A tussle between Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Los Angeles City Council over a proposal to boost downtown development has exploded into a power struggle that is expected to come into public view today at City Hall.
But even as the two sides prepare to face off, both are looking for a way to avoid a potentially embarrassing showdown that would further aggravate their already frayed relations.
At the center of the conflict is Councilwoman Jan Perry, who is pressing her colleagues to override Villaraigosa's veto this week of their plan to sell 9 million square feet of unused "air rights" over the Los Angeles Convention Center. The plan was meant to further downtown's residential boom by allowing developers to buy the vertical space and use it to expand projects beyond what zoning codes allow. The sale of these air rights would generate an estimated $200 million to pay for projects in and around downtown, such as affordable housing and parks.
Villaraigosa vetoed the plan because he said it would not give him an opportunity to review, and possibly reject, council decisions on air-rights deals.
Perry, who represents much of downtown, said she worried about giving Villaraigosa too much power over land-use decisions. But she also offered Villaraigosa an olive branch Thursday, suggesting in a letter to the mayor that he use his authority to review projects before they are submitted to the city Planning Commission or Community Redevelopment Agency board, whose members he appoints.
Perry needs 10 votes on the 15-member council for an override. Both she and Villaraigosa spent Wednesday and Thursday lobbying council members, with both sides voicing confidence.
"We're an independent body," Perry said.
Villaraigosa has argued that the council's plan violates the spirit, if not the letter, of the City Charter, which he said gives the mayor a voice in such matters.
City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo weighed in Thursday, saying the City Charter does not provide the mayor an automatic review of council land-use decisions.
The mayor's veto Monday was only his second since taking office 21 months ago.
"It's a reasonable check and balance for the mayor to be directly included in the process," Deputy Mayor Sean Clegg said. "The mayor believes that charter reform envisioned a mayor and a council sharing power as co-equals."
The fight over the air-rights plan underscores the growing strain between the council and Villaraigosa, who until recently enjoyed a warm reception in the council chamber.
