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City Council adopts charter implementation rules, sends Mulholland item back to committee
Summary
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to approve implementing ordinances for the citycharterchanges that create area planning commissions and revise land-use appeal procedures, but sent the Mulholland Scenic Parkway item back to the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee for further review.
The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a package of ordinances to implement the new city charterincluding the creation of area planning commissions (APCs) and an expanded City Planning Commission (CPC), while asking PLUM to re-examine whether the Mulholland Scenic Parkway specific plan should move into the South Valley APC.
The measures respond to the charter voters approved in June, which require at least five APCs, expand the CPC from five to nine members and change how appeals and quasi-judicial land-use matters are decided. Councilmembers said the package standardizes and simplifies dozens of procedural tracks while preserving a council role for citywide issues.
Planning Department staff described the ordinance package as an effort to make the city's planning processes clearer for applicants and neighborhoods. Khan Howe, the department's planning director, told councilmembers that "the new city charter passed by the voters in June requires some very fundamental changes to the planning structure of the city." Staff said they had held seven community workshops and multiple hearings before drafting the ordinances.
Debate among councilmembers focused on two topics: which decisions should originate with APCs versus the CPC, and whether the Mulholland Scenic Parkway specific plan should be assigned wholly to the South Valley APC. Councilmember Bernsen moved the PLUM Committee report with two small transfers (schools and hospitals/sanitaria to the CPC) and other standardizations. Councilmember Hernandez successfully pressed to add several social-service land uses (domestic violence shelters, alcohol and drug treatment centers and some mental-health related housing) into the public-benefit review category so they would receive citywide review. Councilmember Goldberg won a separate motion to send the Mulholland-specific-plan assignment (item 3b in staff materials) back to PLUM for an additional look; councilmembers said public testimony and mountain-area groups had raised unresolved questions.
The council adopted the ordinance package as amended after the two votes. The roll-call on the final, amended package was 13-0 in favor. Members and staff repeatedly noted the plan will be monitored and reviewed; committees requested an 18-month review to consider practical changes once APCs begin operation and census adjustments are available.
Votes at a glance - Adoption of charter implementation ordinances (delegation of decisions to APCs/CPC; public-benefit permit process): approved 13-0. - Amendment (Hernandez) adding specified social-service uses into the public-benefit review category (director/CPC route): approved 12-1. - Amendment (Goldberg) sending Mulholland Scenic Parkway item back to PLUM for further study: approved 9-4.
Context and next steps Staff and councilmembers said the ordinances will now be drafted into final ordinance language for council review and scheduling; appointments and training of APC members remain to be completed before the charter changes take effect on July 1. Councilmembers emphasized the package is not final, noting an 18-month review period and the possibility of technical changes after experience with the new process.
