CRE professionals were unimpressed with the stated plans, but expressed hope that something, anything could be done to improve the process.

Mark Tarczynski, EVP of Colliers International, tells GlobeSt.com the city needs “a more cohesive zoning code that allows for more latitude in terms of types of building construction. And when I say more latitude, I'm speaking specifically about density. Currently, you have to beg, borrow and steal to get increased density. It's a nightmare process to get that.”

Tarczynski also hoped for some relief in the permitting process from any reforms. “Permitting is byzantine at best, and that's because you have some inordinate number of agencies, all of whom have their fiefdom, and all of whom want to have an impact on your particular project.”

He added, “I've been around too long and am too much of a cynic to believe that this government will do anything to improve. It just gets worse. And this isn't the only city – San Francisco is worse than L.A."

Scott Sommer, a partner in the environmental land use group at Pillsbury Winthrop, says the “code is very complicated, and there are things going on in Los Angeles that the zoning administration doesn't even know what other departments need. It's complicated and unwieldy.”

Sommer tells GlobeSt.com that the processing time in L.A. is very long, “as long as anywhere I've experienced, and I go all over the state and even in other states. There are many people complaining about that. Many businesses want to be in L.A., but it's a pain in the neck to do business there.”

He added that the long process of community meetings will “take them a long time to do anything. L.A. is complicated, and I doubt that will change a great deal.”

GlobeSt.com will be updating the story with additional comments on the proposed zoning changes as they arrive.