If the City wants people to rebuild after the devastating January Palisades Fire, they need to waive permit and building fees.
(Editor’s note: Reporters wonder why only four building requests have been approved. This letter sent to CTN, provides an explanation. All Palisades residents need to ask this question of every public official as often as possible. This editor asked that question of L..A. Mayor Karen Bass at a press conference and she said she was trying. The Mayor holds a zoom meeting for the community every Tuesday at 5 p.m. I urge all resident to attend and in the question portion to ask the question “When will you waive fees?” Sending an actual letter to Governor Newsom might also be effective. Governor Gavin Newsom, 1021 O Street, Suite 9000, Sacramento, CA 95814 Then call relentlessly, the number listed is (916) 445-2841. I called and was on hold for about five minutes, before a person said they would convey the message about waiving fees. Get ready, get set, dial Palisades. Let the Governor know this is vital.)
Dear Governor Newsom, Mayor Bass, Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Engagement Ensley, Councilmember Park, County Supervisor Barger, County Supervisor Horvath, Director of City Planning Bertoni, Director of Regional Planning Bodek, Chief Recovery Officer Soboroff, and Steadfast LA Founder Caruso:
We, along with thousands of Pacific Palisades residents, lost our home in the Palisades fire. We are writing to implore you to use your influence to ensure that planning and building permit fees for the City and County of Los Angeles are waived for all rebuilds of homes destroyed in the recent Eaton and Palisades Fires.
This issue is of critical importance. We just received an invoice for $1,338 for a permit fee for the Grading Department to review a soils report! If this is any indication of the permit fees to come, we will have to reduce then size the of our former house to rebuild or may not be able to rebuild at all. This is entirely egregious. We need a definitive answer regarding the waiver of permit fees.
We have lived in Los Angeles all of our lives and have paid property taxes for several decades. Our expectation was that these taxes would be used, in part, for fire fighting resources, such as a robust fire department and updated water reservoir systems, both of which were wholly inadequate to fight and mitigate the wildfire. Requiring property owners who lost their homes to wildfires to pay fees to the city or county in order to rebuild their homes adds insult to injury.
Finally, there is precedent in California for waiving these fees in response to devastating fires. Please note of the following:
- In 2018, in response to the Woolsey Fire, the City of Malibu waived planning and building permit fees for properties destroyed in the disaster. https://www.malibucity.org/DocumentCenter/View/24698/Fee-Waiver-FAQ. The deadlines for these waivers have been extended. https://www.malibucity.org/958/Fee-Waiver-Deadlines.
- In 2020, in response to the Glass Fire in Northern California, the City of Santa Rosa waived planning and other permit fees. https://www.srcity.org/2674/Resilient-City-Zoning
- In 2021, in response to the Dixie Fire in Northern California in 2021, Nevada County waived planning and building permit fees for properties destroyed in the disaster. https://yubanet.com/regional/nevada-county-provides-priority-permitting-and-fee-waiver-for-winter-storm-damage/
The city and county have expressed their desires to help our communities rebuild. We are prepared to invest in our town’s future, but we cannot move forward with rebuilding until we know that the planning and building permit fees have been waived.
Since there are no available emails for Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass, we have sent this request to them via US Mail. We have also called several of your offices and of course signed the petition to waive the permit fees. We look forward to your prompt response.
Tracy and Richard McGeagh
Thank you, McGeagh family, and thank you, CTN, for your faithful reporting and support for our friends and neighbors in the Palisades. So much of the time, we as displaced Palisadians, as we try to do the right thing for ourselves and our longtime neighbors, we feel as if we are running in cement.
Of course securing a home base for our household had to come first. Now that immediate needs are met, we are better equipped to attend to your reports and directions for action. Thank you again; and, Onward.
Thank you , Sue, so much for covering “the in limbo” state of the Palisades Bowl and Tahitian Terrace mobile home parks. The Bowl was the last affordable housing on the West side. All the other media seem to be more concerned with the displacement of the “rich” due to the fire. Many of us elderly and literally homeless now.
Tracy and Richard,
Thanks for your timely and thorough evaluation of the current, unhelpful permitting process, and your recommendation to increase pressure on the gtoverning bodies to force a change. We’ll tune in next Tuesday and ask questions.
Best regards,
Joe and Dayle Hartnertt
I have signed one petition asking for waiver of permit fees and have received no direct response. I understand that Mayor Bass can waive some of the fees by “executive order”, what are they and why have we not heard.
I also understand that legislations are being considered at the City Council, but, no timeline; months was suggested.
Yet, all politicians have committed and encouraged rebuild ASAP. The EPA and USACE and the County have all done their respective piece, cleaning, processing the ROEs, and removing the debries, enabling many of us who are ready to rebuild to move to the next phase of actually rebuilding….but, we are WAITING (time wasted) for the permit waivers.
If indeed, it’s just trying to comply with the law and otherwise a “waiver” than perhaps the City Council can write in retroactive reimbursement of fees that will be waived. In short, governmental leaders have made a commitment for rebuilding ASAP. So, let’s do it. Imagine, the sooner we can complete rebuild, the sooner you the government will be able to assess property tax and finally get a major governmental revenue source back to “normal” again. It’s a MUTUAL BENEFICIAL for the entire community, including everyone, not just the fire survivors.