MANSIONIZATION/FAR/Interim Control Ordinance (ICO)

Posted 2/3/2008

Link to the new and improved S-T FAR(Floor Area Ratio) ICO

Posted 2/23/07

Neighborhood Character Ordinance - Notice of Public Hearing

The City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning has developed a citywide draft ordinance which deals directly with massing and scale on residentially zone lots; this issue is commonly referred to as Mansionization.

The Department will conduct two Open Houses and Public Hearings regarding proposed Code Amendments which are intended to prevent new construction, additions, and remodels on residentially zoned lots that are out-of-scale with the surrounding neighborhood, but which comply with the current City zoning regulations. If adopted, the proposed ordinance would affect all lots zoned single-family residential (R1, RS, RE9, RE11, RE15, RA, RE20, and RE40), which are not located in a Hillside Area or Coastal Zone.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Marvin Braude Building
6262 Van Nuys Blvd., Room 1A
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Open House: 5 - 6:00 PM
Public Hearing: 6:30 - 8:00 PM

Thursday, March 29, 2007
Henry Medina West Los Angeles Parking Enforcement Facility
11214 West Exposition Boulevard,
Second Floor, Roll Call Room
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Open House: 5 - 6:00 PM
Public Hearing: 6:30 - 8:00 PM

Please join us at either of the Public Hearings, and feel free to share this information with your friends and neighbors. For more information on these hearings and a summary of the proposed ordinance, in both English and Spanish, please refer to the attached Notice of Public Hearing.

You have been mailed this notice because you have indicated an interest in the project, or because you are on the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment's Neighborhood Council Email List. If you have any further questions regarding the hearings or the proposed ordinance, please feel free to contact:

Erick Lopez
Community Planning Bureau
200 N. Spring Street, #621
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 978-1243
erick.lopez@lacity.org
or
Anita Cerna
Community Planning Bureau
6262 Van Nuys Blvd. #351
Van Nuys, CA 91401
(818) 374-5042
anita.cerna@lacity.org

Posted 2/13/06

Latest Draft regarding the Sunland-Tujunga FAR/ICO update dated Feb. 2007

Chairman's Update - January 29, 2007

Motion presented by Wendy Greuel January 29, 2007 regarding attic space being including in the floor area calculation for properties subject to the mansionization ordinance Motion directed the Department of Building and Safety and the City Attorney to report to the Planning and Land Use Committee (PLUM) within 30-days regarding attic space being including in the floor area calculation for properties subject to the mansionization ordinance and strengthening the City's ability to prosecute applicants who knowingly file false applications for building or grading permits.

Chairman's Update - December 14, 2006

Anita Cerna is the Planning Assistant with the Department of City Planning (DCP) and she regularly attends the STNC's Design Advisory Committee meetings. Recently workshops were held throughout the City regarding the Citywide Proposal to reduce the Floor Area Ratio to 1:1 and a Proportional Stories Rule with FAR 1.25:1 for single-family residential zones. The goal is to make it effective as soon as possible to prevent more big houses from popping up throughout the city. Currently we (Sunland-Tujunga) have an Interim Control Ordinance in effect with a 0.4:1 ratio.

The Department's Preliminary Proposal is as follows:

1) reduce FAR to 1:1,
2) Proportional Stories Rule 1.25:1,
3) single story height district,
4) new floor area definition, and
5) establishing residential plan review process for those that want to build bigger.

It is important for us in Sunland-Tujunga to submit our comments about this proposal. Anita has asked that comments be submitted directly to her by December 31, 2006 (contact info below). Don't miss the opportunity to participate in this important issue in our community.

Anita has provided several documents for your review. They are available here in PDF format.

Ordinance No. 176908 (CF 04-2085) RE: building permits in S-T, Sept 12, 2006
Current Code Requirements Abbreviated
What is Zoning?
Determining the Size of a Single Family Dwelling
FAR Proportional Stories Rule
Frequently Asked Questions
Proposed Single-Story Height District
New Definition for Single-Family Floor Area
Proposed Residential Plan Review Process
Revised Floor Area Chart
Proposed Single Story Height District

Please send your comments by Dec. 31, 2006 to:

Anita Cerna
Planning Assistant
Community Planning Bureau
6262 Van Nuys Blvd. #351
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Tel: (818) 374-5042
Fax: (818) 374-5070
anita.cerna@lacity.org

Neighborhood Council Stops Mansionization

March 1, 2006

City Council Approves the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) Interim Control Ordinance (ICO)!

FAR Planning Commission Approval January 2005 - PDF Format *
3/2/05 Status:Waiting Approval from City Attorney.

STNC FAR Position Paper Dated August 12, 2004 - PDF Format *

Have you noticed the huge homes being built on small lots in Sunland-Tujunga in recent years? Its time for change. The community doesn't need or want this kind of ugly and out-of-place development. In order to preserve the character of the neighborhoods, the Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council's Design Advisory Committee determined that Sunland-Tujunga required an Interim Control Ordinance (ICO) to the reduce the permitted FAR (Floor Area Ratio).

Wendy Greuel's Planning Deputy, Dale Thrush provided consultation and technical advice to the committee throughout the process. A draft by DAC member Roberta Actor-Thomas following input from members of the Design Advisory Committee was presented to the STNC in June, 2004. The STNC voted to support the ICO to reduce the allowable.FAR which will limit homes being built to 2400 square feet or 40% of the land area, whichever is larger. It also contains language for including two stories with provisions to avoid the "box" type of structure that is so unsuitable for this area. The ICO was presented to the City in late June for approval. At this time, the FAR has passed the Planning Commission and now moves on to the City Council to become an ordinance.