On April 23, City Planning held its first City Planning Commission meeting since Mayor Garcetti issued the “Safer at Home” emergency order. To slow the spread of COVID-19 while continuing to deliver important City services, City Planning has shifted to conducting remote meetings by teleconference.

Remote commission meetings keep processes running that are vital to the City’s economic well-being and top priorities, such as the review of housing applications. In the coming weeks, City Planning will hold additional hearings remotely, including Area Planning Commission and Design Review Board meetings.

All presentations and materials related to any agenda item will be uploaded to Google Drive for ease of access. As during regular meetings, participants will be able to provide comments on any agendized item. For the latest information, consult the Commissions, Boards, and Hearings and COVID-19: Planning Updates pages of City Planning’s website.

On April 15, City Planning released the framework for a new program that would simplify the approval process for sit-down restaurants seeking to serve alcoholic beverages. The proposed Restaurant Beverage Program would shorten the time for City approvals from months to a matter of weeks. These measures are in line with Los Angeles’s broader efforts to help local and family-owned businesses prepare for the economic recovery ahead.

The profit margin from sales of alcoholic beverages has helped restaurant owners stay afloat during sharp rises in rent and payroll costs and, more recently, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Restaurant Beverage Program would create an efficient and easy-to-navigate process, providing opportunities to new startups while also aiding the recovery of existing small businesses, once the stay-at-home orders are lifted.

The City Planning Commission will consider the proposed framework this summer, after which it will advance to the City Council for consideration.

Fact Sheet

Press Release

Revised Ordinance

In response to COVID-19, City Planning has modified its procedures to allow projects that qualify under Senate Bill 330 (the “Housing Crisis Act of 2019”) to submit referral forms electronically. This shift to accepting referral forms by email has shortened the turnaround time, permitting applicants to file remotely without having to wait for an initial appointment or drop off documents in person.

This change will assist Los Angeles’s economic recovery, while keeping residents and government employees safe by supporting proper social distancing. For instructions on how to file Preliminary Zoning Assessments (PZAs) and optional SB 330 vesting rights, visit the Preliminary Application Review Program's page on Planning4LA.org.

Information Sheet

City Planning has taken steps to promote a healthy and safe environment at the Development Services Centers (DSCs). Department staff who interact with members of the public use face coverings, gloves, and cleaning supplies to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In keeping with the Mayor’s Worker Protection Order, visitors have also been instructed to wear protective face coverings at all times while interacting with City Planning personnel. City Planning no longer requires counter appointments and has adopted a drop-off system to collect hard copies of project submittals and applicable documents.

City Planning is increasingly automating services and conducting them electronically in order to limit physical interaction. Most recently, City Planning modified the case intake process for project appeals, allowing applicants to file electronically from the comfort of their home or office.

City Planning is identifying safe and productive ways to engage with the public. For both policy and project planning, City Planning is using digital tools to engage with the public during COVID-19 and keep Angelenos informed about planning and development.

Digital outreach protects the health and safety of Los Angeles’s communities while allowing work to continue on key planning initiatives that support the City’s economic well-being. The Department is also looking into telephonic options in order to include people who lack access to the internet or a personal computer. In the coming weeks, City Planning will begin to incorporate these new methods at upcoming events.

City Planning encouraged Angelenos to participate safely in the City Nature Challenge, held in cities around the world from April 24 to April 27. Participants observed and recorded local flora and fauna using the mobile app iNaturalist.

Organized by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences, the annual challenge asks city dwellers to act as community scientists and document biodiversity in their neighborhoods. Findings are shared with organizations such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, where they can be of use to scientists and city planners.