Newsom plans to weaken state duplex laws in wildfire areas after pushing from Los Angeles
Gavin Newsom plans to issue an executive order Wednesday to allow the Los Angeles area government to limit the development of wildfire-affected communities by removing it from provisions of the landmark housing law, a spokesman for his office said.
The proposed order will allow Malibu, the city and county of Los Angeles to limit construction permitted by Senate Bill 9, a 2021 law that allows real estate owners to build up to four units on land previously reserved for single-family homes.
Newsom spokesman Tara Gallegos said the order would apply to Pacific Palisades and parts of Malibu and Altadena, which were designated as “very high fire hazard zones” by the California Forestry and Fire Department, which were designated as “very high fire hazard zones.”
Gallegos said the decision was a concern about the widespread use of SB 9 development in the reconstruction area, making future fire evacuation more difficult, which is the possibility of an increase in the potential for a significant increase in population.
The governor’s plan follows the pressure of elected officials in Los Angeles this week. On Monday, City Councilman Traci Park, representing Pacific Palisades, wrote to Newsom asking him to suspend SB 9, warning that otherwise it could be “unforeseen density explosions” in risky areas.
“When SB 9 was adopted into state law, it never intended to take advantage of a horrible disaster,” Parker wrote.
On Tuesday, Karen Bass issued a statement supporting the park’s demand, citing similar concerns about the tight evacuation routes of SB 9 in Palisades and local infrastructure.
“It can fundamentally change the security of the region,” Bass said.
