The Los Angeles City Council last week approved a plan to let temporary Olympics-related projects sidestep the California Environmental Quality Act and possibly become permanent after they have been built.

A revised ordinance the council signed off on now contains more details on the process to approve lasting projects, but it still doesn’t include a set list of projects that will be using the new ordinance, something critics have pounced on. 

“There is simply too much of an opportunity to use the Olympics measure as a tool to accomplish permanent placement of facilities otherwise impossible to build and permit,” the Westwood South of Santa Monica Boulevard Homeowners Association wrote in a letter to the council. 

The ordinance was approved 14-0, with no discussion from the council. 

The approved version outlines a process by which temporary projects needed for the Games could be made permanent, even after they have been built. Although these Games have been billed as “no-build,” examples of needed infrastructure such as venues, training facilities and fan zones have been cited as projects that might tap into this workaround to get structures up and running quickly for the event. 

Not all projects would be eligible. Hotels, a variety of transportation projects and the demolition of housing were among those that can’t utilize this path to speedy construction, according to the new regulation. 

Even those projects that received temporary approvals would now have to go through a process to become permanent that includes a city council vote and public hearings. All temporary projects erected through this expedited approval process have to be taken down by February 2029 under the new rules. 

Neighborhood groups that spoke out against the proposal were concerned about the lack of clarity over how this would be used and which projects would result from sidestepping CEQA.

“We understand the need for the City to move quickly with preparations for the Olympics,” the Westwood HOA wrote. “The clock is ticking. However, at this point in time it is rather incredible to see that the City fails to have a complete list of projects needed for the games.” 

The city has struggled with deadlines for these Games, having only this month approved a critical agreement with LA28 that determines, among other things, who pays for any budget shortfalls the Olympics have. In the agreement the council approved, the city of LA would pay.