AIA|LA & LADWP Development Services: 2026 Quarterly Meetings – 06.18.26

MEETING AGENDA

AIA|LA & LADWP Quarterly Leadership Meeting

Date: June 18, 2026 (11:00am – 12:00pm)

Objective: Modernizing development services and utility standards to align with Los Angeles’s housing production and public realm goals.

1. Introductions & Strategic Alignment (10 mins)

• Aligning LADWP’s infrastructure requirements with the City’s push for denser, transit-oriented development and “missing middle” housing.

• Balancing grid reliability with the urgent need to reduce project delays and minimize the utility footprint on the public right-of-way.

2. Spatial Optimization: Right-Sizing the Utility Footprint (15 mins)

• Staging Area Expansion: Discussing the recent increases in required staging area sizes. Exploring whether equipment scaling (e.g., using smaller maintenance vehicles like BOS hillside trucks) can reduce spatial demands in dense urban infill sites.

• Sidewalk Clearance Consolidation: Addressing the current standard of 12’ clear width per piece of equipment (Switch, TX, Pullbox = 36’ of dead sidewalk space). Exploring consolidated spacing (e.g., 24’ for three pieces) to preserve street trees and pedestrian flow.

3. Engineering Flexibility: Adapting to Urban Site Constraints (15 mins)

• Floor Loading & Material Alternatives: Evaluating alternatives to the increasing thickness and extent of permanent concrete required for staging areas.

• Below-Grade Transformers: Discussing current limitations on below-grade vaults (specifically the 2,000-amp cap) and pathways to increase below-grade capacity to free up surface area.

• Alley Deployments: Standardizing and incentivizing the placement of transformers in alleys rather than primary street frontages.

4. Public Realm & Climate Resilience: Heat Island Mitigation (10 mins)

• Replacing Concrete with Permeable Alternatives: Proposing the formal allowance of Decomposed Granite (DG) and utility-friendly, low-growth ground cover around equipment pads to mitigate the urban heat island effect.

• Establishing a “Green Pad” Standard: Reviewing safe planting guidelines (e.g., the 10-3-3-3 rule) that protect utility access while softening the streetscape.

5. Next Steps & Action Items (10 mins)

• Identify pilot opportunities for these recommendations.

• Establish a working group for specific code updates.

Specific Recommendations for LADWP Implementation

Recommendation 1: Create a “Dense Urban Infill” Staging Standard

• The Fix: LADWP should establish an alternative staging standard for high-density and transit-oriented areas. Instead of mandating staging areas sized for maximum-capacity cranes, LADWP should allow developers to specify that maintenance will be performed by smaller, more agile equipment (similar to BOS hillside trash trucks).

• The Fix: To address floor loading requirements, LADWP should pilot the use of certified temporary metal plates (similar to heavy-duty roadwork plates) deployed only during emergency TX replacement. This eliminates the need for developers to pour massive, permanent, thick concrete staging pads that ruin site landscaping and drive up costs.

Recommendation 2: Consolidate Sidewalk Equipment Clearances

• The Fix: Revise the clearance rule that demands 12 linear feet of clear sidewalk per individual piece of equipment. LADWP should adopt a consolidated working space model allowing overlapping access zones. For example, a switch, TX, and pullbox grouped together should require a maximum of 24 linear feet (instead of 36). This will save vital space for mandatory street tree planting and pedestrian mobility.

Recommendation 3: Expand Below-Grade and Alley Options

• The Fix: LADWP should formally review and lift the 2000-amp limit for below-grade transformers. By adopting newer active-cooling vault technologies or modular vault configurations, larger buildings can place their utilities underground, preserving the ground-floor pedestrian experience.

• The Fix: Issue a departmental directive that officially prioritizes alleyway placements for transformers, complete with pre-approved design templates, to divert these massive boxes away from primary pedestrian boulevards.

Recommendation 4: Formally Adopt a “Green Pad” Landscaping Standard

• The Fix: LADWP should revise its design manuals to explicitly ban the unnecessary paving of concrete aprons around equipment pads. Instead, mandate or allow the use of Decomposed Granite (DG) or river rock within the immediate 3-foot clearance radius to dissipate heat and provide a stable footing for workers.

• The Fix: Outside the 3-foot immediate access zone, LADWP should publish an “Approved Plant List” of drought-tolerant, shallow-root ground covers that naturally stay under 4 inches tall (e.g., Creeping Thyme, Dwarf Mondo Grass, Sedum). This officially aligns LADWP with the Mayor’s sustainability and heat-island reduction goals, ensuring crews have safe access without turning sidewalks into concrete dead zones.