Effective: Monday, March 23, 2020

Consistent with Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Executive Directive on COVID-19 to limit in-person contact, all City Planning staff will be interacting with customers and project applicants online, through email, and by phone. To facilitate the exchange of documents and plans, a new “drop-box system” is being implemented for all City Departments that staff the Development Services Centers (DSC) at th

e Metro/Downtown location (Figueroa Plaza), in Van Nuys at the Marvin Braude Building, and at the West Los Angeles office.

With City facilities closed to the public, applicants no longer need an appointment to submit an application for a new case filing or condition clearance. Applicants will now be able to file project applications without having to access the public counter or wait for an initial filing appointment. For services that cannot be accomplished electronically and require the submission of physical documents and plans, applicants may use the drop box. The drop box will be available during regular business hours and will be monitored in a secure location outside the three DSCs. Staff will contact applicants via email and phone to provide payment information and to address any issues before the case file is deemed complete. Once complete, the case will be assigned for processing.

Appeal applications will also be accepted in the same manner. Appeal applications will be subject to review and approval by staff to ensure they meet all legal requirements per the Los Angeles Municipal Code.

Many of the specialized Planning services offered at the Metro/Downtown DSC will be provided electronically. This includes pre-application reviews conducted by the Housing Services Unit and the Beverage & Entertainment Streamlined (BESt) team, as well as Redevelopment Plans Unit clearances. Home-Sharing application services and payment will continue to be conducted electronically. Condition clearance functions for Major Projects will also continue to be conducted electronically, to the extent possible.

We continue to undertake additional health and safety measures. City Planning will continue to evaluate its existing services to ensure that the Department is conducting itself in the best possible way to minimize potential human exposure to COVID-19. We appreciate your understanding and will be sure to keep you updated in the weeks ahead.