Thursday, March 25, 2010

Baseline Hillside Ordinance - Courtesy Notice of Open House & Public Hearing (April 5 and 8, 2010)

The City of Los Angeles will conduct an Open House and Public Hearing regarding proposed Code Amendments affecting single-family residential hillside neighborhoods.
 
Monday, April 5, 2010
Marvin Braude Building
6262 Van Nuys Blvd., Room 1A and 1B
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Open House: 5:00 – 6:00 PM
Public Hearing: 6:30 – 8:00 PM
 
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Hollywood United Methodist Church, Parlor Room
6817 Franklin Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Note: There is limited parking on-site, and additional pay parking is available at the Hollywood & Highland complex.
Open House: 5:00 – 6:00 PM
Public Hearing: 6:30 – 8:00 PM
 
The proposed project includes amendments to the Los Angeles Municipal Code to establish new regulations for single-family zoned properties which are designated as Hillside Area.  The amendments would result in: a reduction to the existing Floor Area Ratio (FAR); amendments to the existing Single-Family Residential Floor Area definition; changes to the height limits and how they are calculated; creation of new grading regulations; creation of a Hillside Standards Overlay District that would allow individual neighborhoods to adjust the baseline limits to better fit their community's character and scale; and establish or revise discretionary review processes for projects that deviate from the proposed FAR, height, and grading regulations.
 
If adopted, the proposed ordinance would affect all lots zoned single-family residential (R1, RS, RE9, RE11, RE15, RE20, RE40, and RA), which are designated Hillside Area.  For properties located in a Specific Plan area or a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, the more restrictive requirements would prevail.

Before each hearing an Open House session will be held from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm where you will have the opportunity to review handouts that explain the specific proposal in detail.  The Hearing will begin at 6:30 pm, following the Open House, and will be conducted by a Hearing Officer.  The Hearing Officer will consider all testimony presented to the City at that time and any written communications received prior to the hearing.  Written communications should reference Case Number CPC-2010-0581-CA.  The Hearing Officer will subsequently prepare a report, including a recommendation, which will be considered by the City Planning Commission.  Written communications should be addressed to: Erick Lopez, City Planning Department, 200 N. Spring Street, Room 621, Los Angeles, CA 90012, and should include City Planning Case Number CPC-2010-0581-CA.  If you challenge this matter in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described here, or in written correspondence on the matter delivered to this agency at or prior to the public hearing.

If you have any questions, please contact Erick Lopez at erick.lopez@lacity.org or (213) 978-1243, or Jennifer Driver at jennifer.driver@lacity.org or (818) 374-5034.
 
As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of
disability. The hearing facility and its parking are wheelchair accessible. Sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, or other auxiliary aids and/or other services may be provided upon request. To ensure availability of services, please make your request no later than three working days (72 hours) prior to the hearing by calling the above number.
 
Traductores u otro tipo de servicio puede ser proveído si se solicita. Para asegurar que este tipo de servicio sea disponible, favor de solicitarlos por lo menos 3 días (72 horas) antes de la audiencia llamando al teléfono mencionado.
 
THE PROPOSED BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE, WHICH IS INCORPORATING MANY OF THE COMMENTS MADE AT THE WORKSHOPS, IS CURRENTLY BEING FINALIZED AND IS EXPECTED TO BE MADE AVAILABLE BY THE END OF THE WEEK.  We wanted to send out this email to give everyone a chance to add these public hearings to their schedules.  A separate email will be sent with an attached copy or a link to where it can be downloaded.  Thank you for your patience.
 
If you received this email via forwarded message from someone other than myself, and you want to obtain updates directly from the Department, please email erick.lopez@lacity.org and ask to be added to the interest list.  Please type "Add Me To Hillside Notification List" in the subject line and provide your group/organization/company affiliations and contact information (please include at least your ZIP Code).
 
Facebook™ Users: Look for the Baseline Hillside Ordinance page; add the page and receive updates in your news feed.  You can also view our events calendar and participate in discussion boards.
 
As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact myself or Jennifer Driver at jennifer.driver@lacity.org or at (818) 374-5034.
 
Thank you for your attention.
 
 
__________________________________________
Erick Lopez
City Planner
Department of City Planning
Community Planning Bureau - West Coastal Division
200 N. Spring St., Room 621
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 978-1243
(213) 978-1226 - fax

ü Please consider the environment before printing this email.

Monday, March 22, 2010

ACTION ALERT: Crucial Renewables and Energy Efficiency Vote this Week at City Council

 
ACTION ALERT: Crucial Renewables and Energy Efficiency Vote this Week at City Council
Tuesday March 23, 9:40 - 1pm 
 
WHEN: This Tuesday, March 23rd (9:40AM-1PM)
 
WHAT: The Los Angeles City Council will make the first of two votes on the recently proposed Renewable Energy Trust Fund. On Tuesday, Council will assert jurisdiction through S245 of the charter. As soon as Wednesday, the issue will be discussed in Energy and Environment. The final vote could then come as soon as Thursday. Tuesday will be the first opportunity to speak out in front of Council and we're encouraging people to come down to Council then to argue in support of the proposal.
 
BACKGROUND: As you may know, last Monday, the Mayor proposed a Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Trust Fund. For the first time, the city would have a permanent fund for renewables and energy efficiency. It will raise as much as $180 million annually. Additionally, the funding will be tied directly to a long term resource plan that will phase out coal over the next ten years. The City Controller's office will have oversight to ensure that investments are made wisely and that there is accountability. The fund will be capitalized by a portion of a rate increase recommended for DWP by a city council-sponsored report. The proposal will help create 18,000 new jobs, while investing critical funding in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The DWP Board of Commissioners approved the proposal last Thursday.
 
The rate increases we are threatened with are largely due to fossil fuels. By ensuring that rates are tiered to usage and that energy conservation programs are funded, the proposal will moderate the impact on bills to low-income households and those most impacted by rising rates. 
 

We know what the consequences of inaction will be for the people of Los Angeles: deadly summer heat waves, wildfire frequency and intensity due to climate change, and polluted air and water across the Southwest from our dirty coal-fired power plants.

City Council needs to hear that smart energy/climate policy, job creation, and economic development go hand in hand. Please come this Tuesday - the City Council needs to hear from you
 
PARKING: Call any councilmember's office Monday to arrange for free parking in the Angeles St. garage (just south of Temple St.).

QUESTIONS: Please contact Evan Gillespie from the Sierra Club at (213) 387-6528 x215 orevan.gillespie@sierraclub.org for questions or comments. 
 

Friday, March 19, 2010

AIA|LA Practice Committee - PAUL WELCH - May 14 (8am)

The AIA|LA Practice Committee meeting presents...
a discussion w/ Paul W. Welch, Jr., Hon. AIA
Executive Vice President, AIA CALIFORNIA COUNCIL
an update about ongoing AIA California Council initiatives
Friday, May 14 (8:00-9:30am)
HOK
9530 Jefferson Boulevard
Culver City, CA 90232 USA

 


NO-HOST PARKING.  AIA|LA recommends riding METRO whenever possible.

The AIA|LA Practice Committee will be discussing the following with Paul Welch:

1. What are the implications of the State Courts ruling in the CH2M Hill case and its implications on anyone who has "defend" language in the contract agreements?

2. What is AIA|CC doing to overturn the ruling (change the law) and protect us from both our clients and our insurance carriers?

3. What as individual members can we do/ should we do?

THE AIA/LA PRACTICE COMMITTEE

The AIA Los Angeles Practice Committee has been organized by representatives from architecture firms with an established presence in the Los Angeles area.  The purpose of this committee is to interface with various agencies and significant client entities to facilitate exchange of information/ideas with respect to technical, design and business issues affecting our industry.  The committee anticipates focusing on business issues relating to A/E contracting practices, technology related to the delivery of A/E services, and conditions affecting project delivery & design excellence within our industry.

Chair: Ted Hyman, FAIA
ZGF Architects
thyman@zgf.com

Co-Chair: Kelly Olson, Affiliate AIA/LA
AECOM Design
kelly.olson@aecom.com

Vice-Chair/ Chair-elect: Eric Goldberg, AIA
HOK
eric.goldberg@hok.com


Staff contact: Will Wright – will@aialosangeles.org

Very truly yours,

Will Wright Director of Government & Public Affairs

AIA / los angeles
A Chapter of the American Institute of Architects

3780 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800, Los Angeles, CA 90010
213.639.0777 phone | 213.639.0767 fax





Thursday, March 11, 2010

CEQA REFORM: AIACC Advocacy Advisory Committee Conference Call - March 17 (9:30am)

Dear all,

The AIA California Council is coordinating a conference call on proposed CEQA reform initiatives.  As an AIA|LA member interested in providing leadership resources and contributing to the discussion, I encourage you to participate in the call.  Also, feel free to forward this on to other architects interested in becoming active in CEQA reform initiatives.


When: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 9:30 AM-10:30 AM (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada).
Where: Number: 866.866.2244   Code: 4625991#
 
Note: The GMT offset above does not reflect daylight saving time adjustments.
 
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
 
This conference call is to discuss the California Environmental Quality Act, proposed reforms to CEQA, and whether or how the AIA California Council should be involved.
 
 If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me in advance.


Very truly yours,

Will Wright Director of Government & Public Affairs

AIA / los angeles
A Chapter of the American Institute of Architects

3780 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800, Los Angeles, CA 90010
213.639.0777 phone | 213.639.0767 fax
 

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Build L.A. Transit Now

Hi Erin,

I'm from Los Angeles (I grew up in Culver City), and I love Los Angeles. But I hate the traffic, and I hate the smog.

That's why I'm so psyched about a plan to blitz L.A. with public transportation projects: completing 12 new subway and other transit projects in the next 10 years, creating 165,000 jobs in the process.

We've already set aside the money for these projects, but we need some help upfront to get them built. Can you join me in calling on Sen. Boxer to give L.A. a loan so we can build transit now?

Last fall, Angelenos agreed to fund these 12 projects with Measure R. But unless we get a little help now, building these 12 projects could take 30 years! I think we all agree it would be better to create those jobs now, when we need them most. That's why we are calling on Congress to give Los Angeles a loan, that we will pay back in full over time with Measure R funds.

I think this plan is not only exciting and bold, it's also fiscally sound. After all, we've already decided to fund these projects and have a dedicated revenue stream.

But the benefits of moving quickly are huge: Besides creating a large number of jobs just as we need them most, we'll actually save a lot of money -- an estimated $3.7 billion -- by building the light rail and subway lines sooner. That's because construction costs are much cheaper now than they will be in 20 years.

Not only that, but we'll see cuts in traffic and pollution -- within a decade. Los Angeles residents can reduce our time on the road by 208 million miles per year, reducing congestion and pollution.

This plan makes sense. Sen. Boxer can help get us the loan to start building, and we're making sure she gets the message. Can you sign our letter to Sen. Boxer?

http://www.calpirg.org/action/transit/build-la-transit-now?id4=ES

Sincerely,

Emily Rusch
CALPIRG State Director
action@calpirg.org
http://www.CALPIRG.org

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Baseline Hillside Ordinance Workshop Presentation Available for Download

Greetings All,
 
For those of you who were not able to attend one of our 6 Public Workshops held throughout the City of Los Angeles, or those who want a copy for their notes, we have finally posted the Baseline Hillside Ordinance Workshop Presentation on our website for download.  To download the presentation, please visit our website (http://planning.lacity.org) and click on "Plans & Ordinances" on the left, then click on "Proposed Ordinance" and then "Baseline Hillside Ordinance", or you can use the following link:
 
 
You can also download the Preliminary Proposal Handouts in that same webpage, or you can use the following links:
 
 
Feel free to forward this email and/or the links to anyone you feel might be interested.
 
Staff is currently processing all of the comments made at the workshops and will try to address as many of them as we can in the proposed Baseline Hillside Ordinance.  We will take into consideration written comments received up to Monday, March 15, 2010 in the development of the proposed Ordinance; please email them to erick.lopez@lacity.org.  We will continue to accept your comments after the 15th, but will unfortunately not be able to be incorporated in that iteration of the proposal.  For those individuals who attended and/or gave us their input, thank you for your time and participation.
 
If you received this email via forwarded message from someone other than myself, and you want to obtain updates directly from the Department, please email erick.lopez@lacity.org and ask to be added to the interest list.  Please type "Add Me To Hillside Notification List" in the subject line and provide your group/organization/company affiliations and contact information (please include at least your ZIP Code).
 
Facebook™ Users: Look for the Baseline Hillside Ordinance page; add the page and receive updates in your news feed.  You can also view our events calendar and participate in discussion boards.
 
As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact myself or Jennifer Driver at jennifer.driver@lacity.org or at (818) 374-5034.
 
Thank you for your attention.
 
 
__________________________________________
Erick Lopez
City Planner
Department of City Planning
Community Planning Bureau - West Coastal Division
200 N. Spring St., Room 621
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 978-1243
(213) 978-1226 - fax

ü Please consider the environment before printing this email.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

AIA|LA BP&R - LADBS presents the California Green Building Code, March 11 (6pm)

Please make plans to attend the upcoming presentation on the California Green Building Code.

AIA/LA Building Performance & Regulations Committee presents...
LADBS presents the California Green Building Code
--a roadmap to implementation--
Thursday, March 11 (6pm)
WWCOT
3130 Wilshire Blvd., 6th Floor
Santa Monica, CA 90403

Limited Capacity.  RSVP to will@aialosangeles.org

 

This presentation will provide a technical update on the California Green Building Code and will establish a working framework for how architects and engineers can help provide feedback as LADBS begins their roadmap to implementation for the CIty's building code.

 

 

Speaker:
Osama Younan, P.E.
Chief of Mechanical Engineering Section & Green Building Unit


Will Wright Director of Government & Public Affairs

AIA / los angeles
A Chapter of the American Institute of Architects

3780 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800, Los Angeles, CA 90010
213.639.0777 phone | 213.639.0767 fax