It introduces several rule changes meant to shorten permit reviews, extend existing development rights and reduce costs
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday signed a new executive order aimed at cutting red tape for businesses rebuilding in Pacific Palisades after the January wildfires that destroyed parts of the coastal community.
The order, called Emergency Executive Order 10, expands earlier rebuilding measures to include commercial and mixed-use properties. It introduces several rule changes meant to shorten permit reviews, extend existing development rights and reduce costs for small business owners still recovering from the disaster.
Under the order, commercial projects that comply with the Palisades Commercial Village and Neighborhoods Specific Plan will now be reviewed administratively rather than through the city’s longer discretionary process. The city says that could shave months off approval times.
Business and property owners with existing land-use entitlements will receive a five-year extension if their permits were valid as of Jan. 7, 2025. The goal, city officials said, is to give businesses more time to rebuild without losing prior approvals as they navigate insurance and construction delays.
The order also directs the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) to establish a Tenant Improvement Self-Certification Program, allowing licensed architects to sign off on certain interior renovations without waiting for a city plan check. The program excludes older unreinforced masonry or non-ductile concrete buildings, which must still undergo city review.
Other provisions include a waiver of grading bond requirements—normally required to ensure slope stability—for small projects in geologically stable areas, potentially saving some property owners thousands of dollars. The Department of Building and Safety also issued new guidelines allowing civil and geotechnical engineers to self-certify soil compaction and subgrade work.
While the order removes some hurdles, it keeps full public and environmental reviews in place for projects that would expand residential density or depart from existing zoning. Properties in the Coastal Zone must still comply with state Coastal Act regulations.
The new directive follows an earlier order issued in March to expedite the rebuilding of single-family homes in the Palisades. According to city data, permits for those homes are being processed about three times faster than before the wildfires. Nearly 300 homes have begun construction, and the city has received nearly 2,000 plan check applications for damaged properties.
The January fires tore through the hillsides of Pacific Palisades and neighboring Topanga Canyon, destroying hundreds of homes and several commercial structures. Many of the area’s small retail and restaurant owners have struggled to reopen amid insurance disputes and high construction costs.
Mayor Bass has also called for statewide insurance reforms to help fire survivors rebuild more quickly, though no legislation has yet been introduced.