CITY COUNCIL APPROVES BALDWIN HILLS CRENSHAW PLAZA REDEVELOPMENT

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1 SUMMER 2018 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 3 Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza 3650 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd L O S A N G E L E S D E PA R T M E N T O F C I T Y P L A N N I N G Q U A R T E R LY N E W S L E T T E R CITY COUNCIL APPROVES BALDWIN HILLS CRENSHAW PLAZA REDEVELOPMENT INSIDE THIS ISSUE DIRECTOR S MESSAGE P2 HOUSING PROGRESS REPORT P2 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORTS MAJOR PROJECTS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE P3 P4 P6 NATIONAL PLANNING CONFERENCE P7 STAFF PROFILE PLANNING UPDATES P8 P8 Paves the Way for Nearly 1,000 Units of New Housing On June 27, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to approve the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza redevelopment project, allowing for the creation of additional job and housing opportunities for the surrounding community. The site is being repurposed to accommodate over 475,000 square feet of retail and office space, a 400-room hotel, 551 residential condominiums, and 410 residential apartments. Under the adopted plan, the mall structure and cinema would remain intact. The Department s Major Projects Section managed the project and the preparation of the Development Agreement between the City of Los Angeles and the developer, which included a 30% local hire requirement. This community has been waiting on this development for 10 or 12 years and it will provide the kind of investment that South Los Angeles deserves. As part of that agreement, the developer will provide $4 million in community benefits for job training and educational programs, in addition to reserving 10% of the project s residential units for low-income households. The redevelopment of the During the Council hearing, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza a number of community is a reflection of a broader members testified in support vision to develop a social Councilmember Harris-Dawson of the project, including and economic climate that Councilmember Marqueece is reflective of the City s core Harris-Dawson who represents the district. priorities focused on promoting convenient access to goods and services, recreation and jobs, This community has been waiting on this and housing for current and future generations development for 10 or 12 years and it will provide alike. the kind of investment that South Los Angeles deserves, said Harris-Dawson in a statement after the vote.

2 DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING 2 DIRECTOR S MESSAGE VINCE BERTONI In May, our Department completed the budget process for the Fiscal Year. In our proposal, we outlined major initiatives for the upcoming year, including a focus on greater transparency and reporting of our case processing times. This edition of the Planning newsletter highlights the transformations that are currently underway. From expanding our internal metrics to standardizing processes and procedures we are aligning our efforts to better achieve Mayor Eric Garcetti s priority outcomes. We are also focused on improving our environmental review process in order to produce Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) of the highest quality. EIRs provide valuable insights into the planning process and affect the decisions and strategies that shape the future of our built environment. Here in Los Angeles, we are at the forefront of innovation. One way we are enhancing the character and quality of our neighborhoods not to mention how we experience our City is by making these types of systematic improvements to our Project Planning Bureau. HOUSING PROGRESS REPORT Measure JJJ & Transit Oriented Communities Program As part of a broader effort to increase data transparency and analysis around policy outcomes, the Department released in July an initial progress report on the housing outcomes of Measure JJJ and the Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) Affordable Housing Incentive Program. While the Department already tracks quarterly data like the number and types of cases completed, and housing units approved, this is the first report of its kind. Going forward, it will expand to offer a more comprehensive account of the City s concerted efforts to incentivize the production of housing, including housing set aside as affordable. These quarterly updates which will be made publicly available on the Department s website will highlight the latest development trends and help inform future policy considerations. HIGHLIGHTS The TOC program has facilitated 5,571 new housing units, which equates to 19% of all units proposed through discretionary applications from October 2017 to June The program has accounted for 1,145 new affordable units, representing 21% of all proposed units during that same period of time. The average timeframe for completion of a discretionary TOC application is 3 months, twice as fast as any other housing incentive program offered by the City. Measure JJJ In November 2016, voters in the City of Los Angeles approved Measure JJJ, requiring developers to provide affordable units or pay an in-lieu fee when requesting certain entitlements for qualifying residential projects. TOC Program The TOC program was created as a result of Measure JJJ. It established new incentives for projects that include covenanted affordable units and are located within a half mile of major transit stops.

3 DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING 3 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORTS Creating a Pipeline for Faster Processing Times In the City of Los Angeles, most Environment Impact Reports (EIRs) are overseen by the Department s Major Projects Section. Currently, the Section has an unprecedented 105 EIRs in progress, with approximately 45 scheduled to have a Draft or Final EIR released later this year. Compared to 2017, this marks a 47% increase the number of active EIRs. From January 2017 to April 2018, the City of Los Angeles published nearly 30% of the Environmental Impact Reports (EIR) in the State of California, even though it represents only 10% of the State s population. When measured against the statewide average, the City s processing times were nearly 47% faster, according to the State s Office of Planning and Research (OPR). Having a dedicated team of planners in the Department assigned to handling EIRs has contributed greatly to the quality and consistency of the documents produced. It is largely why the City s case processing times are significantly less than the rest of the State, and why Los Angeles has produced technically compliant EIRs. The EIR process the most lengthy and complex form of environmental review entails the preparation of an Initial Study, a Draft EIR, and a Final EIR, which require public review and regular coordination between the applicant, the environmental consultant team, and the City. Given the technical nature of these documents, they are best managed by staff conversant in environmental review and statewide policies. Typically, a high quality EIR will take approximately 18 months to complete from submittal of the first screen check of a Draft EIR to issuance of a Final EIR. Generally, those documents are under review by the Department for only six to nine months or 33% to 50% of the total processing time. For the majority of the time, the preparation of an EIR is in the hands of the applicant and consultant team who are producing the technical reports and responding to staff comments. Since its establishment in 2010, Major Projects has moved a number of catalytic projects through the legislative approval process. These are often large scale development proposals that produce good paying jobs, housing, and neighborhood-serving amenities. In recent years, the Department has approved project applications for entertainment studios, regional sporting and cultural venues, medical campuses, and commercial shopping centers. THE MAKINGS OF AN EIR The following highlights the major steps and work required from the applicant, environmental consultant team, and the City in reviewing and approving each of the necessary components of an EIR. 1 Applicant submits Initial Study. APPLICANT Note: Prepares and submits the relevant information for the information City to begin to the processing satisification the of case. the City. 2 Initial Study/Notice of Preparation is released by the City for a 30-day publication period. 3 Applicant/Consultant team produce technical reports, and prepare EIR for Department review. 4 5 Note: Entails back-and-forth conversations between the consultants and the City to address staff comments. Department inspects and approves Draft EIR for public circulation. Draft EIR is released for a 45-day public review and comment period. Note: Draft EIR is released once the consultant team makes all of the final changes requested by the City. 6 Final EIR is prepared with responses to comments and released.

4 DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING 4 MAJOR PROJECTS Putting People And Economic Growth First The Department s Major Projects Section provides environmental expertise in the analysis of complex and regionally significant applications across the City of Los Angeles. These projects have the potential to generate significant investment in the local economy by increasing housing supply, employment opportunities, and tourism. In less than three years, the Major Projects Section has advanced 28 projects to the City Planning Commission for consideration, 23 of which have been approved by the City Council. Together, these projects will result in 24,334 new dwelling units, 6,624 hotel rooms, and 11,306,940 square feet of commercial, office, retail, and entertainment space to the City. This year, the Major Projects Section has either completed or released Draft or Final EIRs for 24 projects that together total over 9,300 housing units (market and affordable), nearly 3,700 hotel rooms, and approximately 3.2 million square feet of commercial space. Of those projects, five have already been approved by the City Council. Staff anticipates that by the end of the year, 17 other EIRs both Draft and Final may be released, producing an additional 6,000 dwelling units, 1,800 hotel rooms, and 1.7 million square feet of commercial area. VAN NUYS SHERMAN OAKS ICON Panorama Approved by City Council, August 2018 Mixed-use development with 623 residential units, and 60,000 square feet of open space amenities of which 17,000 will include landscaped plaza. NORTH HOLLYWOOD VALLEY VILLAGE NoHo West Approved by City Council, December 2016 Mixed-use development with 642 residential units, 316,000 square feet of new commercial uses, and over two acres of open space amenities. WEST LOS ANGELES Martin Expo Approved by City Council, November 2017 Mixed-use development with 516 residential units, a 50,000-square foot grocery store, 49,000 square feet of general retail and restaurant uses, 200,000 square feet of creative office floor area, and subterranean parking. Van NuysNorth HollywoodNorth Valley Village Sherman Oaks West Los Angeles West A Baldwi Leim

5 DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING 5 WEST ADAMS BALDWIN HILLS LEIMERT PARK Cumulus Approved by City Council, June 2016 Transit-oriented, mixed-use development with 1,210 dwelling units, 88,400 square feet of commercial retail floor area, and a publicly accessible open plaza. d- Central City Central City North Mixed-use development with 945 residential dwelling units, 210 hotel rooms, 519,503 square feet of commercial and retail uses, a 312,112 square-foot corporate and educational campus, and 3,700 parking spaces. Southeast Los Angeles West AdamsBaldwin HillsLeimert CENTRAL CITY NORTH City Market Approved by City Council, June 2018 CENTRAL CITY Fig+Pico Conference Center Hotels Project Approved by City Council, July 2018 Mixed-use development totaling over half a million square feet of development in two high-rise hotel towers that will include 1,153 hotel guest rooms, 13,145 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, and several publicly-accessible rooftop amenity spaces. LA CITY CENTER 1020 S. FIGUEROA STREET LOS ANGELES, CA JIA YUAN USA CO, INC 801 S FIGUEROA STREET SUITE 1800 LOS ANGELES, CA, CENTRAL CITY Luxe Hotel Approved by City Council, December 2017 Mixed-use development with 300-room hotel, 435 residential units, and 58,959 square feet of commercial uses. Gensler 500 S. Figueroa Street Los Angeles CA Tel: Fax: W. 6th St. Suite 245 Los Angeles, CA Tel: Issue 1 Date 07/07/2017 Issue Description Entitlement Set Seal/Signature Project Name LA CITY CENTER Project Number Description RENDERING Scale PHASE I SOUTH LOS ANGELES The Reef Approved by City Council, November 2017 Mixed-use development with 549 residential condominium units, 69,400 square feet of retail uses, 35,657 square feet of restaurant and bar uses, and a 208room hotel. Five percent of the residential apartment units are being set aside for Very Low Income Households. PL Gensler PHASE II

6 DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING 6 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES ORDINANCE Modernizing LA s Zoning Code In June, the Department held a number of community briefings on the proposed Processes and Procedures ordinance to solicit community input. Those comments, along with any others recieved, will be considered when preparing the final set of recommendations that staff will present to the City Planning Commission later this fall. Since 2016, the Department has been working closely with business and neighborhood groups to simplify the City s Zoning Code, consolidating the different paths for project review into a more consistent and standardized set of procedures. The proposed ordinance will offer community members, businesses, and developers with a clearer understanding of how cases are processed. In doing so, it will address existing redundancies by housing similar planning approvals into a single section of the Code. For example, there are currently four types of adjustments for projects located within an overlay a zoning tool applied to a specific geographic area to provide tailored zoning. While all types of adjustments are subject to the same set of approvals, they have varying names and are currently located in different sections of the Code. Key Provisions Improves Accessibility Lays the groundwork for a more user-friendly set of regulations by clearly outlining the steps for project review. Consolidates Workflows Reduces over 100 existing processes for project review to about 50. Centralizes Information Locates all processes that were formerly scattered throughout the Zoning Code into one section. To make the Code more accessible, the Department is also adding a new section or chapter that will establish an easy-to-use table outlining the steps applicants must follow for planning approvals. These updated procedures will add greater clarity and transparency to planning considerations whether a homeowner is looking to apply for a fence height adjustment or a developer is interested in obtaining a conductional use permit to construct a hotel.

7 DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING 7 PLANNERS AT THE FOREFRONT OF INNOVATION Setting Trends and Achieving Results In April, a number of Department staff attended the American Planning Association s (APA) National Planning Conference (NPC) in New Orleans, Louisiana to share insights on how Los Angeles is leading the way in urban innovation. As the premier planning event of the year, the NPC offers planners hundreds of sessions and cutting-edge presentations covering the hottest topics, newest tools, and latest trends in the field. Thousands of planners, commissioners, elected officials, and students attend the NPC each year. Similar to previous years, planners from Los Angeles were selected to share their insights on current practices in planning. Nearly 60 Department staff traveled to New Orleans for the recent conference, with 4 of them attending as session presenters. Throughout the four-day conference, planners were also able to sample the rich history of New Orleans and the French Quarter 2018 marking the 300th anniversary of the city s founding. New Orleans history, diverse infrastructure, distinct architecture, and integrated waterways showcase innovative planning practices all over the Big Easy. Do Cities Need Zoning Administrators? Four Most Important Planning Technologies Planning in an Age of Fear Toilets in the Public Realm Associate Zoning City Planner Erin Planning Assistant Planning Assistant Administrator Theodore Irving discussed the responsibilities and Coleman highlighted how the Department is personalizing the Nina Idemudia provided an overview of the unique and Emily Gable spoke about design solutions to address perceptions of public challenges zoning administrators face including ways in which they interact with planners, land- experience of the City s Zoning Code through WebCode a web-based, mobile challenging planning issues encountered in most marginalized communities. This safety in public restrooms and how decision makers can prioritize funding to open and maintain use attorneys, and the development sector. This session was part of the Planning responsive tool. This session was part of the Technology and session was part of the Planning for Inclusiveness and these facilities. This session was part of the Planning for Inclusiveness and Careers track. Big Data track. Social Justice track. Social Justice track.

8 DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING 8 STAFF PROFILE ELVA NUÑO- O-DONNELL Elva Nuño-O Donnell is a City Planner in the Department s Major Projects Section. Over her 10-year tenure in this position, she has played a critical role in the shaping of several major projects including the Village at Westfield Topanga, the NBC Universal Evolution Plan, the Paramount Pictures Master Plan, and the Tarzana Medical Center. Elva enjoys working on large-scale development and appreciates the multifaceted aspects of processing these types of projects. Elva began her career with the Department in 1985 as an administrative staff member. During that time, she became immersed in the field of planning and witnessed the Department s efforts in advancing jobs, affordable housing, and community services to the City s most marginalized groups. Apart from her regular duties, Elva has partnered with Cal State Northridge s Department of Urban Studies and Planning to assist students in securing internships many of whom will be the first in their families to graduate from college. Elva considers her involvement in thi program to be one of the most rewarding aspects of working in the Valley. As a native Angeleno, Elva was born in Hollywood to Mexican immigrant parents whose courage and work ethic she credits for her drive and determination. She attended Mount Saint Mary s College Doheney before receiving a Bachelor s Degree from Cal State Los Angeles. CITY PLANNING UPDATES On July 3, the Exposition Corridor Transit Neighborhood Plan was adopted by the City Council. The Plan will help foster transit ridership around five light rail stations in West Los Angeles. In July, the Department launched updates to four Westside Community Plans: Palms-Mar Vista-Del Rey, Venice, West Los Angeles, and Westchester- Playa Del Rey. Staff is conducting background research and public outreach by holding initial meetings with neighborhood councils. In July, the Community Planning Division s Valley team held a Scoping Meeting for the proposed Orange Line Transit Neighborhood Plan. The Plan aims to encourage transit ridership and new housing opportunities along the Sepulveda, Van Nuys, and North Hollywood station areas. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLANNING4LA METRO PUBLIC COUNTER 201 N. Figueroa St., 4th Fl Los Angeles, CA (213) DEVELOPMENT SERVICES CENTERS VALLEY PUBLIC COUNTER 6262 Van Nuys Blvd., 2nd Fl Los Angeles, CA (818) WEST LOS ANGELES PUBLIC COUNTER 1828 Sawtelle Blvd., 2nd Fl Los Angeles, CA (310) OUR MISSION To create and implement plans, policies, and programs that realize a vision of Los Angeles as a collection of healthy and sustainable neighborhoods, each with a distinct sense of place, based on a foundation of mobility, economic vitality, and improved quality of life for all residents. Designed by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, Graphics Services Section. As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services and activities. This newsletter is published quarterly by the External Affairs Unit of the Los Angeles Department of City Planning. Please contact Yeghig Keshishian at Yeghig.Keshishian@lacity.org (213) for questions, comments or reprint requests.