The pace at which properties are allowed to be rebuilded, damaged or destroyed during the brush fire in January, is a source of concern for affected communities.
It has been six months since the Eton and Palisade fires ran through Altadena and Palisades in the Pacific. Since then, unincorporated Los Angeles County has received 1,207 rebuild applications, but only 90 permits have been issued. The Los Angeles Building Bureau reported that it had received applications for reconstruction of 360 addresses affected by the Palisade fire. Of these, 70 addresses have been granted.
“When you look at what the county and the city have done together, it’s just a small portion of the total number of homes lost,” said Richard Green, director of USC’s Lusk Center for Real Estate.
“The Los Angeles permitting process is complicated by American standards, even as fast tracking,” Green said. “The median time to get permission in Dallas is eight days.”
Meanwhile, according to LA County, the average time it took to obtain one of the 90 rebuilding permits issued was 51 days.
“We’re still moving it, but it’s not accepted yet,” said LA County superintendent Kathryn Berger.
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to quickly track schools and homes affected by the fire by suspending local building codes and allowing laws.
Over 16,000 structures have been destroyed in the fire, including homes, schools and businesses. The disaster caused approximately 150,000 people to evacuate at the beginning of the year.
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