Election results roll in, SB 79 map rolls out, and more

Election day has come and gone, but as results continue to trickle in, the political landscape for development in Los Angeles could be in for a change.

At the Council level, all incumbents who were up for re-election appear to be headed toward second terms in office, while former Curren Price aide Jose Ugarte leads the race to succeed his termed-out ex-boss in Council District 9 and business owner Tim Gaspar leads in the race to replace Bob Blumenfield int he 3rd Council District. 

For citywide offices, City Controller Kenneth Meijia has coasted to re-election. The same cannot be said for City Attorney Hydee Feldstein-Soto, who after a tumultuous term where she has somehow managed to simultaneously find herself at odds with progressive activists, the Los Angeles Police Protective League, and much of the City Council, has likely earned the ignominious distinction of becoming the first City officeholder in nearly 100 years to fail to make a run-off.

Things also remain in flux for the Mayor's race, where it remains to be seen whom embattled incumbent Karen Bass will face in the run-off later this year. Reality television star Spencer Pratt currently sits in second place, but his lead over City Councilmember Nithya Raman shrinks on a daily basis as more votes are tallied.

Here's what we're reading this week:

L.A.’s ULA Transfer Tax Further Hamstrings Investment: Report "The transfer tax has fallen well short of its revenue goals, cut multifamily investment by 46%, and led to significantly less housing production" (Commercial Observer)

L.A. City Shifts Repaving Practice (Again), Now Repaving Only Streets With No Sidewalks "In an apparent attempt to avoid complying with accessibility and multimodal requirements, L.A. City is now repaving streets in well-off suburban neighborhoods. Many of these streets are already in good condition." (Streetsblog LA)

Temporary rent-gouging protection vanishes for L.A. fire survivors as county lets ban expire "Emergency rent-gouging protections tied to the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires have quietly expired in L.A. County after supervisors failed to extend a cap on post-disaster rent hikes, leaving fire-displaced renters fearing sharp increases." (LA Times)

Housing Coalition Contends SCAG Methodology Undermines SB 79 Mandate "For purposes of its map, SCAG proposes treating projects as sufficiently certain only after they have completed environmental review under CEQA and, when applicable, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The agency argues that this standard creates greater certainty regarding station locations and construction likelihood....Advocates contend that approach directly conflicts with SB 79." (Davis Vanguard)

LA passes plan for new ‘low-rise’ housing, delaying state law that aims higher "Instead, the council advanced plans for increased density in some targeted neighborhoods." (LAist)

Sticker shock meets gridlock: LA motorists keep driving at any price "Los Angeles freeway traffic little changed despite $6-plus gas prices" (Reuters)

Long Beach lands among U.S.’s Top 10 most bike-friendly cities; ranks 2nd in CA "The analysis evaluated 50 major U.S. cities using five key metrics: bike commute percentage, bike modal share, cyclist fatality rates, PeopleForBikes’ city network ratings, and Walk Score’s Bike Score rankings" (Streetsblog LA)

In first, California city overwhelmingly votes to permanently ban datacenters "While many US city councils have passed moratoriums, Monterey Park is first where residents have voted on a ban" (The Guardian)