Announcement
On March 15, 2024, the Specific Plan Amendment, which included the modification proposed by Council Districts 3 and 4 and approved at the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, was reviewed by the Los Angeles City Council. Per the direction given by Council, Planning Department and the City Attorney’s office have begun the form and legality review process. Once that process is complete, the updated ordinance will return to Council for adoption. For updates on future meeting dates and transmitted materials, please subscribe to the Council File.
The proposed amendment includes streamlining signage review along the Corridor, reallocating appointments to the Plan Review Board so they are appointed per community rather than per Council district, and updating the Specific Plan to reflect recently adopted ordinances (such as the Processes and Procedures Ordinance) and corrected maps, as well as general language clean-up. The draft was originally shared in a virtual information session and public hearing on September 14, 2023 was considered by the City Planning Commission on October 26, 2023, and was considered by the City Council Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee on February 20, 2024 prior to going to City Council on March 15, 2024. For more information please see the events tab; for the PLUM Committee’s decision letter you may also visit the Planning Case Tracking System (PCTS) page for Case No. CPC-2023-1637-SP.
Summary: The Ventura-Cahuenga Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan Amendment
In response to a motion by the City Council (Council File No. 17-1071), Los Angeles City Planning is preparing an amendment to the Ventura-Cahuenga Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan (Specific Plan). The goal is to modernize regulations and speed up the project review process in order to support small businesses along the Valley’s premier commercial corridor. The amendment aims to ensure that Ventura Boulevard will remain a vibrant destination for future generations of Angelenos and an anchor for independent businesses in the San Fernando Valley.
To speed up the Corridor’s post-pandemic recovery, in August 2021, City Planning delegated the rezoning portion of the Ventura-Cahuenga Specific Plan Amendment’s work program, which was part of the City Council’s original motion, to the Community Plan Updates underway in the Southeast and Southwest Valley.
By phasing in the specific plan amendment program, City Planning will be able to ensure that matters of immediate concern, like providing relief for small businesses and ensuring equitable community representation, are addressed quickly. For more comprehensive changes, like those to the project impact assessment fee, the phase-in will provide sufficient time for gathering feedback from the community and conducting a thorough review.
Outreach Timeline
Background
On February 16, 1991, the Los Angeles City Council adopted Ordinance No. 166,560, establishing the Specific Plan with regulations governing height, parking, landscaping, Project Impact Assessment (PIA) Fees, and the use of collected funds – all to ensure Ventura Boulevard remains viable as the San Fernando Valley’s premier commercial corridor. Since its initial adoption, Los Angeles City Planning amended the Specific Plan in 1996 and 2001. The existing Specific Plan will continue to be effective until the adoption of an amendment. For project review and clearances, please click here.
The Specific Plan corridor spans over 17 miles in length, includes more than 1,200 acres of land, and regulates over 4,300 individual parcels of land. It comprises parcels that front on Ventura Boulevard as well as adjacent boulevards including Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Reseda Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, and Van Nuys Boulevard. The Specific Plan designates these parcels as Regional Commercial, Community Commercial, and Neighborhood Commercial serving land uses, with some segments of the corridor designated as Pedestrian Oriented Area and the easternmost segment designated as a Regionally Impacted Area.
Please click here to view the Fact Sheet and Frequently Asked Questions.
What would the proposed amendment do?
The proposed amendment ordinance would update the current Specific Plan to modernize existing regulations and streamline existing processes.
