The Los Angeles City Council voted 10-1 Friday to direct the city attorney to draft an ordinance limiting the authority of the city’s Board of Transportation Commissioners over affordable housing developments proposed for city-owned parking lots.
Under the Los Angeles Administrative Code, the commission is responsible for advising on the coordination and management of public off-street parking facilities, except those under the jurisdiction or control of other city departments.
In September, Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Ysabel Jurado introduced a motion seeking to clarify the commission’s role in the development of housing projects on city-owned parking lots.
The proposed ordinance would expand existing exemptions to include parking lots or facilities authorized for temporary or permanent use as housing or homeless services programs, reducing the commission’s authority over those properties.
Under the proposal, the Los Angeles Housing Department would assume control of city-owned property approved by the City Council and mayor for affordable housing development.
The Department of Transportation would continue to maintain and operate the property until a ground lease or similar agreement is established and the Housing Department or its designee provides LADOT with 30 days’ notice of its intent to proceed with a housing project or program.
The council approved the motion without discussion.
In her motion, Hernandez cited the city’s efforts to expedite affordable housing development as part of its response to homelessness and the demand for housing. Those efforts include identifying city-owned land suitable for development.
“Despite these efforts, there remains ambiguous wording within the administrative code that has been used to halt or slow the development of necessary and life-saving affordable housing on city-owned land,” according to Hernandez’s motion.
“…The Los Angeles Administrative Code has slowed multiple affordable housing projects because of the advisory duties assigned to the Board of Transportation Commissioners — allowing for this appointed body to overturn or delay both Exclusive Negotiation Agreements and Disposition and Development Agreements that have been approved by both the Council and Mayor,” the motion states.
According to Hernandez, concerns about parking have frequently been cited as grounds for overturning decisions made by the mayor and City Council.
“…Rejecting a ministerial affordable housing project simply for utilizing a standard, on-menu incentive, such as a parking reduction, is legally indefensible and a wasteful use of public resources,” the motion states. “Blocking housing during an ongoing crisis places our city at serious risk of losing vital state funding for affordable housing. The overarching mandate across the City, County, and State is clear: we must prioritize housing development at all affordability levels to serve our residents.”
Councilwoman Traci Park cast the lone dissenting vote. Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield, John Lee, Curren Price and Katy Yaroslavsky were absent.
Although the motion did not specifically mention it, the issue echoes a dispute over the proposed Venice Dell Community affordable housing development.
In 2016, the city moved forward with plans by Venice Community Housing and Hollywood Community Housing Corporation to develop a 120-unit affordable housing project on a 2.65-acre city-owned parking lot at 200 N. Venice Blvd. The project design also included an adjacent parking structure to preserve public beach parking.
The City Council approved the project in December 2021 and a development agreement in June 2022. The California Coastal Commission approved the project in December 2024.
However, the project encountered another obstacle when the city’s Board of Transportation Commissioners rejected the proposed use of the parking lot for Venice Dell. The development has drawn opposition from some Venice residents, Park, whose district includes Venice, and Mayor Karen Bass over concerns involving safety, beach access, neighborhood compatibility and other issues.
The developers, Venice Community Housing and Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, sued the city over the project.
In May, a judge ordered the commission to rescind its decision, finding that the board had exceeded its legal authority.
Construction on Venice Dell has not yet begun.