Some properties in Malibu burned a second time in the Palisades fire. With serious landscape management and building spacing a new home is maybe 2x more likely to survive.
If homes are closely spaced, any one home ignition risks an urban conflagration that code can’t even begin to contemplate.
Here in California it’s the zero contribution from Prop 13’d homeowners part.
That sounds…good. Compared to just acting as a tax on new home construction.
700 block of Iliff in the Palisades’ Alphabet Streets neighborhood.
A home I designed on this block was one of the 1% that survived, but we were just very lucky that one of those monsters shown burning in the photo wasn’t directly upwind. I suspect we won’t be so lucky next time.
My parent’s Palisades fire adjacent house - built around a 200-300 year old sycamore with a large fire scar at the base 😬.
As always with the “upzoning is a giveaway” folks – the massive unearned gains to from not upzoning are the real giveaway. Recent studies show that in many cases upzoning can have no effect on values.
Australia has a fine grained system where every property is assigned one of 5 risk profiles – each with corresponding wildfire code requirements. Non combustible is required at the highest risk zone.
Not unreasonable given the risks in some areas.
Unfortunately ember resistance does not effectively protect against an urban conflagration. This photo shows two WUI code compliant homes going up like firebombs.
Too many variables to control - so just observational. Those oaks has singed leaves but otherwise fine. Houses are the real danger.
The Palisades will face another major conflagration in my lifetime.
Many cases of coast live oaks doing ok next to flattened neighborhoods in the Palisades – arguably acting as firebreaks.
Looking at an SB79 project for my house. 14 units maybe pencils but 3 units IZ breaks it. No this cost is not magically subtracted from land value – the expensive house on the land sets the value. Prop 13 just added incentive for me to sit on it.
IZ just so maddening – just the perfect political recipe for appearing virtuous while pricing out marginal renters and first time homebuyers.
Saw first hand a pristine kelp forest off Santa Cruz Island just decimated after the last marine heat wave.
Tenant protection laws another barrier to a resurgence. Impossible to quickly remove a bad actor.
“Judiciously” implementing what amounts to an inefficient tax on new housing is next to impossible.
That high line year 800 beginning date 😬:
“The southwestern North American megadrought is an ongoing megadrought in the southwestern region of North America that began in 2000…the drought is the driest multi-decade period the region has seen since at least 800 CE.”
Surprised not integrated into a slatted enclosure. This broke a Swiss architect’s heart.
Here in Santa Monica many condos are older walkups so more accepted. Non existent soundproofing means second and third floor walkups sometimes actually go for more!
One would think but not seeing any reference to a higher standard in their materials.
And you‘re really only building it for the top two units. One flight not significant.
Meaningless marketing speak. You’re using an assembly tested for IIC and STC whatever way you go. Code sets the min standard.
That device that can throttle EV chargers when other high demand appliances are used makes so much sense.
Uncertainty and delays with getting a connection are a killer. In LA one theory is that COVID era retirements decimated the ranks of experienced employees.
Yeah I expected way more. I'm sure will double the cost of small jobs because of the paperwork and licensing.
A long list of contractor requirements to clear vegetation. So that an LA landscape laborer gets the prevailing wage of 17.50/hr?
Amazing - now won't have to run for my life walking across the street at 9th on my way back from Bodega.
My place is either in or out depending on how access point is defined by somebody somewhere.
Looks like 3’-7”x4’-6” is the German min.? Longer if room for stretcher needed.