Why homeowners in LA's historic districts say they should be exempt from fast-tracked affordable housing

Homeowners in some pricey corners of Los Angeles have been urging the city to not allow the fast-tracking of plans for new low-income apartments in historic neighborhoods. Such an exemption would further limit efforts to get much-needed affordable housing built quickly.

Now, some local elected leaders are taking up the call, putting forward a proposal to require longer reviews of affordable housing in areas designated for historic preservation.

Councilmember Katy Yaroslavksy introduced a motion last Friday that aims to stop the fast-tracking of affordable housing projects in any part of the city identified as an Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, or HPOZ.

A new motion calls for historic zones to be expempted fromED1, the city's program to fast track affordable housing. Although the 35 zones, shown in blue overlay on the map, make up a small percentage of areas within L.A., together with other exemption would add up to nearly 80% of L.A. ineligible for building under the fast-track program.

(

Courtesy City of L.A.

)

Gary Gero, Yaroslavsky’s chief of staff, told LAist, “We're not trying to stop affordable housing developments in historic zones. We really just want them to work with the community, the neighbors, with the historic zone board and with our office to make the project fit better within the context of the neighborhood.”

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass created the city’s fast-tracking program, ED1, during her first week in office with the goal of getting 100% affordable housing projects approved within two months. Since ED1’s launch, developers have proposed more than 16,000 apartments for low- and moderate-income renters. The program allows projects to bypass the sorts of contentious public hearings and lengthy environmental reviews that have delayed new housing in the past.

What sets historic zones apart

A large percentage of the 36 historic designated zones in Los Angeles run along the Wilshire Blvd. corridor.

(

Courtesy City of L.A.

)

L.A.’s historic zones — deemed by the city to have “distinctive architectural and cultural resources” — represent a small but growing portion of the city. HPOZs cover a combined 8.5 square miles and are home to about 3% of the city’s population, according to a 2020 study commissioned by the Los Angeles Conservancy.

L.A. currently has 36 historic zones, encompassing neighborhoods from mansion-lined Hancock Park to working class Lincoln Heights. Prior to 2000, only eight such zones existed in L.A.

Preservationists say these zones are crucial for protecting L.A.’s living history from hasty development that undermines neighborhoods’ unique characteristics. But some housing advocates say the historic designation process is too often hijacked by NIMBY homeowners aiming to block any new housing affordable to residents with lower incomes.

A case study in Windsor Village

A proposed affordable housing apartment building at 800 S. Lorraine Blvd. in L.A.

(

Courtesy L.A. City Planning Dept.

)

The current vacant lot where the proposed affordable project would be built.

(

Courtesy Google Maps street view

)

Yaroslavsky’s motion would ban ED1 projects in historic zones and return new affordable housing projects to the discretion of city council members. Gero said the motion was prompted by one ED1 project in Yaroslavsky’s district at 800 S. Lorraine Blvd, which he called “egregious.”

“It's a refrigerator box,” Gero said. “They did try to gussy it up a little bit to reflect some art deco touches. But it clearly isn't enough.”

Developers behind the project say their plans for a 70-unit building would not remove any historic structures. The current site is a vacant lot. Most apartments would be reserved for renters earning up to 80% of the area’s median income, or $70,650 for a one-person household. The rest would be reserved for renters earning up to 120% of the area’s median income.

“There's just such an enormous benefit to allowing low-income and moderate-income households to move into these areas,” said Gary Benjamin, the project’s land use consultant.

The Lorraine development is located within the Windsor Village HPOZ, an area singled out for preservation due to its concentration of homes built “in the French, English and Spanish Colonial Revival modes” as well as the “Hollywood Regency and Streamline Moderne styles.”

Buying a home in Windsor Village is far out of reach for most Angelenos. One four-bedroom house about a block away from the Lorraine project is currently on the market for $1.75 million.

Benjamin was aware that this project is in an HPOZ. He said the building’s exterior was designed to blend in with the neighborhood. It uses neutral colors and inserts arches into the facade. He said he didn’t expect the neighborhood’s historic designation to become a roadblock under ED1.

“There are other existing multifamily apartment buildings, including several three to four-story apartment buildings in the area,” Benjamin said. “What was so great and promising about ED1 was allowing that certainty — understanding that there are certain objective standards that all projects are required to comply with.”

Why nearby homeowners object to the project

Some homeowners in Windsor Village say the planned six-story building is simply too tall.

“There are wonderful craftsman houses and so forth in the neighborhood,” said Barbara Pflaumer, president of the Windsor Village Association.

“This is a big building,” she said. “It looms over all the other houses in the neighborhood. And it doesn't fit architecturally with what we currently enjoy.”

Pflaumer said neighbors also oppose the project’s lack of on-site parking, a common concern about ED1 projects, which have mostly eschewed room for cars. Housing located near transit stops does not need to provide on-site parking under a 2022 state law.

Growing roadblocks for ED1 projects

Single family residential housing zones, shown here in pink, dominate the city of L.A.

(

Courtesy Othering & Belonging

)

ED1 opponents have called to stop the fast-tracking of affordable housing in more and more of the city since Mayor Bass launched the program. The largest carve-out came last summer when Bass canceled ED1 projects in areas zoned for single-family homes, which make up 74% of the city’s residential land.

Since then, neighborhood groups have called for rescinding the rules in designated ethnic enclaves such as Sawtelle’s Japantown. City counilmembers have voted to stop ED1 projects on lots with existing rent-controlled housing in some neighborhoods, such as Eagle Rock.

Yaroslavsky’s motion to exempt historic districts from ED1 was seconded by Councilmember Heather Hutt. It has not yet been scheduled for a vote. Representatives from Yaroslavsky’s office expect it to be put on the planning and land use committee’s agenda in coming weeks.

How to watchdog local government

For people who live in L.A., the Board of Supervisors and City Council have the most direct impact on housing affordability in your neighborhood.

• Learn more about who influences local housing policy

The best way to keep tabs on your own local government is by attending public meetings for your city council or local boards. Here are a few tips to get you started.

• Find meeting schedules and agendas: City councils usually meet at least twice a month, although larger ones may meet weekly. Committees and boards tend to meet less often, typically once a month. You can find the schedule and meeting agenda on your local government’s website, or posted physically at your local city hall. Find more tips here.

  • Find L.A. City Council agendas and meeting dates
  • Find meetings for L.A. city boards and commissions
  • Find L.A. County agendas and meeting dates
• Learn the jargon: Closed session, consent calendars and more! We have definitions for commonly used terms here.
• How to give public comment: Every public meeting allows community members to give comment, whether or not it’s about something on the agenda. The meeting agenda will have specific instructions for giving public comment. Review more details here.