Sacramento and the City

Hello Neighbors,

So much to say, where to start?  This is a bit long, but please stick with it…

WHLA has been having regular (and lengthy) conversations with legislative staff at Henry Stern’s office.  They have listened, read notes and reports sent to them, and have been incredibly helpful and we thank them for that.   We’d also like to thank Jesse Gabriel’s staff who have been instrumental in helping us connect with legislators in Sacramento.  

This past Monday, Henry Stern’s staff held an emergency Zoom meeting with senior LA City Planning staff, a senior legislator from Sacramento, and staff from Bob Blumenfield’s office.  Full credit goes out to Sen. Stern’s office for pushing on our behalf and making this meeting happen.  

As mentioned in a previous WHLA email, the legislators who drafted AB 2011, AB 2243, and AB 893 never intended for it to be utilized in an area like the Girard Tract.  They reiterated in the meeting that this legislation is totally inappropriate in a hillside fire zone that is clearly not a commercial corridor.  These same legislators also mentioned that while the bills were going through the normal legislative pipeline before being brought to vote, the City of Los Angeles (and every other city in CA) was made aware of the content of the bills.  No one from LA City reached out to Sacramento to flag potential issues.  

Folks in Sacramento, including Buffy Wicks, are aware of the unintended problems with the bills; apparently planning departments in other jurisdictions, and other projects in Los Angeles are flagging similar issues.  Unfortunately, changing laws takes time that we don’t have.  The CA Department of Housing and Community Development will be issuing guidance with respect to the interpretation of the AB bills in question (including defining what qualifies as a vacant lot)  but this could take weeks or months to deploy.

So, it seems the ball sits squarely in the court of LA City Planning and the LA City Attorney.  In the City of Los Angeles, active, permitted, and maintained parking lots are typically considered a developed land use rather than vacant, as they represent a functional, approved, and regulated use of space, often required by strict parking regulations. A lot is generally considered "vacant" when it is empty, clear of vehicles and storage, and lacks permanent, legal structures.  This is unlike many cities who do not consider parking lots to be a primary use.  LA’s definition is a problem, as it negates provisions in AB 2243 and AB 893 that would have disqualified the WHCC project from ministerial review.  

City officials apparently didn’t have much to say during the Zoom meeting, and said they would “reflect” on suggestions made regarding obtaining emergency ordinances and the possibility of modifying zoning and legal definitions.  The City wants the State to step in, but there is no time for this with respect to the WHCC project.  

This is unacceptable.  LA City Councilmember Traci Park went to bat for her community after the Palisades Fire, and managed to get Gavin Newsom to issue an Executive Order prohibiting SB 9 from being implemented in the Palisades.  Karen Bass also issued her own EO prohibiting SB 9 from being implemented in the Palisades after the fires.  We need this sort of unwavering advocacy from our local officials, but unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be coming our way.  

WHLA has asked Senator Henry Stern’s legislative staff to approach him regarding reaching out to Governor Gavin Newsom to see if he would issue an emergency executive order prohibiting the use of AB 2243 and AB 893 in the Girard Tract.  The answer was yes to the ask, stay tuned for the answer.  

In the meantime, please register for our community meeting with Jamie Hall.  As you can see, our case against the developers is very technical, and we will need Jamie’s help all along the way.