Adopted Positions

Re Council File # 21-1230, Housing Element / General Plan / 2021–2029:  City data, including in the Housing Element and Community Plan Updates, demonstrate more than enough capacity and zoning opportunities in our underutilized commercial corridors, previously developed public lands and through adaptive reuse to meet State mandates. Our residential neighborhoods have already been rezoned through SB 9 and ADU laws that allow duplexes and ADUs on a single lot.  There is no need to rezone, through overlays or other zoning devices, R1 zones or sensitive, rent-stabilized multifamily housing.

The ________ NC/CC, a member of the Westside Neighborhood Alliance of Councils (WRAC), opposes the Housing Element’s proposed rezoning and densification of R1 and multi-family neighborhoods beyond what SB9 and ADU laws allow.  We demand that Mayor Bass and all Councilmembers representing WRAC neighborhoods (Park, Yaroslavsky, Hutt and Raman) stand up for our communities and direct the City Planning Department to reject the upzoning of our single-family and sensitive multifamily neighborhoods, and instead, locate all upzoning on our underutilized commercial corridors.

The ______ CC/NC, a member of the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils, requests that the Metro TCN program be referred to the LA City Council Transportation Committee and LADOT for their consideration before a final decision to implement the program is voted on by the City Council. The Transportation Committee and LADOT need to weigh in on the safety of this program through the study and review of current and historical research that has been done on roadway user distraction with digital billboards and changing message signs.

The ____ NC/CC requests that the LA City support WLASNC’s request for a public park and skateboard facility, as part of the West L.A. Commons project, that maintains high-density housing and numerous affordable units. This park would serve the 2,500 tenants of the project as well as the 5,000 neighbors who live on the south and don’t have a park (many are low-income households), and visitors from Westwood, Mar Vista, Bel Air-Beverly Crest and Brentwood who visit the Felicia Mahood Senior Center and the West L.A. Municipal Building.

Referencing Council File 22-0392:

____ NC/CC, a member of the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC), has significant concerns about process and substance related to the Metro Transportation Communication Network (TCN) program, including the fact that:

• the program moved forward without notice to or substantive community input from stakeholders prior to implementation of an EIR process; this is in contravention of expected norms as well as WRAC’s Statement of Principles (Standing Rule 4 of the WRAC Bylaws), which calls for advance notice and ample time to review and comment by WRAC’s member councils on all proposed public infrastructure or other public property developments;
• the City ceded its power as lead agency for EIR purposes to the Metro board, which approved the EIR for Metro TCN on consent overriding considerations with impacts on City resources;
• Metro TCN is a digital billboard advertising program with moving images that will: (1) distract drivers and create dangerous situations which will undermine the City’s Vision Zero goals, and (2) blight the visual environment of 22 Community Plan areas in Los Angeles;
• Metro TCN in substance contravenes longstanding WRAC positions opposed to digital billboards (outside of sign districts in areas already zoned as regional/commercial) and to digital advertising in the public right of way (proposed “IKE” kiosks);

Therefore, ____ NC/CC opposes the City’s participation in the Metro TCN program and specifically opposes adoption of the proposed City ordinances that would fast track implementation of the Metro TCN program within the City of Los Angeles.

The _____ NC/CC requests that the City Council open a Council File such that:

1.  The City implements the Five Principles of Responsible OutdoorLighting that minimize light pollution by following these guidelines (adopted by the Illuminating Engineering Society and the International Dark-Sky Association):

• All lights should have a clear purpose.

• Light should be directed only where needed.

• Light should be no brighter than necessary.

• Light should be used only when it is useful

• Use warmer color lights where possible.

2.   The City enacts/codifies these principles through its departments and agencies for City facilities and properties such as buildings, parking lots and parks, the streetlight system, the airport and port, and for private development.

3.  Community Plans and Specific Plans also enact similar dark sky practices and include limitations on bright lights, light trespass, and illumination of building facades.

Whereas, the City of Los Angeles has a history of discriminatory and disparate treatment in its oil drilling environmental compliance requirements whereby some communities are afforded greater protections from pollution and noise from oil drilling operations while other communities are not;

Whereas, the Murphy Drill site location in West Adams is an example of a community that has been exposed to toxic fumes and noise pollution that could be partially abated through facility enclosure and electrification of workover rigs and power supply, as has been done in wealthier communities, but have not been;

Whereas, on February 28, 2023, the City’s Planning Department issued a Letter of Determination on Case No. ZA-1959-15227-O-PA6 requiring additional and modified conditions for the continued operation of the Murphy Oil Drill Site “to increase the protection of and to preserve the health, safety and general welfare of the residents and stakeholders of the neighborhood”;

Whereas, on March 13, 2023, E & B Natural Resources the operator of the Murphy Drill site filed an appeal to the City’s Letter of Determination;

Therefore, the [WRAC member] calls on the City of Los Angeles to uphold its February 28 Letter of Determination.

The ____ NC/CC insists, on behalf of the stakeholders it represents, that prior to the completion of Community Plan updates, the City inform communities of the methodology by which it determines the allocation of RHNA numbers and the calculations that derive density housing goals in order to meet the aims of the Housing Element.

These include, for each Community Plan and Community or Neighborhood Council area:
A) Current zoning capacity (including existing density bonuses & commercial zones that allow residential uses) and reasonably expected population change.
B) The methodology which will be used to allocate RHNA growth numbers.
C) RHNA allocation of units in each community.

We also urge the Planning Department to thoughtfully consider the input (submitted by previous written comment or imparted in real time) of Neighborhood and Community Councils as well as stakeholders that come together for the purpose of contributing to the Community Plan update process with informed and productive input, insight and/or suggestions. This essential input must be implemented by Planning staff, and the contributions reflected by being substantively included in the outcome/drafting of revised Community Plans. We urge that a report back mechanism be implemented by Planning staff, in order to inform communities of where and how their input has been received and incorporated into the final drafting process.

We would like to understand the role of the Westside Community Plan Advisory Group (WCPAG) and be assured that the WCPAG’s voice will not outweigh that of local stakeholders.

The ______ CC/NC, a member of the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils, is concerned about the current status and management of the STAP program under the new contractor Tranzito-Vector and requests an audit of the program by the City Controller and Chief Administration Officer’s (CAO) office of the revenues and expenditures for this new STAP program.

(relevant Council File:  Council File No. 20-1536-S4)

The ______ CC/NC, a member of the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils, is concerned that removing one vehicle lane in each direction on Venice Blvd. between Inglewood Blvd and National Blvd. will divert traffic onto other adjacent local, collector and arterial streets. Until such time as LADOT conducts modeling studies to predict the volume of vehicular traffic that will be diverted off Venice Blvd. when the road diet component of this project is installed, our Council will be withholding its support for Phase One of the Venice Blvd Mobility Improvements project.

The member Councils directly affected by this project are: Venice, Mar Vista, Palms and South Robertson. The member Councils which may be affected by redirected traffic include: Del Rey, WLA/Sawtelle and Westside.

(relevant Council File: Council File: 22-0694)