Brief

The Area Planning Commission for East Los Angeles has filed a CEQA appeal regarding environmental review for a conditional-use development at 1236 North Cliff Drive. The appeal challenges the environmental determination (Case ENV-2025-2857-CE-1A) tied to the underlying conditional-use permit application (ZA-2025-2856-CU1-SPPC-HCA). The file was referred to the Planning and Land Use Management Committee on September 11, 2026, and remains pending before that body.

Full summary

This file involves a CEQA appeal challenging the environmental clearance for a proposed two-unit residential development at 1236 North Cliff Drive in the Mount Washington-Glassell Park neighborhood of Council District 1. Applicant Hallie Black of As the Crow, LLC seeks to build two single-family dwellings totaling roughly 3,694 square feet on a vacant 9,306 square-foot hillside lot using Senate Bill 9 two-unit development and urban lot-split provisions. The project required conditional use approvals because the lot fronts a substandard hillside limited street and the proposed buildings do not meet standard front yard setback requirements. The East Los Angeles Area Planning Commission heard the case on July 8, 2026, and voted 2-0-1 to partially grant and partially deny an earlier appeal of the Zoning Administrator's April 2026 determination. The commission approved conditional uses allowing the two dwellings on a hillside lot without a continuous 20-foot-wide paved roadway from the driveway apron to the boundary of the Hillside Area, and allowing reduced front yard setbacks of zero to three feet depending on whether a street dedication is taken. It denied the request to waive the roadway widening requirement along the property frontage itself, finding that the applicant had already committed to providing a 20-foot roadway width there. The commission also approved specific plan compliance under the Mount Washington/Glassell Park Specific Plan. Conditions of approval require the applicant to complete roadway widening before construction begins, replace a failing 80-year-old stormwater pipe, obtain Fire Department and Department of Transportation approvals, and adhere to detailed hillside construction regulations governing hauling hours, truck limits, and community notification. The only item now before the City Council is the CEQA appeal filed by Brianna MacGillivray, represented by attorney Rob Glushon of Luna and Glushon. The commission determined the project is categorically exempt from CEQA under Class 3 (new small structures) and found no evidence that any exception to that exemption applies. MacGillivray's appeal contests that determination. The local councilmember and several community members opposed the project over concerns about density, setbacks, fire hazard, and safety on the narrow Cliff Drive roadway; the local neighborhood council supported the project overall but opposed the setback and roadway waivers. The file was transmitted to the City Clerk on September 10, 2026, and referred to the Planning and Land Use Management Committee the next day. Council has 75 days from the August 27, 2026 appeal filing date to act. The matter remains pending in committee.

Activity (2)

• 2026-09-11 Area Planning Commission (APC) / East Los Angeles document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
• 2026-09-10 Document submitted by Area Planning Commission (APC) / East Los Angeles, dated September 10, 2026.

Documents (8)

• 2026-09-10 Report from East Los Angeles Area Planning Commission · report
• 2026-09-10 Attachment to Report dated 9-10-26 - Appeal · attachment
• 2026-09-10 Attachment to Report dated 9-10-26 - Modified Conditions of Approval · attachment
• 2026-09-10 Attachment to Report dated 9-10-26 - Amended Findings · attachment
• 2026-09-10 Attachment to Report dated 9-10-26 - Mailing list · attachment
• 2026-09-10 Attachment to Report dated 9-10-26 - Notice of Exemption · attachment
• 2026-09-10 Attachment to Report dated 9-10-26 - Packet for Commission Hearing · attachment
• 2026-09-10 Attachment to Report dated 9-10-26 - Letter of Determination · attachment