A Los Angeles County supervisor is calling for an inquiry into the permitting process for a proposed mega-mansion that has drawn the ire of residents in wealthy neighborhoods bordering Beverly Hills.
In a letter Thursday to the head of the city planning department, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said it was an "embarrassment'' that the property owner's application to build the 85,000-square-foot compound got as close to approval as it did.
The property owner has since decided to scale back the plans and reduce the mansion's size by about 30,000 square feet.
The supervisor also questioned the city staff's decision to initially issue exemptions for the property that he says would have allowed the developer to avoid meaningful environmental review.
