Community members showed up in force to the May 18 meeting. (photo by Jon Viscott)

The Southern California Association of Governments released the preliminary Senate Bill 79 map for Los Angeles County last week, which shows areas that will be affected by the law which allows for increased housing density near transit stops. West Hollywood, thus far, is not affected, a question which was debated at the May 18 City Council meeting.

After hours of discussion in which the council attempted to determine whether the planned K Line Northern Extension, which was approved in March to run through West Hollywood with three stations, would be included in the initial SB 79 maps, Mayor John Heilman decided to continue an item until June. The item would have created a Transit Oriented Development Alternative Plan, a carveout in SB 79 that allows local cities more freedom in determining where expanded housing might be built. Heilman and Councilwoman Lauren Meister appeared supportive of the alternative, while Councilwoman Chelsea Byers and Councilman John Erickson did not. Vice Mayor Danny Hang was on the fence, wanting to wait and see if West Hollywood was included in the maps. For areas affected by SB 79, the law goes into effect July 1. Whether a TODAP will still be discussed again by the City Council in anticipation of potential future SB 79 discussion is uncertain.

An update will be provided to the City Council at the June 15 meeting regarding the map, although the item is listed on the consent calendar, making it less likely to be discussed by the council. The item directs staff to monitor future changes to the SCAG maps that may result from the construction of the K Line Northern Extension, as well as looking at potential actions that could be taken by the city in such a development.

The West Hollywood West Residents Association still encouraged residents to attend the meeting, with its president Jonathan Finestone noting “these plans change, and a lot of [change] could happen before the final map” and “these ideas often come back later in different forms.”

“It does not mean people should step back or assume everything is settled. It’s even more urgent now that people pay attention,” Finestone said. “Residents also need to pay attention to the city’s Zoning Improvement Plan, which many see as part of the same direction under SB 79. People are concerned this is being used to push zoning changes into established neighborhoods.

The ZIP had long been in gestation through outreach with the community and the goal of meeting the ambitious housing initiatives set forth by the state. Whether the ZIP meetings and its creation would continue in light of SB 79 and the TODAP were also points of discussion in the last City Council meeting. Both Byers and Erickson argued that the existence of a ZIP was enough and that the TODAP was unnecessary, a point with which neither Meister nor Heilman agreed.

“As I said during our last council meeting, one of the responsibilities of council members is to work with the community to plan for the future of our city,” Meister said. “If we give up whatever little control we have now over land use due to state laws, then we are not doing our jobs. SB 79 gives us the ability to plan. A few of my colleagues don’t understand that this is not only about single-family neighborhoods … the city’s rent stabilized and rent controlled units, which are primarily the only units that are truly affordable, other than the few inclusionary units we get from density bonuses, are at risk as well.”

Heilman expressed relief that the city seemingly had more time to figure out the issue now that the initial maps have excluded West Hollywood.

“I’m relieved that we have more time to develop local options,” he said. “Bringing Metro to West Hollywood will allow us to create opportunities for more housing, but we need to make sure we do so in a way that protects our current residents. We can develop a local transit-oriented development plan that can steer new housing to appropriate locations along the new rail line.”

Hang, Byers and Erickson did not respond to a request for comment, although each indicated their positions at length in the May 18 meeting.

“We’re far too restrictive in how we’re allowing housing to be built right now, and by allowing it to take place more equitably, we can allow every neighborhood to have different types of housing,” Byers said. “It’s not erasing anything, it’s allowing the possibility of something more, and I know again that’s very frustrating to imagine that you may be living next to a building that looks different years from now. That’s what happens to cities: they grow, they change, they evolve.”

“I don’t think it’s really unreasonable for people to want to clarify what this new law could mean for their neighborhood, and also want to express … I want to ensure that we’re protecting existing rent stabilized units,” Hang said.

“SB 79 creates billions of dollars in revenue for WeHo so we can actually build a subway, and we have to meet those dollar amounts that we have to do,” Erickson said. “Future subway stops and upzoning increases property values … that we want to do anything to downzone areas is just … I just don’t understand why.”