https://reasonstobecheerful.world/fire-wise-rebuilding-los-angeles/
"When the 2018 Woolsey fire reduced Carla and Kevin Fern’s modest house in the
Malibu hills to ash, they knew they wanted to rebuild. “Where else would we
go?” Carla Fern asks, having grown up in Malibu. “Being in a place with deep
personal history is irreplaceable. But everyone must take responsibility for
the choice of living here.”
Once a peaceful retreat framed by oaks and terraced stone walls on a rural
stretch of the Santa Monica Mountains, their 1,100-square-foot home was among
the nearly 1,700 structures destroyed by the fire.
To help residents rebuild, authorities pledged to expedite permits, yet it took
the couple close to two years just to secure a temporary permit for a tiny
house on their land. They were only able to start laying their new foundation
last June — nearly six years after the fire. Fern (who asked that
RTBC not
use her real name so she could speak openly about the process) is not alone in
this struggle: Five years after the Woolsey Fire, only about 13 percent of the
688 homes lost in unincorporated Los Angeles County had been rebuilt, and
residents complain about the bureaucratic hurdles.
The devastating Palisades and Eaton fires this January destroyed more than
12,000 structures. Just like after the Woolsey fire, Governor Gavin Newsom and
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass both promised to relax regulations and
environmental requirements to help displaced residents rebuild quickly.
However, environmental and planning experts question whether simply
reconstructing what was lost is the best path forward."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
