The Department of City Planning announced yesterday that it has issued a new draft of the proposed revisions to its Small Lot Subdivision ordinance.
According to the Department, the new draft takes into account “the comments received during the public hearing and outreach process,” and attempts to “further refine the language of both the Small Lot Code Amendment and Design Standards.” Additional documents have also been added, including a Summary Sheet, Revised Frequently Asked Questions, and an Overview of the Draft Map Standards. The full set of documents is available on the Department of City Planning’s website at planning.lacity.org/ordinances/proposedordinances.htm:
Summary Sheet
Revised Frequently Asked Questions
Draft Small Lot Code Amendment
Draft Small Lot Design Standards
Overview of the Draft Map Standards
Public comments on the new draft and items will be open until August 8, and may be sent to:
Simon Pastucha, Senior City Planner, at [email protected]
Connie Chauv, Planning Assistant, at [email protected]
Elaheh Kerachian, Planning Assistant, at [email protected]
Note that at its March 9, 2016 meeting, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council voted to support the previous draft of the proposed SLS provisions, with the following comments:
– recommendations on adequate time and provisions for public review and input before the City Council votes on the matter
– a recommendation that front yard setbacks conform to “prevailing” setbacks for the neighborhood
– side yard setbacks be set at 6 feet or more for buildings of 2 or more stories
– 15′ rear yard setbacks for projects that abut any residential zone (not just R-1 single family properties)
– working with community groups such as the Lookout Mountain Alliance for advice on setbacks in hillside areas
– that mainteance upkeep agreements be required for common areas like driveways
– that SLS projects should require on-site trash pickup from an independent vendor (to prevent large numbers of individual city trash bins from cluttering streets)
– that incremental street widening be opposed as a required measure and studied further
– that side yard and tandem parking be prohibited and projects larger than 4 units require 2.25 parking spaces per bedroom, to provide for guest parking
– that rooftop decks be eliminated unless there is equal or greater open space in the development
– that first floor bonus rooms should not have an adjoining bathroom
that building heights should correspond to the surrounding properties, with a transition in height for any increase from the heights of surrounding structures
– express concern that SLS projects that might replace larger buildings will displace rent control tenants and undermine the city’s ability to provide affordable housing
– that SLS designs should be required to consider the prevailing architectural context of the neighborhood, including things like front-facing front doors, etc.
