Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order Monday seeking to speed up rebuilding efforts after a fire that destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in the city last week, particularly in Pacific Palisades.
Executive Order 1 requires city departments to complete a project review within 30 days of the filing of a complete application and to waive discretionary hearings under zoning ordinances, among other efforts.
The order will apply as long as property owners do not increase the size of their homes and businesses by more than 10%.
“This unprecedented natural disaster requires an unprecedented response that will accelerate the rebuilding of homes, businesses and communities,” Bass said in a statement. “This order removes red tape and bureaucracy to plan with urgency, common sense and compassion. We will do everything we can to get Angelenos back home.”
Bass' move comes one day after Gov. Gavin Newsom, using his executive order, has withdrawn regulations under federal environmental laws in an effort to speed up rebuilding in the Palisades, as well as in Altadena and other suburbs. Bass praised Newsom's decision and signaled last week that a similar effort is coming from the city.
Analysts have pointed to the lengthy and bureaucratic permitting process as a major barrier to housing in Los Angeles, which they say needs to be fixed long before the fire.
Although the efforts of Bass and Newsom aim to make it easier to build, the number of regulatory obstacles that often affect construction, especially in the Palisades and other coastal areas, means that the details of the government's response – such as the number of workers available to process permits. , or even exemption from permits – will determine its effectiveness.
Bass' order also establishes a task force to clear debris, reduce silt and help multifamily developments close to being phased out to make more units available on the market.
Azeen Khanmalek, executive director of Abundant Housing LA, called Bass' order a positive development in the rebuilding process. But given the magnitude of the problem, he called on Los Angeles to do more to accelerate housing development across the city — regardless of where it's located and whether it's redevelopment.
“We were already in a housing crisis before and now there are thousands of new homes and families looking for places to live,” Khanmalek said.
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