West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission · Held

West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission meeting, July 1, 2026

July 1, 2026, 4:30 p.m. · Updated October 2, 2026

From official records: On July 1, 2026 the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission voted 4-0 to approve a Coastal Development Permit for SoCalGas to plug and abandon the Vidor 15 gas well in the Ballona Wetlands, and granted Defend Ballona Wetlands' appeal in part (determination letter). The agenda also listed the group's appeal of a private street and bridge at 5000 S. Beethoven St., which the Commission decided on Aug. 5 (determination letter).

As of October 2, 2026, outcomes for the July 1, 2026 meeting of the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission come from official records posted so far, such as council files, recorded votes and filed statements. Some results may be missing until the full minutes are posted and read.

5. SoCalGas Vidor 15 well plug and abandonment, 13374 W. Jefferson Blvd.

• What it does: SoCalGas would plug and abandon the Vidor 15 natural gas well at its Playa Del Rey storage facility, in an upland area of the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve, using a workover rig to remove the wellhead, set cement plugs and seal the well (agenda). The Director of Planning approved a Coastal Development Permit and a CEQA exemption on Oct. 24, 2025 (determination).
• Who brought it: Applicant Tom McMahan, Southern California Gas Company. Appellant Marcia Hanscom, Defend Ballona Wetlands (agenda). The item was continued from May 6 (agenda).
• Who it affects: Council District 11, Westchester-Playa Del Rey plan area (agenda).
• What happened: The Commission granted the appeal in part, denied it in part, sustained the Director’s determination and approved the permit with modified conditions and amended findings. It kept only the Class 1 (existing facilities) CEQA exemption; the Director had also cited Classes 4 and 8. Vote 4-0: Shelton moved, Ryan seconded, Goldman and Sandifer yes, Waltz-Morocco absent (determination letter).
• What’s next: The letter says the decision is not further appealable at the City, and the permit becomes final 20 working days after the California Coastal Commission receives the letter unless the Coastal Commission takes an appeal (determination letter).

6. Private street and bridge over Centinela Creek, 5000 S. Beethoven St.

• What it does: A private street approval gives the parcels at 5000 S. Beethoven St. legal frontage and access through a new private bridge over Centinela Creek to Beethoven Street (agenda). The Advisory Agency approved it on April 24, 2026, relying on a 1998 Mitigated Negative Declaration and a 2025 addendum (agenda; determination).
• Who brought it: Applicant Ilan Israely, 5000 Beethoven LLC. Appellant Defend Ballona Wetlands, represented by Marcia Hanscom and Robert J. van de Hoek (agenda).
• Who it affects: Council District 11; the case record lists the Del Rey Neighborhood Council area.
• Coverage: Before the Advisory Agency hearing, the Westside Current reported that the bridge over Centinela Creek was built after the City issued a permit about two years earlier, that a 236-unit Del Rey Pointe project proposed for the site in 2018 was withdrawn, and that Del Rey Neighborhood Council President Ravi Sankaran said the owner had not contacted the council about the hearing and that the council would like the site rezoned as open space (Westside Current, Dec. 9, 2025).
• What happened: The determination letter records the decision at the Commission’s Aug. 5, 2026 meeting, not July 1. The Commission granted the appeal in part, denied it in part and approved the private street with modified conditions, 3-2: Waltz-Morocco moved, Ryan seconded, Sandifer yes, Goldman and Shelton no (determination letter).

Minutes for July 1 were not posted on City Planning’s meeting index as of Oct. 1, 2026; outcomes above come from the determination letters.

Next meeting: August 5, 2026 · All meetings