Editorial: Los Angeles must take politics out of development decisions (via latimesopinion)
filed in 2020 against then-City Councilmember Jose Huizar for allegedly shaking down real estate developers for $1.5 million in cash, lavish gifts and campaign contributions, an FBI agent laid out how Los Angeles’ convoluted and highly political approval process enabled Huizar’s scheme.
“City officials can benefit a project or take adverse action against a project by advocating for, pressuring, or seeking to influence other City officials, departments, business owners, and stakeholders,” Civetti explained.In other words, almost every step of the process is subject to direct or indirect influence by the city’s elected officials. The 15 council members, in particular, wield enormous power.
Why? Because when property owners seek city permission to build or grow, the council member can exchange approval for, such as funding for a new park, or to benefit themselves in the form of campaign contributions. It’s a tremendous power that can be used for the good of a district — or to its detriment.
Over decades, L.A.’s political leaders have allowed the city’s often suburban-style zoning and land-use rules to become outdated and unwieldy. Because of that, proposed developments often need exceptions, each of which is a potential political negotiation. That makes it slower, less certain and more expensive to build in L.A. And for years, council members have used their power to bend to neighborhood concerns, reducing the amount of housing built or killing projects altogether.
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