It appears that the Los Angeles density backlash is starting to really… blow up. Particularly in Hollywood, where several towers and multi-use developments have been set to get rolling.

On February 18, the LA Planning Department issued the Hollywood Community Plan Update Injunction Clearance, prohibiting the city’s department of Building and Safety from issuing “any permit for the construction, erection, addition to or alteration of any building or structure…unless the Department of City Planning first issues a HCPU (Hollywood Community Plan Update) Injunction Clearance.” While many projects won’t be impacted, any project seeking entitlements or permits under the HCPU could be. The order derives from a February 11 LA County Superior Court injunction stemming from several neighborhood groups’ lawsuit challenging the HCPU’s Environmental Impact Review (EIR). The HCPU was passed back in 2012, bringing with it much more density around transit, among other things. According to LandUseLa, the order will require  most projects in the area to undergo extra review (while not halting them completely), but it will essentially put 28 projects on indefinite hold. Kevin Keller, Director of Planning for LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, says that estimate could be higher than reality. “We haven’t verified that list. The planning department is still looking at these projects on a case by case basis.” He added: “The city is taking actions to ensure that projects can still move forward in Hollywood.”

Keller added that to speed things up City Council passed a motion to “initiate proceedings” to vacate the 2012 adoption of the HCPU while environmental analysis is performed. Either way the council has instructed planning to come up with ways to alter the HCPU’s EIR and resolve the situation. It goes without saying that this could take several months (at least).