County Supervisors Vote to Eliminate Bureaucracy in Permitting Process

One day after it was revealed that no permits have been issued to Altadena homeowners that lost their homes in the Eaton Fire, the LA County Board of Supervisors passed a motion designed to cut through the red tape and bureaucracy.

The successful motion, introduced by Supervisor Kathryn Barger who represents the area, calls on the County to create a Unified Permitting Authority (UPA) within the Altadena One-Stop Recovery Permitting Center to expedite the residential rebuilding process.

Barger said she has been keeping a close eye on the County’s One-Stop Permitting shop and was not satisfied with the pace.

“No rebuild permits have been issued in Altadena and that’s unacceptable. Today’s motion will cut through the red tape to get my Altadena constituents back on track to rebuilding faster. We don’t have time to waste.”

UPA County departments will identify and fix problems that are slowing down the permitting process.

A “strike team” of senior-level staff from Regional Planning, Public Works, Fire and Public Health and other key County departments involved in approving rebuilding plans will also be created.

The team will work directly with fire survivors to move their applications forward. The Board of Supervisors will be updated to guarantee real progress and hold departments accountable.

The vote comes one day after news outlets reported that no building permits have been issued.

Barger on Monday called the situation “totally unacceptable.”

The County has received 173 zoning reviews and initiated the permit process for 23 of them. Only two temporary housing applications have been approved for Altadena properties.

The Eaton Fire destroyed 9,000 homes in Altadena and Pasadena combined. As the fire was burning Barger and a host of others guaranteed a smooth rebuilding process.

Barger is expected to provide an update on the situation later this month in a joint meeting with the Pasadena City Council.

New wildfire hazard maps released by California fire officials have further complicated the process.

These maps expand the areas where wildfire building codes apply, affecting more than 500 additional homes in the Eaton Fire footprint.