Around the Corner

A busy post-holiday week in LA city planning.

Two key actions stand out over the last week:

• LA City Council launched SB 79 implementation (Dec 4).
Council voted to begin mapping where SB 79’s new height and density allowances will apply across the city, allocating funds to kick off the technical work.

• LA County Regional Planning advanced the Housing Ordinances Update (Dec 3).
The Commission unanimously recommended approval of sweeping updates to Titles 21 and 22 to align County zoning with recent state housing laws, expand allowable housing types, remove barriers to development, and simplify code language.

The Week Ahead

Dec 9 | LA Planning and Land Use Mgmt Committee

• 1420 Coil Ave, CPC-2022-6859-GPA-HD-ZAD-WDI-1A: A Zoning Administrator Determination to allow Transitional Height of 65 feet within a distance of 100 to 199 ft from the R1 zone, in lieu of the Transitional Height of 61 feet otherwise allowed; for the improvement and expansion of an existing one-story, 42-foot tall, 221,496 sf cold storage facility, resulting in a two-story, 65-foot tall, 267,960 sf facility, with a total 0.36:1 FAR

• Motion (Raman - Blumenfield) relative to directing the Department of City Planning to report in 60 days with a list of existing permanent  and temporary Tentative (T), Qualified (Q), and Development Limitation (D) classifications in the City of Los Angeles, complete with an analysis of what they regulate and an estimate of how much they reduce development capacity from the base zoning, expressed in FAR, housing units, commercial square footage. Motion.

• 1451 Hi Point St, TT-84566-CC-2A: Report from the Central Los Angeles Area Planning Commission (CLAAPC); and an Appeal filed by Ilan Douek from the determination in denying the appeal and sustaining the Deputy Advisory Agency’s Determination and approving the TT Map composed of one ground lot for the proposed condominium conversion of an existing eight-unit residential apartment structure to an eight-unit residential condominium structure on an existing 8,838.6 sf lot

• Motion (Lee - Padilla) relative to instructing the Department of Building and Safety and the Department of City Planning, with assistance from the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Los Angeles World Airports, and the City Attorney, to report back within 90 days on the steps necessary to allow or expand private access to existing helicopter pads across the City of Los Angeles. Motion.

• 1611 S Hope St, CPC-2018-3336-SN-TDR-CUB-SPR-MSC-1A:

  • 1) Approving a Conditional Use Permit, pursuant to LAMC Sections 12.24 W.1 and 12.24 S, for the sale and dispensing of a full line of alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption within the proposed hotel; and a 20 percent reduction in the required amount of vehicle parking;

  • 2) Approving a Site Plan Review, pursuant to LAMC Section 16.05, for the construction of a proposed development project which will create an increase of more than 50 dwelling units or guest rooms; and

  • 3) Approving a Director’s Determination, pursuant to LAMC Section 12.21 G, to allow for up to a 10 percent reduction in the total required residential open space; for the proposed the demolition of 89,510 sf of commercial uses within four buildings for the construction of a two-tower, mixed-use development consisting of 250 residential dwelling units, 300 hotel guest rooms, and 13,120 sf of ground floor retail uses, for a total of 452,630 floor area

Dec 9 | Pasadena Design Commission

• 264 E. Bellevue Dr, DHP2025-00297: Demolition of a one-story single-family residence and a detached garage and new construction of a four-story, 18,858 sf, 14-unit multi-family residential building with 21 subterranean parking spaces. Report.

• 1364 E. Green St, DHP2025-00258: Construction of a new 4-story, 93,539 sf research and development building with office and laboratory spaces including 260 parking spaces located at-grade and within a three-level subterranean parking garage. Report.

Dec 10 | East LA Planning Commission

• 2800 Hyperion Ave, ZA-2025-2496-CUB-1A: The sale and dispensing of beer and wine for on-site and off-site consumption in conjunction with a 1,219 sf restaurant with 22 indoor seats and a 204 sf outdoor patio area with 12 outdoor seats with limited live entertainment including acoustic jazz music.

Dec 11 | LA City Planning Commission

• CPC-2025-5011-ZC-HD: Update on The Century Glen Project Area. Los Angeles City Planning is proposing to update the zoning within these single-family neighborhoods from R1-1-O to R1V2-O. The update in zoning to the R1V2 zone will convey most of the same development standards and use allowances as the R1-1 zone. Depending upon the size of a lot, the R1V2 zone may allow slightly more residential floor area than the current R1-1 (on average 200 square feet more). This effort does not propose any specific development.

• 2930 S Sepulveda Blvd, CPC-2024-5548-DB-PR-HCA: Construction of a 71-foot high, six story, 77-unit residential development including 12 units set aside for VLI Households, and two subterranean parking levels including 84 parking spaces. The Project includes a total Floor Area of 74,282 sf with a 2.99:1 FAR. There are no existing trees on site, and two existing street trees to remain. The Project includes the demolition of an existing office building and a haul route for the export of 9,771 cy of soil.

• 200 N Main St, CPC-2025-5392-CA: The proposed Zoning Review Transfer Ordinance (Proposed Ordinance) is a Citywide Code Amendment that will effectuate the transfer of certain zoning plan check responsibilities to the Department of City Planning from the Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). The Proposed Ordinance will: 1. Add a new ministerial “Zoning Plan Check” process to Chapter 1A of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) to transfer this authority to City Planning along with related existing LADBS modification authorities; 2. Amend other provisions in Chapters I (Original Zoning Code) and 1A (New Zoning Code) of the LAMC to reflect this transfer of existing authorities; 3. Remove certain redundant document distributions to LADBS; and 4. Make other related workflow clarifications, technical corrections, and edits to address errors and reflect current practices.

• CPC-2025-2884-CA: The proposed Oil and Gas Drilling Ordinance per (Oil Ordinance), consistent with Assembly Bill (AB) 3233, would prohibit new oil and gas drilling citywide; declare all existing oil and gas activities a nonconforming use in all zones; mandate the cessation of all nonconforming oil and gas operations within a 20-year period; disallow the maintenance, expansion, re-drilling, deepening, or intensification of existing extraction activities and wells in all zones (except for specific, limited Well Servicing); and create a separate zoning review process to permit these activities only to prevent, respond to, or cease credible threats to public health, safety or the environment.

Dec 11 | South Valley Planning Commission

• 4230 N Saltillo St, ZA-2023-1206-ZAD-DRB-SPP-MSP-HCA-1A: Appeal of construction of a new two-story 1,899 sf single family dwelling with a four-car garage, basement, two retaining walls, and pool. The Project is located in the Girard Tract Specific Plan and is in the Inner Corridor of the Mulholland Specific Plan, subject to the Baseline Hillside Ordinance. The Project Site is downslope and Visible from the Mulholland Drive right-of-way. The Project proposes 726 cy of cut, zero cubic yards of fill, 726 cy of export, and zero cubic yards of import grading. The Project proposes the removal of two Oak trees and one street tree.

Week in Review

Highlighted Applications

City of LA 

• 1687 Clear View Dr, ZA-2025-6734-ADJ: To permit a reduced lot area of 730.78 sf in lieu of the otherwise required 15,000 sf in the RE15 zone

• 8950 Lurline Ave, ZA-2025-6705-ZV: Adult Day Health Care / Community Based Adult Services

• 516 N Stanley Ave, DIR-2025-6625-ADJ: Addition to garage in conjunction with proposed ADU on second floor

• 1025 S Burnside Ave, ADM-2025-6621-ADUH: Pursuant with LAMC 12.22, conforming work in the miracle mile HPOZ for garage to ADU conversion with addition

Santa Monica

• 2012 19Th St, 25ENT-0263: Administrative approval/architectural review board application for housing projects for a new 3-unit condominium

• 2800 28Th St, 25ENT-0261: SB 330 preliminary application for a new mixed-use housing project involving 375 residential units including 44 deed restricted affordable residences and 53,904 sf of retail/commercial space, and on-site parking. the existing 112,000 sf of commercial office building and surface parking will be demolished

Highlighted Completions

City of LA

• 2053 Wollam St, DIR-2025-4518-SPPC: Approved with Conditions a 459 sf first floor addition to an existing one-story single family dwelling for a total floor area of 1,771 sf

• 22109 Ventura Blvd, DIR-2023-7309-SPP: Terminated Change of use from car sales to parking lot

• 6111 Mulholland Hwy, DIR-2024-6288-DRB-SPPC: Approved with conditions Addition to 1,054 sf to existing 1,995 sf 1-story SFD and replace existing retaining wall

• 330 N La Cienega Blvd, ZA-2011-3304-CUB-PA2: Approved with conditions proposed off-site and on-site sale of a full line of alcohol in a retail establishment located in the C2-1VL zone

• 1200 S Cabrillo Ave, CPC-2022-9268-DB-HCA: Approved construction of a new 45 apartment units

• 1408 W 35Th St, CPC-2023-3395-DB-HCA: Withdrawn demolition of existing uses and the construction, use, and maintenance of a new 4-story, 12-unit apartment building (2 units reserved for VLI) and 1 attached ADU