WTF happened to ZIMAS???

Bass claims that they're hiring 500 officers because they expect 500 officers to quit, so they are necessary to keep the force at the same size

The Boyle Heights Community Plan update, which LA started working on in 2006 (!) and "adopted" in 2024, but which still hasn't gone into effect, is likely now going to be modified because state density bonus law has outpaced the local bonuses offered in the plan

This is, without question, a Los Angeles Urban Planning Moment™

This is the exact opposite of that "how many affordable housing units did the Burger King have" meme, in an incredibly bad and terrible way.

I think Blair Smith is leading this, so Citywide?

This reads like a parody, but nope it's a real LinkedIn post

bsky.app/profile/cohe...

Not median lot size, but I'd say 5,000 is the mode

Show up to city council! Reach out to your city council member!

LADCP

With these two changes, I think we’ll actually see a fair number of projects get built. While I would like to see LA implement the full SB-79 density now instead of 2030, I think the LR program will be good in enabling neighborhood-scale condo buildings, a housing type LA desperately needs more of.

Whether or not this is technically allowed, this seems like a massive oversight, and it goes against the city’s equity principles.

Therefore, I think Los Angeles should allow the AHIP program to apply where the Low Rise Program applies, with height limits just one-story higher than LR projects

Here’s the second issue…

SB-79 is designed to be used with the State Density Bonus to allow 100% affordable projects without unit-count density limits and with 3 extra stories of height.

However, LA’s proposed program doesn’t allow 100% affordable projects at all.

The good news is that there’s an easy fix. Just increase the base height allowed for LR-1 projects to 3 stories and LR-2 to 4 stories.

With this change, the maximum height of any LR-2 project would be 5 stories (w/ 3-br bonus), and that would only apply in areas where SB-79 allows 6-9 stories.

The problem is that, on the type of small residential lots these incentives are designed for, it generally doesn’t seem possible to achieve 10 units in 2-3 stories or 16 units in 3-4 stories, unless you’re building mostly tiny units and no parking.

So far, so good. So what are the issues?

The first issue is height.

LR-1 allows up to two stories of height. LR-2 allows up to three stories of height.

For either program, you get an extra story if you provide 20% 3+ bedroom units.

LR-1 allows 4-10 units, with a sliding scale of 1.15 - 2.5 FAR. One unit in an LR-1 project must be affordable at the Moderate Income level.

LR-2 allows 11-16 units, with a sliding scale of 2.15 - 3.4 FAR. One unit in an LR-2 project must be affordable at the Lower Income level (or two at MI)

The Low Rise Program consists of two levels.
-LR-2: applies within 1/2 mile of subway stations and 1/4 mile of light rail & BRT
-LR-1: applies anywhere LR-2 applies, and also within 1/2 mile of light rail & BRT

Confusingly LR-1 allows lower-density vs LR-2, but SB79 T1 allows higher density vs T2

Here’s a more-detailed overview of LA’s SB 79 proposal

TLDR: It’s actually pretty close to being a workable ordnance, but there are two major issues (height & 100% affordable projects) that need to be addressed

There's a special provision in the OC-T program (now renamed the Low Rise program) to measure FAR based on total lot area

LA's proposed SB 79 standards have dropped...

For 1/2 mile from a T2 transit stop, they allow 10 units with 2 FAR, with max height of 2 stories.

It's physically impossible to fit 2 FAR in 2 stories.
In fact, with setbacks, it's impossible to fit 2 FAR in 3 stories!

That would be $20 in LA

Not many people realize it, but LA is in a golden age of underground raves

Some of the best nightlife in the world right now is at illegal warehouse parties in DTLA

I love when you’re in a Waymo, driving next to another Waymo, and you pass a Waymo. Like damn, the robots have really taken over!

Correct.

I don't think many people know that Miami Beach was a sundown town.

When my grandfather died, we found his "working card"

If you weren't white (they didn't consider jews white), and you were on Miami Beach after dark, you better have a working card or you'd be arrested.

This confirms what everyone in the Palisades knows: rebuilding progress is falling behind.

As mayor, I’ll fight to ensure EVERY resident can return, including fixing insurance, making our water infrastructure reliable, proactively clearing brush, speeding up LADWP, and resolving financing.

Not to "well-actually" this, but...

Since 1925, Street lights in LA have been funded by a parcel tax.

However, this tax is not adjusted for inflation, so periodically the city has to go to the voters to increase the tax.

Who is it?