Tall order. The L.A. City Planning Commission has signed off on the controversial Millenium Project in Hollywood. That’s despite opposition from two city councilmembers, including Eric Garcetti, a candidate for mayor of L.A. The $664 million project calls for a pair of 55-story skyscrapers flanking the Tower Record building. The buildings would be more than twice as high as the next tallest structure in Hollywood. The site is a few blocks away from the Red Line’s Hollywood and Vine station. The project still needs City Council approval. L.A. Times
Low snow. California’s snowpack is giving state water officials chills. The latest survey finds the Sierra Nevada pack at just 50 percent of normal. After a wet fall, the state recorded its driest January and February on record. March hasn’t been much better. Snowmelt provides about a third of the water used in homes and on farms in California. San Jose Mercury News
Team ‘20-20.’ Former Governor Gray Davis and former U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis will be putting their heads together to help solve the city of L.A.’s chronic budget problems. They’re among 12 civic, business and labor leaders on an independent commission that will delve into deficit and employment issues. The Los Angeles 20-20 Commission is being led by former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Mickey Kantor. Former L.A. Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner will be second in command. L.A. Times
Clear as mud. A national organization says California is falling way short when it comes to government transparency. A new report says California has failed to make its budget and legislative data easy to access. And the information that has been posted online is limited, according to U.S. PIRG, a national group that oversees CALPIRG and other public interest groups. O.C. Register
Energy map. Want to know which neighborhoods in L.A. are the biggest energy hogs? Researchers at UCLA’s Center for Sustainable Communities” have developed an interactive map for that. It shows the average amount of energy used per customer in every neighborhood in the city over a year-and-a-half period. LAX and the Port of L.A. have the highest average energy usages in town. West L.A., with its larger homes, seems to be the biggest consumer of energy among residential neighborhoods. UCLA