Los Angeles County is set up an agency that issues Altadena building permits and makes final decisions in facilitating restoration of the restoration facility after a single building permit was not confirmed in the aftermath of the Eton Fire.
The LA County Board of Supervisors passed a motion Tuesday to streamline the permitting process through the new unified permitting authority.
The NBCLA reported that no home has been licensed to build as of Tuesday while 1,500 properties are ready for reconstruction in Altadena. Among the 173 permit applications, LA County has started a permit process for 23 of them, county officials said.
Katherine Berger, LA County superintendent who wrote the motion, said the new unified license authority could be set up within Altadena’s one-stop recovery permit center, which could facilitate the home rebuilding process.
“There is no rebuilding permission issued in Altadena. That’s not acceptable,” Berger said. “Today’s movement is going through red tape, bringing Altadena’s components back on track and rebuilding them faster. There’s no time to waste.”
The permitting bodies are “authorized” to make a final permit decision without being connected to a particular department, Berger’s office said.
When Altadena cleared up the pieces and began preparing for a rebuild, the county had promised it would take a month or so to issue a building permit to residents.
However, in reality, each department (planning, fire, construction, safety) is involved in issuing building permits that each requires additional time to review the application.
Margot Stueber, a resident of Altadena, said he was told it would take at least three months to get permission.
“We must ensure that the rebuilding process is not only fast and efficient, but also fair and accessible to all residents,” said supervisor Lindsey Horvas.
The Altadena One Stop Permit Center is located at 464 West Woodbury Road, Suite 210, CA 91001.
Walk-ins are welcome, but consultation appointments can be scheduled at Recover.lacounty.gov.
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