In a move that could dramatically change Los Angeles’ skyline, city leaders are tossing out a requirement that all new towers have helicopter landing facilities.
The fire code requirement has been criticized for contributing to the “flat-topped” look of Los Angeles’ skyline, particularly in downtown.
Calling the policy a “stupid rule,” Mayor Eric Garcetti suggested the change would inspire architects to design towers with spires and other details.
“I want to see innovative design,” Garcetti said. “I want to see good design, but we’re going to take the handcuffs off of you when we ask you to do that. I want neighborhoods to look good, and I want our buildings to look iconic.”
Los Angeles was the only major U.S. city with such a rule, which has been in place since at least the 1970s. Los Angeles Fire Department officials maintained the landings, or “helipad” requirement, were needed to help evacuate occupants and deliver resources and firefighters during a high-rise fire.
However, many fire safety experts believe helipads are outdated and that flying helicopters near burning towers is dangerous. Those experts argue that special elevators for firefighters and additional stairways for occupants are more effective.
Architects complained they were hamstrung by the policy, unable to design buildings with domes, spires or curving roofs.
West Hollywood become one of the first cities in Los Angeles County to ease its rules on helipads when architect Cesar Pelli’s Red Building opened last year.
Former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa sought to overturn the rule after he returned from a trade trip to Asia in 2006 and questioned why Los Angeles’ skyline looked flat compared with the varied skyline of such cities as Hong Kong and Tokyo. But Villaraigosa faced pushback from the Fire Department.
In the past year, Garcetti and City Councilman Jose Huizar convened a working group of architects, developers and Fire Department representatives to study the issue.
Standing next to Garcetti on the helipad of the 32-story AT&T Center downtown on Monday, LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas said it made “absolute sense” to overturn the helicopter landing-pad rule.
“Our Fire Department culture is resistant to change sometimes,” Terrazas said.
Under the new guidelines, developers can choose instead to install an array of safety features, including a special elevator.
The policy is expected to affect such areas as downtown and other neighborhoods that allow taller buildings. Development rules were recently changed in such areas as Woodlands Hills’ Warner Center, meaning that area could see more diverse buildings.
The change drew praise from developer Paul Keller, who is building three new towers in downtown and called Los Angeles’ skyline “boring.”
“We’re looking forward to building something interesting,” Keller said.
Former Los Angeles Planning Commissioner and City Councilman Michael Woo pushed to overturn the flat-roof policy and urged then-Mayor Villaraigosa to challenge the Fire Department policy.
Attending Monday’s news conference, Woo predicted the change will alter the look of Los Angeles. He pointed to such structures as the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building in New York City.
“A skyline is really essential to the identity of a city,” Woo said. “But Los Angeles has always restricted itself with this obsolete rule.”
