Hi Area 3 Stakeholders, Two very important Land issues are wending their way through the City process.

'Redistricting' and 'The Hollywood Community Plan Update'. Comment now.

Once 'Redistricting' and the 'Hollywood Community Plan Update' have been approved, changes will not occur until after the 2030 Census results for the Council Districts, and 25 years or more for the Hollywood Community Zoning.

REDISTRICTING....

Council Districts CD13 and CD4 are getting new boundaries..... Federal law requires that Council District boundaries be reassessed according to Population and Demographics after every census. The Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission 2021 has released its Final Draft of the redrawn Council District boundaries.

(There have been numerous public comment hearings and written submissions) North of Franklin, HHWNC Area 3, may have its representation change from CD 4 Councilmember Raman, to CD 2 Councilmember Krekorian if the City Council approves the Commission’s recommended change of CD 4 to CD 2. Although the boundaries for Council District 13 will expand to cover loss of population, it’s boundaries will not change in Area 3. To download the final map 'K2.5', visit LACCRC2021.org/https://laccrc2021.org/mapping-data-2/ and scroll to the bottom of the page to find the document link. According to the timeline on the Redistricting website, LACCRC.org, there will be FOUR more Public Hearings that the Public will have opportunity to Comment, as well as Send in Written Comments. To get Zoom information to participate, visit: https://laccrc2021.org/meetings/ and look under “Public Hearings.”

• 10-06-21, Wednesday, 2021, (6PM) Special Meeting - Presentation #1 of Draft Map

• 10-09-21, Saturday, 2021, (10AM) Special Meeting - Presentation #2 of Draft Map

• 10-13-21, Wednesday, 2021, (6PM) Special Meeting - Presentation #3 of Draft Map

• 10-16-21, Saturday, 2021, (10AM) Special Meeting - Presentation #4 of Draft Map

• 10-21-21, Thursday, 2021, (6PM) Special Meeting - Adoption of Final Map

• 10-28-21, Thursday, 2021, (6PM) Special Meeting - Adopt Final Report

HOLLYWOOD COMMUNITY PLAN UPDATE.. As if the Redistricting weren’t enough, the Hollywood Community Plan Update has also released its Final EIR. Although its timeline to appear before PLUM and City Council hasn’t been determined, it will happen soon. The City is still accepting comments. The Hollywood Community Plan update addresses planning issues, including land use, housing, affordable housing, mobility, historic preservation, and open space through the year 2040. As stated in the last newsletter, there are many, many changes that are recommended for the way development in the Hollywood Community will be approached, including intensifying incentives for housing density around transit systems. The next steps are for the plan to go before the City Council’s PLUM committee, and then onto the full council. The Council File number for the Hollywood Community Plan Update is CF 21-0934. You can find all submitted documents at this link:

https://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=21-0934. If you wish to submit comments, you can do so online. Sign up to receive future notice when the Plan Update is going to the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee and then the full City Council for adoption. Brian Dyer area3chair@hhwnc.org

HOLLYWOOD COMMUNITY PLAN....

The 'Regional Center' Historic Core is the area below Whitley Heights and was the most controversial area for Planning Commissioners to decide on as far as appropriate upzoning..causing them to carry over the Feb 18th hearing to March 18th, and wait for a 'feasibility study' to find out about upzoning impacts on affordable housing being built in the area. .

The Planning Commissioners were split as far as Upzoning the Regional Center, 4 to 4.

4 supported 'Planning Staff Recommendations' zoning,

4 voted for additional Upzoning.

In spite of the requested 'feasibly study' coming back confirming that additional Upzoning would prohibit desperately needed affordable housing, according to hours of public comment at two hearings and written submissions, being built in the area, since, as the Planning Commission Chair admitted, upzoning increases land value in an area where the land is already expensive, making it impossible to build anything affordable if it is upzoned beyond Planning Staff Recommendations..

The additional Upzoning allows for more dense development in the area, and also threatens Hollywood Historic Resources, past, present and into the future, and allows Palladium size towers behind the historic landmark buildings along the National Historically designated part of Hollywood Blvd that cannot be touched.

See Hollywood Heritage 'Save Hollywood Vison 21' for more information.

The Larchmont Buzz... Elizabeth Fuller... has full coverage of the two Hollywood Community Plan hearings in February and March..

The next stop for The Hollywood Community Plan is the City Council PLUM Committee.

REDISTRICTING.... A number of CD4 communities have requested being moved from CD4 (Councilmember Raman) to CD5 (Councilmember Koretz). Among those are Hill areas west of Whitley Heights to Laurel Canyon..most of the Hill communities in HHWNC, have been granted their request to be moved from Council District 4 to Council District 5.. Also, the Hancock Park, Larchmont Village, Windsor Village CD4 communities south of WH, requested to be joined with their westerly Greater Wilshire neighbors in CD5. The Hancock Park groups were recently granted their requests.....alot of community activism, input, public comments at hearings helped, and they then called in to thank the Commissioners for granting their request. That is the 'K' map mentioned in articles. After they were granted their request to be moved from CD4 to CD5, CD4 Councilmember Raman submitted her own Map....the 'L' map...of what she would like CD4 to be comprised of, since many CD4 areas were being moved to CD5. The Redistricting Commissioners felt the 'L' map was submitted too late, and had not been vetted and they stuck with the 'K' map However, due to the impacts of district changes affecting some other districts, it is still up in the air which areas will wind up in CD4... Elizabeth Fuller of The Larchmont Buzz does a fine job covering the hearing events, (as she also did for the Hollywood Community Plan hearings), with alot more details. And the LA Times came out with some coverage. Since the LA Times link can't be opened if not a subscriber..one of those articles is open here to read.

REDISTRICTING ARTICLES....Most recent article, first. ....LARCHMONT BUZZ....

OCTOBER 1st.... City Council Redistricting Commission Moves Draft Plan K2.5 Forward to Public Input Phase......October 1, 2021...Elizabeth Fuller Recap of Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 Redistricting Hearing https://www.larchmontbuzz.com/featured-stories-larchmont-village/city-council-redistricting-commission-moves-draft-plan-k2-5-forward-to-public-input-phase/ SEPTEMBER 30th... Tonight's City Council Redistricting Meeting - Details and Big Picture Both in Play - Larchmont Buzz ....September 30, 2021...Elizabeth Fuller Preview of Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 Redistricting Hearing.. https://www.larchmontbuzz.com/featured-stories-larchmont-village/tonights-city-council-redistricting-meeting-both-details-and-big-picture-in-play/ Sept. 28th... Focus Narrowing as LA City Council Redistricting Commission Moves Toward Map Recommendation - Larchmont Buzz - Hancock Park News.... September 28, 2021.....Elizabeth Fuller Recap of Monday, Sept. 27, 2021 Redistricting Hearing https://www.larchmontbuzz.com/featured-stories-larchmont-village/focus-narrowing-as-la-city-council-redistricting-commission-moves-toward-map-recommendation/

L. A. TIMES.......

OCT.1, 2021..... L.A. Redistricting Panel Approves Draft Maps But Avoids Decision on Raman and Krekorian https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-01/redistricting-panel-approves-draft-map-la By David ZahniserStaff Writer Oct. 1, 2021

The citizens commission charged with redrawing the Los Angeles City Council’s district boundaries signed off on a draft map late Thursday while also declining to specify exactly which parts of the city two council members — Paul Krekorian and Nithya Raman — should represent. The Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission moved a single draft map of the 15 districts forward for public hearings over the objections of commissioners who wanted the public to receive multiple options. The commission’s draft map would dramatically redesign districts represented by Krekorian, who is based in the San Fernando Valley, and Raman, a newcomer to City Hall who represents much of the Hollywood Hills. Raman and Krekorian have argued that the commission’s proposal would disenfranchise the voters who elected them last year by moving their districts into different neighborhoods with different constituents. Under the commission’s proposal, either Raman or Krekorian would be placed in a district that is 100% new to them. The commission’s draft map establishes a Hollywood Hills district that stretches from the city’s border with West Hollywood north to the horse country of Shadow Hills, located in the Valley. The map also would establish a new West Valley district that includes Winnetka, Canoga Park and Lake Balboa. Commission Chair Fred Ali told The Times on Wednesday that the Winnetka district would be designated as Krekorian’s 2nd District and the Hollywood Hills district would be labeled as Raman’s 4th District. But a day later, he changed course, advising the commission to leave such an “inherently” political decision to the City Council, which has final approval over the new district boundaries. The commissioners numbered 13 of the council’s 15 districts on their draft map. But they labeled the Winnetka district (Council District) “4-or-2" and the Hollywood Hills (Council District) “2-or-4.”

Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission..

Stella Stahl, a spokeswoman for Raman, criticized the commission’s decision, saying:

“The lack of clarity is leaving hundreds of thousands of voters in the dark.” “If this map holds, it will wipe out the results of an election 10 months ago,” she added. Ali has defended the commission’s handling of the map-drawing process in recent days, saying the panel focused not on the status of incumbent politicians but on census data, public testimony and proposals that keep neighborhoods, or neighborhood councils, within a single district. Redistricting is a once-a-decade process, with city officials using census data to redraw council district boundaries based on population changes and other factors. Each district must have about 260,000 residents. The commission must complete a final report to the council on Oct. 28. The map is scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1. Backers of the commission’s draft map say it would achieve a number of the panel’s goals, such as placing Koreatown into one district and consolidating some of the city’s most heavily Jewish neighborhoods in another. Thursday’s decision sets the stage for four public hearings in which residents will weigh in on the commission’s draft map. The hearings will be held next week, on Wednesday and Saturday, and again on Oct. 13 and 16. During the meeting, two of the commission’s members — one an appointee of Raman, the other an appointee of Krekorian — tried without success to persuade the commission to circulate a second, alternative draft map that would keep Krekorian’s district in the East Valley and put all of Koreatown in Raman’s district. The alternative map drew support from Asian American civic leaders in Little Tokyo, Thai Town, Koreatown and elsewhere, as well as key Raman supporters. But it was criticized by several commissioners who represent South Los Angeles, the Valley and the Westside, who argued it would divide certain communities into multiple districts. Commissioner Wendy Mitchell opposed the idea of an alternate map, saying it would be difficult for the public to respond to different redistricting proposals.

“I just think it’s going to be utterly confusing,” she said. The push to have an alternate map was defeated on a 14-6 vote.

Sept. 30, 2021....

Extreme Makeover? Two L.A. Councilmembers Could See Huge Changes To Their Districts David Zahniser..Sept. 30, 2021

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-30/los-angeles-city-redistricting-plan-nithya-raman-paul-krekorian-districts