Residents in California are raising concerns that developers are exploiting loopholes to construct hundreds of homes in areas prone to wildfires.
City Councilman Bob Blumenfield remarked that builders are skirting comprehensive safety inspections by hastily moving forward with affordable housing projects in commercial zones of Los Angeles.
This year, he pointed out plans to clear part of the Woodland Hills Country Club, aiming to convert the former golf course into 398 apartments.
The site is located adjacent to the Santa Monica Mountains, close to where the devastating Palisades Fire occurred, resulting in the loss of 12 lives and widespread destruction.
“The Woodland Hills Country Club lies near the area affected by the Palisades Fire and is classified as being in a ‘very high fire danger zone,’ with some streets that are just a few feet wide,” Blumenfield noted.
He criticized the recent state legislation, which seems to have diminished community protections. “It’s utterly ridiculous,” he said.
The legislation in question is the Affordable Housing and Highway Jobs Act (AB 2011). This law is designed to compel cities to rapidly provide affordable housing options in proximity to commercial areas and major transport routes.
Lawmakers introduced this initiative as a strategy to revitalize struggling strip malls, empty storefronts, and rundown commercial zones into living spaces.
Under this law, eligible projects can bypass extensive public hearings and environmental assessments, allowing developments to proceed more swiftly.
However, Blumenfield argues that developers are misusing loopholes to push risky projects into inappropriate areas like the Woodland Hills Golf Course, which carries significant fire hazards.
“It’s absurd that such extensive development can be approved in a high-risk fire zone without any community or local authority scrutiny,” he added.
Neighbors urged authorities to stop what they deem reckless, government-driven construction efforts.
One resident, Maureen Hessey, expressed her concerns: “I’m not against building, but our area lacks the infrastructure to support such high-density housing.”
Another long-term resident from the community, whose family has lived there for over four decades, warned that evacuations during a wildfire could be catastrophic.
She recounted, “Our home was built in the 1920s, when Gerard Tract was a resort, featuring small cabins.” She noted that the roads remain as narrow and winding as they were back then, with limited escape routes that could lead to danger if a fire breaks out.
“I can’t fathom the thought of 800 more vehicles trying to navigate during an emergency. The roads were already jammed during the Palisades fire, even with many residents staying put,” she remarked.
Local residents have initiated a motion to reclaim control over the site, which successfully passed through the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Control Committee recently.
They are requesting that the city officially classify the golf course as “vacant land.” This designation would prevent automatic approval for projects in extreme fire zones under state law.
If this classification holds, any future development would have to undergo an official approval process, including environmental assessments and public hearings, which could slow things down significantly.
Blumenfield pointed out, “Whether or not the golf course is legally categorized as vacant land could be crucial for ensuring a proper review.”
While planning officials have paused developers’ applications due to insufficient documentation, they caution that this hold may only be temporary.
If the necessary documents are later resubmitted, current state laws may allow development with minimal local oversight. The situation is now set for a vote by the City Council.
