West Hollywood staff explain how planning, preservation and permits shape the city
Loading...
Summary
City of West Hollywood Community Development Department staff briefed Civic Leadership Academy attendees on how long-range planning, project review, historic preservation and building and safety functions work together to implement the city's general plan and policy goals.
At a Civic Leadership Academy session hosted by the City of West Hollywood, Community Development Department staff laid out how the city translates resident priorities into rules and projects that shape neighborhoods.
Nick Marasich, the city's director of community development, opened the session by describing four divisions — long range planning, current and historic preservation planning, building and safety, and administration — that together guide private development to match the city's general plan. "We connect those individual projects to the larger community vision through our land use and development review functions," Marasich said.
The presentation included an audience mental-mapping exercise in which several residents described parks, tree canopy, local businesses and neighborhood parks as central features of West Hollywood's character. Assistant Director Jennifer Alkire said the department uses what she called "police power" — local land-use authority recognized by courts — to regulate land in the public interest while noting some limits imposed by state law.
Saima Qureshi, current and historic preservation planning manager, reviewed how staff apply the municipal code, zoning ordinance and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) when vetting projects and said the city has about 60 individually designated historic resources and six historic districts. "We work with the owners of these designated historic properties so that they are receiving rehabilitation incentives that offset the cost to maintain these resources," Qureshi said.
Ben Galan, building and safety manager, walked attendees through the permit intake, plan check and inspection process and described cross‑department and external-agency coordination with partners such as the Los Angeles County Fire Department and utilities. Galan reported his team issued over 2,400 building permits, reviewed more than 2,600 projects and conducted more than 8,000 inspections in 2025.
Staff also described the Sunset Arts & Advertising program — a digital billboards initiative on the Sunset Strip that mixes public art and revenue sharing — and invited questions. In the Q&A, staff clarified that building inspections (construction compliance) are separate from code-enforcement investigations and described how stop‑work orders and project modifications are used to address unpermitted or noncompliant construction.
The session concluded with staff noting that long-range plans such as the WeHo 40 vision, the housing element and the climate-action plan provide direction for ordinance changes and budget prioritization, and with an invitation to the audience to participate in upcoming planning work and public hearings.
