RE:Code LA

Report to City Planning Commission CPC-2014-1582-CA, ENV-2014-1583-EAF

The draft re:code LA Zoning Code Evaluation Report (Code Evaluation) outlines the direction and key provisions for the structure of a new citywide Zoning Code and recommends a comprehensive set of land use regulations to implement the City’s General Plan and other long range planning goals. In addition, the Code Evaluation will guide the development of a Downtown Code, and a new, first-of-its-kind web-based code.

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Amending the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance

City Council C.F. 14-0656

City Council Motion (May 16, 2014)

City Council adopted a motion to study amending the City’s Baseline Mansionization Ordinance (BM).  The motion reads …. Since its inception on May 6, 2008, Ordinance No. 179883, has been the guiding land-use regulation for all single-family zoned properties located within non-hillside designated areas. Over the past six years, we have seen where the BMO has accomplished the intended goals of maintaining and promoting communities that preserve their integrity and livability. However, the past six years have also shown us where the BMO has fallen far short of its mandate to create regulations that allow for sustainable neighborhoods and that protect the interest of all homeowners. The largest victim of these shortcomings is the city’s stock of R1 (single family) zoned lots.

Of all the residential family zoned parcels within the BMO, 234,575 or 77% are zoned RI. And, of those, half are lots in the 5,000-6,000 square foot range. This means the backbone of our city’s single-family neighborhoods are modest sized lots, with modest sized homes. These neighborhoods are integral to the city’s history, as they have  provided a consistent presence for our families and economic growth. And despite its good intentions, the BMO has  shown to have vulnerabilities that threaten the cohesion and character of our single-family neighborhoods.

I THEREFORE MOVE that the Council instruct the Planning Department, with the assistance of the Department of Building and Safety, and in consultation with the City Attorney, to prepare and present an ordinance that will  address the counterproductive provisions of the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance (No. 179883), to stabilize the conflict of out-of-scale homes that continue to proliferate in entire neighborhoods as follows:

• Green Bonus Provisions: The City’s Green Building Program (Ordinance No. 181480), was instituted as a mandatory requirement for all new construction, which applies energy and resource conservation use. The City’s inclusion of a “Tier 1” bonus of 20% increase in home size has encouraged larger, and more energy and resource consuming homes. Therefore project applicants should not be allowed to enlarge a home, by claiming a 20 percent Floor Area Ratio (FAR) bonus that encourages larger, more energy and resource consuming homes.

• The BMG’s Two Design Bonuses: Each resulted in a 20 percent increase in the size of a house, and each appear to produce the large, boxy, suburban-style houses that the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance intended to prevent. The houses actually permitted through the Baseline Mansionization’s two design bonuses need to be carefully reviewed to determine if these bonuses meet the ordinance’s intended goals of stopping mansionization.

• FAR Bonus and Rl (Single Family) Zones: Rl lots that exceed 7,500 square feet have a by-right FAR of 45 percent of the lot area, while those below 7,500 square feet have an FAR of 50 percent of the lot area. This small difference has meant that those Rl neighborhoods with the smallest lots and the least amount of setback have the largest  home to lot-size ratio of any single-family zone in the city. This provision has encouraged out-of-scale homes that  loom over neighborhoods with smaller lots, and the by-right FAR for the smaller lots should be reduced to .45 to  ensure that all R-I lots are covered by the same zoning regulations.

• Re-evaluate FAR Exemptions: The six exemptions listed in the BMO need to be re-evaluated to determine their  impact citywide on the scale and character of new houses. In particular, exemptions for attached garages,  attached  porches/patios/breezeways, and double-height entryways appear to result in out of scale a out of  character development. They should, therefore, be removed from the Ordinance.

Cool Roof Ordinance

C.F. 14-0675

City Council sent to Planning and Land Use Management Committee  a Motion (Huizar – Fuentes)  requesting the City Attorney to prepare and present an ordinance to adjust the implementation date of the Cool Roof Ordinance to January 1, 2015 for the rehabilitation of existing roofs and to July 1, 2014 for all other applicable roof installations.

Equine Keeping

Planning Land Use and Management

Motion (Fuentes – Huizar) instructing the Department of City Planning, Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety and Department of Animal Services, to report on establishment of standards to protect equine uses in non-K (equine keeping) districts and related matters.

 C.F. 14-0389 (Select to follow)

Eldercare Facility

CF 13-1325   Adopted by City Council June 2, 2014

Final Ordinance No. 178,063 


Click on the BLUE HIGHLIGHT to view official documents and reports.

  • 06/02/2014 Council action final. (May 28 , 2014)
  • 05/28/2014 Council adopted item, as amended, forthwith.  Motion 21-A (May 28, 2014),  Report from PLUM (May 21, 2014)
  • 05/28/2014 Department of City Planning document(s) referred to Council .  Report from City Planning (May 28, 2014),
  • 05/28/2014 Document(s) submitted by Department of City Planning, as follows:  Report from City Planning (May 28, 2014)

City Planning report, dated May 28, 2014, relative to the guidelines for processing of Eldercare Facility Unified Permits.

  • 05/21/2014 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on May 28, 2014 .
  • 05/06/2014 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved as amended .   Motion (October 4, 2003)
  • 05/02/2014 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on May 6, 2014.   Motion (October 4, 2003)
  • 10/04/2013 Motion referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.  Motion (October 4, 2003)

Adult Entertainment

Planning Land Use and Management

Motion (Martinez – Krekorian) instructing the Department of City Planning, with the City Attorney, to prepare an Interim Control Ordinance to prohibit the issuance of permits related to adult entertainment or adult oriented uses for properties fronting or abutting Sun Valley – Lankershim Boulevard, from Roscoe/Tuxford to San Fernando Road; Sun Valley – San Fernando Road, from Sunland Boulevard to Branford Street; Van Nuys – Sepulveda Boulevard, from Oxnard Street to Rayen Street.   

C.F. 14-0465 (Select to follow)

Community Redevelopment

On May 8, 2014, City Planning Commission will consider:

A proposed resolution requesting the transfer of land use authority of redevelopment plans to the City of Los Angeles, a proposed ordinance adding or amending Sections 11.13, 12.03, 12.04, 12.21, 12.22, 12.24, 13.11, 16.05 and 16.11 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code to modify or remove references to the former Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), and other technical corrections to clarify existing regulations in the LAMC that are impacted by the transfer.  City Planning Commission staff report (click to obtain)