Welcome to CD 13: Where Local Businesses Can Thrive Again

Imagine a District 13 where every entrepreneur with a dream can open their doors, confident that the city stands ready to clear the path, keep our commercial corridors clean and welcoming, and celebrate the spirit of local commerce. By aligning real reforms with the daily challenges our small businesses face, eliminating red tape, activating vacant storefronts, delivering rapid, visible neighborhood care, and ensuring safety and vibrancy in every corridor, we can restore neighborhood pride, reduce vacancies, support job growth, grow our city’s tax base, and build a business community where anyone can thrive, right where they live.

Grow CD13

The vision for Council District 13 is to build a five-prong district-wide small business support system we will call GROW CD13 that champions small business owners, entrepreneurs, and creative commerce in every neighborhood. By weaving together hands-on guidance, targeted policy reform, rapid-response cleaning, and innovative pilot projects, Grow CD13 will transform how LA’s independent businesses open, operate, and thrive. District 13 becomes LA’s laboratory and launchpad for the city’s next chapter of neighborhood revitalization, economic opportunity, and local pride.

Small Business Concierge
A dedicated, one-on-one advisor for every new and at-risk brick-and-mortar business who tracks permits, guides owners through city departments, resolves issues and delays, and connects entrepreneurs with grants, loans, and technical assistance.

Fast Lane Permitting
Automatic CUP waivers for low-impact uses, fixed timelines, transparent fees, and default approvals if the City misses deadlines and an independent ombudsman to unlock stuck applications and ensure fairness.

Pop-Up Path & Flexible-Use Retail
Requests for district-wide pilot reforms to legalize mixed-use concepts and streamline short-term pop-up permits (offering 30, 60, and 90 day activations) so creatives and start-ups can easily activate vacant storefronts.

District-Led Clean Team
A council-employed crew providing daily corridor cleaning, swift graffiti removal, bulky-item response, merchant assistance, and coordination on major neighborhood cleanups—supplementing city and BID efforts.

Parklets & Outdoor Dining Reform
Advocacy for permanent, streamlined outdoor business rules allowing every merchant access to simple digital permits, clear design guidance, and predictable fees—whether at sidewalk tables or in creative parklet spaces.

(1) Businesses Lack Individual Guidance and LA Offers Fragmented Support

Entrepreneurs and small business owners face a patchwork of city resources and receive little consistent, real-time help as they try to open or grow a small business in LA. Departmental advice comes piecemeal from Planning, LADBS, Finance, Health, Fire, and DOTwith each agency providing information in isolation, leading to confusion and costly errors. When problems arise, such as permitting delays, code confusion, or sudden compliance notices, business owners have no one accountable to intervene. There’s no central advocate to keep applications moving, help appeal unfair requirements, or share critical updates about street closures and city disruptions.

Launch Small Business Concierge Program

  • Assign every new and at-risk brick-and-mortar business a dedicated case manager, housed in the District 13 Council office, who personally tracks all permits, inspections, and key deadlines for each entrepreneur and acts as the one-stop guide through every city department.

  • This advisor accompanies business owners through Planning, Building & Safety, Fire, Health, and DOT, proactively flagging issues, resolving delays, and keeping every application, fee, and license on track so small businesses can focus on serving customers.

  • The concierge provides advance notice about street construction or events that could impact access, and offers hands-on help to solve or coordinate solutions before disruption turns into lost revenue.

  • If an application gets stuck the advisor steps in, writes emails, calls supervisors, and pushes for urgent fixes, staying on the case until business owners get a clear answer.

  • Through links to grants, loans, and technical assistance from city, county, and partner nonprofits, this program ensures every entrepreneur gets connected to the resources needed to survive and grow, making District 13 a model for small business retention and success.

(2) Byzantine Zoning & CUP Requirements Block Everyday Uses

Ordinary storefront conversions like a bookstore adding a wine bar or a clothing shop becoming a bakery are forced into the slow and costly Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process, delaying openings for months or even years and adding thousands in legal and consultant fees. Large companies with resources navigate these hurdles relatively quickly, while local entrepreneurs and small businesses waste time that should be spent running their business and miss more opportunities, leaving our commercial corridors filled with empty windows and drawn gates.

Grow CD13 will Create a “Fast Lane” for Small & Independent Businesses

  • Council District 13 will push the city to automatically waive CUPs for low-impact conversions, so non-controversial shops, food businesses, and cafes can launch faster with basic health and safety checks, not bureaucratic marathons.

  • The Council office will advocate for clear, strict permit timelines such as 60 or 90 days for every small business, published online and tracked publicly so entrepreneurs and owners know exactly what to expect and when to expect it.

  • Fee schedules will be made transparent and simple, with clear caps by type of use, so business owners can budget accurately and never face hidden sticker shock or inconsistent agency charges.

  • If the City doesn’t act by its deadline, the application should be “deemed approved” so rent isn't wasted and business opportunities aren’t lost while files sit in limbo.

  • An independent ombudsman will be empowered to step in: reviewing complaints, investigating arbitrary denials, and advocating for small business applicants who encounter city slowdowns or unfair requirements; ensuring that the process is fair, timely, and properly focused on uses that truly impact neighborhoods.

(3) Pop-Ups & Flexible Use Retail Are Virtually Impossible Under Current Code

LA’s zoning code mostly prohibits dual or concurrent uses like bookstore + café or gallery + wine service and blocks pop-ups and “meanwhile lease” initiatives, even though empty storefronts are everywhere. These legal walls result in missed opportunities for innovation, social connection, and faster corridor revitalization. Temporary and creative uses are saddled with full-scale permitting and expensive, confusing insurance requirements, putting them fully out of reach for most local startups, non-profits, and property owners.

Legalize Flexible-Use Retail and Simple Pop-Ups

  • Council District 13 will lead efforts to allow mixed retail, food, and art uses by right, so entrepreneurs can open creative, modern businesses without forcing variances or special permissions.

  • Create a “pop-up path” through an easy, single-page permit for any short-term activation of 30, 60, or 90 days so entrepreneurs can fill empty windows with new concepts and test ideas with minimal risk or up-front cost.

  • Pass legislation for year-round “meanwhile” activations, letting property owners quickly host rolling businesses on flexible leases without protracted negotiations: a win-win for landlords, entrepreneurs, and neighborhoods hungry for action.

  • End “single-use only” zoning in active commercial corridors, encouraging dynamic retail mixes and community-oriented street life that matches how real people want to shop, gather, and create.

  • Partner with the City’s risk and insurance brokers to develop standardized, affordable insurance packages for temporary uses and pop-ups, breaking down yet another barrier for small-scale entrepreneurs ensuring all businesses and cultural ventures have a fighting chance.

(4) Dirty, Unsafe Commercial Corridors Hurt Foot Traffic & Retention

Sidewalk cleanliness, public safety, homeless encampments, graffiti, and trash are among the most persistent and pressing concerns voiced by merchants citywide. Even in Business Improvement District (BID) areas, where businesses pool resources for upkeep, challenges remain severe and systemic: Merchants and shoppers regularly confront daily graffiti and vandalism, often on storefronts and windows, which discourages customers and increases maintenance costs. Illegal dumping and bulky-item trash accumulate overnight or remain for days due to inconsistent city trash collection and enforcement, creating unsanitary and unwelcoming conditions. Sanitation services are often inconsistent or absent, leaving sidewalks and alleys dirty and hazardous, even in busy commercial corridors. Public safety concerns impact customers and employees, as ongoing encampments and loitering can lead to perceived or real risk in some areas.

District-Led Clean Team: Council-Driven Clean Streets Program

  • Hire and deploy a dedicated Clean Team from the council office to provide rapid-response sidewalk and facade cleaning, fast graffiti removal, and bulky-item pick-up prioritizing the blocks with the highest needs and heaviest foot traffic, not just for scheduled sweeps but real-time responses for merchants and neighbors.

  • Respond directly to merchant and resident requests ensuring no complaint is lost in bureaucracy while publicly tracking repeat problem spots, so the community sees progress and accountability in real time.

  • Step up with materials and storefront assistance: help businesses protect their windows and facades by funding anti-graffiti and anti-acid etch coatings, using public-private partnerships so the cost burden doesn’t fall entirely on small shopkeepers or property owners.

  • Bridge gaps between businesses, volunteers, and city agencies: coordinate corridor-wide cleanups and special events, making sure city departments, the Clean Team, property owners, and neighbors are all working together, never leaving merchants or BIDs to solve chronic problems alone.

  • Work hand in hand with property owners to keep buildings clear of debris and trash, actively supporting private effort with public resources where persistent issues arise and linking owners directly to city assistance for chronic cases.

(5) Parklets & Outdoor Dining Are Stuck in Limbo

LA’s temporary Al Fresco dining program changed the city overnight, making neighborhoods vibrant and safe, but now, as emergency policies sunset, businesses again face multiple costly permits, unclear design requirements, and slow, disjointed reviews for every single outdoor seat. Food trucks and vendors often confront even more complexity as city, county, and state agencies pile on separate, sometimes conflicting rules discouraging them from activating empty lots or busy corners.

Make Parklets & Outdoor Seating Permanent and Streamlined

  • Cement Al Fresco as a permanent citywide feature, anchored by a single, digital application for all outdoor commerce and parklet permits. If City Hall won’t move fast enough, Council District 13 will launch the model locally proving what equitable, efficient outdoor business can look like for every neighborhood in Los Angeles

  • Set clear, affordable, and consistent fee schedules and design rules, published publicly, so restaurants and retailers know what to expect, what it will cost, and how to plan ahead.

  • Establish clear approval standards and expedited timelines, getting rid of overlapping, redundant reviews from multiple departments that slow investment and punish creativity.

  • Ensure every corridor from Hollywood to Echo Park and Atwater Village enjoys the same streamlined access to outdoor space, with technical help and outreach for businesses that don’t have the resources for professional consultants.

  • CD13 will lead by rolling out local demonstration projects and technical support, showing citywide how year-round outdoor commerce, retail events, and food innovation should be integrated into the fabric of every neighborhood, for good.