A wildlife district ordinance is making its way through approvals at Los Angeles City Hall that will either be a boon to the environment and wildlife, or a curse on some homeowners and developers — depending on who you ask.
The ordinance would set new restrictions on developments in the hills between Griffith Park and the 405 Freeway in an effort to better preserve habitat for mountain lions, bobcats, deer, coyote birds and other species. The area includes some small single-family homes in R-1 zones, but consists mainly of large, multi-acre single-family properties in “residential estate zones.”
The proposed regulations have been in the works since 2014, but are inching closer to the finish line with a hearing scheduled before the city council’s Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee on Tuesday afternoon. If approved by PLUM, the ordinance proceeds to the full city council for a final vote in the coming weeks.
The ordinance would set several requirements for new developments, major remodels and property additions of 500 square feet or more.
The most controversial aspect of the proposed ordinance is a rule that buildings and structures cannot cover more than 50% of the total square footage that makes up a lot. This restriction is intended to preserve wildlife habitat and does not apply to smaller lots located in R1-zones.
“If we stick with the status quo in terms of how things are going, we are on track to lose Griffith Park wildlife and all wildlife east of Hoag Canyon” in Bel Air, said Paul Edelman, deputy director of natural resources and planning at Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. “The public open space that exists now is simply not enough to support the wildlife without the contribution of open space on private property.”
Some homeowners and developers say this is an unreasonable restriction that will unfairly impact property values.
“This is going to crush homeowners and exacerbate the housing crisis that we already…
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