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 committee considered a nomination from the Cultural Heritage Commission to add Crotona Court and the Rosie Cross Grand Temple (Beachwood Canyon) to the city’s list of historic‑cultural monuments. Planning staff said the Cultural Heritage Commission found the properties met criteria in the municipal ordinance and cited social‑history and architectural significance. Roselenzimo Cagia, representing a preservation organization, told the committee the nomination has owner and tenant support. The committee voted unanimously to forward the nomination for designation (Bloomenfield: yes; Haat: yes; Nazarian: yes; Lee: yes; Raman: yes).

A staff‑initiated motion (agenda item 6) instructing the Department of Building and Safety and related units to report back on citywide measures to accelerate permits — including professional certification/"autocertification" for certain simple building permits often used elsewhere — passed unanimously. Public commenters and several committee members supported tools to shorten permitting timelines for routine, single‑family and low‑complexity work. Supporters said certifying licensed architects or engineers to assume legal responsibility for simple plan checks could relieve staff workload; speakers and a deputy for a councilmember cited long current timelines for rebuilding after disasters.

Two appealed environmental determinations for large mixed‑use projects were considered and the committee denied both appeals, sustaining the director’s or commission’s prior determinations: - Agenda item 8: The committee upheld the Planning Commission’s decision and denied an appeal by an organization identified in the record as the Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility (appeal represented in the transcript as "Supporters Alliance for Responsibility of the Environment"). Staff described the project as a five‑level mixed‑use development on Sunset Boulevard totaling 327 units, including 41 affordable units, and recommended denying the appeal and approving the project; the committee voted to deny the appeal and uphold the commission (vote recorded as unanimous). - Agenda item 9: The committee denied an appeal challenging a director‑level categorical exemption (Class 32) for a five‑story project of 121 units with 13 units reserved for very‑low‑income households. Appellants raised concerns about construction noise, vibration and air‑quality risks; the applicant’s representative, Kevin Benjamín, told the committee the project meets city policies and that technical analyses did not show significant vibration or air impacts. The committee voted to deny the appeal and sustain the director’s determination (unanimous vote recorded).

Several members of the public addressed the committee on permitting reform, appeals reform and the two housing projects. Lauren Collins, a resident of Council District 1, told the committee, “Estoy aquí para apoyar este proyecto completamente.” Trails Pesiano, identified as representing the appellants on one case, argued the record showed potential vibration and air‑quality impacts that, in their view, required a fuller environmental review. Other public commenters urged tighter limits on repetitive appeals and asked for administrative reforms to reduce delays in producing housing.

Votes at a glance - Consent calendar (items 3, 4, 5, 7): approved unanimously (Bloomenfield, Haat, Nazarian, Lee, Raman: yes). - Item 1 (EV charging station ordinance/process): refer to Dec. 4, 2024 hearing; receive staff report dated Feb. 21, 2024 — approved unanimously. - Item 2 (Crotona Court and Rosie Cross Grand Temple historic nomination): recommend designation; forwarded unanimously. - Item 6 (motion to direct Department of Building and Safety to report on citywide accelerated permit program/autocertification): passed unanimously. - Item 8 (appeal re: 327‑unit mixed‑use project including 41 affordable units on Sunset Boulevard — case noted in the record as ENV‑2023‑5529 SKIA): appeal denied; commission decision sustained (unanimous). - Item 9 (appeal re: 121‑unit mixed‑use project with 13 very‑low‑income units; Class 32 categorical exemption challenged): appeal denied; director’s determination sustained (unanimous).

What the committee did not decide - The committee did not adopt final ordinance language for the EV charging expedited process at this hearing; staff said a draft checklist and final testing would be posted and the item will return for action on Dec. 4, 2024.

Why it matters - The committee’s votes clear the path for two large mixed‑use projects to move forward in the city’s entitlement process, preserve two nominated historic sites for further review and advance administrative reforms intended to shorten permitting timelines for EV infrastructure and certain building permits. Public commenters and several committee members emphasized the need for appeals‑process reform to prevent repeated delays on major housing projects.

The committee adjourned after a general public‑comment period that raised additional concerns about appeals, zoning exclusions for single‑family neighborhoods and local services for refugee populations; no further committee action was taken at the end of the meeting.