Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adopts updated Wilshire Community Plan after public hearings; some streets and policies left open for amendment
Summary
After public hearings and committee amendments, the City Council adopted the updated Wilshire Community Plan. Councilmembers and residents debated collector vs. secondary-street designations and the distribution of new density around transit corridors; some members pledged follow-up amendments and directed staff to implement changes where needed.
The City Council adopted the updated Wilshire Community Plan on Wednesday after several public hearings and committee amendments. The plan update replaces the 1976 plan and establishes land-use and zoning guidance for a large portion of central Los Angeles.
Key issues and discussion: Public speakers and council members focused on street designations (notably Crescent Heights), the location of higher-density zoning near transit corridors and concerns about loss of open space and parks. Residents of neighborhoods including Creston Heights urged the council to redesignate Crescent Heights from a secondary highway to a collector street so traffic-calming and neighborhood-safety measures can be implemented. Councilmembers said receiving amendments and separate actions on specific streets would not prevent the plan update from taking effect and that subsequent amendments could address local traffic and collector-street designations.
Transit and density: Several councilmembers emphasized channeling higher density along transit corridors such as Vermont and near the Red Line, while acknowledging the need to make sure the burden of growth is citywide and not concentrated solely in the urban core. Councilmember Eric Garcetti said the city must balance growth across districts and use transit access as a primary factor for where denser development is encouraged.
Votes and outcome: The council recorded a roll-call vote approving the Wilshire Community Plan update. Members said subsequent targeted amendments (for example, to change Crescent Heights to a collector street) could be brought forward to address neighborhood-specific concerns; staff advised those changes would be processed as subsequent plan amendments.
Next steps: The plan update now proceeds to execution by planning staff; councilmembers asked staff to return rapidly with any technical edits, a schedule for localized amendments, and measures for neighborhood traffic safety and public amenities.
