More housing legislation, L Line might skip San Dimas station, and more

One week after Governor Newsom signed a landmark bill to ban parking minimums near major transit stops statewide, more legislation that could impact housing development has emerged out of Sacramento. On September 28, Newsom announced the signing of AB 2011 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) and SB 6 by Senator Anna Caballero (D-Merced), which will enable the construction of housing on of vacant or underutilized sites which are zoned for commercial uses.

While Los Angeles has long allowed residential uses on commercial properties, many other jurisdictions in Southern California had not. The impact of the change could be wide reaching, according to analysis by Urban Footprint. The software platform released a report in August indicating that the AB 2011 could generate between 1.6 million and 2.4 million new homes across the state.

Here's what we're reading this week:

L.A. moves closer to ending COVID-19 eviction protections "Under the plan, starting Feb. 1, L.A. landlords will once again be able to evict tenants for unpaid rent and other reasons even if tenants have been affected by COVID-19. The city’s current rules have prohibited such evictions since March 2020." (LA Times)

Eyes On The Street: Newly Protected Bike Lanes on Venice Boulevard "The upgrades stop a block short of a protected connection to Culver City Metro E Line Station and the Expo Line bike path. LADOT is planning to make that connection soon – extending the protection several miles further west to Lincoln Boulevard, and adding new bus-only lanes on Venice Boulevard – as part of a project expected to be implemented this winter." (Streetsblog LA)

In Southeast LA, 'Toxic Tours' Teach Students About Local Polluters And Community-Led Resistance "On a cloudy Saturday morning earlier this month, about two dozen students gathered around Exide Technologies in Vernon, a now-shuttered car battery recycling plant that exposed surrounding communities to toxic pollutants for decades." (LAist)

First look: Inside DTLB's newest high-rise, Onni East Village (yes, the one attached to Acres of Books) "DTLB's newest high-rise—the first one since Shoreline Gateway opened last year—is in the heart of Downtown's core and incorporates two other major structures." (Longbeachize)

L.A. to vote on ‘mansion tax’ to raise money for housing. Bass, Caruso don’t support it "The ballot measure would generate an estimated $600 million to $1.1 billion a year, according to a city analysis." (LA Times)

San Dimas lawsuit over light-rail parking project may mean the train skips that station "Against city wishes, the Gold Line (now L Line) Construction Authority condemned land to build parking for the station" (Daily News)

At Car Lots, the Best Deal May Be the Real Estate "The New York Times takes a look at The West Edge development at Olympic and Bundy" (New York Times)

Rowena Reservoir ponds in Los Feliz remain empty and off-limits "That’s when the L.A. Department of Water & Power drained the decorative ponds to repair a filtration system. The work was completed last August, but the ponds have remained empty with no timetable to refill them thanks to the drought....Meanwhile, efforts to open the space to the public have also been stalled." (Eastsider)