Los Angeles has approved four permits to rebuild homes destroyed or damaged by the January wildfire in a wealthy enclave of Palisades in the Pacific Ocean, which has burned around 7,000 homes.
The Los Angeles Times reported that a small number of residents had been approved last week to begin rebuilding the property.
According to the Building Safety Agency, three permits were to repair a damaged home, and two were to repair two for a complete reconstruction. The first permit was issued on March 5, two months before the Palisade fire swept through Pallisade and its surrounding areas in the Pacific, destroying or seriously damaged more than 6,000 homes.
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Aftermath of fires along the Pacific Palisade and the Pacific Coast highways. Violators said at least 10 people were killed in all Los Angeles fires and 5,300 structures were destroyed in the Pallisard fire. January 10th in Los Angeles. (David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images))
The first few permits issued have been touted by Mayor Karen Bass as a city's recovery milestone, but local leaders and residents have criticised the slow permitting process. Councillor Traci Park said only four permits were “concerns” issued as of March 24, more than two months after the fire.
La Mayor Karen Bass recently confirmed CBS News. She regretted that she was in Ghana, and a wildfire broke out in her city. (AP/Getty)
“When I heard that only four permits have been issued at the community meeting like today and that was issued on the 75th day, that's concerning to me,” Park said at a meeting Monday.
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Fox News Digital has contacted the Los Angeles Department of Architecture and Safety about the permitting process.
On Thursday, January 9th, you will walk through the destruction left behind by the Palisade fire in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades district. (AP/Jae C. Hong)
The first phase of the permitting process involves the identification and disposal of hazardous wastes such as asbestos, lead and other toxic materials. The second phase requires clearing the ash and the top 3-6 inches of contaminated soil.
Of the four permits issued, one involved the owner of the split-level home near Rustic Canyon, who submitted a blueprint to the city inspector for repairs to the main bedroom, bathroom and garage that was burned on February 17th.
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Other city councillors have criticised the base's decision to hire private haggerty consulting for a $10 million fee to oversee recovery efforts, despite staring at a $1 billion budget deficit next year.
“We have a city department that knows how to do this recovery and has been involved in recovery efforts in the past,” Councillor Monica Rodriguez told ABC7. “Even so, they can't give them the opportunity to hire the personnel they need, but we can give external agencies a $10 million contract to help them write a report for us.”
