Around the Corner

🏛️ CEQA Reform Signed Into Law

• Last week, Gov. Newsom signed AB 130 and SB 131, marking a significant step in reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA):

  • AB 130 exempts most infill residential developments from CEQA

  • AB 130 and SB 131 establish new CEQA exemptions for essential projects such as farmworker housing, childcare centers, food pantries, broadband infrastructure, parks, health clinics, advanced manufacturing facilities, high speed rail infrastructure, wildfire mitigation projects, and climate adaptation projects

• AB 306 was also signed, instituting a moratorium through June 1, 2031 on changes to state and local building standards impacting residential units

Additional news:

• On July 3, Sarah Mahin was appointed as the inaugural Director of the County’s new Department of Homeless Services and Housing

• Apple Music to open a three-story studio in Culver City this summer that will have a 4,000 sf soundstage for live performances and fan events

June in Review 

City of LA Applications:

• Executive Directive 1 (ED1) and RED1: 5 ADM/DIR (+10 Pre-Application Review or PAR). Two Expanded Administrative Review (EAR) RED1 projects, a new designation under CHIP/AHIP:

  • 3984 Moore St, ADM-2025-3528-DB-RED1-VHCA: New, 5-story, 29-unit, 100% affordable residential building (23 LI, 5 MI) in Palms-Mar Vista-Del Rey

• Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC): 1

  • 531 W College St, DIR-2025-3353-TOC-PR-VHCA: 90,017 sf of medical structure for new 455-unit (91 LI) development in the C2-2D zone in Central City North

• Appeals: 6

Highlighted Applications

City of LA

• 21150 Dumetz Rd, AA-2025-3198-PMEX: Requesting lot line adjustment consisting of three parcels for Woodland Hills Golf Course & Country Club

• 400 S Catalina St, CPC-2025-3315-CU3-DB-HCA: New 6-story, 53-unit apartment building on the same lot as an existing 61 units apartment building for a total of 114 uits and 22 parking spaces in the subterranean garage

• 3935 N Glenalbyn Dr, DIR-2025-3311-SPPC-HCA: New 2,368 sf SFD with attached garage

• 9720 Baden Ave, ADM-2025-3444-PMUL-HCA: SB9 urban lot split of parcel with existing SFD and ADU, no construction proposed

• 12461 Louise Ave, PAR-2025-3471-AH-PHP: Construction, use, and maintenance of a 60 units, 5 story, 100% affordable housing, and 1 unit reserved for the manager's unit

• 112 N Mariposa Ave, PAR-2025-3470-TOC-TV: Residential, IA over VA Construction, 64'-0" Height, 17 parking spaces, multi-family 23 units, 2 rec rooms

City of Santa Monica

• 2430 7Th St, 25ENT-0107: Administrative approval for a proposed housing project involving a proposed 7-unit, two-story condominium project with loft and a one level subterranean parking garage

• 1437 6th St, 25ENT-0115: Appeal of the Planning Commission decision regarding an 18-story, 172-unit residential building with 26 affordable units with 55 parking spaces and 88 bicycle spaces

• 711 San Vicente Blvd, 25ENT-0118: SB 9 lot split totaling 6,190.4 sfto be split into two parcels. Parcel 1 will be 3,714.2 sfand Parcel 2 will be 2,476.2 sf. Also, Parcel 2 will be a new 2-story 2,250 sf SFD with a 2-story 800 sf ADU

City of Pasadena

• 490 N Lake Ave, DHP2025-00205: Demolition of existing structures and construction of new 7-story mixed use building with 149 market and affordable units

Week Ahead

LA City Council is in recess for July

July 9 | East LA Area Planning Commission

• 1943 West Escarpa Dr, ZA-2023-904-ZAD-HCA-1A: Appeal of proposed project includes a new 2,201 sf single-family dwelling, 458 sf attached garage, and 799 sf ADU on an unimproved 5,760 sf lot fronting on a Substandard Hillside Limited Street, Escarpa Drive, in the R1-1-HCR Zone. The subject property includes eight on-site protected trees (California Live Oak), one on-site protected shrub (Mexican Elderberry), and two on-site non-protected trees.

  • Project denied a ZAD to permit the construction, use, and maintenance of a new SFD with an attached garage and an ADU on a lot fronting a Substandard Hillside Limited Street without providing a 20-foot-wide-Adjacent Minimum Roadway as required

July 10 | LA City Planning Commission

• 9702 – 9718 South Holmes Ave, CPC-2023-6763-CU: Change of use of a portion of a 12,062 sf Sunday school to a charter high school (College Bridge Academy) in the [Q]R4-1 Zone. The scope of work does not propose any physical changes at this time and will maintain the existing 30 foot in height building. The campus will utilize the fellowship hall for assemblies and will maintain their 40 existing parking spaces. The charter school enrollment will have a maximum of 24 students in each grade (grades 9-12) for a total of 96 students.

• 201 West Sotelo St, 200 W Mesnager St, TT-51669-IND-M3-1A: A partial appeal of a modification to Condition Nos. 12.a, 12.b, 12.c and S-3 (m) for Lot Nos. 1, 3 and 4.

• 1611 S Hope St, 1600 – 1618 South Flower St, CPC-2018-3336-SN-TDR-CUB-SPR-MSC: 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 on an approximately 1.6-acre site; and up to 23 stories in building height.

  • VTT-82213-1A: Appeal of project from adjacent homeowner based on impact to parking and the Project's noncompliance with enforceable legal agreements, specifically the 8 Space Parking Covenant and the Stipulated Judgment entered in Los Angeles Superior Court Case and against Certificate of occupancy 2015

• 8251 – 8271 West Melrose Ave, CPC-2024-3202-DB-PR-VHCA: Demolition of four existing commercial buildings, and an associated surface parking lot, and the construction, use, and maintenance of a mixed-use building consisting of 90 dwelling units, with 10 VLI units , and 15,271 sf of commercial uses, resulting in a total floor area of 110,300 sf, or a FAR of 4.52:1. The proposed project is comprised of a six-story, 69-foot in height mixed-use building, with two subterranean parking levels. The Project includes 96 automobile parking spaces on-site within two subterranean levels, 94 bicycle parking spaces (78 long-term and 16 short-term), and 7,840 sf of open space.

• 446 South Shatto Pl, DIR-2024-437-TOC-PHP-HCA-1A: Appeal of approval of new seven-story, 90-foot six-inch tall apartment building with 60 units, including seven ELI units. The Project will have approximately 44,846 sf with FAR of 4.23:1. The Project is providing 42 vehicular parking spaces and the planting of 15 new trees on-site. Appeal from adjacent homeowner with concerns over impacts to safety, traffic, and noise.