UN4LA NEWSLETTER, NOVEMBER 2019
United Neighborhoods for Los Angeles Newsletter MORE HOMES LOST, AND L.A. CONTINUES TO APPROVE PROJECTS IN FIRE-PRONE AREAS As fires rage again in LA County, it's hard not to ask the question, "Why do we keep building in fire prone areas?"
Nineteen homes were destroyed in the Saddle Ridge Fire, and scores more were damaged. A dozen homes burned in the Getty Fire. This should be no surprise.
Wide swaths of the areas where these blazes burned, Sylmar, Porter Ranch, Brentwood, have been designated as 'Very High Fire Severity Zones' by the City.
In spite of this, the Department of City Planning (DCP) continues to approve new projects in 'Very High Fire Severity Zone' areas.
Not long ago the DCP greenlighted a project in Porter Ranch called the Vineyards that includes 266 apartments, a 100-room hotel and a Kaiser medical office building. *And then there are the projects approved under LA City's Transit-Oriented Communities... 'TOC Guidelines'.
TOC projects are fast-tracked, speeding through the review process, and nobody at City Hall seems to care that some of them are located in 'Very High Fire Severity Zones'.
In light of the recent destruction, the loss of homes and the chaos caused by evacuations, should we continue to build in places where the risk of fire is high?
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS TO REMOVE SCORES OF OAK AND WALNUT TREES FOR EXPANSION On Friday, October 18, the Board of Public Works voted to allow Universal Studios to remove 112 trees from their grounds, including 63 California Black Walnut and 49 Coast Live Oak trees. This comes on the heels of the removal of scores of trees for the redevelopment of the Sportsman's Lodge site, and dozens more from the Grant High School campus. At the hearing, Board President Kevin James emphasized that Universal has a plan to replace the trees at a ratio of 4 to 1, but didn't acknowledge that it will take decades for the new trees to deliver the same ecosystem services as the existing woodlands.
Nor did James, or any of the other Commissioners, seem concerned about the loss of wildlife habitat. The City of LA has allowed the removal of thousands of trees in recent years, without monitoring the loss of tree canopy or impacts with regard to increased temperatures, degraded air quality, and reduced groundwater recharge. Mayor Garcetti speaks often about his plans for a sustainable LA, but his actions are in stark contrast to his claims. The Board of Public Works vote on the Universal trees was disturbing, but predictable.
Just another reminder that real estate interests call the shots at City Hall. Trees, brush, birds and animals are all expendable.
*(TOC projects in 'Very High Fire Severity Zones'..
The TOC project at 1920 Whitley Ave. is in a 'Very High Fire Severity Zone', (as is all of Whitley Heights), where only a 35% density bonus is allowed for Public Safety.
The city has been ignoring prohibitive dangerous zoning for TOC projects and gave the Whitley Ave. project a 70% or 75% density bonus for a much larger project..
The city irresponsibly ignoring prohibitive zoning for TOCs is one of the reasons there is now a law suit against the city and their 'TOC Guidelines'.
The big density bonuses the city is giving for TOC areas, where they are usually not allowed, for safety sake, are enticing to developers, and the area is being advertised as ‘A TOC Development Opportunity’ area, and sadly, many of the older beautiful buildings on Whitley, Grace, and Franklin, (many affordable and RSO buildings), are being sold and proposed to be demoed and threatened.
Community members have been working with Hollywood Heritage to try and save them...)