By JOSE HERRERA, City News Service
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved an ordinance on Wednesday streamlining construction for temporary projects related to the 2028 Olympic Games.
The ordinance, approved on a 13-0 vote, seeks to “establish relief” from planning and zoning review for certain projects in advance of the 2028 Games, according to the ordinance. The projects are exempt from all planning and zoning regulations, but must meet specific criteria.
Mayor Karen Bass will need to approve the ordinance before it can be enacted.
Any projects approved under the ordinance would remain valid only through Feb. 27, 2029. Permits for signs of any type, including digital displays, are also valid temporarily through Oct. 27, 2028. After those dates, any approvals would become invalid or void, as if they had never been granted.
The applicant, the owner of the project and the parcel and their principals have the obligation to demolish and remove the project, restoring the location to how it was before.
Projects such as new construction, additions, alteration or repairs, grading, retaining and fence walls, sign permits, swimming pools, change of use and use of land permits would qualify for fast-tracking. Specifically, they have to have some sort of supporting quality to the 2028 Games that serve athletes, officials, spectators, visitors and or residents at approved competition venues or non-competition venues necessary host the event.
Exempted projects could look like training facilities, fan zones, and security perimeters.
The ordinance defines what projects would not be eligible, such as large-scale cable-guided transportation or other aerial mobility projects, housing demolition, and alterations of designated historic resources, among other things.
City liaisons such as the City Administrative Officer, Chief Legislative Analyst, the Mayor’s Office of Major Events and the Office of the City Attorney must provide clearance before any construction could occur.
City officials are trying to implement a speedy process, ensuring that applicants receive notice within 14 days of receipt of their temporary projects.
Council members John Lee and Hugo Soto-Martinez were absent from Wednesday’s vote.
The Westside Neighborhood Council and the North Hollywood Northeast Neighborhood Council urged the City Council to oppose the ordinance.
Members of the Westside Neighborhood Council warned against streamlining signs and digital displays. Meanwhile, the North Hollywood Northeast Neighborhood Council said the ordinance lacked accountability and definition, calling the exemption too broad.
“The LA28 Olympics were marketed as a ‘no-build’ Games, with former Mayor Eric Garcetti assuring the public that Los Angeles would not repeat the mistakes of previous host cities,” the NHNNC wrote in a letter to the city. “According to the LA28 organizing committee, ‘no new permanent venues are needed.’ Yet this motion directly contradicts that commitment by enabling new construction without review — raising serious concerns about public trust and accountability.”
The neighborhood council also raised concerns about Olympic-related development and how it could exacerbate gentrification and displacement of residents and homeless people.