As theatrics and finger pointing have defined much of the discourse among Los Angeles mayoral candidates leading up to the primary, a Wednesday debate offered frontrunners the chance to make clear where they stand on issues critical to the real estate industry. Yet, what emerged was a lack of consistent specificity.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and mayoral hopefuls Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman sparred over their tactics for addressing the panacea of problems laid out in the hour-long debate hosted by NBC4 and Telemundo 52 at the Skirball Cultural Center Wednesday evening. Housing, building and the state of Downtown L.A. were throughlines of the debate.
There was plenty at stake with early voting by mail now underway for the June 2 primary. If no one candidate — there are 14 total — earns a majority of votes, the top two contenders move to a November run-off.
As the incumbent defended her actions of the past three years over everything from the Palisades fire response to public safety, Pratt and Raman sought to chip away at that resume.
Whether one candidate hit on enough industry issues to nab a vote from one of the three on stage remains to be seen.
Build, build, build
It may not have sounded like it, but the trio was in agreement on boosting housing supply to address pricing. The policies each supported to get there ran the gamut.
“What we need to do is make sure that the city gets out of the way,” Raman said.
That may have been music to some developers’ ears as she cited the current year-and-a-half average approval timeline for multifamily projects.
If elected mayor, Raman said she’d pitch a 60-day application period for apartment projects that are compliant with zoning codes.
Bass struck down the timetable Raman offered, saying the administration has “cut red tape so you can go through much quicker than that.” She suggested construction materials pricing and the “general economy” are other factors weighing on lagging timelines.
Pratt suggested there’s already existing supply to accommodate housing needs, reducing the issue down to cleaning up the streets — a stance he repeatedly resorted to in answering questions raised during the evening.
“When I enforce the law and clear the streets of the drug addicts that have taken over 40 blocks of Downtown L.A…. I will have potentially 20,000 units available to build,” he said, citing technology such as 3-D printing that could further expedite new housing.
Downtown crisis
Declining office valuations, a brand-new bridge stripped of its copper wiring and the “graffiti tower” in Oceanwide Plaza set the stage for the topic of what to do with Downtown Los Angeles.
“What is your plan for downtown? Can we afford to let it die?” KNBC’s Conan Nolan asked the candidates at Wednesday’s debate, before probing their stances on enforcing return to office for city workers.
Raman didn’t take a hard stance on a full return-to-office mandate for city employees. In fact, her office allows for three days per week in the office, with the council member saying some positions should return full-time, while three days for others is sufficient.
She cited return to office as only one part of a solution for downtown, largely blaming Bass for lacking a clear strategy that includes public safety and regular cleaning to retain businesses.
“It needs real maintenance,” Raman said.
Pratt seemed to agree.
“Before we require city workers to go back into buildings, we need to enforce the laws on the street,” he said.
Bass further dug in her heels to offer that, “We have a strategy that is working.” That includes working with business associations to address public safety and an adaptive reuse ordinance aimed at fast-tracking office conversions in the central business district.
NIMBY, YIMBY debate on SB 79
The issue of local control and who ultimately should dictate density reared its head in the topic of Senate Bill 79. Implementation of the law that’s aimed at pushing projects that offer higher density near transit stops was delayed by the Los Angeles City Council.
“I don’t support Sacramento saying that this is what we need to do here in Los Angeles, especially in our city, where we are very much committed to building housing,” Bass said of why she supported the delay.
Her comment tugs at long-standing tension between state lawmakers and local planning officials, with each vying for the final say.
Raman took time on the topic to slam Bass and the rest of the city for “not taking responsibility for the demand for housing.”
Her solution was murkier, offering that if she were in the top spot, every department would be required to plan for density.
Pratt leaned on his earlier comments to clean up the streets to make way for the reuse of abandoned buildings.
“We have plenty of places to build,” he said. “We don’t need to put a seven-story cement structure in a single-family neighborhood with no parking.”
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