Correspondence - #27 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Flores, Dora From: Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2024 10:00 AM To: eComment Cc: 'Christine Miller'; 'Parker Shea' Subject: Item 27, City Council Meeting (1/16/24): Ordinance Amendment No. 2023-04 (Hotel - Related Zoning Amendments) Attachments: 2024.01.16_CC Comment Letter-ZOA Hotel Related Zoning Amendment.pdf Follow Up Flag: Flag Status: Follow up Flagged Dear Honorable Mayor Amezcua and City Councilmembers: On behalf of UNITE HERE Local 11 (Local 11), please see the attached five -page comment letter on the above -referenced item involving various hotel -related Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. 2023-04 (ZOA). In short, Local 11 is concerned about the ZOA's hotel -related provisions given the following: 1. There has been no environmental review for the ZOA despite it being a project as defined by CEQA. 2. During a housing crisis, the ZOA would make it easier to build hotels than it would be to build multi -family housing in many parts of the City. 3. The Staff Report does not consider inconsistencies with numerous goals/policies under the City's Housing Element that calls for more than 3,000 new housing units by 2029. 4. The proposed hotel standards are weak and do not address many potential impacts that hotel projects can cause (e.g., displacing housing, low-income residents, increasing auto travel and associated environmental impacts, etc.), which can be addressed through carefully crafted measures as part of a discretionary approval process. 5. The ZOA would remove the discretionary approval process and less hotel development oversight by the elected City Council. In comparison, other cities see the need for more oversight to mitigate potential negative impacts, such as the City of Los Angeles, which recently passed a new CUP requirement (appealable to its City Council) for all hotels proposed in Hollywood and Downtown Los Angeles. Local 11 has a significant interest in this matter, with over 30,000 workers employed in hotels, restaurants, airports, sports arenas, and convention centers throughout Southern California and Phoenix —including hundreds of members who live and/or work in the City. For these reasons (discussed further in the attached comment letter), Local 11 respectfully requests the City strike and remove Sections 7 through 20 and Exhibits A and e of the updated ZOA included in the Executive Director's Memorandum dated January 11, 2024 (see IMe_rn_c.). City staff, please confirm receipt of this message and do not hesitate to contact me if you have any issues retrieving the attached document. Very truly yours, Jordan R. Sisson, Attorney Law Office of Gideon Kracov Los Angeles, CA 90017 Office: