City Council

(23)\n15-0989-S47\nPLANNING AND LAND USE MANAGEMENT (PLUM) COMMITTEE\nREPORT relative to the Olympic/Paralympic Zoning Exemption.\nRecommendations for Council action:\n1. ADOPT the recommendations contained in the Department of\nCity Planning (DCP) report dated September 24, 2025, attached\nto the Council file with amendments to delete Recommendation\nNos. 1g iii, 1g iv, and 1g ix and to add Recommendation Nos.\n1g x and 1g xi:\na. The draft ordinance define Olympic/Paralympic projects\nas follows:\n"Any supporting facilities, installations, uses, and/or\nactivities that serve athletes, officials, spectators, visitors,\nand/or residents at approved competition venues or noncompetition venues necessary to host Olympic and/or\nParalympic events, including but not limited to, training\nfacilities, security perimeters, broadcast and media\ncenters, transit infrastructure, live sites and fan zones."\nb. The draft ordinance define temporary projects as:\n“An Olympic and/or Paralympic Project seeking planning\nand zoning exemption built or implemented solely for the\nGames and dismantled and/or removed after the\nconclusion of the Games and no later than February 27,\n2029."\nc. The draft ordinance define permanent projects as:\n"An Olympic and/or Paralympic Project built or\nimplemented for the Games and intended to remain after\nthe conclusion of the Games."\nd. The draft ordinance provide a planning and zoning\nexemption for temporary projects and land uses that are\nsanctioned projects, cleared by the Mayor's Office of\nMajor Events, City Administrative Officer (CAO), and the\nChief Legislative Analyst (CLA), in consultation with other\ngovernmental agencies and/or LA28, directly tied to the\nsuccessful delivery of the Games.\ne. The draft ordinance establish a specific timeframe or\napplication window for seeking the exemption for\ntemporary and permanent projects as follows:\nTemporary projects can pursue the granting of the zoning\nexemption prior to and during the Games, and are\nexpected to terminate the temporary use, remove any\ninstallation, and restore the site within six months after the\nconclusion of the 2028 Games.\nPermanent projects can pursue the granting of the\nplanning and zoning exemption before, during, and up to\nsix months after the conclusion of the Games.\nf. The draft ordinance exemption remain in full force and\neffect six months after the conclusion of the Games,\nallowing projects seeking permanent planning and zoning\nrelief to be considered for City Council resolution\napproval.\ng. The draft ordinance identify specific project types to be\nexcluded from the exemption provided under the\nordinance. Proposed exclusions are as follows:\ni. Large-scale cable-guided transportation projects or\naerial mobility projects\nii. LA Metro 28 by 28 Light Rail projects\niii. Measure HLA Mobility Improvements\niv. Off-site signage on private property outside of an\napproved Sign District\nv. Demolition of housing\nvi. Modifications of housing projects with existing\ncovenants\nvii. Previously disapproved projects\nviii. Demolition, removal, or permanent and substantial\nalterations of a Designated Historic Resource\nix. Special Event Permitting requirements pursuant to\nLos Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Section 41.20\nx. Add exclusions for Hotels as defined in LAMC\n200.41 as a Permanent project\nxi. Add language to clarify that Temporary or\nPermanent projects that are exempted under the\nordinance are not exempt from either:\nMeasure HLA Mobility Improvements that would\notherwise be triggered by the project; or\nSpecial Event Permitting requirements pursuant to\nLAMC Sec. 41.20.\nh. The draft ordinance establish a defined set of eligibility or\nqualifying criteria, utilizing objective standards, that would\ndetermine whether a project is eligible for zoning relief\nunder Pathway 1, for administrative approval.\ni. The draft ordinance establish a City Council Resolution\nprocess by which the Council could add permanent or\nlegacy projects to be eligible for zoning relief, under\nPathway 2.\nj. The Department of City Planning (DCP) and the\nDepartment of Building and Safety, in coordination with\nthe Office of Major Events, CLA, and CAO, establish a\nCouncil notification process for temporary permits issued\nthrough the planning and zoning exemption under the\nordinance.\nk. City Planning staff continue to coordinate with the Los\nAngeles Department of Transportation, Public Works, Los\nAngeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority\n(Metro), the Mayor's Office and other governmental\nagencies to determine whether any anticipated mobility,\npedestrian, multimodal, or wayfinding projects for the\n2028 Games are subject to planning and zoning review\nand would benefit from the proposed ordinance.\nl. The draft ordinance rely on the Statutory Exemption from\nthe California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for\nOlympic Games, provided under State law as the\nnecessary CEQA clearance for the ordinance's approval,\nand that the ordinance's planning and zoning exemption\nwould ensure ministerial approval of Games-related\ntemporary projects.\n​\n2. DIRECT the DCP, in coordination with the City Attorney and\nother relevant departments, to refine the conceptual ordinance\nand prepare a proposed ordinance for consideration by the Los\nAngeles City Planning Commission (LACPC), and thereafter,\nthe City Council as amended by the committee.\n3. DIRECT the DCP to schedule the ordinance for its review in an\nOctober 2025 LACPC meeting.\nFiscal Impact Statement: None submitted by the DCP. Neither the City\nAdministrative Officer nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed\na financial analysis of this report.