Sept. 2, 2025 5:30 AM PT
To the editor: Reporter Noah Goldberg provides a balanced news account (“Two stairways are required in L.A. apartments. What does that have to do with the housing crisis?” Aug. 29) of the L. A. City Council’s decision by a 13-1 vote to draft an ordinance to modify the city’s building code to permit new apartment buildings of up to six stories to have only one staircase (currently, the code requires two staircases for buildings over three stories). I congratulate and thank Councilwoman Traci Park for her opposition to the proposed ordinance.
This is a dangerous idea. In the interest of expediting more housing, this proposal, if passed, would risk the lives of the men, women and children who are in the buildings. Also, it puts at greater risk our brave firefighters, police officers and paramedics who are trying to go up a building’s only staircase while the civilians in the building are trying to go down. One other concern — earthquakes. Scenario: The only stairway collapses and a fire begins, or the gas is released. Would you want to be on the fourth floor? Would you want a family member or friend or anyone else to be stuck in that situation? Obviously, a second stairway increases the chances that people can get safely out of the building and that firefighters can better attack the fires and/or gas leak and rescue people.
I urge the council to reject this risky, life-threatening proposal.
Rick Tuttle, Culver City