The LA County Board of Supervisors is trying to speed up the rebuilding of the home in Altadena after the county failed to issue a single permit in three months after the Eton Fire devastated the town.
The supervisor voted unanimously on Tuesday to create the “Unified Permit Authority.”
“I’m not happy with the pace,” district manager Kathryn Berger, including Altadena, said in a statement. “Altadena has not issued a rebuild permission. That’s not acceptable… There’s no time to waste.”
The Eton Fire destroyed more than 9,000 structures. Most of them are detached homes in Altadena, an unincorporated area where the county government has the final say on building permits.
The county created a “one-stop” permit center in March to speed up the approval process, but homeowners say all county agencies are needed to provide a stamp of approval, and the experience is falling apart. A two-week turnaround promised that many people didn’t make it happen.
“These delays will have a significant impact on residents who have already dealt with the trauma of evacuation and property loss,” the supervisor’s motion said, establishing a new permitting authority.
The supervisor said the authorities, which will be created alongside the public works, regional planning, fire and public health departments, will make binding and final remarks on the licensing issue. All departments will also be asked to assign “senior-level liaisons” to one-stop centers to speed up the process.
“Helping our community recover quickly and effectively from this year’s catastrophic fires is Los Angeles County’s number one priority,” said Superintendent Lindsey Horvas, a district that includes Palisades in the Pacific, in a statement. “We need to ensure that the rebuilding process is not only fast and efficient, but also fair and accessible to all residents.”
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