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20250505 LA County West Hollywood City Council Order of Business F F.6. REFORMING HOUSING APPROVAL AND PERMITTING PROCESSES TO ENCOURAGE HOUSING PRODUCTION [J. ERICKSON, Y. QUARKER, A. LOVANO]: SUBJECT: The City Council will consider several reform measures to expedite the City’s Planning and Building & Safety approval and permitting processes to speed up and encourage housing production in the City. These reforms include several policy changes and administrative changes to update the City’s processes and re-enforce West Hollywood as a pro- housing city. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) Direct staff to prepare a Zone Text Amendment to streamline the review and approval process for residential projects with fewer than 100 units, and mixed-use projects with fewer than 100 units and less than 30,000 square feet of non-residential floor area, including: changing the review authority for such projects from the Planning Commission to the Director of Community Development, eliminating requirements for a neighborhood meeting, and allowing only one appeal to the City Council (Short term priority, about six to nine months); 2) Direct staff to evaluate and draft a Zone Text Amendment to create a ministerial approval process for residential projects with fewer than 100 units, and mixed-use projects with fewer than 100 units and less than 30,000 square feet of non-residential floor area that are compliant with the General Plan and Zoning Code (Long term priority, about two years); 3) Direct staff to explore ways to streamline maximum housing production in accordance with Recommendations 1 and 2, while discouraging under-building of housing for parcels included on the sites inventory; 4) Direct staff to prepare a Zone Text Amendment to eliminate parking minimums throughout the City (Short term priority, about six – nine months); 5) Direct staff to amend current City processes to allow developers to apply for planning entitlements and building permits concurrently for new residential and mixed-use projects that do not require legislative action (Short term priority, about six months); 6) Direct staff to create and publish informational materials to encourage applicants to arrange for a pre-filing meeting prior to submitting a development application (Short term priority, about six months); 7) Direct staff to track state and local efforts to amend stairway egress building codes, and, in collaboration with Los Angeles County Fire Department, evaluate establishing an Alternate Materials and Methods bulletin for the construction of “single stairway” apartment buildings of up to six stories (Medium term priority, about one year); 8) Direct staff to research and report back to Council with options for a self-certification program for licensed professionals to expedite permits for residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments (Medium term priority, about one year); 9) Direct staff to monitor and track similar streamlining efforts underway in the cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and other local jurisdictions to determine if additional measures can be implemented to further support the development of new housing in the City; 10) Direct staff to provide quarterly updates to the Council on the number of development permit applications and average processing times for different types of applications, including those from Planning, Building & Safety, and Engineering; and 11) Direct staff to provide an update to the Council on these initiatives and any other streamlining efforts currently underway within 120 days. May 05, 2025 LA County West Hollywood City Council Order of Business F #6
20250505 LA County West Hollywood City Council Order of Business C C.1. ZONE TEXT AMENDMENT TO ESTABLISH A MINISTERIAL HOUSING PERMIT ENTITLEMENT FOR STREAMLINED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW [N. MARICICH, J. ALKIRE, F. CONTRERAS, T. FARRIS, M. MONTENEGRO]: SUBJECT: The City Council will consider introducing on first reading an Ordinance approving a Zone Text Amendment (ZTA) to establish a Ministerial Housing Permit process for streamlined housing development in compliance with state law, and finding the action to be exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to section 15061(b)(3) and 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines. RECOMMENDATION: Introduce on first reading Ordinance No. 25- _______: "AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 19, ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE WEST HOLLYWOOD MUNICIPAL CODE TO ESTABLISH A MINISTERIAL HOUSING PERMIT PROCESS FOR STREAMLINED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW AND FINDING THE ACTION TO BE EXEMPT UNDER SECTION 15061(b)(3) AND 15378 OF THE STATE CEQA GUIDELINES." May 05, 2025 LA County West Hollywood City Council Order of Business C #1