First wave of wildfire rebuild permits more like a ripple

It took two months for the City of Los Angeles to approve permits to rebuild three homes in the fire-torn Pacific Palisades.

The city approved three projects — two for complete rebuilds and one to repair a damaged home, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing the Department of Building and Safety. That leaves about 6,000 homes in the Palisades and surrounding areas to go.

“We want this to be happening on your lot, too,” Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference in the Palisades.

The first permit was issued March 5, nearly two months after the Jan. 7 Palisades fire ripped through half the upscale neighborhood along the coast

Another approved permit was for repairs to a fire-damaged master bedroom, bathroom and garage of a split-level home near Rustic Canyon, according to city records and Paul Lobana, the structural engineer for the project. The homeowner submitted plans to city inspectors Feb. 17.

The Times wasn’t able to contact the owner of the third property that received a permit to rebuild a home on bluffs overlooking Pacific Coast Highway.

As of last week, 72 property owners had submitted rebuilding applications to the city, according to the newspaper.

Another 135 property owners submitted blueprints to the L.A. County Department of Public Works for rebuilding in unincorporated areas — 109 in the Eaton fire zone and 26 in the Palisades fire area.

The county is not approving plans until all debris clearing is complete on the property, Celeste Hampton, a department spokesperson, told the Times.

Bass and L.A. County leaders have promised to streamline permitting procedures for homeowners who want to rebuild.

The city and county have opened one-stop permitting centers for fire victims. They’ve also waived discretionary hearings and zoning reviews for those who want to replace their homes with projects of about the same size.

Local and state and local officials are still determining rebuilding rules, including if there will be any changes to building codes to incentivize or require more fire-resistant materials that might affect future permit approvals, according to the Times.

This week, Bass updated an existing executive order clarifying that new accessory dwelling units would qualify for streamlined permitting. She issued another order to further expedite reviews for homeowners who choose to rebuild with all-electric systems and appliances.

“Wildfires aren’t going away,” Bass told reporters. “And climate-fueled disasters aren’t going away, either.”

— Dana Bartholomew