Adopted Positions

Motion

Further Letter 11/10/21

The Westside Regional Alliance of Councils calls on the Los Angeles City Council and Mayor Eric Garcetti to direct the Los Angeles Police Department and the Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Engineering Street Services Division, as well as the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to direct the Veterans Affairs Police Department and other relevant law enforcement agencies to enforce all existing, enforceable laws prohibiting the blockage of the public right of way on the Westside of Los Angeles, including all applicable provisions of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

Motion

The Westside Regional Alliance of Councils requests that the city of Los Angeles improves signage in electric vehicle charging locations to discourage non-charging vehicles (both ICE and EVs) from parking there.  It further requests that the city issue a warning ticket and subsequent fine to any vehicle owners who repeatedly park in these spots illegally once adequate signage is installed.

Motion

Refers to City Council file 12-0460-S4

(_______________Neighborhood/Community Council) requests that the Los Angeles City Council postpone consideration of Council File #12-0460-S4 (the Processes and Procedures Amendment to the City Charter) for a minimum of six months in order to enable further community presentations and feedback. The document in this file, including technical amendments and attachments, are over 900 pages. To date there have been approximately 3 meetings of 1.5 hours each for the Department of Planning to summarize this extensive document and receive limited feedback. Further, “technical amendments” were made prior to the PLUM committee’s June 1 consideration which incorporated more than just technical changes and that need review and feedback. The language supporting the Neighborhood Councils’ charter-given authority to hold public hearings and provide public comment and feedback concerning matters of land use must be restored to the Processes and Procedures Amendment sections to ensure it complies with the Los Angeles City Charter and the specific authority it grants to Neighborhood Councils. The community engagement has been insufficient to conduct a full review of the substantial changes involving land use authority and procedures. Further we encourage that the Los Angeles City Council obtain Cumis counsel (independent counsel) to review the document in its entirety to ensure that no transfer of City Council authority occurs as a result of this document and that final decision regarding land use matters remains with the City Council pursuant to the City Charter. There are numerous instances where authority appears to be vested in the Director of Planning, an unelected official, which may be in violation of the City Charter.

Motion

Motion

See also 10/21/21 Supplemental Letter and Further Letter 11/10/21

The Westside Regional Alliance of Councils calls for additional funding and resources, from all available sources, in order to implement more Safe Parking Programs and to support existing, reputable safe parking programs, including those operated by organizations such as Safe Parking LA, throughout the Westside of Los Angeles.

Motion

Refers to City Council file 21-0350

In reference to Council File 21-0350, the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC) strongly advises the members of the Los Angeles City Council and the Mayor that WRAC opposes using the beaches, beach parking lots, and public parks* for housing of the unhoused.  Neighborhood or Community Councils where these sites are listed in the Council motion shall work in good faith to identify alternative sites within their boundaries.

* The parks are subject to approval of the stakeholders and Neighborhood Council in the area of the parks.

Motion

Refers to City Council file 09-0969-S3

The Westside Regional Alliance of Councils opposes the proposal by the City’s Chief Administrative Officer (Rich Llewellyn), to raise the fee for a citizen (or a community group, such as an HOA) to file an appeal of any city land use (or Building & Safety) decision, from the current $89 to the discriminatory amount of $16,097.  This amount that has no basis in reality will prohibit the majority of stakeholders in the City of Los Angeles from having meaningful access to any city land use appeal procedure.  Council File 09-0969-S3

Motion

The Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC) recognizes the need for positive solutions to the state’s affordable housing crisis, specifically as it relates to workforce and low-to-moderate income housing.  Solutions should involve legislation that 1) focuses on increasing the production and supply of truly affordable housing; 2) does not compromise public safety or the environment; and 3) respects principles of democracy, local land use control and self-determination of local governments to expand housing opportunities unique to their jurisdictions.

WRAC supports Senate Bill 15 (Portantino) and Senate Constitutional Amendment 2 (Allen and Wiener) as examples of positive legislation that forward the goal of achieving more affordable housing consistent with these principles.

Motion

Refers to City Council file 21-0002-S21

See also WRAC Position Letter to Senate.

Whereas, Senate Bill 10 violates the California Constitution (Art. II, Sec. 10(c)) and principles of democracy and true local control by allowing local governments (i.e., a majority of the current or future City Council) to upzone single family residential properties and speed approval processes for increased density/multi-unit housing, without stakeholder involvement and by overriding community-driven local restrictions on adopting zoning ordinances, including restrictions enacted by voter initiatives;

Whereas, Senate Bill 10 violates the California Coastal Act (Public Resources Code §§30000 et seq.) by failing to exempt parcels within the Coastal zone and by allowing by-right/expedited approval of development projects with up to 10 dwelling units on properties that are upzoned under the bill, including projects within the Coastal zone which require discretionary review under the Coastal Act;

Whereas, Senate Bill 10 violates the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code §§ 21065 and 21080) and shortcuts required CEQA review by declaring preemptively that an ordinance by a local government (i.e., a majority of the current or future City Council) to upzone a single family residential property pursuant to the bill is not a “project” under CEQA, without consideration of whether the ordinance in a given case is “capable of causing a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect change in the environment” (Union of Medical Marijuana Patients, Inc. v. City of San Diego (California Coastal Commission, Real Party in Interest), (2019) 7 Cal.5th 1171);

Whereas, Senate Bill 10 potentially compromises public safety and may put the lives and property of thousands of California residents in single family residential areas that are also in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ) at risk from increased density by failing to provide for an unconditional exemption from upzoning under the bill for properties in the VHFHSZ;

Whereas, Senate Bill 10 prevents public scrutiny and bypasses democratic process by providing that state agencies alone, without local community input, would identify and maintain a controlling map of so-called “jobs-rich” areas throughout the state for purposes of upzoning single family residential properties under the bill;

Whereas, Senate Bill 10 circumvents controlling caselaw by, in effect, allowing for “spot zoning” by local governments (i.e., a majority of the current or future City Council) without consideration of whether upzoning a single family residential property would be of substantial benefit to the public in a given case (Foothills Communities Coalition v. County of Orange (2014) 222 Cal.App.4th 1302);

Whereas, Senate Bill 10 fails to address the state’s affordable housing crisis or to further the purported goal of “ensuring an adequate supply of affordable housing” by not requiring any particular amount or level of affordable (low to moderate income/workforce) housing in development projects to be built on properties that are upzoned under the bill;

Whereas, Councilmember Paul Koretz has introduced a resolution in Los Angeles City Council, CF 21-0002-S21, calling for the City of Los Angeles to oppose Senate Bill 10;

Therefore, the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC) opposes Senate Bill 10 (Wiener) and supports the resolution in CF 21-0002-S21 (Koretz), calling for the City of Los Angeles City to oppose Senate Bill 10.

Motion

Refers to City Council file 21-0002-S18

See also WRAC Position Letter to Senate.

Whereas, Senate Bill 9 violates the California Coastal Act (Public Resources Code §§30000 et seq.) by failing to exempt parcels within the Coastal zone, by purporting to eliminate hearings for Coastal Development Permits, and by requiring by-right/expedited approval of all projects permitted under the bill, including projects within the Coastal zone which otherwise require discretionary review, including hearings, under the Coastal Act;

Whereas, Senate Bill 9 violates the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code §§ 21065 and 21080) and shortcuts required CEQA review by declaring preemptively that a project permitted under the bill is not a “project” under CEQA, without regard to the test established by controlling caselaw, that is, whether the ordinance in a given case is “capable of causing a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect change in the environment” (Union of Medical Marijuana Patients, Inc. v. City of San Diego (California Coastal Commission, Real Party in Interest), (2019) 7 Cal.5th 1171);

Whereas, Senate Bill 9 compromises public safety and puts the lives and property of thousands of California residents in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ) at risk from increased density by failing to provide any exemption for parcels within the VHFHSZ;

Whereas, Senate Bill 9 fails to address the state’s affordable housing crisis or to further the purported goal of “ensuring an adequate supply of affordable housing” by not specifying or requiring any particular amount or level of affordable housing (low to moderate income/workforce housing) in projects permitted pursuant to the bill;

Whereas, Councilmember Paul Koretz has introduced a resolution in Los Angeles City Council, CF 21-0002-S18, calling for the City of Los Angeles to oppose Senate Bill 9;

Therefore, the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC) opposes Senate Bill 9 (Atkins) and supports the resolution in CF 21-0002-S18 (Koretz) calling for the City of Los Angeles to oppose Senate Bill 9.