Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association

Baseline Mansionization Ordinance Overview from Planning Dept.

Text of email sent May 20, 2008

Greetings All:

This email is being sent out to inform you that the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance has been signed by all parties involved and has been posted by the City Clerk. It has been given the ordinance number of 179,883, and will become effective on June 29, 2008.

The ordinance establishes the following new regulations for all Single-Family Residential zoned properties (RA, RE, RS, and R1) not located in a Hillside Area or Coastal Zone:
Amends the existing Buildable Area and Floor Area definitions to reflect the new changes, and adds a new Residential Floor Area definition (what square-footage is counted).
Includes new Residential Floor Area limits (a.k.a. Floor Area Ratios, or FARs) and an optional 20% Residential Floor Area Bonus in each Single-Family Zone. In order to make it easier to find the FAR corresponding with each zone, the following list is the applicable section in the ordinance followed by the page number in parenthesis: RA - Section 5 (page 3), RE - Section 7 (page 5), RS - Section 9 (page 8), and R1 - Section 11 (page 10).
Revises the existing height requirements to include a different height for flat roofs.
Adds a new Single-Story Height District, available for single-story neighborhoods who would like to remain single-story.
Amends the Zoning Administrator authority to include 10% Adjustments to Residential Floor Area limits; it is a discretionary action which will require a notice and public hearing, and that finding be made - refer to Section 12.28 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) for more information on the hearing process and findings. The municipal code can be accessed at http://www.amlegal.com/los_angeles_ca/.
Adds a new "RFA" Residential Floor Area District which enables neighborhoods to increase or decrease their baseline FAR to fit their needs.
I have attached a 4-page summary of the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance that gives a little more detail on each provision, along with the actual adopted ordinance which provides all the specific language. I have also attached a map of the affect properties in PDF format, which includes zoom capabilities.

The Department of City Planning will be preparing a handout that should make it easier to understand the new regulations within the context of the rest of the code, and is expected to be made available on our website ( http://cityplanning.lacity.org/) by the effective date of the ordinance.

Any projects already in the plan check process, with a complete set of plans and fees paid, before the effective date will be subject to Section 12.26 A.3 of the LAMC, which deals with "Vesting of Development Plan[s]". This section locks in the regulations in place at the time a projects is determined to be vested by the Department of Building & Safety. There are more details and exceptions contained in this section, and I advise that those interested in this topic familiarize themselves with it.

At this time I would like to thank all of you who have been involved in the formation of the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance. Your participation and willingness to reach compromises has, without a doubt, made the ordinance a better piece of legislation. I can honestly say that this project has been the best example of a collaborative approach between the City and the public that I have ever been a part of. I only hope that my experiences with the new hillside projects are as personally and professionally satisfying as they were with this project.

If you live in a hillside neighborhood and/or are interested in receiving information on the new Hillside Area definition and new hillside regulation projects please let me know and I will be sure to carry your name/email address over to the new lists for those project. Be sure to specify which projects you are interested in. I look forward to the possibility of working with you in the future.

Please feel free to forward this email to anyone you think might be interested.

Sincerely,




__________________________________________
Erick Lopez
Department of City Planning
Community Planning Bureau - West Coastal Division
200 N. Spring St., Room 621
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 978-1243
(213) 978-1226 - fax