Los Angeles planning officials are reportedly preparing to shift their focus to the development plans of the communities adjacent to the Port of Los Angeles, namely Wilmington and Harbor Gateway.
September brought the release of a draft environmental impact report for the Harbor LA Community Plan update. As recently reported by Urbanize Los Angeles, this plan encompasses simultaneous amendments to the Wilmington and Harbor Gateway community plans, covering a combined land area of more than 8,300 acres. This area includes the narrow strip of land, partially dissected by the 110 Freeway, bridging South Los Angeles and the sprawling port complex. It is also bordered by Carson, Torrance, Gardena, Long Beach and Lomita.
According to the environmental report, the proposed Harbor plans aim to retain approximately 75 percent of their land area, preserving existing industrial uses and maintaining residential neighborhoods at their current densities. However, new buffer zones will be introduced to create a smoother transition between these land uses.
The plans, however, go beyond these growth projections to accommodate new development, partly due to the city’s obligation to rezone for over 250,000 new residential units as part of its housing element, which The Registry previously covered. The updated plans can make room for up to approximately 47,000 new homes, an increase from just over 36,000 in 2019. These new homes will predominantly be components of multifamily developments, rather than new single-family dwellings. Growth will be concentrated in so-called “Opportunity Areas,” covering approximately six percent of the total plan land area. These areas will receive new zoning that allows for increased allowable height, floor area and density compared to current conditions.
Such zoning changes will also apply to commercial corridors like Carson Boulevard, Gardena Boulevard, 190th Street, Pacific Coast Highway and Avalon Boulevard. Additionally, some changes are planned to address inconsistencies in current development patterns, promoting more uniform zoning along commercial corridors, in industrial transition areas and within some lower-density residential neighborhoods.
As seen with other recent community plan updates, the report states that the Harbor plans will serve as an opportunity to introduce the city’s new zoning code. In “Opportunity Areas,” these new zoning rules will permit mixed-use buildings up to three stories on smaller corridors, and up to seven stories near regional transportation hubs, such as the Harbor Gateway Transit Center and the planned Vermont Avenue bus rapid transit line. Furthermore, the Harbor plans will feature a customized community benefits program, offering additional density, height, floor area, and other incentives to projects that include a required amount of affordable housing. Income restrictions for affordable housing in these areas will be based on the median income levels specific to the Harbor community plan areas, rather than the broader City of Los Angeles.
While the release of the draft environmental study was originally expected to occur between 2021 and 2022, followed by adoption in 2022, delays have occurred as the city works through updates to its 35 community plans.
