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AIA|LA & LADWP Development Services: 2024 Quarterly Meeting
September 20 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm PDT
Free
AIA|LA & LADWP Development Services: 2024 Quarterly Meeting
These quarterly meetings serve as an opportunity for AIA members to connect directly with LADWP leadership and to discuss opportunities and strategies to improve development services.
On Friday, September 20 (12pm) we will be meeting with LADWP in person at their LADWP Central District Facility (1350 Wall St, Los Angeles, CA 90015). Lunch will be provided.
The schedule for 2024:
1. Wednesday, March 13 (12pm – 1pm)
2. Wednesday, June 5 (12pm – 1pm)
3. Friday, September 20 (12pm – 1pm) = (THIS MEETING WILL BE IN-PERSON)
4. Wednesday, December 4 (12pm – 1pm)
Please share your specific issues, recommendations, challenges, and/or questions in advance and we’ll add them to the agenda or each meeting. Email us here = Will@aialosangeles.org.
- Status update on the “Press Release” celebrating the collaborative partnership of LADWP and AIA Los Angeles
- How can we best support LADWP so that ‘early input’ on projects from LADWP engineers is made more feasible?
- What does LADWP need so that we can build 400,000 units of housing citywide? And how can AIA help? A new bond measure? More Human Resources?
- Estimated system required to support:
- + 100-unit apartments, 100% electric and EV parked to code.
- + 250-unit apartments, 100% electric and EV parked to code.
- + 10-unit apartments, 100% electric and EV parked to code.
- Estimated system required to support:
- What resources does LADWP need to ensure projects are ‘energized’ and connected to the grid in a more timely manner?
- More clarity on the Process and timeline associated with getting new projects connected to the grid
- LADWP Load Capacity & Zoning Map: anticipated new development, utility infrastructure & community plan updates (density) =
- https://ladwp-power.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=290be9aa52694ef39bf3088940079f62
- To facilitate more infill development, especially on smaller parcels:
- An estimated # of transformers in sub-grade vaults are in the process?
- Or, percentage % of vaults vs. pad mount applications?
- And the typical timeline for each.
- What resources does LADWP need to acquire more ‘flexible’ equipment? How can AIA|LA help expand these resources?
- Utilizing smaller trucks, or more efficient cranes, or sub-contracting opportunities for these more ’nimble’ jobs?
- Leveraging more Public right-of-way equipment (vista or field switches) that can serve more than one property at a centralized location
- Urban Design Best-Practices == How to leverage more opportunities for:
- Transformers in alleys as a ‘preferred’ alternative
- LADWP & Urban Tree Canopy: revising tree spacing guidelines to allow for closer proximity b/w trees and utility infrastructure
- Urban heat island: More landscaping around transformers and staging areas.
- BIG IDEA: AIA & LADWP to organize a workshop about urban design best practices, case studies, and how to address the urban design challenges writ large via the lens of LADWP.
- What resources are available to help educate clients about “Project Powerhouse’ and the fair-share program?
- Line extensions
- A general ‘rule of thumb’ understanding to help anticipate costs, etc.
- How is the fee calculated?
- LADWP Revised Rule 15-E Underground Line Extension
- https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2023/23-0623_misc_9-25-23.pdf
- Line extensions
For the past 24+ months, AIA Los Angeles and LADWP have been organizing a quarterly series of roundtable discussions, which serve as an opportunity to further connect the architecture community and LADWP development services personnel. These quarterly roundtables help to establish a more collaborative partnership and facilitate opportunities to identify solutions to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
In general, the quarterly meetings serve as forums to:
1. Build trust and understanding between LADWP personnel and the private sector (architects/ designers/ engineers).
2. Develop compassion and empathy to better understand each other’s professional priorities and implementation tactics.
3. Allow idea exchange and interaction — to learn from each other, and to test out new methods and performance standards.
4. Establish greater context for how environmental justice, shade equity, climate mitigation, urban heat island, tree canopy, building decarbonization, housing affordability, 100% electrification, on-site generation, and urban design are all inter-related (and therefore require a more connected partnership between LADWP and the architecture community implementing the infrastructure framework to address all of these inter-related challenges).
5. Expedite and streamline LADPW’s development services.
More specifically, the quarterly forums allow for:
1. Improve the architects’ understanding of specific LADWP rules, regulations, standards, and procedures – and offer helpful insight on how to better improve those specific regulations and standards to achieve more optimal outcomes.
2. Create pathways to achieve greater flexibility and clarity of purpose for why certain variances and modifications are necessary, helpful, and/or mutually beneficial.
3. Identify obstacles to implementation
4. Establish pilot programs to test out new ideas and innovative solutions.
5. Establish an inventory of code-related obstacles and analyze which codes and regulations may need to be modified/ altered to achieve more effective outcomes
6. Map out strategies for how to better leverage resources
7. Prioritize changes in equipment size, models, standards, and ‘cultural habits’ that can assist in delivering positive results (healthier urban design, greater biodiversity, safer working conditions, a more beautiful and less stressful public realm, etc.)
8. Identify opportunities to leverage best practices from Southern California Edison as it relate to design standards and protocols that promote more verdant ecosystems in integration with utility infrastructure (relationship between street trees and landscaping w/ utility infrastructure, etc) and the ability to utilize alternative materials that promote a ‘greener,’ and less stressful public realm.
9. The exploration of third-party services, peer review, and self-certification, etc.
Some of the direct outcomes achieved to date include:
1. Improved staffing and processing times at BOE for utility permits
2. More permissible variances for staging areas and transformer pads, etc.
3. Streamlined processes for 100% affordable housing (ED #1)
4. Amortization of line-extensions, etc
5. Deeper trust between AIA Los Angeles and LADWP leadership
In the future, as the impact of these sessions further evolves and demonstrates results, we’d like to make certain:
1. That these forums serve as a model for how other LA City departments can deepen relationships with the private sector to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
2. Deepen the trust between LADWP and the citizens/ residents/ professionals/ clients it serves.
We applaud LADWP’s leadership in prioritizing the partnership between AIA Los Angeles and the utility. If LADWP’s communication team can help us communicate and celebrate the impact of these forums, the general public will benefit from a deeper understanding of how public and private partnerships can help achieve positive results for all.
For more information about AIA LA GO!, the AIA LA Government Outreach Committee, please CLICK HERE.
