• Building a Better Westchester-Playa
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Building a Better Westchester-Playa (BaBWP) is an organization of neighbors advocating for local affordable housing and land use decisions that foster racial and socio-economic diversity, environmental sustainability, and greater community well-being.

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Work To Date...

Our group has committed to values of transparency and accountability. Therefore, we publish the work we’ve done in this library, which is easily searchable by tags and key words.
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Motion Proposed: Support 1st Floor Commercial in new Downtown Projects

BaBWP presentation to NC-PLUC on 4/8/25: encouraging NC to task CD11 staff to work with Planning, support enforcement of Downtown Westchester’s CDO requirement: first floor commercial-only use.
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Livable Communities Intro Zoom! Monday 3/31 @ 7pm…Please RSVP

Zoom intro meeting to learn about the work of the Livable Communities Initiative, working to create 15-minute bikeable neighborhoods in LA.
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CityView: BaBWP Support Letter + Email Comment Info

BaBWP has expressed it’s support for this project in a letter to Planning we have published here. Also in this post: instructions on how to submit Public Comment up through Wednesday, February 12th.
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Motion Proposed: Support 1st Floor Commercial in new Downtown Projects

BaBWP presentation to NC-PLUC on 4/8/25: encouraging NC to task CD11 staff to work with Planning, support enforcement of Downtown Westchester’s CDO requirement: first floor commercial-only use.
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Livable Communities Intro Zoom! Monday 3/31 @ 7pm…Please RSVP

Zoom intro meeting to learn about the work of the Livable Communities Initiative, working to create 15-minute bikeable neighborhoods in LA.
Read more

CityView: BaBWP Support Letter + Email Comment Info

BaBWP has expressed it’s support for this project in a letter to Planning we have published here. Also in this post: instructions on how to submit Public Comment up through Wednesday, February 12th.
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BaBWP Public Comment Correcting Factual Errors (NC Board Agenda Attachment)

For the 2025-02-04 meeting of the NC Board, BaBWP submitted public comment to correct factual errors sited to support the claim that “we are being set up to become the Westside’s containment zone for homeless.”
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ED1: NC Board 2025-01 Meeting Public Comment

For the 2025-01-14 meeting of the NC Board, BaBWP submitted public comment to clarify support for ED1 affordable housing in the community.
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ED1 Tutorial NC-PLUC Presentation on 11/19/24

On Tuesday, Nov 19, 2024 Building a Better Westchester-Playa presented a tutorial to the NC-PLUC** on the current status of Mayor Karen Bass’s “Executive Directive 1.”
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Intro: Our CPU Map 3 Report

This introductory post provides background on how the BaBWP team reviewed and compared CPU Draft 2 and 3 Maps.
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CPU Edit 1: Manchester West

  • Manchester between Pershing & Lincoln
Our map change recommendations for the west end of Manchester (btwn Pershing & Lincoln)
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CPU Edit 2: Metro Area

Our map change recommendations for the areas close to the Veterans Metro station.
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CPU Edit 3: Ladera

Our map change recommendations for Ladera.
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CPU Edit 4: Arizona Circle

Our map change recommendations for Arizona Circle.
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CPU Edit 5a: Loyola Village

Our map change recommendations for Loyola Village.
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CPU Edit 5b: La Tijera @ Manchester

Our map change recommendations for the area near the intersection of La Tijera and Manchester.
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CPU Edit 5c: Manchester East

Our map change recommendations for Manchester Ave btwn Sepulveda and Police Academy (Osage Ave).
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CPU Edit R1-1: Collector Streets

Proposal #1: transitional up-zoning of R1 parcels @ Collector Street intersections. (1200+ new units.)
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CPU R1-2: Perimeters

Proposal #2: transitional up-zoning of perimeter neighborhood R1 parcels. (912 new units.)
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CPU R1-3: Arterial Intersections

Proposal #3 : transitional up-zoning of R1 parcels @ neighborhood street/arterial intersections. (93 more housing units.)
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For Your Information...

Our City’s Planning and Land Use Policy development process is complex and sometimes opaque, making it hard for Westchester-Playa stakeholders to understand what’s going on. These posts aim to improving public access to important general news and information.

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June 5 @ 6pm: Virtual CD11 Town Hall on Local Housing & Development

Be sure to RSVP! A unique opportunity to hear our Council rep’s POV on local housing and development issues, trends and policies
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Tracking 2025-2026 City Budget Crisis Impact on Planning

Monitoring City budget cuts and their impact on future affordable housing plus Community Plan Update processes.
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Chart: Planning Dept Processes for Three Types of Affordable Housing

Planning application processing for affordable housing projects has gotten a bit more confusing with ED1. This chart clarifies how it works.
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Local ED1 Pipeline as of 30-Jan-2025

Updated on 30 Jan 2025. This map shows current and possible ED1 projects for 90045. At this time, no ED1 project applications have been submitted for PDR, Ladera or PV.
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How to Find ED1 Planning Dept Project Files Online

Mayor Bass’s Executive Directive 1 (ED1) 100% affordable residential projects proposed to the Planning Department can be found online. This is a quick tutorial on how to navigate to those records.
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CHIP Status: Moves from City Council to City Attorney

Regularly updated notes on next steps for review of this draft ordinance, due to be finalized before the Feb-2024 State deadline re LA’s improved housing capacity.
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CHIP Ordinance Timeline

Regularly updated notes on the review journey of this draft ordinance. City’s goal: to have this ordinance in place before the State Feb-2025 deadline re additional housing.
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Resident Protections Ordinance

Quick overview: LA Planning Dept recently shared this new draft ordinance (with link): “The Resident Protections Ordinance would establish consistent protections for residents…”
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Sites + Minimum Density Ordinance

Quick overview: LA Planning recently shared this information on this draft ordinance (with link) “intended to enact state housing element law for different types …”
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Tutorial: CHIP Ordinance

Quick overview: Planning recently shared this information on this draft ordinance (with link). “The Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) Ordinance proposes several new programs that…”
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LAX Employee Housing Challenge

Westchester-Playa hosts LAX and manages a number of challenges related to the airport. Passenger traffic impacts are the most obvious. But there are other very significant…
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2024 Housing Applications Down

The LA Planning Department produces a monthly newsletter. In it, they report housing application data, and for the first half of 2024, trends overall are declining…
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Case in LA: Affordable Adaptive Reuse

To get a sense of how much is going with LA’s new adaptive reuse program for creating new housing, one thing you can do is search “Adaptive Reuse” on Urbanize.LA.com…
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Tutorial: Adaptive Reuse 101

In their August 2024 Market Report, the CommercialEdge real estate blog confirms Los Angeles is clocking in at 24-25% vacant rates. That translates to some 83 million sq feet…
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June 5 @ 6pm: Virtual CD11 Town Hall on Local Housing & Development

Be sure to RSVP! A unique opportunity to hear our Council rep’s POV on local housing and development issues, trends and policies
Read more

Tracking 2025-2026 City Budget Crisis Impact on Planning

Monitoring City budget cuts and their impact on future affordable housing plus Community Plan Update processes.
Read more

Chart: Planning Dept Processes for Three Types of Affordable Housing

Planning application processing for affordable housing projects has gotten a bit more confusing with ED1. This chart clarifies how it works.
Read more

Community Plan Update...

Currently LA City Planning is putting the entire Westside—including Westchester-Playa—through a Community Plan Update (CPU) process. When approved by City Council (projected for 2026-2027), the final Westchester-Playa CPU legally memorializes updated land use policy and zoning codes. These posts aim to improve stakeholder access to important CPU news and information.

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CPU Approval Timeline Unclear due to LA Budget Cuts

Special hearings April 29-May 16, 2025 to determine new City budget, changes in local CPU timeline.
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LA’s Housing Target

Ultimately what’s driving LA’s push to up-zone more land parcels to create more housing units in the future?…
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Current Community Plan (2004)

Here you’ll find links to the active Westchester-Playa Community Plan Update, completed in 2004…
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CPU Draft 3 Maps Access

Currently, Westchester-Playa is part of LA Planning Department’s larger effort titled Planning the Westside…
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CPU Approval Timeline Unclear due to LA Budget Cuts

Special hearings April 29-May 16, 2025 to determine new City budget, changes in local CPU timeline.
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LA’s Housing Target

Ultimately what’s driving LA’s push to up-zone more land parcels to create more housing units in the future?…
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Current Community Plan (2004)

Here you’ll find links to the active Westchester-Playa Community Plan Update, completed in 2004…
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Local Build Projects...

Given Westchester-Playa’s strategic and desirable location, there are always future building projects in the City Planning pipeline. These posts aim to provide visibility into the Planning process and keep a rolling report on the status of specific projects.

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9038 S. Reading (ED1 100% Affordable) APPROVED

  • 9038 Reading
Building type: ED1 100% Affordable
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8615 Ramsgate “The Liberty” (ED1 100% Affordable) APPROVED

  • 8615 Ramsgate
Building type: ED1 100% Affordable
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8820 Sepulveda Blvd (ED1 100% Affordable) PENDING

  • 8820 Sepulveda Boulevard
Building type: ED1 100% Affordable with some Commercial on 1st floor
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Side elevation of multi-story Cityview project on Manchester Avenue, Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles.

CityView @ 6136 Manchester (Density Bonus) PENDING

  • 6136 Manchester @ La Tijera
Building type: Density Bonus Mixed-Use Commercial
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8819 Sepulveda Eastway (ED1 100% Affordable) PENDING

  • 8819 Sepulveda Eastway
Building type: ED1 100% Affordable
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9033 Ramsgate (ED1 100% Affordable) APPROVED

  • 9033 Ramsgate
Building type: ED1 100% Affordable
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8911 Ramsgate (ED1 100% Affordable) APPROVED

  • 8911 Ramsgate
Building type: ED1 100% Affordable
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Hertz Lot Replacement

  • 9000 Airport Boulevard
Building type: Warehouse(s)
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Red Tail Crossing (100% Affordable) BUILT

  • 8333 Airport Boulevard
Building type: 100% Affordable Residential + Permanent Supportive Housing
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Next-to-Benny’s APPROVED

  • 7111 Manchester Ave
Building type: Mixed-Use Commercial with Density Bonus (includes 3 VLI Units)
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Staples > Senior Housing

  • 8704 Sepulveda Blvd & 8711 Sepulveda Eastway
Building type: 100% Residential, Market-Rate for Seniors
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Kajima USA (formerly Sandstone)

  • 6733 Sepulveda
Building type: 100% Residential and Market-Rate (No Density Bonus)
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9038 S. Reading (ED1 100% Affordable) APPROVED

  • 9038 Reading
Building type: ED1 100% Affordable
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8615 Ramsgate “The Liberty” (ED1 100% Affordable) APPROVED

  • 8615 Ramsgate
Building type: ED1 100% Affordable
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8820 Sepulveda Blvd (ED1 100% Affordable) PENDING

  • 8820 Sepulveda Boulevard
Building type: ED1 100% Affordable with some Commercial on 1st floor
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Neighbors advocating for local

housing.

Building a Better Westchester-Playa (BaBWP) is a group of neighbors advocating for local housing and land use decisions that foster racial and socio-economic diversity, environmental sustainability and community well-being.

News & Info Sign Up