Week 1: Settling in with the PV Estates City Planner

Since I’m hopping on the internship wagon relatively late after returning home from study abroad, this past week has been quite the learning curve for me as I settle into my role with the Palos Verdes Estates City Planner. Palos Verdes Estates is a seaside community located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, incorporated in the late 1920s after the land parcel was sold by its owner—with conditions. Among these conditions are strict architectural requirements, meant to preserve the natural aesthetic beauty of the region and to discourage overdevelopment, crowding of lots, and commercial centers. The role of the City Planner (as well as myself) is to review all development plans, such as site plans for construction of new homes, or renovations to existing homes and landscaping, to ensure that the structure is compatible with the standards outlined in the Municipal Code.

My first day at the office was far from what I was expecting. During my interview, Karina Bañales (the hiring supervisor) informed me that the workplace was a highly professional government office and that there were high expectations of staff to adhere strictly to policy. I came in dressed business professional, and was a bit surprised to find how relaxed the staff were! Casual interactions were frequent, joke-making wasn’t taboo, and overall it seemed as if the organizational culture was open, welcoming, and pleasant. My direct supervisor, Elizabeth Corpuz, has been essential in adjusting to PV Estates; she is the City Planner and is a kind, sharp, and helpful young woman.

The first day was mostly introductory, learning how to use their systems, understanding their terminology, and making myself comfortable. But after a few days, I was very warmed up to Elizabeth and she started to give me more personal reflections on the work we were doing. For example, every morning from 8 to 10am, the City Planner holds “counter hours,” during which city residents who are planning to renovate or build homes can come in for informal advising on their plans. They also can receive advice on planning disputes, which consumes lots of Elizabeth’s time. I should probably include some context about the type of neighborhood that PV Estates is, because this informs a lot of the organizational culture of the local government. PV Estates is a very elite, upper class city occupied primarily by wealthy, older families, both American and overseas. It is generally unwise to paint with a broad stroke, but I think it would be fair to say that the nature of most complaints that pass into the hands of the City Planner can be described as “first world problems.” For instance, a woman complained to us for about 45 minutes that her neighbor’s shrubs on their front yard were two inches too tall. Elizabeth was highly professional at the counter and took her complaint seriously, but later, when she had me fill out a report about it, she opined that the complaint was a little ridiculous and that this is a typical thing in Palos Verdes.

Overall, my first week has been great. I’ve read the entire municipal code, reviewed plans, written reports, used the citt’s GIS system, and done a site inspection. Planning has definitely become a career interest for me, and I look forward to the rest of my time here.