Around the Corner 

cityLAB UCLA has launched Small Lots, Big Impacts in collaboration with the City of LA and Mayor Karen Bass. The project aims to unlock vacant and underutilized city-owned parcels to demonstrate the potential of “Missing Middle” housing models.

What to know:

1. The first phase will call on architects to bring their ingenuity to the Small Lots, Big Impacts Design Competition

2. In Summer 2025, the City of LA will issue a public RFQ to select innovative development teams who will be awarded small, underutilized public parcels to construct housing prototypes

The Week Ahead

LA City Council in Recess

March 12 | East LA City Planning Commission

• 2830 N Prewett St, ZA-2021-5204-ZAD-1A: Project is a proposed two-story, 3,873 sf SFD and an attached 800-square foot ADU [under separate Administrative review] with three retaining walls measuring 62-feet, 35-feet six-inches on a lot that measures 9,536 sf vacant lot that is within the Northeast Hillside Ordinance. Appeal of decision that:

  • 1. Denied a determination that the Project is categorically exempt from CEQA;

  • 2. Denied a Zoning Administrator's determination to permit the construction, use and maintenance of a new single-family dwelling on a lot fronting on a Substandard Hillside Limited Street without providing a 20-foot wide adjacent minimum roadway adjacent to the property along Prewett Street.

  • 3. Denied to permit the construction, use and maintenance of a new single-family dwelling on a lot fronting on a Substandard Hillside Limited Street (Thomas Street) where a minimum 20-foot wide Continuous Paved Roadway is not provided from the driveway apron to the boundary of the Hillside Area;

  • 4. Denied to permit the construction, use and maintenance of three retaining walls in lieu of the otherwise two retaining walls permitted per LAMC Section 12.21 C.8(a).

March 13 | LA Citywide Planning Commission

• 12531-12575 West Beatrice St, ENV-2020-3533-EIR: The preparation and certification of an EIR for a Project that proposes the demolition of an existing 23,072 sf office building and two accessory buildings, totaling 7,188 sf; the retention of an 87,881 sf office building; and the construction of a new eight-story office building with up to 196,100 sf of office space and 3,400 sf of ground floor commercial space. Upon completion, the Project would total 287,381 sf of floor area on an approximately 4.5-acre site, with a FAR of 1.46:1

• 2250 W Pico Blvd, CPC-2018-3544-GPA-VZC-HD-CU-SPR: Construction of a new hotel development comprised of two six-story, 76-foot six-inch tall buildings. The Project will provide a total of 125 guest rooms, 77,828 sf of floor area, and 2.99:1 FAR. The Project will provide 84 parking spaces across three levels of subterranean parking.

• 1709 – 1721 1/2 South Beloit Ave, CPC-2023-8315-DB-WDI-HCA: Demolition of the existing structures for the construction of a 7-story, approx 80-ft multi-family bldg w/ith92 units and 81,414 sf of floor area located in the [Q]R4-1 Zone

• 550 South Shatto Pl, CPC-2024-4111-DB-PR-VHCA: Demolition of the existing uses, and re-purposing of the existing church building for the construction, use and maintenance of a new eight-story, 262,638 sf mixed-use building with 318 dwelling units (35 dwelling units or 11% for VLI) and 21,482 sf of commercial space, with a maximum building height of 96 feet over two subterranean levels of parking. The Project includes 234 vehicle parking spaces and a total of 171 bicycle parking spaces (155 long-term spaces and 16 short-term spaces) and 24,431 sf of open space, including indoor open space areas, common outdoor open space areas, and private balconies.

Week in Review 

Highlighted Case Applications

Los Angeles

• 14717 Victory Blvd, ADM-2025-1390-DB-HCA-RED1: Proposed new 5-story, 24-unit, 100% affordable residential development

• 62170 Stanley Hills Dr, ZA-2024-6711-CU1-HCA: Demolition of a vacant unlivable/uninhabitable SFD and construction of a new SFD with a two-car garage

• 9 19th Ave, DIR-2025-1371-SPPC: Removal of non-permitted carport, pergola, and balcony. repairing guardrails and stairs to code compliance per LA housing inspector's requirements

• 4607 York Blvd, ZA-2025-1338-CUB: A CUB to allow the sale and dispensing of a full-line of alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption with live entertainment in conjunction with a proposed restaurant

• 5151 Denny Ave, ADM-2025-1336-DB-VHCA-RED1: Demolition of two 4-unit apartment buildings for a proposed 80-unit, 100% affordable residential development

• 1000 Chantilly Rd, ZA-2025-1311-F: Request to allow wall/fence with a maximum height of 8' within the front yard setback

• 8730 S Sepulveda Blvd, DIR-2025-1346-ADJ-CDO-HCA: Change of use from commercial to residential on existing building

Highlighted Completions

Did you know we now have a completed date filter for LA in ATC? You can also check a project's status using the new status filter. For example, many of the cases below have been approved but have a status of “In appeal period.”

Los Angeles

• 11960 Victory Blvd, CPC-2023-891-GPA-ZC-BL-CUB-CUX: Approved 25,294 sf banquet hall, gym and daycare classroom addition to existing church facility; alcohol sales and live entertainment in conjunction with banquet hall

• 22548 W Uhea Rd, DIR-2023-5233-DRB-SPP-MSP-HCA: Approved with conditions the new construction of a 3-level and 3,762 sf total RFA SFD with a 3-car garage

  • 4944 N Fulton Ave, AA-2024-3419-PM-HCA: Approved with conditions the demolitio`n of existing SFD and accessory structures and subdivision of lot into two lots to construct two new SFDs and two new ADUs

• 4005 Crenshaw Blvd, DIR-2024-6250-PR-HCA: Approved with condition the project review as required per Q condition to allow the construction of 290 townhomes with 5% designated 60% AMI and 5% designated 80% AMI

• 311 Main St, ZA-2023-5714-CDP-SPP-ZAA-MEL-HCA: Approved with conditions construction of a new 1,420 SFD and convert existing SFD into ADU, requesting a front yard setback of 10' ft in lieu of the required 15' ft in Venice