February 14th, 2026

Dear Members of the Los Angeles State Delegation,

On behalf of the Sherwood Forest Homeowners Association, we write to urge you to put

public safety first as the State continues to mandate increased housing density in

established residential neighborhoods.

Current state laws allow dramatic density increases in neighborhoods that were never

designed for such growth—many with narrow streets, limited evacuation routes, aging

infrastructure, and high fire risk. Yet development is proceeding without proof these

areas can safely evacuate residents during an emergency.

AB 747, passed in 2018, required cities to prepare evacuation capacity studies at least

every eight years, but the law is mainly ignored. Funding a professional, comprehensive

study may be costly, but we should not put a price tag on the safety and well being of

our families.

As the State mandates more housing density, the State must also help fund these

studies so cities can assess their ability to support new mandated housing. The State’s

budget constraints cannot justify ignoring this need.

Please amend and strengthen AB 747 now to ensure evacuation studies are funded by

the state, updated regularly by cities and deficiencies in infrastructure are addressed

and corrected before another emergency strikes. Public safety is the responsibility of

the government, you must not ignore it. Safety and new housing development must be

addressed together and neither can be ignored.Please work together to get this done. Our families’ safety and well being depend on

you.

Respectfully,

Patrick Coffin

President, Sherwood Forest Homeowners Association

SFHOA SAFETY Letter Download  SFHOA Letter – SAFETY FIRST 2026-02-14