A San Francisco-based pro-housing group is threatening to sue Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration over an executive order that lets local governments block duplex construction in parts of Los Angeles rebuilding after January wildfires.
YIMBY Law said it plans to file a lawsuit in Superior Court unless the governor issues a new order restoring property owners' ability to use Senate Bill 9 in the Pacific Palisades and other neighborhoods one year from now.
"We asked for this, and we're waiting for them to respond," Sonja Trauss, the group's executive director, told Politico on Tuesday.
The executive order, signed July 30, suspends key provisions of SB 9 within burn scar areas of the Palisades and Eaton fires in high fire hazard severity zones unless local agencies choose to allow SB 9 projects in all or part of those areas.
SB 9, passed in 2021, requires ministerial approval for certain lot splits and duplex projects on parcels previously limited to single-family homes, subject to safety standards.
Newsom's office has said the order is intended to address concerns that rebuilding and density could strain evacuation routes in neighborhoods at wildfire risk.
Tara Gallegos, a spokesperson for the governor, said she was unable to confirm whether Newsom was considering changes sought by YIMBY Law.
Trauss called Newsom's action "an alarming abuse of state executive powers" in a statement when the order was issued.
"The legislature passed SB 9 to increase the number of homes in existing neighborhoods," she said, arguing that homeowners should have options as they rebuild after the Palisades fire.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park, who represents the Palisades, said the community does not want added density in a high fire severity zone.
"Threats of lawsuits are absolutely tone-deaf to the reality on the ground," Park said.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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