A public hearing on a proposed housing development at the center of a gentrification debate in Boyle Heights is scheduled for Wednesday, May 28, at Ramona Hall Community Center.
The hearing by the East Los Angeles Area Planning Commission, which was postponed from an earlier date in April, will focus on a six-story, mixed-use development that developer Tiao Properties has sought to build on East Cesar Chavez Avenue and North Chicago Street.
The development would include five stories of apartment units, a ground floor for retail use and an underground parking garage. Five of the 50 apartment units will be set aside for affordable housing, while the rest will be at market rate.
Last year, the East Los Angeles Area Planning Commission voted against the housing proposal, arguing that the project could lead to gentrification that would be harmful to the public health of residents.
However, an L.A. County Superior Court judge recently issued a judgment stating that the city “acted in bad faith … in connection with its disapproval of the project,” and is ordering the commission to reverse its decision and approve the proposed housing development.
This decision comes nearly a year after Tiao Properties sued the city of L.A. in June, arguing that blocking the project based on a perceived threat of gentrification doesn’t meet the legal standards under the Housing Accountability Act, a California law that addresses the state’s housing shortfall.
The Los Angeles Planning Department previously said in an email to Boyle Heights Beat that the hearing, which was initially supposed to take place on April 9, “was canceled due to a delay in the issuance of a court order.”
“At present time, Los Angeles City Planning only has the final judgment, which orders a writ to be issued. The Department is awaiting the court’s issuance of the writ of mandate,” the city’s emailed statement read.
Public hearing details:
In person:
Date: Wednesday, May 28, after 4:30 p.m.
Location: Ramona Hall Community Center, 4580 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90065
By Zoom:
Access the meeting by visiting https://planning-lacity-org.zoom.us/j/89014469182 or by calling (213) 338-8477 or (669) 900-9128. Use Meeting ID 890 1446 9182 and Passcode 016447.
