Comments on Housing Element Rezoning Program
- DRRA Land Use Committee
- Aug 6, 2024
- 3 min read
The DRRA's Land Use Committee sent the following letter to the City of Los Angeles:
To the planners:
The State of California claims that by 2029, the City of Los Angeles must change its zoning to
allow for an additional 456, 643 units of housing (259,812 of which are for Very Low, Low or
Moderate Income residents). We believe that the current zoning already would allow for
construction of those units, but we understand that the City’s goal is to get the units built.
Unfortunately, building more units will neither eliminate homelessness nor make housing more
affordable because upzoned, newer properties can charge higher rents than the older, shabbier
properties that they replace.
It is anticipated that the multiple ordinances in this program will have been enacted by
February 2025. Purportedly, the ordinances will not change the underlying zoning that is
currently in place, i.e. areas zoned for industrial uses will remain industrial, areas zoned single
family residential will keep that designation, historic zones will be protected. Further
development will be discouraged in areas at high risk of fire, sea level rise, flooding. After this
program is in place (Spring 2025), efforts to update the Palms Mar Vista Del Rey (PMVDR)
Community Plan will resume, and the updated Community Plan will be enacted together with
the new, form-based Zoning Code. Until the new Zoning Code is in place, however, there
should be no “rezoning.” (See our letter of August 30, 2021 regarding the Housing
Element/Safety Element.)
Draft Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) Ordinance (CPC-2023-7068-CA)
We submitted an initial comment letter on June 2, 2024. On July 18, our land use committee
commented on the related Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, and on August 5, 2024, our board voted
to submit a comment letter about the draft Affordable Housing Streamlining Ordinance.Docusign Envelope ID: 84B92539-21D6-47BF-9F39-17478B418DFE
Housing Element Rezoning Program
August 6, 2024
Page 2 of 2
After reviewing the three programs that comprise the CHIP (State Density Bonus, Mixed-Income
Incentive and Affordable Housing Incentive) and the Housing Element Sites and Minimum
Density Ordinance and the Resident Protections Ordinance, we ask:
1. That the Planning Department’s Development Standards (updated March 2024) apply to all
projects equally; and
2. That any developer who applies for a waiver, incentive or exception be required to prove
that the project will not “pencil out” without the waiver, incentive or exception.
We want application of the rules to be predictable and across the board so that we do not have
spot zoning that benefits a specific landowner but does not provide for the new residents’
needs for public infrastructure (open space/parks, libraries, roads and transit, etc.),
environmental protection and evacuation planning.
This letter was reviewed and approved at our board meeting on August 5, 2024.
Very truly yours,
Elizabeth Campos Layne
President
CC:
• Marian Ensley, West Area Representative for Mayor Karen Bass,
• Jeff Khau, Planning Deputy, City Councilmember Traci Park, jeff.khau@lacity.org
• Matthew Halden, Del Rey Deputy, City Councilmember Traci Park,
• Blair Smith (re Citywide Housing incentive Program), blair.smith@lacity.org
• Kiran Rishi (re Community Plan Update), kiran.rishi@lacity.org
• Matthew Glesne, Sr. City Planner, Housing Policy, matthew.glesne@lacity.org
• Cally Hardy, Sr. Housing Analyst, Housing Department, cally.hardy@lacity.org
• Del Rey Neighborhood Council, board@delreync.org
• Land Use and Planning Committee, Del Rey Neighborhood Council,
• Maryam Zar, Westside Regional Alliance of Councils Land Use & Planning Committee
• mpkalban@gmail.com, United Neighbors