 A monthly newsletter published by United Neighborhoods for Los Angeles. UN4LA's mission is to bring communities together to plan for a sustainable future. This city's growth must be shaped by community engagement, not developer dollars. Contact UN4LA SB 827 IS DEAD By now you've probably heard that SB 827, State Senator Scott Wiener's bill which would have upzoned parcels near transit in cities across the state, is dead. It didn't even muster enough votes to make it out of committee. While Wiener and his allies pushed hard on this one, opponents of the bill won the day. Many thanks to all those who wrote e-mails and made phone calls to defeat this direct assault on local planning control. The defeat of SB 827 shows that we can make a difference when we all work together. Here's an account from the Mercury News. Major California Housing Bill Dies in First Committee Hearing CROSSROADS The Final EIR for the Crossroads Hollywood project has been completed. While this controversial project would preserve the Crossroads of the World mall and the former Hollywood Reporter Building, it would also involve the demolition of all other structures on the site, including 80 rent-stabilized apartments. The eight acre complex would include several new buildings, including three large towers. The project features residential, hotel, commercial/retail, entertainment and restaurant uses. It would include approximately 1,381,000 square feet of floor area, consisting of 950 residential units (11 percent, or 105 units, for Very Low Income Households), 308 hotel rooms, and approximately 190,000 square feet of commercial space. Incredibly, the developers are also asking for a master liquor permit to allow the sale of alcohol at a total of 22 establishments, in spite of the fact that the project is across the street from Hollywood High School. In addition, they also want a master permit to allow live entertainment at 8 locations within the project. The Department of City Planning will be considering the project at a hearing on May 15 at 9:00 am. Here's the hearing notice, you're interested in attending. Crossroads Hearing WARNER CENTER Developers have big plans for Warner Center. There are numerous projects in the works which would readically transform the area. But would these projects create the walkable, sustainable communities the City claims they will? Or are they merely designed to fatten the wallets of real estate investors. The massive Promenade 2035 would be built in multiple phases on the site of Westfield's existing Promenade Shopping Center. The project description says it would include up to 1,400 residential units, about 244,000 square feet of retail/restaurant uses, over 600,000 square feet of office space, over 500 hotel rooms, and a 15,000 seat entertainment and sports center. Structures would range from 3 stories to 28 stories in height. The developer is also requesting a Master Conditional Use Permit to allow the sale of alcohol at multiple sites within the project. The Draft EIR is available now. You can view it by clicking on the link below. Promenade 2035 Draft SEIR To view the document, select a chapter using Draft SEIR Sections and click on 'Go'. Comments are due by Monday, June 11, 2018 at 4:00 pm. Be sure to include "Case No. ENV-2016-3909-EIR" in the subject line. Send your comments to: Elva Nuño-O'Donnell elva.nuno-odonnell@lacity.org If you have problems with this project, you're not alone. Connect with the folks at Rally to Save the Valley to learn more about how you can get involved. Rally to Save the Valley HOME SHARING ORDINANCE It seems like LA is finally getting close to passing the Home Sharing Ordinance (HSO). While the current version is weaker than what many housing activists were fighting for, the ordinance would still go a long way toward protecting our communities. The amendments recommended by the Housing and PLUM Committees include a 120 day cap, and funding for enforcement that would allow the City to crack down on those who don't follow the law. Unfortunately, short-term rental companies like AirBnB are lobbying hard to weaken the ordinance further. The City Council will vote on the HSO this week, then it will be referred to the City Planning Commission for consideration, and then it will come back to the Council for a final vote. If you want to show up to support the HSO, and insist that it be adopted with no further concessions to AirBnB, here's the info for the meeting. Wednesday, May 2, 2018, 10:00 am City Hall, John Ferraro Council Chamber, Room 340 200 N. Spring St. USE ENTRANCE ON MAIN STREET. L.A. IS HANDING OUT TOO MANY TAX BREAKS Offering tax breaks for new development can help make worthwhile projects viable, helping to create jobs and bring needed investment. But tax breaks can also be abused. Lately LA's elected officials have been offering extremely generous incentives on projects that would be profitable even without them. Earlier this month, UN4LA wrote a letter to City Hall to ask why our leaders were giving up so much revenue when they haven't even been able to balance the budget. Click on the link to read the letter. Too Many Tax Breaks
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 A monthly newsletter published by United Neighborhoods for Los Angeles. UN4LA's mission is to bring communities together to plan for a sustainable future. This city's growth must be shaped by community engagement, not developer dollars. Contact UN4LA RE:CODE L.A. COULD CHANGE WHAT GETS BUILT ON YOUR BLOCK Back in 2013, the City of LA embarked on the complex task of updating its zoning code. Entitled re:code LA, this sweeping overhaul will change the way zoning is defined in Los Angeles. While there's no doubt that a rewrite of the code is long overdue, there are reasons to be skeptical of the City's motives. While the web site says, “re:code LA is a comprehensive revision of the City of Los Angeles’ Zoning Code," staff from the Department of City Planning (DCP) has said on more than one occasion that it will not change zoning. Seem like a contradiction? Elsewhere on the website it says, “The re:code LA project will not change any zoning designations, that work will only be accomplished when the City Council officially adopts new Community Plans or other planning projects." In other words, the changes will come not when re:code is approved, but later on when it's woven into newly adopted plans and projects. This is a problem. When the DCP presented its Hollywood Community Plan Update to stakeholders last year, there was no mention of how re:code could lead to zoning revisions down the road. The DCP also met with residents of the Valley last year to start the process of updating the Southwest Valley Community Plans. Were attendees informed of the changes that might occur once re:code was woven into the plans? At the same time, new rules are being formulated to change procedures for the way the DCP processes project applications. The Draft Processes and Procedures Ordinance is over 200 pages long. If the City is planning on inserting something that substantial into the Municipal Code, we need to take the time to look it over. These two initiatives could have huge impacts on our communities. Follow the links below to learn more. re:code LA Draft Processes and Procedures Ordinance 221-UNIT WESTLAKE PROJECT APPROVED OVER COMMUNITY OPPOSITION In spite of substantial opposition from the surrounding community, earlier this month the Department of City Planning (DCP) approved a five-story residential project for the site of the former Temple Community Hospital, at the corner of Temple and Hoover. Among the concerns of area residents were continuing gentrification and the loss of open space. Of the 221 units included in the project, 19 will be set aside for very low income households, but many community members feel that this small number of affordable units will not begin to offset the gentrifying impact of the project as a whole. Residents also felt that the Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared for the project was inadequate, and that it required a full Environmental Impact Report. Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell and the DCP disagreed, and barring further challenges, the project will move forward. LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL OPPOSES SB 827 On March 27 the LA City Council voted unanimously to oppose SB 827, a bill introduced by State Senator Scott Wiener that would override local zoning on parcels near transit. The motion to oppose SB 827 was introduced by Councilmember David Ryu and seconded by Council President Herb Wesson, both of whom deserve our thanks for taking action. The list of cities that have registered their opposition to the bill include Redondo Beach, Calabasas, Beverly Hills, Rancho Palos Verdes, Palo Alto, Milpitas and Livermore. The LA City Council's vote was an important step, but the fate of SB 827 will be determined by State lawmakers in Sacramento. If you haven’t already contacted your representatives in the State Assembly and the State Senate, please do so ASAP. If you don’t know who your reps are, you can use this link to find out. Find Your Rep For more information on this bill and how to fight it, please visit our SB 827 page. SB 827 MIXED NEWS FOR 8150 SUNSET The controversial 8150 Sunset project has been held up by legal challenges, but in late March the Court of Appeals handed down a new ruling. While a lower court had ruled that the EIR did not adequately study the impact of demolishing a mid-century modern bank on the site, the higher court overturned that decision. However, the Court of Appeals also said that the environmental assessment had failed to properly analyse the closure of a right-turn lane at the intersection of Sunset and Crescent Heights. This means the project will need further review, which will probably take a minimum of six months. This story from The Real Deal gives more details. 8150 Sunset Takes One Step Forward, One Back CITY APPROVES MORE LIQUOR PERMITS, LITERALLY BY THE DOZEN Last month the Department of City Planning (DCP) approved a Master Conditional Use Permit allowing a full line of alcoholic beverages at 19 restaurants on a single city block in Downtown LA. But that's not all. The City is also considering another Master CUP to permit a full line for 2 bars and 5 restaurants at 3501 6th Street. And there's still more. The owners of the nearly completed project at 6200 Hollywood Blvd. have asked for yet another Master CUP, this one covering 9 restaurants (5 full line, 4 beer and wine) and one store which will sell liquor for off-site consumption. The zoning administrator hearing the case seemed inclined to approve the request, in spite of the fact that, as of last year, there were almost 70 establishments selling alcohol for on-site consumption in the area bounded by Franklin, Gower, Sunset and La Brea. But the best is yet to come. This year the City will be considering approval of the massive Crossroads project, and in this case the developers are asking for a Master CUP to cover a total of 22 alcohol-related uses. That's right. Twenty two. This seems especially worrisome, since the project will be across the street from Hollywood High School. While there's nothing wrong with a community offering bars and restaurants where folks can get a drink, it seems that the City of LA believes you can never have too much alcohol. This is in spite of the fact that research shows a link between alcohol density and violent crime. Crime in Hollywood has been rising for years, and the latest LAPD stats show a year-to-date 25% increase in violent crime over 2017. If you see a problem with granting multiple alcohol permits under Master CUPs, call your Councilmember's office and let them know. Here's a link to the City Council Directory. LA City Council |
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