PL

Why Thrive LA opposes PL

Measure PL restructures the city's planning and zoning approval process. It consolidates seven Area Planning Commissions into a single Neighborhood Appeals Commission, broadens the Planning Department's authority to process applications at the staff level, creates an automatic approval mechanism for General Plan amendments that stall in the City Council, and allows floor area regulations to be changed by ordinance rather than Charter amendment. On paper, every one of those reforms points in the right direction. Fewer commissions means fewer veto points for NIMBY obstruction. Staff-level processing means faster permits. A 75-day deemed-approved clock on General Plan amendments means the Council can no longer kill housing-enabling changes through inaction. And unlocking floor area ratios from the Charter gives the city the flexibility to enable density where the market demands it. So why oppose it? Because the measure is structurally incomplete, and incomplete Charter amendments are worse than no amendment at all. The Department of City Planning itself has flagged that the ballot measure text fails to address Charter Sections 560, 562 through 564, and 565, leaving gaps that could create legal confusion, implementation delays, and the need for yet another Charter amendment to clean up what this one leaves unfinished. A half-built bridge is not a bridge. It is a liability. There is also a governance concern. Consolidating seven commissions into one concentrates appeals authority in a single body appointed by the Mayor. In principle, that is more efficient. In practice, it removes the distributed check that forces different parts of the city to weigh in on projects affecting their neighborhoods. If the goal is to reduce obstruction, the better path is reforming the existing commissions' scope and timelines, not eliminating geographic representation entirely and hoping a single commission stays accountable. The reforms Measure PL attempts are needed. The vehicle it uses is flawed. Vote No, and demand the Council come back with a complete, fully drafted Charter amendment that delivers these benefits without the legal loose ends.