More tall buildings?

Yup, that's just what this town needs – part of the proposed "density bonus" plan that would allow developers to put up taller, larger buildings as long as they include low-income units. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky predicts that the density bonus would "take a wrecking ball to some of the most beautiful, quaint neighborhoods in Los Angeles." Planning Director Gail Goldberg says there wouldn't be "towering skyscrapers" as a result of the ordinance. Actually, some city officials say they have no choice because of a state law that required such density bonuses be offered to developers. From the Daily News:

The law overrides local zoning codes and says cities must allow developers to build larger and taller buildings, with fewer parking spaces, when they include affordable units. Cities have been working to come up with local ordinances to conform with the state law, which means a developer could get an extra 20 percent to 35 percent more height or floor area, depending on the number of affordable units included. For example, a developer could buy an old two-story duplex in Sherman Oaks and, under current zoning rules, demolish it and build a new 30-unit apartment building up to 45 feet in height - or three stories. If the developer agrees to rent six of those units to low-income families, the building could be as tall as four stories. And that means that if the apartment complex backs up to a single-family neighborhood, someone living in an old bungalow could have a fourth-story neighbor.