Local News Briefs

County Approves New Zoning Plan for Santa Monica Mountains

A local zoning plan for the Santa Monica Mountains that would allow the county to issue land use permits directly to applicants was approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors last week.

Known as the Santa Monica Mountains Local Coastal Program (LCP), the zoning plan encompasses 80 square miles of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Currently, property owners are required to obtain project approval from both the county and California Coastal Commission. The LCP now faces a hearing before the Coastal Commission, possibly as early as April.

Charges Filed in Playa del Rey Gas Leak

A man was charged today with four felony counts related to a natural gas leak in the Playa del Rey area, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.

Assistant Head Deputy Ronald Goudy said James Viramonte Cogley, 22 (dob 5/9/91), faces one count each of attempted arson, grand theft auto, unlawful taking of a vehicle, and vandalism over $400 in case BA421675.

Cogley pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to appear on March 14 in Department 34 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

The defendant allegedly entered a Southern California Gas Company facility on Feb. 17 and damaged some electrical panels, drove a truck that was in the facility over a gas valve, and then stole a pick-up truck and left. Goudy said the pick-up truck was found about a mile away where it had crashed against a parked car.

If convicted as charged, Cogley faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in custody. He is out on $200,000 bail. The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the case.

Santa Monica’s KCRW to Buy KDB

Public radio station KCRW-FM (89.9), the Santa Monica-based NPR-affiliate, is acquiring Santa Barbara’s oldest radio station, classical broadcaster KDB-FM (93.7), for about $1 million to improve its reach to California’s Central Coast.

Starting in the spring, KCRW will air its programming on 88.7 for Santa Barbara listeners, bringing them national shows such as “Morning Edition,” “All Things Considered” and “This American Life.”

The acquisition also expands the potential audience for KCRW’s in-house programming, such as the popular music show “Morning Becomes Eclectic,” current affairs talker “To the Point” and the new “Press Play” with Madeleine Brand.

KCRW’s Santa Barbara outlet will broadcast from the Antioch University campus, where the studio will be staffed by interns and at least two employees.

This purchase comes at a time of expansion for KCRW, whose headquarters are currently housed in the basement of Santa Monica College’s cafeteria building. Last year, KCRW kicked off a fundraising drive with the goal of generating $20 million, in part to fund a new three-story, 35,000-square-foot building on Santa Monica College’s Academy of Entertainment and Technology campus.