Cudahy Building Freeze Extended 10 Months Despite Developers’ Pleas

Despite pleas from builders and realtors, the City Council has extended its moratorium on development in high-density parts of Cudahy for another 10 months.

In a nine-page report presented to the council earlier this month, Community Development Director William Davis listed numerous factors that contribute to the city’s density problem, but said his staff needs more time to figure out how the problem has affected the city’s services, and what to do about it.

According to the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning, Cudahy is the third most-crowded city in the county with 19,566 people per square mile.

The City Council in June enacted a 45-day moratorium restricting development in the multifamily residential zone. Council members said at the time that the moratorium should have been passed years ago, and that unless some measures are taken to control growth, the town’s services will be overwhelmed.

Davis said that after the moratorium was passed, he was approached by developers and realtors who contended that there is not a density problem in the city. Others have said that if there is a problem, the city could still allow construction to take place, but enforce zoning and building standards. He said some have suggested that the density problem could be combatted by enforcing laws that restrict the number of people living in one home.

Davis said, however, that a density study is needed. “We say there is a density problem,” he said. “We know there are a lot of people here. How do we handle that?”

He told the council that the density problem has been caused by several factors, including the city’s odd-shaped lot sizes, a holdover from the days when Cudahy was a rural community, and zoning laws that allow multifamily residential housing in 70% of the city.

Davis said many people have suggested that to control density the city should restrict residential construction to single-family homes. However, he said that will not work because “no one wants to purchase a single-family home in Cudahy.”

“This is perceived to be a depressed area,” he said. “People who are anticipating their first beautiful new home might not consider Cudahy the place to come.”

Davis also said that the long, narrow lot sizes also contribute to the problem because in Cudahy, where the market demands low-cost housing, such lots are perfect for multifamily housing.

In addition to extension of the moratorium, the planning staff has suggested that much of the town be downzoned from multifamily residential to single-family residential. “We are working on plans to update development standards . . . to improve the city’s image for developers, realtors and for people who might want to live here,” Davis said.