Correction: We updated this story. HPOZs are not excluded from ED1.
United Neighbors, a coalition of homeowner groups around the city including several in our local area, is urging neighbors to weigh in on proposed changes to the Mayor’s Executive Directive 1 that enables fast-track permitting of 100% affordable housing projects with extremely limited planning review. When it was initially implemented the ordinance did not exclude single-family neighborhoods and several projects were approved that drew heavy opposition from residents. Since then, the order was modified to exclude projects proposed in single-family neighborhoods but several unpopular projects may still be approved including a proposed 7-story, project at 507 N. Larchmont Blvd.
In the meantime, the LA City Planning Department and the Mayor’s office have been working on language that would convert ED1 to a permanent ordinance with many neighborhood leaders and interested groups weighing in the process.
United Neighbors, the statewide coalition of neighborhoods, has been “pushing for guidelines that protect our city from bad environmental policies (no setbacks, no trees, no articulation of buildings),” explained Maria Pavlou Kalban in January. United Neighbors advocates for adding density to commercial corridors and preserving single-family and multi-family neighborhoods.
In an email sent today, Kalban urged interested residents to…
“support the ordinance if amended to include the guidelines sent by United Neighbors to the PLUM committee, with a particular focus on the importance of the following amendments:
- 1. Limit the number of waivers and off menu incentives to a total of 6;
- 2. Require rear 15’ setbacks to allow for trees to grow and storm water to be captured;
- 3. Prevent post-development conversion of nonresidential spaces to market rate units;
- 4. Protect R 1, HPOZs and Historic Districts in their entirety;
- 5.Ensure that substandard streets/ high-fire zones do not qualify for ED 1 fast track approval;
- 6. Require ED 1 projects meet minimum Tier 2 TOC qualifications.
Projects that don’t meet these requirements under ED 1 would need to go through discretionary approval.”
The new ordinance (Council File 23-0623) will be considered and discussed by the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Committee (PLUM) at a meeting currently expected to held on March 19.
The Hancock Park Homeonwers Association and Windsor Square Association and Lucerne United have sent emails to neighbors today asking them to take a moment to submit comments for the file and send emails to members of the PLUM Committee Councilmembers Harris Dawson, Yaroslavsky, Padilla, Hutt, and Lee.
“Hancock Park strongly supports affordable housing projects, especially those that are truly 100% affordable. But, like United Neighbors, we’d like the permanent ordinance to close the loopholes that developers have tried to exploit in the Mayor’s ED1, ” wrote Hancock Park Homeowners Assciation President Cindy Chvatal-Keane in a message to resident.
“Windsor Square strongly supports affordable housing projects, especially those that are truly 100% affordable. But, like United Neighbors, we’d like the permanent ordinance to close the loopholes that developers have tried to exploit in the Mayor’s ED1,” according to an email sent by the Windsor Square Association.
But Larchmont Village resident Sam Uretsky is hoping more can be done to preserve the unique characteristics of Larchmont Blvd.
“Unfortunately their guidelines, as written, leave Upper Larchmont exposed to 6-story, 78 ft. high development,” wrote Uretsky to Larchmont Village residents. “I strongly suggest you do not support those guidelines, but instead support Larchmont United guidelines which contain 90% of the other guidelines and add in protections for Upper Larchmont.”
According to Uretsky, the guidelines deveoped for Upper Larchmont guidelines also request a height limit of 4 stories (including any state bonuses) for ED1 projects proposed for commercial streets that abut, border, transect or are adjacent to an R1 neighborhood. And, the guidelines request a limit of the number of waivers and off menu incentives to a total of six.
“Projects that don’t meet these requirements under ED 1 would need to go through the discretionary approval process,” wrote Uretsky. Click here for the complete guidelines.
The Buzz contacted CD5 and CD13 for comments on the proposed ammendments but have not yet heard back.
