As many of you know, a nonprofit coalition called United Neighbors is constantly at work proposing smart development that protects R-1 and HPOZ neighborhoods from incompatible development, while still allowing the City to reach its housing goals.
Right now, United Neighbors is requesting amendments to the permanent ordinance that the City Council will consider soon to fast-track, without public input, proposed 100% affordable housing projects. The ordinance will take the place of Mayoral Executive Directive 1 (ED1), which developers have used to submit dramatically out-of-scale projects at 507 N. Larchmont and 800 S. Lorraine. We’ve emailed you previously about those two projects.
Windsor Square strongly supports affordable housing projects, especially those that are truly 100% affordable. But, like United Neighbors, we’d like the permanent ordinance to close the loopholes that developers have tried to exploit in the Mayor’s ED1. For your consideration, here are four of the corrections that United Neighbors has sent to the Council’s PLUM Committee for PLUM and City Council action:
- Require 15-foot setbacks in the rear yard of these projects to allow for trees;
- Impose a 5% limit on the total amount of nonresidential project spaces to prevent post-approval “bait and switch” conversions of excess spaces to market rate units in violation of the promise/requirement of 100% affordable units;
- Exempt R-1, HPOZ and Historic Districts, not just R-1 properties, from fast tracking so that the complicated compatibility issues of out-of-scale projects in these neighborhoods can be addressed with precise review and solutions;
- Exempt substandard streets and high-fire zones from fast track approval for the safety of us all.
If you’d like to express your support for the ED1 ordinance amendments 1 through 4 listed above, copy the text below, then click here to send your message of support to the Council File CF23-0623. Be sure to enter your email, paste the text below into the “Comments for Public Posting” box (edit if you’d like) and click the green “Submit” button at the bottom of the page so your comments are posted. You’ll need to verify your email address via an email you’ll receive from “Clerk.PublicComment@lacity.org” — please don’t forget that step.
I am a resident of Windsor Square and a constituent of Council District 13.
I support Affordable Housing and the creation of more such housing throughout Los Angeles. I also believe the development of Affordable Housing can and should provide Affordable Housing while preserving the character and scale of existing stable, thriving neighborhoods and ensure that the quality of life on adjacent streets and neighborhoods is not adversely affected.
I support the ED1 Ordinance ( CF 23-0623 ) if amended to include the United Neighbors guidelines sent to the PLUM committee, with a particular focus on the importance of the following amendments:
1. Require 15-foot setbacks in the rear yard of these projects to allow for trees;
2. Impose a 5% limit on the total amount of nonresidential project spaces to prevent post-approval “bait and switch” conversions of excess spaces to market rate units in violation of the promise/requirement of 100% affordable units;
3. Exempt R-1, HPOZ and Historic Districts, not just R-1 properties, from fast tracking so that the complicated compatibility issues of out-of-scale projects in these neighborhoods can be addressed with precise review and solutions;
4. Exempt substandard streets and high-fire zones from fast track approval for the safety of us all.
Projects that don’t meet these requirements under ED1 would need to go through discretionary approval.
Thank you for your consideration.
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