Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order Monday calling for faster rebuilding efforts after fires destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in the city, primarily in the Pacific Palisades.
Executive Order 1 requires city officials to complete project reviews within 30 days of a complete application being submitted, and includes initiatives such as waiving optional public hearings under zoning regulations. It is being said.
The order applies unless property owners expand the size of their homes or businesses by more than 10%.
“This unprecedented natural disaster requires an unprecedented response to help rebuild homes, businesses and communities,” Bass said in a statement. “This order cuts through red tape and bureaucracy and organizes around urgency, common sense, and compassion. We will do everything in our power to bring Angelenos home.”
Bass’ move comes a day after Gov. Gavin Newsom waived regulations under the state’s environmental laws through his executive order in an effort to accelerate rebuilding in areas outside the city, including the Palisades and Altadena. Bass praised Newsom’s decision and hinted last week that similar efforts would come from the city.
Analysts say a major hurdle to building homes in Los Angeles is the lengthy and bureaucratic building permit process, which they say was in need of streamlining long before the fires.
Bass and Newsom’s efforts are aimed at making construction easier, but the permitting process is typically riddled with regulatory hurdles that affect construction, especially in the Palisades and other coastal areas. This means that the details of the government’s response, such as the number of staff available, will be important. , or even an exemption from a permit, determines its validity.
Bass’ order also establishes a task force for debris removal and landslide mitigation, and helps nearing completion multifamily housing developments obtain temporary occupancy approvals to put more units on the market. It is for.
Abundant Housing LA Executive Director Azeen Kammarek said Basu’s order is a positive development in the rebuilding process. But given the scale of the crisis, he called for more efforts to expedite new housing development across Los Angeles, regardless of location or whether it’s a rebuild or not.
“We were already facing a housing shortage, and now thousands of new households and families are looking for a place to live,” Mr Kammarek said.
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