Public Safety Evaluations Required Early in Planning Process
On September 22nd, the LA City Council’s Planning and Land Use Committee voted unanimously to require the Planning Department to make critical safety determinations– such as ensuring compliance with the State Minimum Fire Safe Regulations - during the upfront discretionary decision-making process.
Take Action: SIGN PETITION: and WRITE to LA Decision Makers – Request the Mayor, Council member and Board of Building and Safety Commission require the Planning Department to create a written compliance program designed to evaluate State Fire Safe Regulations (FSR) early in discretionary planning process. The FSR applies to new development, with a focus on road standards to provide safe evacuation concurrently with fire fighter access.
The Chair of the Committee agreed that determination of critical safety issues should be at the outset of the development process. And Councilmembers rejected the LA Planning Department’s claims that it can shift the determination of compliance to the time of obtaining a building permit.
When a councilmember asked if the Fire Department had evaluated the project being appealed, the Zoning Administrator said, “No…as it is Planning’s practice to simply defer the compliance determination to the Fire Department at the time of the building permit.”
Testimony during the Committee hearing appears to support the findings from the Crane Boulevard Safety Coalition Appeal (September 15, 2026). Findings indicate that the City of LA apparently does not have a process for conducting the required fire safety evaluations, and testimony gave little indication that the Building and Safety department or Fire Department were conducting the required public safety evaluations.
SAFRR asserts that the LA City Council members’ position complies with the State Minimum Fire Safe Regulations (FSR) required timing for factual evaluations. SAFRR supports local groups who appeal Planning Department decisions for new development that lack the required evaluations in the discretionary planning phase.
The City was informed of the State FSRs in 2021 and warned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, a State agency, in 2023. In December 2025, after filing multiple appeals to non-compliant new developments, the Hillside Federation and SAFRR filed a “pattern and practice” lawsuit citing non-compliance with the State FSRs and other processes. In 2026, the Crane Boulevard Safety Coalition (CBSC) filed a lawsuit, and an appeal. CBSC is coordinating with other appellant groups to ensure the LA Planning Department creates a compliant implementation plan for the State Minimum Fire Safe Regulations for new development in High and Very Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
Source Documents