BMO/BHO

by

Interim Control Ordinance (ICO) / Suspending Ongoing Construction / Hillside / Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones

CF 20-1170      AT PLUM 10/29/2020    CONTINUED FROM 10/15/20

Motion (Ryu – Koretz) relative to an Interim Control Ordinance suspending all ongoing construction not necessary for provision of utilities or water supply, and prohibition of permit issuance for demolition, building, grading, hauling and any other applicable permits for properties located in the Hillside and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

Community Impact Statement: None submitted.

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

  • 11/23/2020 Community Impact Statement submitted by Hollywood United Neighborhood Council.  Refer to CF 20-1170 
  • 10/29/2020 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved as amended.   Motion (September 15, 2020)
  • 10/28/2020 Community Impact Statement submitted by Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council.  Refer to CF 20-1170 
  • 10/23/2020 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on October 29, 2020.  Motion (September 15, 2020)
  • 10/15/2020 Planning and Land Use Management Committee continued item to/for 10/29/20.
  • 10/09/2020 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on October 15, 2020.  Motion (September 15, 2020)
  • 09/15/2020 Motion document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.  Motion (September 15, 2020)

 

 

 

by

Baseline Hillside Ordinance (BHO) / Baseline Mansionization Ordinance (BMO) / Updates

CF 20-1098      AT CITY COUNCIL 10/14/2020

PLANNING AND LAND USE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE REPORT relative to revising the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance (BMO) and Baseline Hillside Ordinance (BHO).

Recommendation for Council action, pursuant to Motion (Ryu – Bonin):

INSTRUCT the Department of City Planning to:

Close the loophole allowing McMansions in multifamily zones and prepare an update to the BHO and BMO to apply the same restrictions applicable to homes in single family zones to all new and substantially remodeled single family residences in all multi-family zones, and ban construction of a new single family home where two or more units of housing were demolished at the site in the last five years.

Update the BHO and BMO to establish a maximum size for all new single family residences built in the City of Los Angeles.

Report with an analysis of current median sizes of single family housing types Citywide, and how the recommended maximum size for all new single family residences built in the City of Los Angeles will further equity and environmental sustainability.

Fiscal Impact Statement: Neither the City Administrative Officer nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis of this report.

Community Impact Statement: None submitted.

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

  • 05/20/2021 Community Impact Statement submitted by Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council.  Refer to  CF 20-1098
  • 02/15/2021 Community Impact Statement submitted by Mid City WEST Neighborhood Council.  Refer to  CF 20-1098
  • 11/05/2020 Community Impact Statement submitted by Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council. Refer to  CF 20-1098
  • 10/28/2020 Community Impact Statement submitted by Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council.  Refer to  CF 20-1098
  • 10/14/2020 Council action final.
  • 10/14/2020 Council adopted item, as amended, forthwith.  Refer to  CF 20-1098
  • 10/09/2020 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on October 14, 2020.  Report from PLUM  (October 1, 2020),  Motion (September 1, 2020)
  •  10/01/2020 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved item(s) .  Motion (September 1, 2020)
  •  09/25/2020 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on October 1, 2020.  Motion (September 1, 2020)
  •  09/01/2020 Motion document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.  Motion (September 1, 2020)
by

Zone Change to Remove Studio City Residential RFA

CPC–2017-2342-ZC ENV-2015-4197-ND-REC1

Planning Department Info

What is the purpose of the Studio City Residential Floor Area (RFA) Supplemental
Use District (SUD)?

In 2008, the City Council adopted the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance (BMO) to
address the proliferation of out-of-scale single-family developments in the City’s single
family neighborhoods. To preserve characteristics of individual single family
neighborhoods, BMO included a Residential Floor Area (RFA) Supplemental Use District
(SUD) process that tailored development standards and Floor Area Ratio (FAR) that best
complemented the size and character of its neighborhoods. In a motion, dated
September 5, 2008 Council directed the Department of City Planning to initiate an RFA
SUD for Studio City. http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2008/08-2332_mot_9-5-08.pdf

In 2012, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 182048 establishing the Studio City RFA
SUD for all single family zones in non-hillside areas for the purposes of reducing impacts
to surrounding homes while preserving neighborhood character. The Studio City RFA
SUD regulations can be found here: http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2008/08-
2332_ord_182048.pdf.

The Studio City RFA SUD set a residential floor area maximum and created a menu of
nine bonus options which increases the allowable FAR in exchange for desirable design
and environmental features.

by

Laurel Canyon Neighborhood / Bird Streets Neighborhood / Hillside Construction Regulation Supplemental Use District

CF 16-1472-S2  

Motion (Ryu – Koretz) relative to instructing the Department of City Planning, in consultation with the City Attorney, to prepare and present a Zone Change Ordinance to apply the proposed Hillside Construction Regulation (HCR) Supplemental Use District (SUD) to two neighborhoods in Council District Four to regulate the construction of single family homes in hillside areas as follows: 1) the Laurel Canyon Neighborhood, generally bounded by West Hollywood to the south and West Hollywood to the east; and Studio City to the north, and 2) the Bird Streets Neighborhood, generally bounded by the Trousdale Estates Neighborhood of Beverly Hills to the west; Sunset Plaza and the rest of the Hollywood Hills to the north and east; and the Sunset Strip and West Hollywood to the south.

Community Impact Statement: None submitted.

Click on the green highlight to view official documents and reports.

Los Angeles City Planning Commission report, dated February 14, 2018, relative to a Zone Change Ordinance which establishes a Hillside Construction Regulation Supplemental Use District in the Laurel Canyon and Bird Streets neighborhoods.

  • 01/25/2018 Community Impact Statement submitted by Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council.   Refer to CF 16-1472-S2
  • 04/21/2017 Council action (April 21. 2017)
  • 04/19/2017 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 04/13/2017 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on April 19, 2017 .
  • 04/04/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved item(s) . Motion (March 22, 2017)
  • 03/31/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on April 4, 2017. Motion (March 22, 2017)
  • 03/22/2017 Motion document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.  Motion (March 22, 2017)
by

Bel Air-Beverly Crest / Follow Up / Interim Control Ordinance (ICO) 183497 / Code Amendment / Establishment of Hillside Construction Regulation District (HCR)

CF 16-1472-S1    CITY COUNCIL ACTION  03/24/2017  Vote Action: Adopted
Vote Given: (12 – 0 – 3)

An ordinance amending Sections 12.04, 12.32, 13.20, and 16.05 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code in order to establish a “ HCR ” Hillside Construction Regulation supplemental use district that may be applied to regulate the construction of single-family homes in hillside areas.

 

—  Refer to CF 16-1472-S1  For Detail

  • 03/24/2017 Council Action (March 24, 2017),  Final Ordinance No. 184,827 (March 24, 2017),  Communication from  Mayor (March 22, 2017)
  • 03/22/2017 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is April 3, 2017.
  • 03/22/2017 Council adopted item urgent forthwith.
  • 03/22/2017 Mayor transmitted file to City Clerk. Ordinance effective date: March 24, 2017.
  • 03/21/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved item(s) .
  • 03/17/2017 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on March 22, 2017 .
  • 03/17/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on March 21, 2017.
  • 03/17/2017 City Attorney document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 03/17/2017 Document(s) submitted by City Attorney, as follows:

City Attorney report R17-0085, dated March 17, 2017, relative to a draft Ordinance amending Sections 12.04, 12.32, 13.20 and 16.05 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code to establish a Hillside Construction Regulation Supplemental Use District.

  • 02/07/2017 Community Impact Statement submitted by Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood
  • Council.
    01/18/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee continued item to/for a date to be determined, City Attorney to write draft ordinance.
  • 01/13/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on January 18, 2017.
  • 12/28/2016 Los Angeles City Planning Commission document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 12/26/2016 Document(s) submitted by Los Angeles City Planning Commission, as follows:

Los Angeles City Planning Commission report, dated December 23, 2016, relative to following up Interim Control Ordinance 183,497 with a proposed code amendment to provide tailored and context-sensitive regulations for single family dwelling units within the Bel Air-Beverly Crest Community.

by

Follow Up of Interim Control Ordinance (ICO) / 183497 / Bel Air – Beverly Crest Community / Zone Change

CF 16-1472   CITY COUNCIL ACTION 3/22/2107 Vote Action: Adopted
Vote Given: (12 – 0 – 3)

Case No. CPC-2016-4087-ZC,  CEQA No. ENV-2016-4086-ND

Related Case Case Nos. CPC-2016-4085-CA,  CEQA No. ENV-2016-4086-ND , CF 16-1472-S1 (Bel Air-Beverly Crest / Follow Up / Interim Control Ordinance (ICO) 183497 / Code Amendment / Establishment of Hillside Construction Regulation District (HCR)),  CF 16-1472-S2 (Laurel Canyon Neighborhood / Bird Streets Neighborhood / Hillside Construction Regulation Supplemental Use District)

An ordinance amending Section 12.04 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code by amending the zoning map. THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 12.04 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code is hereby amended by changing the zone classifications on properties shown upon portions of the zoning maps attached thereto and the table for Section 1 below and incorporated herein by this reference, and made a part of Article 2, Chapter 1 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, together with applicable regulations set forth in Section 2 of this ordinance so that such portion of the zoning map for the Bel-Air – Beverly Crest neighborhood of the Bel Air – Beverly Crest Community Plan shall be as follows in Table 1 for Section 1, consistent with the regulations for a Hillside Construction Regulation Supplemental Use District established in Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 13.20

 

Negative Declaration and related California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) findings, report from the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, and draft Ordinance relative to various zone changes applying regulations for a Hillside Construction Regulation Supplemental Use District to single family dwellings located within the Bel Air – Beverly Crest Community in Council District Five, for the parcels lying within the proposed Ordinance Map, as follows:

From Existing Zone: To New Zone:
A1-1                             A1-1-HCR
A1-1-H                         A1-1-H-HCR
A1-1-H-RPD                A1-1-H-RPD-HCR
A1-1XL                        A1-1XL-HCR
[T][Q]C1-1XL               [T][Q]C1-1XL-HCR
[Q]C2-1VLD                [Q]C2-1VLD-HCR
OS-1-H                        OS-1-H-HCR
OS-1XL                       OS-1XL-HCR
OS-1XL-H                    OS-1XL-H-HCR
[Q]OS-1XL                   [Q]OS-1XL-HCR
PF-1XL                        PF-1XL-HCR
[Q]PF-1XL                   [Q]PF-1XL-HCR
R1-1                            R1-1-HCR
[Q]RD1.5-1VL              [Q]RD1.5-1VL-HCR
RD2-1VL                     RD2-1VL-HCR
[Q]RD2-1VL                [Q]RD2-1VL-HCR
[T]RD2-1VL-H             [T]RD2-1VL-H-HCR
[Q]R3-1VL                  [Q]R3-1VL-HCR
[Q]R4-1-H                   [Q]R4-1-H-HCR
[T][Q]R4-1-H               [T][Q]R4-1-H-HCR
(Q)RD6-1-H                (Q)RD6-1-H-HCR
RE9-1                         RE9-1-HCR
RE9-1-H-RPD             RE9-1-H-RPD-HCR
RE15-1                       RE15-1-HCR
RE15-1-H                   RE15-1-H-HCR

Applicant: City of Los Angeles

Fiscal Impact Statement: No

Community Impact Statement: None submitted.

—  Refer to CF 16-1472  for detail

  • 03/24/2017 Council Action (March 24, 2017), Final Ordinance No. 184828 (March 22, 2017), Communication from Mayor (March 22, 2017)
  • 03/22/2017 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is April 3, 2017.
  • 03/22/2017 Council adopted item urgent forthwith.
  • 03/22/2017 Mayor transmitted file to City Clerk. Ordinance effective date: March 24, 2017. Draft Ordinance (December 23, 2016)
  • 03/21/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved item(s)
  • 03/17/2017 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on March 22, 2017 .
  • 03/17/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on March 21, 2017.
  • 12/28/2016 Los Angeles City Planning Commission document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 12/26/2016 Document(s) submitted by Los Angeles City Planning Commission, as follows:

Los Angeles City Planning Commission report, dated December 23, 2016, relative to a follow up of Interim Control Ordinance 183,497 regarding a Zone Change in the Bel Air-Beverly Crest Community.

by

Code Amendment / R1 Zone / Rear Detached Garage

CF 16-1460 Case No. CPC-2016-2110-CA CEQA No. ENV-2016-2111-ND 

City Council Action of  03/01/2017 Vote Action: Adopted as Amended Vote Given: (12 – 0 – 3)

NEGATIVE DECLARATION, PLANNING AND LAND USE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE REPORT and ORDINANCE FIRST CONSIDERATION relative to amending Sections the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) to establish variations of the R1 Zone and a RG Rear Detached Garage Supplemental Use District.

Recommendations for Council action:

FIND that this project will not have a significant effect on the environment, pursuant to the City’s Environmental Guidelines and is in compliance with the CEQA; that the Negative Declaration reflects the independent judgment of the City of Los Angeles; that the documents constituting the record of proceedings in this matter are located in Council file No. 16-1460 in the custody of the City Clerk and in the files of the Department of City Planning (DCP) in the custody of the Environmental Review Section; and, ADOPT the Negative Declaration [ENV-2016-2111-ND].

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 10, 2017 amending Sections 12.03, 12.04, 12.08, 12.21, 12.21.1, 12.23, 12.32 and 13.19, and adding Sections 12.21.6 and 13.20 to the LAMC to establish variations of the R1 Zone and an RG Rear Detached Garage Supplemental Use District that may be applied to regulate garage placement in the RA, RE, RS and R1 Zones.

REQUEST the City Attorney to prepare and present an Ordinance consolidating the Ordinance establishing variations of the R1 Zone and an RG Rear Detached Garage Supplemental Use District that may be applied to regulate garage placement in the RA, RE, RS and R1 Zones (attached to Council file No. 16-1460), with the Ordinance establishing new regulations for all single-family residential zoned properties including RA, RE, RS and R1 Citywide, and updating the existing Baseline Mansionization Ordinance and Baseline Hillside Ordinance provisions relating to the size and bulk of new single-family residences and modifying grading provisions for single-family lots in designated Hillside areas, as amended by the PLUM Committee (attached to Council file No. 14-0656).

Applicant: City of Los Angeles, DCP

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

Community Impact Statement: None submitted.
URGENCY CLAUSE – 12 VOTES REQUIRED ON SECOND READING  – OPTAINED
MOTION 26A (HUIZAR – HARRIS-DAWSON)  – ADOPTED

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

PRESENT and ADOPT the attached Ordinance, in lieu of the Ordinances attached to the Council files.

AMENDING MOTION (HUIZAR – WESSON) – ADOPTED
Recommendation for Council action, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR:

AMEND Section 6, Subdivision 5 of Subsection C of Section 12.07.01 of the Ordinance dated February 28, 2017, attached to Motion 25-A/26-A (Huizar – Harris-Dawson), to read as follows:

5. Maximum Residential Floor Area. For a lot located in a Hillside Area or Coastal Zone, the maximum Residential Floor Area shall comply with Section 12.21.1 A 1 of this Code.

For all other lots, the maximum Residential Floor Area contained in all buildings and accessory buildings shall be as follows: In the RE9 and RE11 Zones, the maximum Residential Floor Area shall be 40 percent of the lot area when the lot is less than 15,000 square feet. For lots 15,000 square feet or greater in the RE9 and RE11 Zones, the maximum Residential Floor Area shall be 35 percent of the lot area or 6,000 square feet, whichever is greater. For lots in the RE15, RE20 and RE40 Zones, the maximum Residential Floor Area shall be 35 percent of the lot area.

—

  • 03/17/2017 Council Action (March 17, 2017), Communication from Mayor (March 13, 2017), Motion 25-A/26-A and Draft Ordinance dated 02/28/2017 (March 1, 2017),  Amending Motion (March 1, 2017),  Report Planning and Land Use Management Committee (February 14, 2017)
  • 03/13/2017 Mayor transmitted file to City Clerk. Ordinance effective date: March 17, 2017.
  • 03/03/2017 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is March 13, 2017.
  • 03/01/2017 Council adopted item as amended, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.  Motion 25-A/26-A and Draft Ordinance dated 02/28/2017 (March 1, 2017),  Amending Motion (March 1, 2017), Draft Ordinance dated 03/01/2017 (March 1, 2017),  Report Planning and Land Use Management Committee (February 14, 2017)
  • 02/24/2017 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on March 1, 2017 . Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved item(s) Report from City Attorney (February 10, 2017), Draft Ordinance (February 10, 2017)
  • 02/14/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved item(s) Report from City Attorney (February 10, 2017), Draft Ordinance (February 10, 2017)
  • 02/10/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on February 14, 2017.  Report of City Planning Commission (December 19, 2016), Environmental Clearance (December 19, 2016), Planning Staff Report (December 19, 2016), Proposed Ordinance (December 19, 2016)
  • 02/10/2017 City Attorney document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management  Report from City Attorney (February 10, 2017), Draft Ordinance (February 10, 2017)
  • Committee.  Report from City Attorney (February 10, 2017), Draft Ordinance (February 10, 2017)
  • 02/10/2017 Document(s) submitted by City Attorney, as follows:

City Attorney report, dated February 10, 2017, relative to a draft ordinance amending Sections 12.03, 12.04, 12.08, 12.21, 12.21.1, 12.23, 12.32 and 13.19 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code and adding Sections 12.21.6 and 13.20 to the Municipal Code to establish variations of the R1 Zone and a rear detached garage supplemental use district.

  • 01/18/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee continued item to/for a date to be determined, City Attorney to prepare draft ordinance.
  • 01/17/2017 Community Impact Statement submitted by Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council.
  • 01/13/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on January 18, 2017. Report of City Planning Commission (December 19, 2016), Environmental Clearance (December 19, 2016), Planning Staff Report (December 19, 2016), Proposed Ordinance (December 19, 2016)
  • 12/22/2016 Los Angeles City Planning Commission document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 12/19/2016 Document(s) submitted by Los Angeles City Planning Commission, as follows: Report of City Planning Commission (December 19, 2016), Environmental Clearance (December 19, 2016), Planning Staff Report (December 19, 2016), Proposed Ordinance (December 19, 2016)

 

by

Bel Air-Beverly Crest / Follow Up / Interim Control Ordinance (ICO) 183497 / Code Amendment / Establishment of Hillside Construction Regulation District (HCR

CF 16-1472-S1    At PLUM 03/21/2017  Case No. CPC-2016-4085-CA, CEQA No. ENV-2016-4086-ND

Negative Declaration and related California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) findings, report from the City Attorney, and draft Ordinance amending Sections 12.04, 12.32, 13.20, and 16.05 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code in order to authorize the establishment of a Hillside Construction Regulation Supplemental Use District that may be applied to regulate the construction of single-family homes in hillside areas.

Applicant: City of Los Angeles, Department of City Planning

Case No. CPC-2016-4085-CA

CEQA No. ENV-2016-4086-ND

Fiscal Impact Statement: No

Community Impact Statement: None submitted.

—  Refer to CF 16-1472-S1  

  • 03/17/2017 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on March 22, 2017 .
  • 03/17/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on March 21, 2017.
  • 03/17/2017 City Attorney document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 03/17/2017 Document(s) submitted by City Attorney, as follows:

City Attorney report R17-0085, dated March 17, 2017, relative to a draft Ordinance amending Sections 12.04, 12.32, 13.20 and 16.05 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code to establish a Hillside Construction Regulation Supplemental Use District.

  • 02/07/2017 Community Impact Statement submitted by Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council.
  • 01/18/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee continued item to/for a date to be determined, City Attorney to write draft ordinance.
  • 01/13/2017 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on January 18, 2017.
  • 12/28/2016 Los Angeles City Planning Commission document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
  • 12/26/2016 Document(s) submitted by Los Angeles City Planning Commission, as follows:

Los Angeles City Planning Commission report, dated December 23, 2016, relative to following up Interim Control Ordinance 183,497 with a proposed code amendment to provide tailored and context-sensitive regulations for single family dwelling units within the Bel Air-Beverly Crest Community.

by

Haul trucks in the public right-of-way.

CF 16-0238 at City Council  09/27/2016 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on October 11, 2016

  • 09/14/2016 Transportation Committee received and filed item. Also request the City Attorney to prepare and present an Ordinance (October 11, 2016)
  • 09/09/2016 Transportation Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 14, 2016.
  • 09/09/2016 Chief Legislative Analyst document(s) referred to Transportation Committee (September 9, 2016)
  • 09/09/2016 Document(s) submitted by Chief Legislative Analyst.
  • 06/08/2016 Transportation Committee continued item to/for 60 days.
  • 06/03/2016 Transportation Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on June 8, 2016
  • 04/04/2016 Community Impact Statement submitted by Venice Neighborhood Council.
  • 03/01/2016 Motion referred to Transportation Committee. (March 1, 2016)

TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE REPORT relative to the regulation of haul trucks in the public right-of-way.

Recommendations for Council action:

NOTE and FILE the September 9, 2016 Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA) report relative to the regulation of haul trucks in the public right-of-way.

REQUEST the City Attorney to prepare and present an Ordinance to:

Require haul trucks to obtain a permit with the City of Los Angeles to stage immediately adjacent to a project site and develop an appropriate fee schedule for said permit.

Prohibit the staging or idling of haul trucks anywhere in the public right-of-way except immediately adjacent to the project site on obtaining the necessary permit.

Set maximum fines for violations of staging or idling in the public right-of-way without the requisite permit and that a portion of the fines be recouped for an enforcement program.

Fiscal Impact Statement: Neither the City Administrative Officer nor the CLA has completed a financial analysis of this report.

Community Impact Statement: Yes

For:  Venice Neighborhood Council

by

Study: L.A. takes a step toward tighter rules to curb mansionization

Emily Alpert Reyes

Los Angeles moved one crucial step closer Thursday to tightening city rules meant to stop mansionization – the phenomenon of big, boxy homes popping up on not-so-big lots.

Local politicians first sought to tackle mansionization years ago, passing city rules to curb the size of new and renovated homes based on the size of the lots they were built on.

Neighborhood activists soon complained the rules were riddled with “loopholes” that afforded builders additional square footage and allowed them to continue erecting hefty homes on modest lots. Critics also lamented that some parts of homes – such as attached garages and covered porches — did not count toward the size limit.

After an impassioned hearing Thursday at City Hall, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission voted to support proposed changes that would eliminate some of those “loopholes.” The planned alterations still must be reviewed by a City Council committee and approved by the council before they can become law.

Many of the proposed changes were welcomed by local residents worried about mansionization: The new rules would no longer allow a 20% bonus in square footage for using ecologically friendly building methods. They would also reduce the square footage that would generally be allowed for homes in residential areas, changing it from 50% to 45% of the lot size. And porches and patios that are covered would count toward the legal limit on building size, rather than being exempt.

However, the recommended changes fall short of what the Los Angeles Conservancy and many neighborhood groups had sought. For instance, the city would continue to exempt hundreds of square feet of attached garages when it calculates how much someone can build.

Residents such as Shelley Wagers, a board member with the Beverly Wilshire Homes Assn., argued that attached garages represented “a tremendous amount of bulk” that should be counted toward the city limitations to prevent massive homes from looming over neighbors.

“It gets so you just want to crawl in a hole and die rather than take a walk in your own neighborhood,” Studio City resident Barry Johnson told the commissioners, urging them to stop exempting attached garages.

The commission, whose members are appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti, ultimately decided to exempt up to 200 square feet of garage space attached to the front of the home –  half of what is now exempt – and retain the existing exemption for up to 400 square feet of garage space for detached garages and garages attached in the rear of a home.

Some residents had also warned that the proposed changes would not do enough to restrict out-of-scale development in the hillsides. Adrian Scott Fine, advocacy director for the Los Angeles Conservancy, said the Planning Commission recommendations were “not perfect, but a middle ground.”

Existing rules to curb mansionization have “a lot of loopholes and shortcomings,” Fine said. “This makes a lot of difference.”

The local chapter of the Building Industry Assn. of Southern California argued that the proposed rules were so restrictive that they would unfairly pinch property values and crimp construction of homes that could accommodate bigger and multi-generational families.

Some L.A. homeowners complained that they or their families would be penalized by the new rules and argued that the restrictions had not been prominently publicized to local residents. Steve Mayer, a father of three who lives in Rancho Park, said that his home would be limited to 2,600 square feet, even though 4,000-square-foot mansions abounded around him.

”They got their mansions,” Mayer said in an interview shortly after he testified at City Hall. “At least give me a chance to expand adequately.”

The planned changes have been years in the making: City Councilman Paul Koretz first proposed that the city tighten its rules more than two years ago. As a stopgap measure, L.A. has already imposed temporary restrictions on the scale of new construction in nearly a score of neighborhoods where residents had complained about mansionization.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

by

Reports from the Mayor, Los Angeles City Planning Commission and Department of City Planning, Resolution and Ordinance

CF 07-0535-S2, 15-1226   at PLUM

Final Environmental Impact Report, Statement of Overriding Considerations and related California Environmental Quality Act Findings, reports from the Mayor, Los Angeles City Planning Commission and Department of City Planning, Resolution and Ordinance, relative to: proposed General Plan Amendments to the Granada Hills-Knollwood Community Plan, Transportation (Mobility) Element, and Framework Element; amendments to the existing Granada Hills Specific Plan ordinance; amendments to Equinekeeping (K) District ordinance; adoption of the Old Granada Hills Residential Floor Area District ordinance; rezoning actions to effect changes of zone and height districts as set forth in the exhibits attached to Council file No. 15-1226; and an additional amendment to the Granada Hills Specific Plan boundaries to ensure that the commercially designated properties fronting the west side of Lindley Street between Tribune Street and Chatsworth Street including 10707, 10721, 10725, 10727, 10731, 10801, 10809, 10823 and 10833 North Lindley Avenue; 18151, 18167 and 18173 West Chatsworth Street; and 18034 West Tribune Street remain within the boundaries of the Granada Hills Specific Plan area as instructed in Council file No. 07-0535.

Applicant: City of Los Angeles
Case No. CPC-2006-5568-CPU
Fiscal Impact Statement: No
Community Impact Statement: None submitted.

by

City of Los Angeles Neighborhood Conservation – Newsletter

WELCOME!

The Department of City Planning is pleased to announce the kick-off of the Neighborhood Conservation Initiative, a focused work program tasked with identifying and protecting the character-defining features of Los Angeles’ unique residential neighborhoods. The Neighborhood Conservation Initiative will address the foremost issues confronting single-family neighborhoods by working with communities to develop the following:

An amendment to the single-family zones (Baseline Mansionization and Baseline Hillside Ordinances) across the City. A menu of new zoning options.  A proposal to apply new, tailored zones and Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZs) in select, neighborhoods identified in the Interim Control Ordinance (ICO).

The ultimate goal of the Neighborhood Conservation Initiative is to deliver permanent zoning solutions that minimize out-of-scale development across the City. The work program involves the following two phases, both to be completed within the term of the ICO, which expires in March of 2017:

Phase I:

Staff is in the process of drafting the proposed amendments to current single-family zones (Baseline Mansionization and Baseline Hillside Ordinances). These focused modifications are intended to address neighborhood character and out-of-scale single-family development based on community input and direction by City Council.
Phase II:
Beginning in early 2016, staff will be reaching-out to the residents and stakeholders of ICO neighborhoods to work collaboratively in identifying which of the new context sensitive single-family zones being developed through the re:code LA project are most appropriate for application within ICO neighborhoods. The re:code LA project seeks to create new single-family development regulations that respond to the prevailing and desirable scale, form and character of existing residences within the City.

For more information, please visit:
http://preservation.lacity.org/neighborhoodconservation

by

Motion – Establish ICO Relative to Baseline Manisionation Ordinance (BMO)

CF Nos. 14-0656, 14-0519, 14-1135, 14-0625, 14-0343, 14-0344, 14-1262

PLANNING AND LAND USE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE REPORT relative to proposed amendments to the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance (BMO) and the Department of City Planning’s Neighborhood Conservation Initiative.

Recommendations for Council action, as initiated by Motions (Koretz – Bonin), (LaBonge – O’Farrell), (Krekorian – Wesson), and (Koretz – O’Farrell):

ESTABLISH an Interim Control Ordinance (ICO) for:

Area Council District
Sunset Square 4
Carthay Square 5
Holmby – Westwood 5
Oxford Square 10
El Sereno – Berkshire Craftsman District 14
South Hollywood 4
La Brea Hancock Neighborhood 4
North Beverly Grove 5
The Oaks 4
Valley Village 2
Faircrest Heights Neighborhood 10
Old Granada Hills Neighborhood 12
Larchmont Village 4
Miracle Mile 4

INCLUDE in the Valley Village ICO the following condition: The ICO in Valley Village should not allow any new building permits for new single family homes and major remodels unless the plans comply with the limitations in Ordinance No. 182048 also known as the Studio City Residential Floor Area.

AMEND the BMO to address the items below that were outlined in Motion (Koretz – Bonin), attached to Council file No. 14-0656:

Green Bonus Provisions
Design Bonuses
Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and R1 (Single Family) Zones
FAR Exemptions

ESTABLISH new single family zones for:

Area Council District
Studio City and Valley Village 2
South Hollywood 4
La Brea Hancock Neighborhood 4
North Beverly Grove 5
The Oaks 4
Faircrest Heights Neighborhood 10
Old Granada Hills Neighborhood 12
Larchmont Village 4
Miracle Mile 4

ESTABLISH new Historic Preservation Overlay Zones for:

Area Council District
Sunset Square 4
Carthay Square 5
Holmby – Westwood 5
Oxford Square 10
El Sereno – Brekshire Craftsman District 14
Fiscal Impact Statement: None submitted by the Department of City Planning. Neither the City Administrative Officer nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis of this report.

Community Impact Statement: Yes

Suport:
Neighborhood Council Valley Village
Studio City Neighborhood Council
PICO Neighborhood Council
Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council
Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council
Mid City West Community Council

Support, if amended
Westwood Neighborhood Council
Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council

by

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.