The Los Angeles City Planning Commission voted unanimously Thursday to update outdated community plans for South and Southeast L.A., a move that could spur transit-oriented development along commercial corridors.
The two community plans will apply to the area east of Arlington Avenue and south of Pico Boulevard, extending west to Alameda Street in some places and as far south as 120th Street, Curbed reported. Neighborhoods within those boundaries include Historic South-Central, Vermont Square, Florence and Watts.
The new plans, which have been in the works since 2007, will focus on transit-oriented development as well as eliminating public health hazards by keeping housing away from industrial sites.
However, some residents in South and Southeast L.A. are not supportive of all the changes.
Community coalition United Neighbors in Defense Against Displacement (UNIDAD) released its own plan that puts more emphasis on affordable housing and community resources like parks and health facilities.
Joe Donlin, a member of UNIDAD and associate director of nonprofit SAJE, said he’s encouraged by the incentives offered to developers to build affordable housing. But he told Curbed he’d like to see “stronger, enforceable anti-displacement policies” such as caps on the number of rental units developers can demolish or convert into condos.
The updated plans will be reviewed by the City Council’s planning committee and then by the council itself before final approval. [Curbed] — Subrina Hudson