Mayor Bass Issues New Executive Order to Further Streamline Rebuilding of Businesses and Commercial Properties in Pacific Palisades

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LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass today issued a new executive order to further expedite the rebuilding of businesses and commercial properties in Pacific Palisades following the devastating Palisades Fire. Emergency Executive Order 10 (EO10) aims to accelerate commercial rebuilding and further support small businesses while preserving the unique character of the Palisades community.

"Small businesses are the heart and soul of the Palisades community, and I remain committed to helping them rebuild as quickly and safely as possible," said Mayor Karen Bass. "With this new executive action, we are further streamlining the permitting process and cutting through unnecessary delays that will help business owners rebuild quickly, keep workers employed, and restore community services that residents rely on - all while maintaining the unique community character of the Palisades."

EO10 introduces a set of emergency measures designed to streamline the rebuilding process for commercial properties located within the Palisades Commercial Village and Neighborhoods Specific Plan area, including properties in the Coastal Zone. These measures focus on administrative efficiency, economic relief, and community preservation, ensuring that recovery is not only fast, but consistent with the area's existing development standards.

Key provisions in EO10 include:

• Expedited Review for Commercial Projects: Eligible non-residential projects that comply with the Specific Plan will now be reviewed through an administrative process, significantly reducing approval times and avoiding discretionary reviews.
• Extension of Land Use Entitlements: The City will grant a five-year extension on valid land use entitlements that were in place as of January 7, 2025. This provides businesses and property owners with the flexibility and time they need to recover and rebuild.
• Tenant Improvement Self-Certification Program: A new program administered by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) will allow licensed architects to self-certify compliance for certain interior commercial improvements, often called tenant improvements, getting businesses back in operation more quickly.
• Grading Bond Waiver: Bond requirements for certain small-scale repairs outside geohazard zones will be waived, reducing rebuilding costs for property owners in geologically stable areas.
• Maintaining Community Character:While the Order provides expedited pathways for eligible projects, it preserves full public and regulatory review for any proposals that would increase residential density or deviate from existing zoning and planning standards.

New Guidance on Grading and Soils Reports

The Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) also released new guidancefor grading and soils reports to provide additional streamlining options for rebuilding in the Palisades. Included as part of this update, a Licensed Civil or Geotechnical Engineer may now self-certify soil compaction and subgrade conditions, speeding up the permitting process while maintaining safety standards. Read more here.

Palisades Rebuilding

Thanks to Emergency Executive action taken by Mayor Bass, Pacific Palisades rebuilding permits are being approved nearly three times faster than typical single-family home projects before the wildfires, and more than 70% of single-family permit clearances are no longer required.

To date, nearly 300 homesare confirmed to have started construction across Pacific Palisades. More than 1,985 plan check applications have been received for 990+ unique addresses, over 1,075 rebuilding plans have been approved, and 850+ permits have been issued for 445+ unique addresses. The latest permitting numbers for the City of Los Angeles, updated hourly, are available on the dashboard here. The state also published a dashboardshowing permits issued for the City of L.A., L.A. County, Malibu, and Pasadena (updated daily). Mayor Bass has also called for a series of reformsto the insurance industry that would strengthen consumer protections and help wildfire survivors rebuild.

Read the full Executive Order below:

EMERGENCY EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 10

Return and Rebuild

Subject: Expedited Commercial Rebuilding and Recovery

INTRODUCTION

On March 18, 2025, I issued a revised Emergency Executive Order No. 1 (EO1) to aid in the community rebuilding and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Wildfires of January 2025. While many commercial properties damaged or destroyed in the heart of the Palisades Village are able to rebuild under Emergency Executive Order No. 1, some may choose to build beyond 110% of pre-fire height and footprint. Additionally, some properties that were not damaged by the fire may reopen with new uses or businesses, change signage, add on, or make other modifications to the property.

It is critical that we take steps to support the near- and long-term success of the Palisades business community, to ensure that Palisades businesses are able to survive this challenging period, and to ultimately thrive again. Many brick-and-mortar businesses were damaged or destroyed as a result of the fire, and due to the devastation, all have lost the neighborhood residential base that was central in sustaining them. We must support the economic stability of the Palisades community and the City, and provide every opportunity for these businesses to remain, rebuild, and operate within the Palisades.

To expedite project review for commercial property owners and help small businesses open as quickly as possible, this Emergency Executive Order No. 10 (EO10) creates an administrative review process for commercial projects, both inside and outside of the Coastal Zone, within the Palisades Commercial Village and Neighborhoods Specific Plan (Specific Plan). This Order provides relief from the discretionary processes of the Specific Plan for non-residential projects within the Coastal Zone, recognizing that compliance with California Coastal Act (Coastal Act) regulations and processes still apply for projects that do not meet EO1 eligibility. It is the intent of this Order to streamline and simplify the review process only for projects that comply with the development standards of the Specific Plan as it is written today. To ensure that community character and the vision of the Specific Plan are maintained, projects that do not comply with the Specific Plan, or that involve a mixed-use project increasing density, will need to follow typical discretionary review processes.

To provide an expanded streamlined path for the rebuilding in the City's fire-devastated coastal communities, pursuant to City Charter Section 231, subsection (i), and under the provisions of the Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 8.29 that authorize me to promulgate, issue and enforce emergency rules, regulations, orders, and directives, I hereby declare the following order to be necessary for the protection of life and property and I hereby order, effective immediately, that:

Qualification and Review Rules for EO10 Eligible Projects

1. Eligible projects under this Order shall be processed as an Administrative Review (Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Section 13B.3.1) without the need for a Project Compliance - Design Review Board (LAMC Section 13B.4.3) application. Projects eligible for EO10 processing shall meet all of the following criteria:
   1. The project is located on a commercially-zoned property within the boundaries of the Specific Plan, including those properties in the Coastal Zone.
   2. The project consists of non-residential uses and fully complies with the Specific Plan. For purposes of this requirement, a qualifying project may include any mixed-use buildings or structures within Commercial Village Subarea A, as identified on Map 2 of the Specific Plan, so long as the project does not involve an increase in the number of dwelling units or residential floor area.
2. Notwithstanding LAMC 12.22 A.34(a)(9), the provisions of the Restaurant Beverage Program shall extend to Subarea A, as identified on Map 2 of the Specific Plan.
3. Administrative review for Specific Plan compliance will also be provided for qualifying non-residential projects located within the Coastal Zone. However, discretionary processes for entitlements as required by Coastal Act regulations will remain.
4. Any project that seeks to deviate from or modify the objective standards of the Specific Plan will continue to require a discretionary process, noting that this order does not supersede the provisions of Coastal Act and the LAMC, unless otherwise provided for in this Emergency Executive Order.
5. Off-Site Parking provisions in Section 10.C of the Specific Plan shall not apply to EO10 Eligible Projects, but shall instead be subject to the off-site parking requirements set forth in LAMC 12.21 A.4(g). However, all parking ratio requirements, including those set forth in Section 10.B of the Specific Plan, remain unchanged.

Time Extension for Discretionary and Ministerial Land Use Entitlements

1. I direct the Department of City Planning to grant a five-year extension for local discretionary and ministerial land use entitlements that were valid as of January 7, 2025 within the Specific Plan area, except for Coastal Development Permits issued by the City.

Tenant Improvement Self-Certification Program

1. I direct the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) to establish a Tenant Improvement Self-Certification Program within the Specific Plan area. The Tenant Improvement Self-Certification Program allows a licensed architect registered in the State of California to self-certify compliance of construction plans with the California Building Code, as adopted and amended by the City, for projects that meet all of the following criteria:
   1. The project is comprised of a tenant improvement within an existing building for retail, office, and other commercial uses;
      1. Exclusions. Unreinforced Masonry Buildings and Non-Ductile Concrete Buildings that have not yet complied with Ordinance No. 183,893 are not eligible.
   2. Any structural alterations shall be stamped by a licensed structural engineer registered in the State of California;
   3. The project site is located in whole on a commercially-zoned property within the boundaries of the Specific Plan, including those properties in the Coastal Zone; and
   4. The tenant improvement does not involve a change of use, change of occupancy to a higher hazard classification, or new floor area.
2. All inspections and related sign-offs by LADBS and other applicable City departments shall continue to be required.
3. All applicable reviews and approvals by City departments other than LADBS shall continue to be required.
4. Projects utilizing the Tenant Improvement Self-Certification Program remain subject to all other regulatory requirements, including but not limited to: inspection, code enforcement, revocation, expiration, and any other enforcement authority of the City for noncompliant construction.
5. LADBS shall issue guidelines as necessary to implement this provision within 30 working days of the issuance of this Order. Implementation guidelines may be amended and updated from time to time, as may be necessary.
   1. All Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing permits shall continue to be required. However, the LADBS implementation guidelines shall establish the scope and types of Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing permits issued by LADBS that may be issued as part of the Self Certification to complete the tenant improvement.
6. Participant Requirements. Participating architects in the Tenant Improvement Self-Certification Program must meet all of the criteria listed below.
   1. Possess a valid architect's license issued by the State of California;
   2. Possess professional liability insurance in an amount to be determined by LADBS in its implementation guidelines; and
   3. Agree to being removed from the program at the discretion of LADBS as further set forth in LADBS' implementation guidelines if the architect has made material errors regarding compliance with the City's local codes or emergency orders, or the California Building Code as amended by the City of Los Angeles. Participants shall remain subject to inspections and code enforcement activities.
7. Other Requirements.
   1. Where applicable, structural plans shall be signed and stamped by a structural engineer with a valid license from the State of California.
   2. Where applicable, energy calculations shall be signed and stamped by an engineer with a valid license from the State of California, as determined by LADBS and as set forth in the implementation guidelines.
   3. An affidavit, to the satisfaction of the City, signed by the architect, structural engineer and the property owner indemnifying the City. This affidavit shall be recorded with the County Recorder's office. A copy of the recorded affidavit shall be provided to LADBS prior to building permit issuance.
   4. Other requirements as deemed necessary by LADBS.
8. Any fees that may be required by LADBS for administering the Tenant Improvement Self-Certification Program shall be addressed in the LADBS implementation guidelines and may be based on the hourly rate specified in Section 98.0415(e) of the LAMC to recoup the cost. Applicable surcharges may apply as required by the LAMC.
9. LADBS shall establish an audit system in which a certain proportion of the self-certified plans will be reviewed by LADBS plan check staff, to be set forth in the implementation guidelines. The scope, requirements, and fees of the audit system shall be provided in the implementation guidelines issued by LADBS. Fees to recoup the cost of auditing may be based on the hourly rate specified in Section 98.0415(e) of the LAMC. Applicable surcharges may apply as required by the LAMC.
10. Departments involved in clearances for tenant improvements are separately tasked to report back to my Office within 15 days with an evaluation of the feasibility of incorporating some or all of their reviews into the Tenant Improvement Self-Certification Program and options for alternative processes to streamline their reviews and approvals.

Grading Bond

1. The requirement for a surety and cash bonds pursuant to LAMC Section 91.7006.5.1 is waived for projects to repair, restore, demolish, or replace property or facilities substantially damaged or destroyed by the that meet both of the following conditions:
   1. The project site is located in wholly outside of the geologically sensitive areas identified in the Palisades Geohazard Risk Assessment Zones map published by LADBS; and
   2. The otherwise required bond amount is equal to or less than $15,000.

Replacement Unit Determination.The Los Angeles Housing Department shall report back to my Office within 7 working days of issuance of this Directive with options to incorporate self certification into the Replacement Unit Determination (RUD) review process.

Standard Plans. Standard plans approved under Executive Directive 13 shall be valid for three years. However, the approved plans must be updated to reflect revisions to the California Building Standards Code. Title 24, California Code of Regulations, when those updates affect the design of the standard plan. In such a case, the Department shall notify the applicant. The fee for checking and approving the revised standard plan shall be based on an hourly rate as specified in LAMC Section 98.0415(e).