City Holding Hearings on Green Planning Ordinance for LA River
The City’s Vision for the LA River in the Coming Decades
The Los Angeles Department of City Planning will be holding hearings this Friday and Monday on an ordinance that would provide new guidelines for development on both public and private land adjacent to the river. If approved, the new River Improvement Overlay District would include all of the neighborhoods within the City of Los Angeles that are adjacent to the Los Angeles River. The exact boundries aren’t set yet.
While it’s encouraging to see the city embrace a more green development strategy, the RIO District restrictions don’t tackle some of the largest concerns that most people have with developments. For example, there is no restriction on size or parking. Instead new developments in the RIO District will have to comply with certain green standards and comply with green transportation programs.
The RIO also provides guidelines for new “complete” streets and includes a mobility strategy to ensure that the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and vehicle drivers are considered when major projects or street improvements are undertaken.
I will say, any development plan that is going to create streets that feature the amenities pictured above, especially those pedestrian amenities, is a welcome site regardless of any shortcomings in the proposed ordinance.
For greater detail about what the RIO District will mean for the area, please read Joe Linton’s post at Creek Freak from earlier this fall. If you can’t make the meetings and want to add your two cents, leave a note in the comments section and I’ll forward it to City Planning. If you are free either Friday or Monday morning, here is the meeting information.
Friday, December 12 Monday, December 15
12:00 pm 8:00 am
Room 1B, Braude Building Room 1020, City Hall
6262 Van Nuys Boulevard 200 N Spring Street
Van Nuys Los Angeles
Image: City of LA via Creek Freak
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