Pacific Crest Consultants has learned from knowledgeable sources within City Hall that the updated/edited version of the proposed Wildlife Ordinance will resurface in time for it to be approved before the end of the year.
The current tentative plan is for the City Council’s Planning & Land Use Management Committee (PLUM) to hold a hearing on the ordinance in mid-November so that it can be heard and approved by the full City Council before its winter break in mid-December. If that happens, it is possible that the Wildlife Ordinance could be law before the end of the year, but more likely it’ll take effect sometime in January 2025 or later.
As anyone who has been tracking the ordinance knows, if approved, the Wildlife Ordinance will impose more significant limitations on allowable floor area, building heights, grading, setbacks and lot coverage than any of the city’s current development overlays.
In late 2022, the City Planning Commission approved the draft ordinance with some minor modifications. In June 2023, PLUM voted unanimously to approve the Planning Department’s draft ordinance and instructed the City Attorney’s Office to turn that document into a draft legal document. It has taken 15 months (and counting) for that draft legal document to be released.
The general consensus has been that the draft ordinance created by City Planning was in conflict with recent state laws that prohibit cities and counties from passing laws that would result in a net loss of potential housing. But the updated Hollywood Community Plan – which is also expected to be approved by PLUM and the full City Council this fall – includes provisions for more housing in that area, which city staff believes will allow the Wildlife Ordinance to be passed as written.
For those who need a refresher, here is a summary of what this will mean to residential properties in the area impacted (Bel Air, Hollywood Hills, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Mulholland Corridor). Once approved, the Wildlife Ordinance can be replicated in other hillside areas around Los Angeles including Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Mt. Washington, Tarzana, etc.
Anyone who has concerns or an opinion about the draft ordinance can attend and comment on it at the PLUM hearing. PCC will distribute information about the hearing as soon as it’s made available.
If you’re wondering if your project will be subject to the Wildlife Ordinance: As a general rule, if plans are submitted to Building & Safety for plan check (and submittal fees are paid) before the effective date of a new ordinance, the project would not become subject to the new law, but there are some caveats to this rule depending on the scope of the project.
If you have any questions about the Wildlife Ordinance and/or its potential impact on your property or project, please contact your PCC consultant or me directly. PCC will continue to use these semi-regular newsletters to update all subscribers as the ordinance moves through the approval process.
