L.A. Mayor Karen Bass
Today in a July 29 statement, Mayo Karen Bass wrote, “While Senate Bill 9 (SB 9) was passed to support the creation of more housing across California – something that our state desperately needs – legislators in Sacramento could not have foreseen the bill’s impact on the Palisades community as it works to rebuild from one of the worst natural disasters in state history.
“More than 5,000 single-family homes were damaged or destroyed in the devastating Palisades Fire. (There were 6,837 structures burned, which include commercial, schools, city property and churches). The ability for developers to use SB 9 to change recently destroyed single-family home lots into multiple residences could drastically further challenge ingress and egress in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFSZ) following the worst fire disaster the city has ever faced,” Bass said.
“It could fundamentally alter the safety of the area by straining local infrastructure. I oppose this usage as it relates to rebuilding in the Palisades, and I look forward to continuing to work with Governor Newsom and state leaders to advocate for the Palisades community and identify a path forward as we continue to rebuild.”
SIGN THE PETITION TO STOP SB 9
Resident David Howard started a petition on Change.org, to gain signatures to stop SB9.
“We have moved our petition over to the Action Network, as they seem to have much greater impact with city and state government officials,” he said. “Please take a minute, click on the below link, resign and send to as many people as possible. We are already over 11,000 signatures click here.
In general, We need more housing in Los Angeles.
We also need to update our utility infrastructure.
New development can help pay for this.
The Burnt areas along Sunset Blvd, and the wider, residential streets near town or commercial areas could be rezoned R-2, or R-3 to allow for expansion and improved infrastructure.
This was NOT a “natural disaster”. Under clear skies and moderate winds this shoulod have been easily handled. This event was a direct result of the “regulatory state”, not a natural disaster.
Nancy,
When we were looking for a place to live after the fire, there was housing everywhere. Gobs of empty apartments in Santa Monica, Marina del Rey and Playa Vista. Jamie Paige, the editor of the Westside Current has written about all the ampty housing what was supposed to go for the homeless–but was never used. More people left California than is moving in–we even lost a representative because of the trend. But still everyone repeats the Mantra more housing is needed. Affordable housing, however that is defined might be harder to find–but when developers build these massive apartment complexes they are only mandated to require a few affordable units–which gives give them a tax break.
Were you not one of the people stuck in traffic trying to evacuate? That can be the only reason you’re advocating added density.
Sue