Around the Corner

🧏‍♀️ Did you hear? You can now combine ATC's permit and planning data with comprehensive land parcel data! Use Parcel Data Filters to pinpoint parcels by size, zoning, use, density, ownership, and associated cases. Log in now or read more.

LA’s PLUM and City Planning Commission meetings are back with packed agendas. This includes a General Plan Amendment to update zoning district names on the Downtown Community Plan General Plan Land Use Map.

July in Review 

City of LA Applications:

• Executive Directive 1 (ED1): 23 (+44 Pre-Application Reviews, or PAR)

• Conditional Use Beverage-Alcohol (CUB) or Restaurant Beverage Program-Alcohol (RBPA): 27

• Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC): 14 (0 appeals)

• Appeals: 8

City of LA Completions:

📣 New feature: Search by completion date as well as filing date! Combine completion date range with project types, determinations, and more.

• Executive Directive 1 (ED1): 14 approved

• Conditional Use Beverage-Alcohol (CUB) or Restaurant Beverage Program-Alcohol (RBPA): 24

• Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC): 3 approved with conditions

Highlighted Cases

City of LA

• 1122 S Westmoreland Ave, ADM-2024-4378-CLR: Construction of new 7-unit apartment complex behind the existing 8-unit complex. Previous TOC development attempts were terminated in 2021 after structures on sites were deemed contributors to HPOZ.

• 13840 Sherman Way, ADM-2024-4622-DB-PHP-VHCA: New construction of a 5-story, 83-unit, 100% affordable housing development with on-menu incentives

• 6122 S Victoria Ave, ADM-2024-4229-DB-VHCA-ED1: Demolition of existing SFD and construction of 5-story, 84-unit 100% affordable housing apartment (66 LI, 17 MI, 1 MU) with 0 parking spaces in South LA

• 1513 Winona Blvd, ADM-2024-4385-DB-SPPC-VHCA-ED1: Construction of a 7-story, 52-unit, 28,638 sf mixed-use development with zero parking stalls located in the C2-1D Zone

• 15839 Valley Vista Blvd, AA-2024-4438-PM: Parcel map subdivision to permit the division of land from 1 lot into 2 single family parcels

City of Santa Monica

• 2025 Wilshire Blvd, 24ENT-0126: Deed restriction for 15 affordable units within an 8-story mixed-use building consisting of 150 residential units, ground floor commercial retail space, and four levels of subterranean parking

• 1318 4th St, 24ENT-0127: AA-Housing Project for a 6-story mixed-use building consisting of 100% affordable (122 affordable units) with ground-level commercial space with two levels of subterranean parking

City of Pasadena

• 161 N Hill Ave, PPR2024-00006: Pre-development review for the construction of a new two-story 33,000 sf research and development building

• 141 N Madison Ave, PWDWG2024-00016: Public improvements for construction of new 5-story mixed-use building with 49 condominiums under building permit BLDMU2021-00006 and conditions of approval under vesting tentative tract map

The Week Ahead

Aug 6 | LA Planning and Land Use Mgmt (PLUM) Committee

• 16949-16955 West Sherman Way, CPC-2022-7854-ZCJ-SPR-WDI: Continued from June 18: Zone Change from CR-1VL, (Q)C1-1VL and P-1VL to (T)(Q)RAS4-1VL, with the following two incentives: a) reduction in parking to allow 165 residential automobile parking spaces in lieu of 198; and, b) relief from General Plan Footnote 7 to allow for a project to rise to four stories in lieu of three stories; 111-unit (6 ELI, 13 VLI), mixed-use development and 4,500 sf of ground floor commercial

• CONTINUED FROM July 2. See additional case summaries here. 1330-1360 North Vine St: Mixed-use development on a two-acre site with two development options: Residential or Office. Both Options would demolish 32,844 sf of commercial and vacant residential uses while rehabilitating six existing bungalows. Residential Option would develop a 33-story, 429-unit (36 VLI) building with four levels of subterranean parking, 55,000 sf grocery store, and 5,000 sf of retail uses for a FAR of 6:1.

Aug 7 | West LA Area Planning Commission

• 334 & 350 South 6th Ave, ZA-2019-6302-ZAA-1A; DIR-2019-6301-SPP-SPPA-MEL-1A: Proposed modified project: demolition of an existing SFD and detached garage, and the construction of a new two-story, 3,275 sf SFD. In response to the appeal, the applicant modified the proposed project to reduce the height and floor area of the SFD for consideration.

Aug 7 | Santa Monica Planning Commission

• Amendment to the Municipal Code to increase the Max. Allowed Height of Fences, Walls, and Hedges in the Front Setbacks of R2, R3, and R4 Zoning Districts to a Maximum Height of 72 Inches and to Address the Rules for Measuring the Heights of Fences, Walls, and Hedges Located on Top of Retaining Walls

• Adoption of Amendments to the Land Use and Circulation Element of the General Plan, the Bergamot Area Plan, and the Downtown Community Plan for Consistency with the Goals, Policies, and Programs of the 6th Cycle (2021- 2029) Housing Element and Recent Updates to State Housing Laws: allow for the separate conveyances of primary dwelling units and ADUs per AB 1033; and incorporate interim zoning regulations authorizing the establishment, by Resolution, of objective design standards for housing projects that qualify for the streamlined ministerial approval process established by SB 35 housing projects

Aug 8 | LA City Planning Commission

• 5717–5721 West Camerford Ave; 12747–12749 West Mitchell Avenue, CPC-2023-6515-CU-DB-WDI-HCA: New 12,623 sf five-story residential apartment building with 15 units (2 VLI); 56 feet and 11 inches in height with 1,711 sf of open space and 12 parking spaces

• CPC-2024-150-GPA-CA: General Plan Amendment to update zoning district names and correspondence on the Downtown Community Plan General Plan Land Use Map and within the Downtown Community Plan text to align with Los Angeles Municipal Code Chapter 1A zoning nomenclature, as well as add references to the Convention Center and Arena Specific Plan to the Los Angeles Municipal Code and to the Downtown Community Plan General Plan Land Use Map

• CPC-2024-2453-CDO: Amendment to the Little Tokyo Community Design Overlay District (CDO) to remove design guidelines that conflict with the City’s New Zoning Code, as applied Downtown and to restructure the CDO document to align with City Planning’s unified design style

• CPC-2024-2461-CDO: Amendment to the Broadway Theater and Entertainment District Community Design Overlay (CDO) to remove design guidelines that conflict with the City’s New Zoning Code, as applied Downtown and to restructure the CDO document to align with City Planning’s unified design style

• 522 East Venice Blvd; 1700 South Washington Way, CPC-2020-5839-DB-CU-CDP-MEL-SPP-WDI-HCA: Three-story, 16,176 sf, 25-unit apartment building with 19 market-rate units (6 CVLI), providing five parking spaces on-site

• 1904–1906 South Preuss Rd, VTT-84089-SL-HCA-1A: Subdivision of two lots into 12 small lots (1 VLI dwelling unit). One small lot home will be constructed at each of the 12 small lots. Six of the small lot homes will each have a floor area of 2,365 sf and a building height of 45 ft (four stories). Appeal from

• 1551 & 1557 South Hi Point St, DIR-2023-7360-TOC-HCA-1A: Demolition of two existing single-family homes for the construction of a new six-story residential building, 57 ft in height, containing a total of 38 dwelling units (four ELI units). Proposed development will contain approximately 54,393 sf of floor area with FAR of approx. 4.32:1.

Aug 8 | South Valley Area Planning Commission

• 3003 North Runyon Canyon Rd, APCSV-2016-4179-SPE-DRB-SPP-MSP-ZV-ZAD: Construction of a new, 5,500 sf, two-story SFD and 600 df attached two-car garage and a fully underground 3,000 sf basement. RFA is 5,700 sf and a maximum height of 29 ft on a 197,435 sf lot. Conversion of an existing on-site 2,018 SFD to an ADU. The SFD includes three bedrooms, decks, a pool, a theater, and a gym. A total of five automobile parking spaces are proposed. The Project is located within 50 vertical feet of a prominent ridgeline and is within 200' of public parkland.