-use grounds," said David Koff, a senior research analyst with Local 11.

Councilman Michael Feuer, who voted against the development of Red Tail Golf, also denied that the union's opposition had any impact - at least on his vote.

"As I looked at this exclusively as a land-use matter, the use that was being proposed was not sufficiently consistent with my vision of how this ecologically sensitive and fragile area should be used," Feuer said.

When asked if any of his fellow council members might have voted against it because of the union's opposition, Feuer said. "I am in no position to impugn motives to other council members."

Richard Close, president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association and a Century City attorney, said that he believes the council members who voted against the project were influenced by the unions.

"Joel Wachs wanted this project approved, and he couldn't get the votes. ... Joel Wachs is a powerful and smart elected official, and if he couldn't get the votes it shows you how powerful the unions are," Close said.

Over the last several months, the city's labor unions have demonstrated increased power over Los Angeles City Hall.

Earlier this year, labor pushed through an ordinance requiring companies doing business with the city to pay their employees a higher minimum wage than that required by the state and federal government. And a labor-backed slate dominated the new voter-approved Charter Reform Commission.

"As soon as the first charter reform election was held in the April election, myself and others were shocked at how successful the city labor unions were in getting their people elected to the City Charter Reform Commission," Close said. "What happened in Sunland-Tujunga is another sign of how powerful the labor unions are in City Hall."