Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Thomas Fire: Ventura recovery rules aim to keep displaced fire victims local
Contractors hike up a steep street in the Clearpoint neighborhood of Ventura, capping gas lines at homes that burned in the Thomas Fire.
(
Sharon McNary / KPCC
)
Ventura city council gave tentative approval this week to some new rules aimed at helping the residents displaced by the Thomas Fire remain in the city and expedite reconstruction of their homes.
About 524 single family homes burned in Ventura in the fire that broke out Dec. 4 near Santa Paula and whipped through the coastal city and into Santa Barbara County. The fire also consumed two multi-family buildings with a total of about 98 apartments.
The council, on a 6-1 vote, directed city staff to draft an ordinance to be voted on Feb. 26. It would permit residents displaced by fire to live in an RV on their burned-over parcels with temporary hookups for water and power.
The new rules would also waive development fees for parks or traffic that are charged to offset the added community burden created by construction. However, the council kept intact normal building permit fees, because they cover the cost of processing permits and inspecting construction sites, said Ventura Community Development Director Jeffrey Lambert.
Councilman Matt LaVere voted against the rules because he wanted the permit fees to be cut by half.
Support for LAist comes from
Under the recovery rules, homeowners could rebuild a duplicate of the house that was lost, or even expand it up to 10 percent, even if the setbacks don't meet current building codes. However, any new home must meet the city's fire codes, Lambert said.
Some underinsured homeowners may find they cannot afford to rebuild what they lost and seek to use a less-expensive replacement like a mobile or prefabricated home. The City Council balked at including such homes in its expedited rebuilding process. Several speakers and city council members said such homes might not fit well as replacement homes in some of Ventura's single-family neighborhoods.
The council asked the city attorney to research whether state law required pre-fab or mobile homes to be permitted in areas of Ventura that are zoned for single-family homes.
The City Council did not immediately adopt a temporary moratorium on short term home rentals such as those offered by AirBnB, preferring to have the city attorney's office research the legality of that measure.
The rental market in Ventura was already tight, with just about a 1.5 percent vacancy rate and perhaps 120 homes rented out as short term vacation rentals, said Lambert.
"If we can prevent any units that might be available for fire victims from being converted to vacation rentals, that will preserve the housing stock for fire victims to have a place to live until their homes are rebuilt," Lambert said Monday, before the council's vote.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist