Los Angeles County officials announced Tuesday a pilot program that uses artificial intelligence to speed up the review and approval of building plans for residents who lost homes in January's wildfires.
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The county partnered with Archistar -- a company that uses an AI- powered platform to streamline the building process -- to introduce the eCheck AI Pilot. The digital tool uses AI to review building plans for compliance with zoning regulations.
Homeowners with single-family properties in residential zones (R-1) in the Altadena or Sunset Mesa communities were invited to enroll as "early adopters," county officials said.
Participants can join the program by:
-- Signing up for a free account at start.archistar.ai/us/lacounty;
-- Looking up their property address;
-- Uploading architectural drawings in PDF format; and
-- Selecting either a "Like-for-Like" and "Non-Like-for-Like" rebuilding projects.
The review process may take up to 10 business days, though some results may be returned sooner. Once complete, applicants can download a report for use in a County Disaster Recovery Permit -- Rebuilding Project application.
Last week, elected officials marked the six month anniversary of the L.A. wildfires that devastated areas of the county.
L.A. County Supervisor and Board Chair Kathryn Barger also unveiled details of a new plan that is intended to guide the next phase of restoring communities such as Altadena and Pacific Palisades.
The plan, called "Forward: Blueprint for Rebuilding," is expected to focus on waiving requirements and lowering rebuilding costs, expediting property tax relief, expediting property tax relief, accelerating permitting and inspections, and undergrounding overhead utilities.
"As we mark six months since the devastating fires, we recognize the historic actions taken to clear debris from thousands of properties in record time," Barger said in a statement. "But this is only the beginning. We must move into the next phase -- rebuilding -- with the same determination and urgency."
"Backed by the State of California and other critical partners, our LA County Forward Blueprint will drive a swift, resilient recovery and ensure our communities emerge stronger than ever," she added.
The AI review and approval plan check program is just one piece of that blueprint.
Residents can also benefit from the county's like-for-like rebuild and pre-approved plans, which can be found at recovery.lacounty.gov under the rebuilding page.
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