PPCC Library Integration Test

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P A C I F I C P A L I S A D E S C O M M U N I T Y C O U N C I L
August 18, 2025
To: Mayor Karen Bass; Council President Marquees Harris-Dawson; Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez, Adrin
Nazarian, Bob Blumenfeld, Nithya Raman, Katy Yaroslavsky, Imelda Padilla, Monica Rodriguez, Curren D. Price, Jr.,
Heather Hutt, Traci Park, John S. Lee, Hugo Soto-Martinez, Ysabel Jurado and Tim McOsker
Via email to all the above
Re: CF 25-0002-S19 (opposition to SB 79 to be added to the City’s 2025-26 State Legislative
Program); Item 44 on the August 19, 2025, Council Agenda – SUPPORT CF; OPPOSE SB 79
Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers:
Pacific Palisades Council (PPCC) has for 52 years been the voice of Pacific Palisades – the community that was
devastated by the Palisades Fire. As many of you know, we are entirely located within the designated Very High Fire
Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ).
For years, PPCC has consistently opposed legislation that would streamline housing density and erode local control
over planning and zoning decisions, especially proposed legislation without an unconditional exemption for the
VHFHSZ. Such legislation in turn places our community (and similar communities in Los Angeles) at severe risk to
public safety due to congested evacuation routes during wildfire emergencies and mandatory evacuations – a risk
that was already demonstrated on January 7 during the Palisades Fire, when many people were forced to abandon
cars due to the extreme traffic congestion and to escape the fires on foot. No responsible public official should
support legislation that would streamline density in the VHFHSZ and thus increase the clear risk to public safety in the state’s
severely fire-prone areas.1
PPCC strongly opposes SB 79 and supports CF 25-0002-S19 (Lee/Park).2 As we have explained, the bill
erodes local land use control; requires streamlined approval of very high multifamily buildings near transit in single-
family neighborhoods, even when municipalities such as Los Angeles already have a state-approved and compliant
Housing Element; and critically compromises public safety by failing to include an unconditional exemption for
the VHFHSZ.
Moreover, as City Attorney Hydee-Feldstein Soto stressed in her opposition to SB 79, the bill fails to provide a
funding mechanism for crucial required infrastructure and public safety improvements, and would “impose billions
1 See PPCC’s recent Policy Statement in this regard:
https://pacpalicc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/PPCC-Policy-Statement-Density-Public-Safety.pdf
2 See PPCC’s letter to the State Senate in this regard:
https://pacpalicc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/PPCC-Letter-Oppose-SB-79-R.pdf
Post Office Box 1131, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 info@pacpalicc.org pacpalicc.org

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Pacific Palisades Community Council
Mayor Bass and City Councilmembers
August 18, 2025
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of dollars of costs on Los Angeles and other local jurisdictions, undermine local governance, circumvent local
decision-making processes, and impose unintended burdens on communities.”3
The City Attorney has also reminded public officials: “Article XIII, Section 25(a)(3) of the California Constitution
expressly provides that ‘public safety is the first responsibility of local government.’” [Emphasis added.]
SB 79 will dangerously compromise public safety in our communities, thus violating the California Constitution. It
would impermissibly and severely strain the City’s budget, substantially undermine local decision-marking processes,
and destroy traditional neighborhoods in all areas of the City. Further, the bill does not require any affordable
housing, and is unnecessary in Los Angeles, which, as you know, has a state-approved and compliant Housing Element.
For these compelling reasons, and in the overriding interest of public safety, we urge all members of the Los
Angeles City Council to vote Yes on CF 25-0002-S19, so that opposition to SB 79 can be added forthwith to
the City’s state legislative program, and the City’s position can be advocated with legislators as the bill is advancing
in the state legislature.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Sue Kohl, President
Christina Spitz, At-large Rep and LUC Chair
Pacific Palisades Community Council
cc (via email):
Hon. Hydee Feldstein Soto, Los Angeles City Attorney
3 See: https://westsidecouncils.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Microsoft-Word-05.23.2025-SB-79-Opposition-Letter-.docx.pdf.
PPCC has unanimously passed a motion stating our opposition to all housing density streamlining legislation, including SB 79,
that fails to include a funding mechanism for accompanying required infrastructure and public safety improvements:
https://pacpalicc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/PPCC-Letter-Housing-Density-Legis.-Funding.pdf
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