Planning committee advances expedited-permit measures, designates Rosie Cross site and upholds two mixed‑use project approvals

Planning and Land Use Committee members voted unanimously on several items Friday, including a nomination to list the Rosie Cross Grand Temple and Crotona Court as historic monuments, a referral to further consider an expedited permitting ordinance for electric‑vehicle (EV) charging stations, and denial of two appeals to block mixed‑use housing projects on Sunset Boulevard and a separate site.

The actions matter because they affect near‑term housing production, local permitting timelines for EV infrastructure and preservation of sites proposed for historic protection in Beachwood Canyon.

Committee President Bloomenfield and four other committee members approved a package of consent items early in the meeting and then moved through contested items one at a time. Planning department staff recommended approval or upheld previous determinations on each project and answered members’ questions about timelines and legal authority.

On the EV charging item (agenda item 1), Planning Department staff said state law adopted in 2015 requires local jurisdictions to adopt streamlined permitting procedures for EV charging stations and described a proposed local ordinance that would use a completeness checklist and short timeframes for administrative review. Staff told the committee the draft permit list and related procedures will be posted for final testing and that the city expects a formal hearing or action on the ordinance on Dec. 4, 2024 and that a staff report dated Feb. 21, 2024 was provided for information. The committee voted to place the EV charging ordinance on the Dec. 4 calendar and to receive the Feb. 21 report (roll call recorded as Bloomenfield: yes; Haat: yes; Nazarian: yes; Lee: yes; Raman: yes).

The committ…