Engage WeHo, a new website (or “digital platform”) unveiled this week by City Hill, aims to foster “meaningful and accessible community participation” in West Hollywood’s projects and policies in ways that the city’s many other attempts have fallen short.
First impression? It might actually live up to the hype.
The site currently has three projects you can “engage” with.Â
We’ll look at the first one: “Zone Text Amendment – Lease Terms (Single-Family Residences & Condos),” introduced thusly in the overview:
Today, most housing types within the City of West Hollywood are subject to an initial minimum lease term of one year, with the ability to rent month-to-month thereafter. There are some limited exceptions to this requirement, including emergency or transitional housing, which are regulated by state law. The subject of this Zone Text Amendment (ZTA) regards the other exceptions of individually owned single-family residences and condominiums.
The Zoning Ordinance of the West Hollywood Municipal Code (WHMC) requires individually owned condominium dwelling units and single-family residences to be leased for a minimum term of 31 days (WHMC Section 19.36.275 B). Upon the original adoption of this item, the City Council directed staff to explore lengthening the initial minimum lease term of these two housing types beyond 31 days.
As a result of this direction, the proposed Zone Text Amendment would require an initial minimum lease term of 60 days for individually owned condominium dwelling units and single-family residences. The intent is to balance the temporary housing needs of vital industries within West Hollywood and the region with neighborhood stabilization.
The page has pretty much all the info you might want to know, without having to dig for any of it — an overview, a timeline of the rollout, who’s in charge of the project, how to reach them, frequently asked questions, and most importantly, an online poll and a place to leave comments.
It also has a document library containing the more in-depth stuff like the draft ordinance, resolutions and staff reports.Â
The design is especially praiseworthy. It’s clean, easy to navigate, it doesn’t overwhelm and it highlights what needs to be highlighted.Â
We’re very much looking forward to more project pages— hopefully, the Fountain Ave. lane reductions, 24/7 restrooms at Plummer Park, the eight-story tower on Huntley and other dicey projects will all pop up ASAP so residents can fully understand and express their thoughts on these developments and their major ramifications.Â
Hats off to City Hall. This is exactly what the “Creative City” should be doing with its many bright minds and bountiful resources.
As other have commented, it’s foreboding that the polls in particular require no residency vetting. Anonymous feedback is crucial for honest dialogue, but might be better suited for something like WEHOOnline, or the comments section of the City’s YouTube page (which have been turned off for years).
As for a formal portal where polling will most definitely be used by the CC to justify their votes from the dais some kind of meaningful vetting is prudent, especially given many of those on CC’s histories of egregious disdain for organic community voices and penchant for blatantly astroturfing “community” opinion.
There should be a way to confirm the residency of any “stakeholder” who interacts on the site. Can’t wait to see if they put reducing Fountain to one lane in each direction on this site.
Another flawed attempt to include the residents generated by lack of forethought. Being clear, forthright and to the point is a talent not known to the communicators at City Hall. They apparently get paid by the word and extra credit for word salad obfuscations. Apparently the head of communications never learned the value of clarity and efficiency in structuring the many overly dense, intersecting narratives published by the City.
There’s the old saw how those who can’t get a job in business being “C” students get hired as government workers. There they can spend other people’s money without limit, can’t be fired, and make salary double what the same job would be in regular business.
I am all in on resident and business owner engagement, however, the process (like so many others the city does) is flawed by the equal weight given to those who simply spend time in West Hollywood. Visitors are important to the local economy, and our obligation to them is to keep them safe, that’s it. I predict that the ability to be anonymous on this new platform will skew debate and it will be just another forum for invective. Good attempt, though, WeHo!
I signed up and when it asks for zip code, the only option for “90046” is Los Angeles, NOT West Hollywood. BAD START TO THIS PROGRAM!
I answered the survey without even signing up!
I believe that whenever you enter 90046 online, it may ask if LA or WH. Not a tragedy though, it it?
Too wordy and convoluted.(kinda like their emails) Unfortunately, in the day of TikTok, the residents Weho City wants to “engage” don’t have the patients or attention span for this.
The website does not require any proof of residency within the City Of West Hollywood. This means that all the unite here people could voice their opinions anonymously and then the council can use that to say look this is what the people want when the people they’re talking about don’t even live within the city. There should be some requirement to prove that you are a West Hollywood resident so that the actual information collected is from those that actually live in this city.
Well, the council ignores the majority when they speak at city council meetings and when they write in. Let’s see if this new way of reaching them actually has any effect. I tend to doubt it. This is their kingdom and we just live in it. 🤞