UN4LA News - June 2023
A monthly newsletter published by United Neighborhoods for Los Angeles.
UN4LA's mission is to bring communities together to plan for a sustainable future. Growth must be shaped by community engagement, not developer dollars.
MASS EVICTIONS AT RENT-STABILIZED APARTMENTS IN WEST L.A.
Setting the stage for one of the largest mass evictions in LA history, the owners of Barrington Plaza have said they will invoke the Ellis Act to remove all the building's apartments from the rental market. Located in West LA, the decades-old complex has been the site of more than one fire, and landlord Douglas Emmett Inc. insists that tenants must be evicted to allow the company to retrofit the complex with sprinkler systems.
Tenant advocates have expressed concern about how the evictions will impact the hundreds of affected households. The loss of rent-stabilized units will leave renters on fixed incomes with few options for relocation.
Fire-Plagued Apartment Complex to Remove Tenants for Sprinkler Retrofit
STATE SENATE APPROVES BILL TO EXTEND ENVIRONMENTAL EXEMPTIONS FOR NEW PROJECTS
The California State Senate has approved SB 423, another bill from State Senator Scott Wiener, which would continue streamlined approvals for some housing projects. It's basically an extension of another Wiener bill, SB 35, and final approval by the Legislature would make the earlier bill's provisions permanent. Proponents claim that passage of SB 423 is necessary to speed up the creation of affordable housing, but these claims are questionable, since the bill requires as few as 10% affordable units in qualifying projects.
SB 423 would make permanent the provision that allows these streamlined projects to avoid any kind of environmental review. Also, the Senate Floor Analysis which was prepared prior to the Senate's approval stated that qualifying projects could not be located in coastal zones, but the most recent version of the bill appears to have stricken that language.
SB 423 now heads to the State Assembly. If you'd like to comment on the bill, you can find your representative's contact info by following the link below.
Find Your California Representative
SB-423 Land use: Streamlined Housing Approvals: Multifamily Housing Developments
COURT HANDS WIN TO OPPONENTS OF BALLONA WETLANDS PLAN
A judge's ruling has ended one battle in the years-long struggle over the Ballona Wetlands, but the conflict will likely continue. Four environmental groups sued to stop the restoration plan proposed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). While the court found the Environmental Impact Report approved by CDFW to be adequate in most respects, it agreed with petitioners that the state agency failed to adequately consider flood risks. The groups fighting the project are concerned that the plan's proposal for the excavation and repositioning of two million cubic yards of soil would threaten a number of species that live in the wetlands. CDFW has stated that they will revise the EIR and intend to proceed with the project. Opponents will continue their efforts to make sure their concerns about wildlife and habitat are addressed.
Court Ruling Halts Controversial Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project
INGLEWOOD COUNCIL APPROVES $7.6 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR TRANSIT CONNECTOR
As a first step toward covering the operating costs of the proposed Inglewood Transit Connector (ITC), the Inglewood City Council has voted to approve spending $7.6 million on an annual basis. It's estimated that maintaining and operating the ITC will require about $30 million a year, some of which will be covered by fares. Advertising and concessions could also help close the gap. The $1.8 billion ITC will connect SoFi Stadium, the Kia Forum and the Intuit Dome. In 2021 Inglewood voters rejected a ballot measure which would have imposed a real estate transfer tax that would have raised $4.5 million annually for the ITC.
Inglewood to Pay $7.6 Million Each Year for Connector
FRUSTRATION GROWS AMONG NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL MEMBERS
It seems that frustration with the City of LA's Neighborhood Council system is reaching a boiling point. NC board members have been complaining for years that City Hall seems intent on frustrating their efforts rather than supporting them, but a recent incident involving the Hollywood Studio District NC has become a flashpoint. Earlier this year most of the HSDNC board resigned after an employee of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) attempted to force it to allocate funds to support an event sponsored by an organization associated with the LA Sheriff's Department. The outcry over the incident was intense, and DONE General Manager Raquel Beltrán resigned shortly afterward. Beltrán had been controversial from the start, but the question remains as to whether there will be any meaningful changes at DONE.
Neighborhood Councils Are Supposed to Be the People’s Voice In LA Government
FOUR SYCAMORES REMOVED, DEVELOPER SUSPECTED
Four California sycamores that were planted on Venice Blvd. nearly 30 years ago have been illegally cut down. It's suspected that the trees were removed by workers at an adjacent construction site, where a new House of Pies restaurant is going up. The trees were originally planted by Verdant Venice Group, a volunteer organization whose members have cared for the trees for almost three decades. No permit was issued for the removal. The City of LA is investigating.
