Motions

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 ______ 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 City revises the LAMC/Zoning to be implemented in Community Plan updates, Westside Transit Neighborhood Plans and TOC/Density Bonus      ordinances to standardize setbacks, landscaping, open and recreational space, setbacks, massing and zoning, in accordance with the specific preferences communicated to the City by the relevant NC/CC for each area.

The ______ CC/NC, a member of the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils, is concerned about the passage of CF 23-0360, which nullifies Sections 22.482(a) and 22.602 of the Administrative Code and changes the parking space replacement policy when LADOT parking facilities with spaces greater than 25 are transferred to the Housing Department for redevelopment as affordable or supportive housing.

______ CC/NC is sensitive to how difficult it can be to develop affordable and supportive housing in Los Angeles.  We recognize there is a shortage of affordable and supportive housing and believe that Los Angeles would benefit from making it easier to build such housing.

Until now, when LADOT-managed parking facilities have been redeveloped, all the parking spaces had to be replaced, increasing the cost of the development. With the passage of CF 23-0360, the spaces will no longer be required to be replaced.

However, we believe that the needs of small businesses, including the need for parking for their customers, have not been adequately considered with the nullification of Administrative Code Sections 22.482(a) and 22.602 and establishment of the new parking space replacement policy.

Therefore, we respectfully request that Councilmembers representing WRAC member councils who are also members of the City Council Transportation Committee – Councilmembers Park, Yaroslavsky, Raman and/or Hutt – bring a motion in Los Angeles City Council forthwith to further amend the Administrative Code to include concessions for small businesses by replacing the new parking space development footprint. The City should determine how much parking to replace by using a sliding scale for parking replacement based on prior utilization, as well as the availability of nearby public parking, rather than never requiring any replacement.

The ____ NC/CC requests that the Los Angeles Housing Department presume that 100% of RSO units slated for demolition per the Ellis Act are inhabited by low-income households, and 100% of the replacement units shall be rented at the corresponding low-income rent.

If the Housing Department or the developer wish to lower that standard and require that fewer replacement units are affordable, then they must do the outreach and secure estoppels from the tenant households that demonstrate their income exceeds the low-income requirements (instead of putting the burden on low-income households to prove that they are low-income tenants).

We further request that the Housing Department formulate and implement alternative income verification methods for current tenants who are elderly, disabled or undocumented to be able to qualify for their right of return.

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)