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Land Use & Planning Committee

VNC Land Use and Planning Committee Mission Statement

The Land Use and Planning Committee (LUPC) shall review, take public input, report on and make recommendations of actions to the Board of Officers on any land use and planning issues affecting the community. LUPC shall consist of nine (9) Stakeholders including the elected Chair. No Board Officer may serve as a LUPC member with the exception of the Land Use and Planning Committee chair, Eight (8) LUPC members shall be selected by the Board of Officers from a list of candidates who have formally communicated to the Board their desire to serve on the Land Use and Planning Committee. The Board shall, within thirty (30) days after beginning their term, hold a Board of Officers meeting for the selection of LUPC members. The eight (8) candidates with the highest vote totals shall be selected. A LUPC member may be removed from service by a majority of the full Board of Officers. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner that committee members were originally selected. LUPC recommendations to the Board of Officers shall be in the form of a written report, which shall include a project description, pros & cons, a summary of community input, and any LUPC findings.

Current LUPC Members

Major LUPC Topics

MTA Lot on Main St.

On January 28, 2016, the Metro Board of Directors adopted a motion calling for a community-based process to determine a new use for Division 6 (what we know as the MTA Lot located at 100 Sunset at Main St.) through Metro’s Joint Development program. Between the October 2018 and March 2019. MTA’s Joint Development Department conducted outreach efforts in Venice. The outreach and development planning and design culminated in the latest draft Final Development Guidelines (June 2019), which summarizes outreach efforts and contains several conceptual proposals for the MTA Lot.

Separately, in November 2019, the MTA Lot was approved as a temporary Bridge Housing Site for 154 beds run by People Assisting The Homeless (PATH). (See Council File No. 18-0510 for more info.) Bridge Housing would rely on a lease to be negotiated between the City and MTA and a corresponding three-year sublease to PATH. The project was expected to open October 2019 with the three-year term commencing upon receipt of the Certificate of Occupancy. Bridge Housing eventually received its Certificate of Occupancy and began operations in February 2020.

The joint development of the MTA Lot would have provided an ideal bookend to the temporary Bridge Housing site, providing for a permanent project on the heels of a temporary use. However, COVID-19 left many local government programs in stasis, including the MTA’s Joint Development of this site. As a result, we are now at the end of what was supposed to be Bridge Housing’s three-year use, but without a finalized plan for a permanent project on the MTA Lot.

LUPC will be dedicating several meetings in the coming months to discussing a viable development plan for the MTA Lot. We will start with a discussion of the Final Development Guidelines (June 2019) and also incorporate the latest MTA Joint Development Policy (June 2021) and its potential implications.

Rose Ave. Commercial Corridor

In connection with Planning Departments update to Venice LUP, LUPC has discussed draft concepts released by Planning Department and formulate motion to recommend changes to draft concepts. At its meeting on November 10, 2022, LUPC recommended that the corridor referred to as “Mixed Use Corridor – Rose Avenue” be extended to all of Rose Avenue between Lincoln Blvd. to Main St. to reverse downzoning of the corridor in 1989 and implementing development standards to encourage usable outdoor space. The LUPC Minutes can be accessed here.

Lincoln Blvd. Commercial Corridor

LUPC has held several meetings to discuss Lincoln Blvd. and development potential of mixed-use commercial and residential projects to meet housing needs, while preserving surrounding single family neighborhoods. These changes would be incorporated into the existing Lincoln Boulevard Community Design Overlay (CDO).

Ordinance for Permanent Al Fresco Dining

The proposed Permanent Al Fresco Ordinance (Draft Ordinance) aims to clarify and streamline Zoning Code regulations regarding outdoor dining on private property. In a separate but related effort, the Department of Transportation (LADOT) and the Bureau of Engineering (BOE) are preparing regulations to address outdoor dining in the public right-of-way. The Permanent Al Fresco Ordinance affecting private property includes components such as a definition of outdoor dining area, site design and operational standards, and criteria for replacing required parking spaces with outdoor dining area. As proposed, outdoor dining that complies with the applicable standards would be permitted as a by-right use in any zones where restaurants are currently permitted. However, any alcohol service in outdoor dining areas would continue to require compliance with all applicable zoning regulations, including but not limited to Conditional Use Permits or Restaurant Beverage Program Administrative Clearances. More information is available on the Project Page, including a Fact Sheet and Survey Results.

Housing Element

Following State certification of the 2021-2029 Housing Element last year, LA City Planning has been working to develop and implement the ambitious programs identified in the Plan to House LA. A few weeks ago LA CIty Planning announced the launch of a new Housing Element Rezoning work program with a series of interactive webinars scheduled for next week.

On March 23, 2023, Planning announced the new online home for this work, the Housing Element Rezoning website . The website is the information hub for the Citywide Program Strategies, featuring an Interactive Concept Explorer and Survey that details the different Program Strategies and provides an interactive platform for feedback and dialog about the program.

The Housing Element Rezoning work program, as approved by the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), will explore six core program strategies including expanding the Adaptive Reuse program citywide, updating the Affordable Housing Incentive Programs, incentivizing housing on Opportunity Corridors, creating Affordable Housing opportunities through the Affordable Housing Overlay, facilitating Missing Middle housing, and enhancing Process Streamlining.

Resources

Venice Coastal Zone Specific Plan (VSP)

Staff Report Form 5.26.23 (fillable)

California Coastal Commission, Venice Land Use Plan (LUP)

Venice Community Plan

LUPC Case Flowchart

Lincoln Boulevard Community Design Overlay (CDO)

Oxford Triangle Specific Plan

LA City Zoning Use Types

Transit Oriented Communities Affordable Housing Incentive Program Guidelines (TOC)

Summary of Zoning Regulations

Venice Coastal Transportation Corridor Plan

MTA Division 6 - Final Guidelines (June 2019)

MTA Joint Development Policy (2021)

Agenda Requests

The Land Use & Planning Committee conducts its business by reviewing and prioritizing agenda requests for Board action (generally either in the form of a motion or letter) or announcements submitted by stakeholders, governmental entities and other interested individuals and organizations. The Administrative Committee has the discretion to postpone an request, refer it to a specific committee for review and recommendation, treat it as an announcement or consider and resolve it as a non-Board administrative matter.

CLICK HERE to fill out an Agenda Request.

Regular Meeting Times and Locations

LUPC meetings are regularly scheduled on the first and last Thursday of each month, unless otherwise noted. Beginning April 6, 2023, LUPC meetings are returning to in-person and will be held at Oakwood Recreation Center, located at 767 California Ave., Venice, CA 90291.

For most up-to-date schedule please check the calendar on the VNC page.

Public comments for LUPC Meetings may be emailed to the entire committee at LUPC@venicenc.org. When submitting a public comment, please reference the project address and planning case number and/or agenda item number in the subject line of the email. Thank you.