After a yearlong investigation into a fire at an $11-million mansion in the Hollywood Hills, Gerhard Albert Becker, the architect who designed the home, has been charged in the death of a firefighter fighting the blaze.
Richard Winton and Hector Becerra report on the results of the investigation, which concluded that, "Gerhard Albert Becker, 48, knowingly ignored safety recommendations and altered the home after inspections," and has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of veteran firefighter Glenn Allen, who was killed by falling debris.
Becker, who plead not guilty to the charges, is accused of installing four outdoor fireplaces inside the home, a violation of city building codes, after the building had been inspected.
According to court records, "he [Becker] did not consider them to be fireplaces but rather architectural features or decorations." However, "This man built an 18-foot fire trough designed for outdoors inside the home. It was a recipe for disaster," added Deputy Dist. Atty. Sean Carney. "He essentially put this fireplace on 2-by-4s."
"The deadly fire broke out from a fireplace on the third floor, racing upward and through the mansion's attic, eating away at wood framing and supports holding up the ceiling," report Winton and Becerra
FULL STORY: Architect of Hollywood Hills mansion damaged in fire is charged in firefighter's death
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions