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LOS ANGELES COUNTY
EQUITABLE DECARBONIZATION ORDINANCE MOTION: Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, representing the 3rd district, made a motion, seconded by Holly Mitchell, representing the 2nd district to report back to the Board within 120 days on potential policies and programs, including funding sources, to reduce or eliminate the use of fossil fuels in existing residential and commercial buildings. The report back should also include plans to initiate and/or participate in ongoing stakeholder engagement processes, such as those led by the City of Los Angeles; engage with state and federal agencies, electric utilities, advocates, academics, and others to determine the extent to which the increased electric demand resulting from efforts to decarbonize buildings can be met with existing and planned new clean energy resources; proactively advocate for and seek state and federal funding; and Zero Net Energy developments recommendations for an ordinance or building code changes that would phase out the use of natural gas equipment and appliances in all new residential and commercial construction and substantial renovations starting in 2023. BIA-LAV testified in opposition at the Board Supervisors' meeting on March 15th and continues to meet with key staff members as they produce the report back. Click here to review the motion.
NET ZERO ENERGY MOTION: On February 8, 2022, Supervisor Kathryn Barger representing the 5th district, made a motion, seconded by Janice Hahn, representing the 2nd district, to report back in 120 days the feasibility of establishing Zero Net Energy (ZNE) standards for major development projects and other large-scale development in unincorporated Los Angeles County. As part of the study, the Director of Public Works should consult with relevant public agencies as well as private sector partners including the Building Industry Association, and the Los Angeles and Orange County Building Trades, among others; and integrate the strategies identified in the Board of Supervisors Motion regarding “Streamlining and expediting the County’s permitting and development processes to support small businesses and the development of new housing” to incorporate ZNE standards into existing efforts. BIA continues to monitor the County's progress. BIA has met with County staff to express concerns.
INCLUSIONARY ZONING ORDINANCE: In August 2020, the County adopted an inclusionary zoning ordinance. At the time the ordinance was adopted by the Board, certain aspects of the ordinance were not applicable in three sub-regions of the County due to financial feasibility issues addressed in an economic analysis prepared for the County. That analysis determined that market-rate multifamily rental development in the Los Angeles/Gateway, South Los Angeles, and Antelope Valley sub-regions were unable to support inclusionary housing requirements. It also found that for-sale multifamily (condos and townhomes) development in the South Los Angeles and Antelope Valley sub-regions could not support an inclusionary housing requirement.
A motion was introduced by Solis and adopted with the inclusionary housing ordinance which asked for an updated economic feasibility analysis on the submarkets and related exclusions with an eye toward amending the ordinance to fully include these sub-areas. The motion also requested a report on ordinance amendments to the likelihood of off-site construction of affordable units” and “achieve deeper affordability for both rental and homeownership projects.
The County’s consultant HR&A released a short report called “Update of Market Concisions re: Inclusionary Housing Feasibility” that concluded, “changes over the past two years lead HR&A to recommend that the financial feasibility analysis of inclusionary housing requirements for both rental in the ELA/G, SLA and AV submarkets and condominiums in the SLA and AV submarkets should now be re-analyzed.” This report is a precursor to reopening the inclusionary housing ordinance to make it more onerous.
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