WEST HOLLYWOOD—On March 1, the city of West Hollywood announced on its Facebook page it is evaluating future zoning updates to reduce barriers to creating affordable and diverse housing.
Recommendations will prioritize affordability and how new housing development aligns with community demographics and the city’s diverse housing needs. Community members are invited to learn more and provide feedback, thoughts, and recommendations regarding housing production, affordability and accessibility, equity, environmental stewardship, and strengthening neighborhoods at one of two upcoming Zoning Improvement Program for Housing meetings during the month of March:
Plummer Park In-Person Community Meeting on Wednesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. at the Plummer Park Community Center, Rooms 5 and 6, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard. No RSVP is required.
Online Community Meeting on Tuesday, March 11 at 12 p.m. online via the Zoom platform. For registration, please visit https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/7sl2SkGsTG6v3mYevCLERQ.
The Zoning Improvement Program for Housing (ZIP) supports the implementation of West Hollywood’s 6th-Cycle Housing Element by reducing zoning-related hurdles to new housing development. It will help better align West Hollywood’s zoning code with housing affordability and neighborhood equity goals while responding to new opportunities for transit-oriented development and mixed-use communities.
Severe housing insecurity across Los Angeles County has been decades in the making due to the lack of housing growth compared to population growth in the region. The impacts of the housing crisis, such as overcrowding, cost burden, and homeownership rates, disproportionally burden those most vulnerable. As a result, the State of California responded with legislative changes to facilitate housing construction, and additional pressure has been placed on jurisdictions statewide to respond to this crisis at the local level.
To inform recommendations, the city is analyzing the impacts of zoning at multiple scales. Mapping and data analysis will demonstrate the implications of zoning on land use in neighborhoods throughout West Hollywood. Lot-level studies will be developed to assess the potential for different forms of housing development given lot dimensions, zoning requirements, and financial considerations. The updates will consider the proximity of housing to important community amenities, including significant transit investments (such as future stations for the proposed Metro K-line extension and existing major transit stops), employment centers, public facilities, and recreational open space. The impacts of zoning changes will be incremental to balance contextual design and equitable housing access for all.
Robert Vecchio posted on Facebook, “Zoning laughable! This only allows builders to build apartments building with 10% low income. This city council has ruined West Hollywood. Business are closing left and right.”
For additional details about West Hollywood’s Zoning Improvement Program, visit the ‘Engage WeHo’ webpage: engage.weho.org/zip.
For more information, contact Michelle Montenegro, West Hollywood Associate Planner, at (323) 848-6813 or at mmontenegro@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing dial 711 or 1-800-735-2929 (TTY) or 1-800-735-2922 (voice) for California Relay Service (CRS) assistance.
By Trevor