Measure PL would change the City Charter on several Planning-specific issues and processes. Here’s our summary on those proposed changes.
Proposed changes to the Los Angeles City Charter are on the Nov. 3 ballot, including one that would make several changes to the way the Department of City Planning (DCP) does business. As a service to our clients and the professionals we work with, Pacific Crest Consultants has prepared the following summary of Measure PL.
Background
The Los Angeles City Charter is a foundational document that established the powers and duties of key decisionmakers, including how decisions are made and appealed within the DCP. The charter established the authority and processes for the City Planning Commission, Area Planning Commissions, Office of Zoning Administration and Director of Planning, which collectively account for the vast majority of decisions related to Planning entitlements.
In 2024, the city formed a commission to recommend ways to improve services and amend the city’s charter across multiple departments and agencies. The commission’s recommendations for improvements to the DCP process are Measure PL; five other measures are on the ballot to change other parts of the charter.
Summary of Measure PL
If approved, Measure PL would:
- Replace the existing seven Area Planning Commissions with a single, new Neighborhood Appeals Commission (NAC). Supporters of the measure point out that this would save the city considerable money and staff time since DCP would only need to train and assign staff to one commission instead of seven. It would also create a single appeal board that presumably would rule consistently vs. seven appeal boards whose decisions vary as much as the areas they serve.
- Allow the Director of Planning to appoint additional staff to perform quasi-judicial reviews (a task currently reserved for the Office of Zoning Administration). This would allow DCP to process cases faster, supporters say.
- Remove some entitlements – such as General Plan Amendments and zone changes – from the charter so that their approval process will be determined (and possibly modified) by ordinance, instead of locked into the charter. Supporters say this would also speed up the approval process.
- Flip the approval of General Plan Amendments so that a GPA that was approved by the CPC and Mayor is automatically approved if the City Council doesn’t act within 75 days rather than automatically denied. This is a logical “correction” of a charter section that currently penalizes applicants if the City Council can’t vote quick enough through no fault of the applicant.
- Give the City Council authority to change existing Floor-to-Area Ratio (FAR) limitations so that projects could have more dwelling units than currently allowed. Supporters say this will allow the city to respond quickly to housing needs.
- Set shorter deadlines for commissions and the City Council to make a determination on initial Planning decisions. Another change to help applicants who otherwise have to wait for months to get their final approvals.
Support/opposition of Measure PL
Although there is no formal “Yes on PL” group supporting the measure, there are several notable groups that have endorsed PL. They include the Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA), the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the Democratic Socialists of America’s Los Angeles chapter, and the Engineers & Architects Association (the union which represents many white-collar workers in city departments).
There is also no formal opposition to Measure PL. The Los Angeles Daily News has stated its opposition, as has the Los Angeles County Republican Party.
Pacific Crest Consultants has provided this information as a service to its clients, project partners and interested parties. We are not recommending a vote either in favor or opposed to the measure. We are only urging all voters to be sure to cast their ballot in next month’s election.
