Thursday, March 31, 2011

AIA|LA POC : STATUS UPDATE -- March 31, 2011

Dear AIA|LA Political Outreach Committee:

In effort to keep you all in the loop on some recent initiatives I've been involved with, I wanted to share the following updates:

ONE

1.  The proposed draft of the Sign Ordinance - SEE ATTACHED.  On Tuesday, I attended a meeting coordinated by the Department of City Planning to discuss the latest revision to the City's Sign Ordinance.  As many of you know, this effort had stalled at City Council, went back to PLUM in effort to develop a consensus ordinance affecting off-site signs only (removing the on-site aspects of the previous draft) and is now expected to be back at PLUM in late April, early May.

Therefore, if POC is interested, we have a chance to provide a review and share comments with PLUM.  From my assessment, the ordinance is a pretty fair indication of what will work well for the City of LA, the community and the architecture profession. The only outstanding item that I think we can be helpful with is in the formulation of criteria for what may constitute as a SIGN DISTRICT.

Presently, the proposed ordinance defines the minimum threshold at 5,000 linear feet  of street frontage or 15 acres in area.  At one point in time, POC advocated for an additional threshold to accommodate vertical development - at 1,000,000 sq. ft. - this number later revised to 750,000 sq. feet per Board debate.

Therefore, please let me know if the POC is in favor of advocating for this third threshold, or if 5,000 or 15 acres is reasonably defining.

Additionally, in my assessment, one of the public benefits provided by a proposed Sign District is the establishment of a SIGN IMPACT AREA.  Instead of the proposed 1 to 1 ratio, would the POC like to see us advocate for a 2 to 1 or even a 3 to 1 ratio - which would mean that for every NEW sign added in a sign district that instead of ONE sign having to be removed in the Sign Impact Area (as currently proposed), that we'd like to see TWO or even THREE signs removed in the sign impact area for every ONE new sign constructed in the Sign District??? 

TWO

2. Multiple Approvals Procedural Revisions - Zoning Code refinements. Late last week, on behalf of AIA|LA, I attending the public hearing on the latest efforts of DCP to simplify the zoning code.  The presentation that they developed to convey the latest changes is quite helpful.  SEE ATTACHED.  I will be drafting a letter of support for POC and Board review prior to when it will be at the Planning Commission on May 12th.

THREE

3. California Infill Builders Association - CEQA Reform.  Today, March 31, on behalf of AIA|LA I will be participating in a workshop coordinated by the CIBA to discuss opportunities for CEQA Reform, especially with regards to urban infill and SB 375.  I will update you after the meeting on the results.

FOUR

4.  The next POC meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 12 (6pm) at MDA Johnson Favaro.  Deputy City Engineer, Deborah Weintraub, AIA will be sharing a status update with us regarding the City's progress with a draft motion to facilitate alternative project delivery.

AIA|LA Political Outreach Committee Meeting...
ALTERNATIVE PROJECT DELIVERY Status Update
Tuesday, April 12 (6:00pm)
MDA Johnson Favaro
5898 BLACKWELDER STREET  
CULVER CITY, CA 90232

Please feel free to give me a call with any questions.

All best,

Will Wright 


Revised Sign Ordinance March, 2011.pdf Download this file

MultipleApprovals_March23staffhearing.pdf Download this file

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Baseline Hillside Ordinance (Ord. No. 181,624) - Effective Date: May 9, 2011

Greetings All:

This is an email to let you know that the Baseline Hillside Ordinance (Ord. No. 181,624; CPC-2010-581-CA; Council File No. 10-1001) was signed by Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa on Friday, March 25, 2011 and was received and posted by the City Clerk on March 30, 2011.  The Ordinance is scheduled to go into effect on Monday, May 9, 2011.

For a copy of the final adopted Ordinance please go to the following link:  http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2010/10-1001_ord_181624.pdf

For more details, please refer to the 
online Council File at the following link:
  http://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=10-1001

Will the Baseline Hillside Ordinance Apply To Me?
Just to clarify for all, any property zoned R1, RS, RE, or RA which is designated as Hillside Area pursuant to Section 12.03 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) will be subject to the Baseline Hillside Ordinance.  Please refer to our Zoning Information and Map Access System, or ZIMAS (http://zimas.lacity.org/) to check your "Zoning" and "Hillside Area (Zoning Code)" designation under the "Planning and Zoning" tab.

Projects in Early Design Stages, Submitted for Discretionary Actions, and/or in Plan Check
For those of individuals working on projects which are currently in the early design stages or is waiting for a discretionary action of some sort, please determine whether you will be able to submit for plan check prior to the May 9, 2011 (which is a Monday, so the actual deadline is Friday, May 6, 2011).

Pursuant to Section 12.26 A.3 of the LAMC, any project which is accepted by the Department of Building and Safety for plan check with a complete set of plans and for which the fees have been paid prior to the effective date of an Ordinance (Monday, May 9, 2011) will be considered to be a Vested Development Plan; meaning that the applicable regulations in place prior to this change will continue to apply.  However, there are some limitations to this provision that you should be aware of, but the more relevant ones are that you have 18 months after the fee is paid, and that you cannot make changes to those plans which increase or decrease the height, floor area, or occupant load of the proposed structure by more than 5%.  Feel free to reference our online Municipal Code for more details (http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&vid=amlegal:lamc_ca); go to Chapter 1, Article 2, Section 12.26, Subsection A, Subdivision 3.

The only way to "vest" a typical single-family development project under the current Code is through the Vested Development Plan provision summarized above.  Applications for, or approval of discretionary actions (i.e. Zoning Administration Determinations, Adjustments, Variances, etc.) prior to the effective date does not confer vesting rights to a project.  If you are not able to submit for plan check to the Department of Building & Safety prior to the effective date of the Baseline Hillside Ordinance, it is recommended that you consider the proposed hillside provision when making design choices or determining a course of action.

Baseline Hillside Ordinance Comprehensive Guide
We are currently working on a user-friendly guide to the Baseline Hillside Ordinance hillside regulations, and hope to have that completed in the near future.  It will contain some clarification language as well as figures and diagrams to illustrate some of the new provisions, some of which you may have already seen in the Staff Reports prepared for this Ordinance.

Feel free to forward this information to anyone you feel might be interested.

Thank You
At this point we would like to thank you all for your interest and participation in this process.  We know that it can be very demanding of your personal time, but we appreciate all that you have done.  While not all of the ideas presented made the final draft, the input was critical to the feasibility of the new hillside regulations.  The level of public outreach and involvement for this Ordinance made sure that this was truly a law developed by the hillside community, and our role was to guide all stakeholders to a fair and balanced set of regulations.

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) 374-9916.

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Friday, March 18, 2011

Baseline Hillside Ordinance Adopted by City Council

Greetings All:

This is an email to let you know that the Baseline Hillside Ordinance (CPC-2010-581-CA; Council File No. 10-1001) was adopted by the City Council on Friday, March 18, 2010.  The Ordinance received 13 Yes votes and 0 No votes
.

For a copy of the adopted Ordinance and other online documents and information, please refer to the online Council File at the following link:  http://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=10-1001

We are currently working a handout for the new hillside regulations that will include diagrams to illustrate some of the language, some of which can already be seen in the Staff Reports prepared for the Ordinance (use the links provided below).  We hope to have that ready in the near future.

Where Will This Apply?

Any property zoned R1, RS, RE(9, 11, 15, 20, & 40), or RA which is designated as Hillside Area pursuant to Section 12.03 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) will be subject to the Baseline Hillside Ordinance when it becomes effective.  Please use our Zoning & Information Map Access System, or ZIMAS (http://zimas.ci.la.ca.us/), to find your "Zone" and "Hillside Area (Zoning Code)" designation; please look  under the "Planning and Zoning" tab on the left side of your web browser.

What's Next?

According to Section 250 of the City Charter, the Mayor has 10 days to act on it - meaning he can act on it on the same day, or 10 days later.  Assuming the Mayor approves it, the City Clerk's Office will then post the adopted Ordinance for a period of 10 days and a 30-day effective date will begin after that.  Simply put, the earliest an Ordinance can realistically go into effect  is 40 to 50 days after it is adopted by the City Council.

When we have an effective date, we will email the individuals on this interest list.

Projects in Early Design Stages, Submitted for Discretionary Actions, and/or in Plan Check
For those of individuals working on projects which are currently in the early design stages or is waiting for a discretionary action of some sort, please use the information above to gauge whether you will be able to submit for plan check prior to the effective date of the proposed Baseline Hillside Ordinance.

Pursuant to Section 12.26 A.3 of the LAMC, any project which is accepted by the Department of Building and Safety for plan check with a complete set of plans and for which the fees have been paid prior to the effective date of an Ordinance will be considered to be a Vested Development Plan; meaning that the applicable regulations in place prior to this change will continue to apply.  However, there are some limitations to this provision that you should be aware of, but the more relevant ones are that you have 18 months after the fee is paid, and that you cannot make changes to those plans which increase or decrease the height, floor area, or occupant load of the proposed structure by more than 5%.  Feel free to reference our online Municipal Code for more details (http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&vid=amlegal:lamc_ca); go to Chapter 1, Article 2, Section 12.26, Subsection A, Subdivision 3.

The only way to "vest" a typical single-family development project under the current Code is through the Vested Development Plan provision summarized above.  Applications for, or approval of discretionary actions (i.e. Zoning Administration Determinations, Adjustments, Variances, etc.) prior to the effective date does not confer vesting rights to a project.  If you are not able to submit for plan check to the Department of Building & Safety prior to the effective date of the Baseline Hillside Ordinance, it is recommended that you consider the proposed hillside provision when making design choices or determining a course of action.

Feel free to forward this information to anyone you feel might be interested.

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) 374-9916.

--

 
 
__________________________________________
Erick Lopez, City Planner
City of Los Angeles - Department of City Planning
Office of Zoning Administration - Code Studies
200 N. Spring St., Room 701
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 978-1323
(213) 978-0597 - fax
erick.lopez@lacity.org

ü Please consider the environment before printing this email.

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CALL TO ACTION - THE LATEST on CA State budget actions

BizFed Leaders,

The past two days of budget negotiations in Sacramento have been intense, fractious and grim. While there is good news that the main budget bill has now been approved, the cuts it brings toward balancing CA's finances will be painful across our state and region – and there are pieces that still need our ACTION.

Yesterday, BOTH the Assembly and Senate approved the majority of state budget legislation that includes $14 billion in cuts, loans and shifted funds.

Highlights of media coverage:

·         California Healthline has a good outline of the cuts that have been approved here.

·         Read more details in the LA Times here, in the Sacramento Bee this morning here or the Contra Costa Times here.

·         The San Francisco Chronicle has a good story about the new issue complicating the usual budget pressures – the Republican spring convention in Sacramento this weekend. Read more here.

BUT lawmakers did NOT tackle a proposal to ask voters in June to approve billions in temporary TAX extensions.

And our lawmakers also still have NOT addressed several provisions within the budget package – including the proposed ELIMINATION of Community Redevelopment Agencies and Enterprise Zones.

·         While lawmakers are “on call” through the weekend, floor action is not formally scheduled to resume until 11:30 Monday morning –

·         There is a WINDOW of Opportunity to make our voices heard.

1) ENTERPRISE ZONE ACTION

Lawmakers have NOT yet acted on the proposal to eliminate Enterprise Zone tax credits. BizFed’s Board has urged reform rather than elimination.

The Californians for Jobs and Safe Communities, sponsored by the CA Assn of Enterprise Zones in Action (a coalition that includes League of Cities, BizFed, VICA, Long Beach Area Chamber, Pasadena Chamber, Redondo Beach Chamber and South Bay Assn of Chambers) is asking us to contact these legislators and remind them that EZs are proven job creators and tell them to create jobs and improve our economy by OPPOSING the EZ proposal currently in the budget: 

·         Senator Lou Correa: (916) 651-4034

·         Senator Ron Calderon: (916) 651-4030

·         Senator Rod Wright: (916) 651-4025

·         Senator Ted Lieu: (916) 651-4028

·         Senator Alex Padilla: (916) 651-4020

·         Senator Curren Price: (916) 651-4026

 

2) COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES

Lawmakers have NOT yet acted on the proposal to dismantle more than 400 redevelopment agencies in the state. BizFed’s Board has voted to oppose the proposal; local redevelopment creates jobs, safer neighborhoods, and stronger local economies.

The League of California Cities is asking us to call our legislators to tell them to vote NO on this proposal:

·         Find your Assembly Members here: www.asm.ca.gov.

·         Find your Senators here: www.sen.ca.gov

·         You can also find your legislator here by entering your zip code.

Pass this along to all of your contacts quickly. We’ll continue to keep you posted as the actions unfold.

Tracy

Tracy Rafter, CEO

BizFed, Los Angeles County Business Federation

818.429.0862 ~ tracy.rafter@bizfed.org

bizfed.org

A Grass Roots Alliance of 70 Top LA County Business Groups

Mobilizing Over 107,000 Businesses

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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The RDA Saga Continues......

THE CALIFORNIA REDEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION’S ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL FOR VOLUNTARY REDEVELOPMENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCHOOLS

CRA has crafted an alternative to the Governor’s proposed elimination of redevelopment agencies that provides significant funding to schools that could also help close the state’s budget deficit, avoids the unconstitutional provisions of the proposal that would lead to contentious and costly legal battles, and continues local redevelopment’s contributions to reviving the state’s economy and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs.  A summary of our proposal is as follows:

1) Local redevelopment agencies can voluntarily suspend their housing set-aside for FY 2011-12.  An equivalent amount of funds must then be contributed to local school districts in project areas.

(a) In exchange for this contribution of funds for FY 2011-12 to local schools, the agency will be allowed to extend the project area’s life by TWO YEARS.

2) In addition, or alternatively, redevelopment agencies could voluntarily contribute up to 10 percent of their tax increment revenue stream to local school districts for 10 years, beginning in FY 2011-12.

(a) The tax increment revenue stream they could contribute would be calculated as a percentage of the gross tax increment minus the existing pass-through payments to local taxing entities.

(b) For each percentage of tax increment paid to schools, an additional year could be added to the project area life, up to a maximum of 10 years. For example, if five percent of tax increment was dedicated to schools, the project area life could be extended for five years.

The amount of money contributed to local schools, and thus the amount of money the state can save in its budget, is dependent on the participation of agencies.  Agencies will have 60 days from the date of enactment of the legislation to decide whether or not to participate.

BENEFITS:

·         CRA conservatively estimates that the alternative could raise more than $2.7 billion over the 10-year life of the proposal, far exceeding the $1.7 billion in the Governor estimates that could be gained by eliminating redevelopment.
·         Much of these funds (estimates range from $700 million to $1 billion) would be a one-time upfront payment that could help bridge the FY 2011-12 budget gap.
·         This measure replaces the draconian and short-sighted proposal to abolish redevelopment. Local communities would continue to have redevelopment as a tool to create jobs, build affordable housing, and revive local economic growth.
·         Because it is a voluntary program, it does not violate the State’s Constitution or the will of the voters when they passed Proposition 22.  There will be no expensive, time-consuming lawsuits, and no bonding or borrowing.
·         The contributions to local schools could be used for discretionary purposes, and the State could choose to score all or part of it towards Proposition 98 guarantees to school districts.
·         The contribution would not count toward the redevelopment agency’s debt limits.
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Thursday, March 10, 2011

Model Streets Manual (3/15) press release for distribution to external partners

NATIONAL EXPERTS TO CREATE MASTER BLUEPRINT FOR BUILDING A HEALTHIER LOS ANGELES

LOS ANGELES – Smart Growth transportation planning consultant Ryan Snyder will convene a diverse panel of local and national experts to write a Model Streets Manual that will help cities in Los Angeles County build healthier and safer communities. 

Walkability expert Dan Burden will join the effort, along with other nationally-recognized designers. A number of organizations including AARP, Smart Growth America, Institute Transportation Engineers, the National Complete Streets Coalition and others will help produce the manual. 

The panel will convene Monday, March 14 at the Kyoto Grand Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

With contributions by experts in the fields of transit, traffic and pedestrian design, the manual will provide guidance to cities committed to implementing policies of active transportation and environmental sustainability.

The two-day working session will culminate with a public Report Out of recommendations for cities in LA County to create more walkable, bikeable communities that are transit-friendly, safe and sustainable. The public forum will be held on Tuesday, March 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Metro’s One Gateway Plaza board room.

“Giving city planners, engineers and other policymakers a set of guiding principles to create healthier, more livable communities is the first step in making our neighborhoods better places to live, work and play,” said Ryan Snyder, the organizer of the event.

Panel participants will also include representatives from the UCLA Luskin Center and local city planning departments. The LA County Department of Public Health is funding the project through its RENEW LA County initiative, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The panel follows the UCLA/RENEW LA County Complete Streets Conference held last month, where the manual was introduced as a tool for addressing Complete Streets at a local level.
###

CONTACT:

Ali Noller
Communications Manager
RENEW Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health, Division of Chronic Disease and Injury
Prevention
695 S. Vermont Ave., Suite 1400, South Tower
Los Angeles, CA 90005
213.351.1914
anoller@ph.lacounty.gov

Model Manual Press Release_3.11.11.pdf Download this file

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Smart Growth America :: Making Neighborhoods Great Together

A national opinion survey 
March 2011

building-for-the-21st-century.pdf Download this file

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The New Transportation Bill

Investing in convenient, affordable transportation choices like walking, biking, and public transit will cut harmful air pollution, reduce congestion, and improve public health.

Congress is about to start debating a new Transportation Bill, and Senator Boxer chairs the key committee that writes this bill. Please encourage her to make sure the bill works towards ending our reliance on oil and towards building a safe, clean transportation infrastructure.

To send an email, click here: http://action.sierraclub.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=5867

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Complete Streets Conference

March 7, 2011

Dear Will,

On behalf of the Lewis and Luskin Centers, I would like to formally thank you for your contribution to the success of the Complete Streets conference held on February 25th. Your leadership and commitment strengthened the momentum and excitement surrounding the event.

Attendee surveys received at the event indicate that 38% of respondents’ overall rating was “excellent,” while an overwhelming 93% of respondents rated the event as being in the “good” to “excellent” range. We acknowledge that your participation directly added to this outstanding success.

At the end of this document, you will find links to summary materials from the conference and information about related, upcoming events.

Again, thank you for helping to make the Complete Streets Conference a success. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Image007

J.R. DeShazo

February 25, 2011 Complete Streets Conference Materials

Summary

UCLA Organizes Complete Streets Conference http://bit.ly/CompleteStreetsSummmary 

Photos

Conference, February 25, 2011 http://bit.ly/CompleteStreetsConfPhotos 

Speaker /sponsor Dinner, February 24, 2011 http://bit.ly/CompleteStreetsDinner

Directory http://bit.ly/streetsdir

Sponsors http://bit.ly/CompleteStreetsSponsors

Audio http://bit.ly/CompleteStreetsPodcast

Complete Streets Resources List http://bit.ly/CompleteStreetsResourceList

Program Booklet http://bit.ly/CompleteStreetsProgramBook

Presentations

Opening Keynote: California’s Obesity and Inactivity Epidemics –The Need for Complete Streets Therapy

http://bit.ly/KeynoteJackson

Panel 1: Living Streets and Vibrant Sidewalks

http://bit.ly/Panel1MacdonaldJacobs

http://bit.ly/Panel1Rojas

Panel 2: Designing Great Places with Multimodal Street Standards

http://bit.ly/Panel2Moudon  

http://bit.ly/Panel2Snyder 

http://bit.ly/Panel2Pastucha  

Case Studies: Making It Work in L.A.

http://bit.ly/CaseStudiesSolis

http://bit.ly/CaseStudiesLinton

http://bit.ly/Panel3Ahkiam 

Panel 3: Safe and Convenient Cycling for Everyone

http://bit.ly/Panel3Handy 

http://bit.ly/Panel3Dill 

http://bit.ly/Panel3Gandy

http://bit.ly/Panel3Lantz

Upcoming Complete Streets Events

Redesigning our Streets: A Manual for Healthy, Livable Streets
In collaboration with RENEW LA County, Ryan Snyder & Associates, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, and more.
Overview: National team of experts report on their model design manual for living streets.

Date:  March 15, 2011

Time:  7:00 – 8:30 pm, Reception at 6:30 pm

Location:  3rd Floor Gateway Building Board Room, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012
For other details: http://www.livingstreetsla.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ModelStreetManualReportOutFlyerMar15.pdf.

March Visioning Meetings
Hosted by Los Angeles County Department of Public Health RENEW Program, Los Angeles Planning Department, and Community Health Councils.
Overview: Community members will share their ideas about the neighborhoods around Metro Blue and Green Line Stations and the opportunity for transit oriented districts.
Dates:  March 10th, March 17th, and March 22nd.
For detail: 323-295-9372 or www.chc-inc.org/RENEW

Complete Streets Conference
Presented by American Public Works Association, Southern California Chapter.

Overview:   Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn more about complete streets from transportation planners, engineers, and MPO officials.
Date:   April 20th

Time:  8 am – 3:30 pm

Location:  801 East Carson Street, Carson, CA
For details:  http://southernca.apwa.net/events/7589/.

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Thursday, March 3, 2011

URGENT: Redevelopment in California - REFORM, do not eliminate

The AIA California Council supports California redevelopment and the critical and necessary role the public sector plays in shaping urban development, eliminating blight, and improving the livability and economy of many of our communities. AIACC strongly recommends that California reform and not eliminate government’s role in redevelopment in order to create the best future for the residents and businesses of California and to assure the most robust state economy for our competitive place in the global environment. 

Why? Because redevelopment has proven to be essential for:
1. Economic development: Redevelopment is often the key to a community's increased economic return as well as the sense of pride that is fostered by projects that typically jump‐start a neighborhood's turn‐around. In addition, redevelopment is at the core of the $41 billion economic engine, creating upwards of 300,000 much‐needed jobs in California.

2. Revitalization of California cities: Redevelopment is solely responsible for the successful rebuilding of California’s cities thereby curtailing sprawl and greenfield development which creates an increased financial burden on the state due to expanding infrastructure needs and environmental impacts. Focusing growth in our urban areas also protects valuable farmland.

3. Affordable housing: California is dependent on Redevelopment to provide housing that is affordable; moderate to low income housing essentially would cease without Redevelopment programs.

4. Sustainability leadership: Redevelopment is critical to addressing our Public Health needs, and realizing our California goals to green the economy and the environment. These goals are embodied in AB 32 and SB 375 which were enacted for cleaner air to breath, better communities centered around transit, and less dependence on automobiles using ever more expensive fuels.

5. Community vision: Redevelopment makes sure local revenue remains in local control. Redevelopment has combined economic tools, community benefits, and catalytic
projects as no other program has in the history of our state and is the primary tool that local communities have to control their destiny.

Gov. Brown's budget proposal currently recommends the elimination of redevelopment agencies and funding. We recommend maintaining funding for redevelopment, but to reform or redefine administration of those funds. Redevelopment creates value, and does not draw funds from other important services. We recognize that there have been misuses of this tool and that there is a clear need to reform redevelopment to guard against abuse. We commit to assisting in identifying and supporting necessary reforms. To paraphrase President Obama’s analogy during his State of the Union address: “When you are in a crisis in an airplane, you don’t throw out the engine.” 

Redevelopment is California’s engine.

The American Institute of Architects California Council represents nearly 22,000 licensed architects throughout the state. Architects are professionals trained to envision the future and help create it. California is fortunate to have many of the best visionary architects in the United States and the world. The architectural community stands ready and willing to assist in reforming redevelopment to be a stronger, better, and more reliable tool in support of a growing California.

Please reach out to me with any questions or additional concerns.

Very truly yours,


Will Wright
Director of Government & Public Affairs
AIA 
/ los ángeles

Position Statement.pdf View this on Posterous

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