by

Small Lot Design Standards / Code Amendment / Proposed Ordinance

CF 16-1045    CPC – 2015 – 4499 – CA

Final Ordinance No. 185,462 

Pursuant to the State Subdivision Map Act Section 66473.5, the Ordinance Amendment has established a design review process for all small lot subdivision projects. The Ordinance’s amended language recognizes a set of Small Lot Design Standards to be reviewed and adopted by the City Planning Commission. The Design Standards will create specific and enforce able rules regarding design for all small lots, including building orientation, primary entryways, façade articulation, roof line variation, building modulation, pedestrian pathways, fences and walls, landscaping and common open space areas. Once effective, all small lot subdivisions must comply with the Design Standards through an Administrative Clearance process as required under the Ordinance Amendment.
The Small Lot Design Standards were first presented to the City Planning Commission on August 25, 2016 (previous draft provided in Exhibit B) as a supplement to the Ordinance Amendment. At that meeting, the Commission recommended that prior to the Ordinance’s effective date staff issue a Working Draft of the Small Lot Design Standards for test implementation. This report represents a progress update on the Small Lot Design Standards following the test implementation phase. The clarifications incorporated into the proposed Des ign Standards (Exhibit C) have been made to address comments from the Commission, from the public, and from feedback received during test implementation. Once the Ordinance and Design Standards are both adopted and effective, all small lot subdivisions will be required to comply with the Design Standards through an Administrative Clearance process.
—————————————————————————————————————————–
CF 16-1045   City Council Meeting Date: 02/27/2018, Vote Action: Adopted Vote Given: (12 – 0 – 3)

EXEMPTION, CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION, PLANNING AND LAND USE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE REPORT, and ORDINANCE FIRST CONSIDERATION relative to amending the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) for the development of homes on subdivided lots.

Recommendations for Council action, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR:

FIND, based on the whole of the administrative record, that the amendment to the Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the project may have a significant effect on the environment.

FIND, that the adoption of the Ordinance is exempt from CEQA, pursuant to the Class Eight Categorical Exemption, set forth in CEQA Guidelines, Section 15308, and that none of the exceptions to this categorical exemption set forth in CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2, apply to this ordinance amendment.

ADOPT the FINDINGS of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission (LACPC) as the Findings of the Council.

PRESENT and ADOPT the accompanying ORDINANCE, dated February 7, 2018, amending Sections 12.03, 12.09 A.3 and 12.22 C.27 of Chapter One of the LAMC to require greater front and rear yard setbacks, restrict small lot subdivisions from R2 zones, create a division-of-land process for existing structures and bungalow court projects, and establish an administrative clearance process for small lot subdivision projects that conform to the City’s design standards for such projects.

NOT PRESENT and ORDER FILED the Ordinance dated December 5, 2017.

Fiscal Impact Statement: None submitted by the LACPC nor the City Attorney. Neither the City Administrative Officer nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis of this report.

Community Impact Statement: None submitted.

  • 03/09/2018 Ordinance posted/published. Ordinance effective date: April 18, 2018.
  • 03/08/2018 Council action final.    Final Ordinance 185,462 (April 18, 2018), Mayor Concurrence with Council Action (March 8, 2018)
  • 03/08/2018 Mayor transmitted Council File to City Clerk.
  • 02/27/2018 City Clerk transmitted Council File to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is 03/09/2018.
  • 02/27/2018 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 02/23/2018 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on February 27, 2018  Amended Draft Ordinance (February 8, 2018), PLUM Report (January 23, 2018)
  • 01/23/2018 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved as amended to incorporate proposed modifications as described in the Communication from the Department of City Planning dated December 7, 2017.
  • 01/19/2018 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on January 23, 2018.  City Planning Supplemental Report (December 7, 2017), Communication from Department of Building and Safety  Rule 38 Response (December 6, 2017), Report from the City Attorney (December 5, 2017), Draft Ordinance (December 5, 2017) , Communication from Council District 13 Submitted at PLM (January 24, 2017),   Staff Report (September 14, 2016), CPC  Report 1 of 2 (September 14, 2016), CPC Report 2 of 2 Draft Ordinance (September 14, 2016)
  • 12/08/2017 City Attorney document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.   Report from the City Attorney (December 5, 2017), Draft Ordinance (December 5, 2017)
  • 12/08/2017 Document(s) submitted by City Attorney, as follows:   Report from the City Attorney (December 5, 2017), Draft Ordinance (December 5, 2017)

    City Attorney report, R17-0422, dated December 5, 2017, relative to a draft ordinance amending the Los Angeles Municipal Code to impose greater setback requirements and other restrictions on small lot subdivision projects.

  • 01/24/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee continued item to/for a date to be determined.    Communication from Committee Clerk  (January 27, 2017)

A proposed ordinance amending Section 12.22 C.27 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code to require greater front and rear yard setbacks, create a small lot division of land process for existing “bungalow court” projects, and create a process to establish design standards for Small Lot Subdivision projects with an incidental administrative clearance procedure.

  • 01/20/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on January 24, 2017.  Draft Small Lot Code Amendment (September 14, 2016)   City Planning Commission Determination (September 14, 2016)
  • 09/16/2016 Los Angeles City Planning Commission document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee. Draft Small Lot Code Amendment (September 14, 2016)   City Planning Commission Determination (September 14, 2016)
  • 09/14/2016 Document(s) submitted by Los Angeles City Planning Commission, as follows:  Draft Small Lot Code Amendment (September 14, 2016)   City Planning Commission Determination (September 14, 2016)

Los Angeles City Planning Commission report, dated September 14, 2016, relative to a proposed ordinance amending Sections 12.09 A.3 and 12.22 C.27 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email