Small Lot Design Standards / Code Amendment / Proposed Ordinance

CF 16-1045    CPC – 2015 – 4499 – CA

Final Ordinance No. 185,462 

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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.

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Small Lot Subdivision

City Council CF 13-1478 S2   at City Council

  • 04/24/2016 Community Impact Statement submitted by Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council.
  • 08/07/2014 Council Action. Council Action With Mayor Concurrence
  • 08/06/2014 Mayor transmitted file to City Clerk. Ordinance effective date: September 16, 2014.
  • 08/01/2014 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is August 11, 2014.
  • 07/30/2014 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 07/07/2014 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on July 30, 2014 .
  • 07/01/2014 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved item(s) .  PLUM Report  (July 1, 2014)
  • 06/27/2014 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on July 1, 2014.
  • 06/17/2014 City Attorney document(s) referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee. City Attorney report R14-0275, dated June 17, 2014, relative to a draft ordinance amending the Municipal Code to allow issuance of building permits for small lot subdivisions prior to recordation of the final map.   City Planning Findings (June 17, 2014)  City Attorney Report (June 17, 2014)  Draft Ordinance (June 17, 2014
  • 06/17/2014 Document(s) submitted by City Attorney, as follows:  Los Angeles Planning Commission report, dated January 30, 2014, relative to a proposed ordinance to modify the Municipal Code to allow construction of small lot subdivisions to commence prior to the recordation of the final map, with recordation covenant.

Planning Land Use and Management Committee Draft Ordinance (January 30, 2014)

Report of City Planning (December 19, 2013)

 

 

Small Lot Subdivision

On July 1, 2014, Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved amendments to Small Lot.regulations.  Support for the proposal was given by Studio City Neighborhood Council and Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council submitted general comments.

The Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance was enacted by the City of Los Angeles in 2004. The Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance is an innovative zoning tool that allows development of townhouse style homes on urban infill Iots with commercial or mufti-family residential zoning. In most cases, the density of a Small Lot Subdivision is much less than what an apartment or condominium developer could build .

In November 2013, City Council adopted a motion to study small lot subdivisions. Despite its advantages, over the last nine years, problems in the implementation of the Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance have come to light. In many cases, Small Lot Subdivisions have disrupted the character of existing neighborhoods. They are not compatible with nearby buildings and do not relate well to the street.  City Council thought to solve this problem, the Director of Planning should update and improve the Small Lot Subdivision Guidelines. They are out of date and must be amended to reflect the reality of the Small Lot Subdivisions being built today. In addition, the Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance should be evaluated and amended if necessary to see if it contains provisions that make it difficult for Small Lot Subdivisions to fit in with existing neighborhood.

Council District 4 submitted a letter to PLUM highlighting several areas they believe Small Lots should be changes including:  We strongly believe that this ordinance needs “tweaking” and we would like to see the ordinance amended with the following recommendations:

1. Multiple zones of RD1.5 and R3 require 15 foot Front yard set backs. – The guidelines recommend elimination of conventional street frontage, allowing for flexibility. However, the Ordinance does not require front yard set- backs. In order to make the Small Lot developments compatible with existing  neighborhoods, a 15-foot set-back should be required.
2. Trash collection: Requiring private trash collection, thereby setting aside space on the property for a communal bin. It does not make sense to have all of the individual barrels out on the street, in many instances 14 to 20 barrels.
3. The Small Lot Ordinance allows for tandem parking. Inasmuch as these are single family homes, tandem parking in the garages should not be allowed. The inconvenience of tandem parking encourages parking on the street.
4. Roof top decks need additional review, to make sure that they do not turn into additional habitable spaces, a review of the roof over-hangs with some additional conditions to make sure that the decks do not have an impact on the adjoining neighbors.
5. Elevations and site plans should be presented at the hearings for small lot subdivisions. There is no requirement for this at this time. The community should be able to see what the new development looks like and what the impact would be, if any. 6. Architectural character of the neighborhood should be considered.

Review January 2014 Small Lot Design Guidelines

ADVISORY AGENCY POLICY SMALL LOT ORDINANCE

Established in 2005 in LAMC Section 12.22-C,27, the Small Lot Ordinance allows for the subdivision of underutilized land in multi-family and commercial areas into feesimple homes. Intended as infill development and a smart-growth alternative to traditional, suburban style single-family subdivisions, small lot homes would have smaller lot areas with compact building footprints and reduced yard setbacks, street frontages, passageways between buildings, and open space.

As such, small lot subdivisions create a unique set of design challenges and spatial complexities with regards to massing, height, circulation, and transitional areas from adjacent properties. Small Lot Design Guidelines provide an opportunity to address these complexities while also promoting the design and creation of small lot housing with neighborhood compatibility for consistency with applicable General and Specific Plans and addressing site organization and urban form, setbacks and building transitions, parking and driveways, building design and materials, and landscaping and access.

Director of Planning Guidelines: http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2013/13-1478-S1_misc_03-13-14.pdf