By JOSEPH SOMERVILLE
The big question.
Why is everything moving so slow?
Is it me, or does everyone feel it? Do you feel it? Am I right or am I wrong?
Things seem to be moving at a snail’s pace. Next Tuesday, October 7, is going to be nine months since the Palisades Fire. Things moved rapidly fast up to June 7, the fifth month anniversary of the Fire. Lots were 95% cleared. There were trucks moving all about. Fire in the belly. Things were happening. There was excitement, energy, a sense we were moving forward at a good pace.
And then, on June 8 a switch was flipped and virtually nothing has happened in the last four months.
Yes, a few homes going up. Twenty, maybe 25 around the Alphabet Streets and Upper Huntington. Yes, power restored, but none is underground. There were 690 plans approved according to the Palisadian-Post. Maybe. But that is just 1 in 7 that are needed. At this rate it will be five years for all the properties to be approved. It is SLOW. Sleepy slow.
Where is the Big Grand Action Plan? Where is the building-fast and now energy? The “post-fire” building boom. Nothing. Is anyone really doing anything? Can anyone, any leader, kick this sleepy hollow vibe in the butt and get things done now? Where is the urgency? Is there any one there?
It seems not.
Why?
[Talk about being slow rolled.]
what is the basis for saying: “At this rate it will be five years for all the properties to be approved”? what math formular did you use to say that? Weren’t there
5,419 homes lost in the Palisades Fire? As of August 31, were they a total of 179 new home building permits issued since the fire? isn’t that about three percent of the homes destroyed?
Recovering from a wildfire isn’t as simple as punching a question into Google. Take it from someone who’s been there more than once.
People are waiting to see if any of the financial promises made will come to pass. I’m betting they won’t. If they truly wanted action they could say 100% of fees and permits could be deferred for 5 years interest free, 50% if assumable by another party via sale or transfer. People just need to know. Something. Anything.
A few homes are starting to go up—maybe 20 to 25—but compared to what’s needed, it still feels slow. Families are now nine months into ALE coverage, and time is running short. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to lose everything and then face the challenge of rebuilding.
There’s something called an economy of scale—strength in numbers. When neighbors rebuild together, costs come down, timelines shorten, and the whole community benefits.
That’s why Williams Rebuild is here: not just to build homes, but to educate and guide families interested in working together. By joining forces, homeowners can save hundreds of thousands on their rebuilds and move back home much sooner.
Happy to be a resource,
Greg De Carlo
310-922-6428
It’s slow because the insurance companies are making people write down everything they lost inside their home, which is heart breaking to many, many of us. Then the insurance company wants the previous plans of your house as a rebuild and then they come thru with a ridiculously low amount to build a new house knowing full well prices on everything has gone way up. like it or not is their motto. Then there is the city clogging up the system in their way just waiting for more excuses to tax us.
Keith,
1.) I may have been a little clearer. 5,000 homes, 690 plans approved. Let’s be generous and take 4,900 homes and say 700 plans approved. That is 1/7, or 1 in 7. And give me one week more. So 9 months time [Jan 7th – Oct 7th] to get 1/7 done. To get all done, 7 x 9 months each = 63 months divided by 12 months = 5.25 years.
At the current rate of 1/7 every 9 months.
A simple version: 700 plans divided by 9 months = 78 plans/month. 4900 divided by 78 = 63 months = 5+ years.
2.) To be fair let’s compare the numbers you sighted. 5,419 homes. 179 permits. 8months [Jan 7th to August 31st]. 5,419 divided by 179 = 3.3 % of the homes destroyed, as you said. That is 1/30. To get all done, 30 sets x 8 months each set = 240 months divided by 12 = 20 years.
At that rate of 3.3% every 8 months.
Simple version: 179 permits divided by 8 months = 22.375 per month. 5,419 homes divided by 22.375 per month = 242 months = 20 years.
3.) The point of my article is simple. The speed needs to increase and rapidly.
At 3.3% per month it will take 2 1/2 years.
At 3.3% every 2 months, 5 years. And so forth.
The speed is not up to the size. The speed needs to increase rapidly. Now.
Our officials are legislators not experienced in running successful companies or businesses so expecting them to be practical and effective in running LA isn’t their expertise.
I think we should look at what permits have been issued. Are they actual construction permits or perhaps just a grading permit?
But, Karen Bass says that reconstruction is happening at warp speed. She wouldn’t lie, would she?