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Ordinance Sought on Expedited Projects

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Times Staff Writer

Amid criticism that Los Angeles building officials lack firm policies on expediting construction projects, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Wednesday proposed a change in the law to better define which projects should be fast-tracked and which should have fees waived.

In a letter to City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo, the mayor outlined a measure that would allow the Department of Building and Safety to waive plan-check fees and expedite plan checks for projects involving affordable housing, facilities paid for with city bonds, certified “green buildings” and “signature developments,” including public schools.

Projects sought by county, state and federal agencies could be expedited, but for a fee. It would also allow private developers to apply if they were willing to pay 50% more in fees to cover the cost of plan checkers working nights and weekends to speed up project approval.

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“It is necessary to include a priority set within the Expedite Plan Check Services that adequately addresses the needs of some projects to be prioritized over others,” Villaraigosa wrote.

The letter was released Wednesday while the mayor was on a trade mission to East Asia.

The mayor’s request was in response to a review by City Administrative Officer Bill Fujioka, who found unclear guidelines about expediting projects and waiving fees.

Fujioka was asked by the mayor to look at the building department after a recent Times report that dozens of construction projects sought by political insiders, including city commissioners, had been assigned to a little-known Case Management Unit to speed the project approval process.

Fujioka’s report, also released Wednesday, confirmed that the Case Management Unit was not widely advertised and lacked clear guidelines.

patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com

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