Baseline Hillside Ordinance - Los Angeles

Note: These slides have been modified from those presented at the
some of the information presented orally. This PDF copy of the pre
download at the Department of City Planning Website (http://planning

BASELINE HILLSI

Preliminary

Public Wo

Februar

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

6 workshops held throughout the City of Los Angeles to incorporate
esentation is intended to supplement the handouts also available for
g.lacity.org) “Proposed Ordinances” section.

IDE ORDINANCE

y Proposal

orkshops

ry 2010

Backgr

• Baseline Hillside Ordinan
preventing out-of-scale s
development (mansioniz
Angeles.

– First Step – Baseline Man
non-hillside single-family

– Second Step – Hillside Ar

• Proposal developed from
Kick-Off Meetings held in

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

round

nce the Third Step in
single-family
zation) in the City of Los

nsionization Ordinance (for
y properties)
rea Map

m input received at the 5
n Early 2009.

Baseline Hillsi

• To diminish mansionizat
family neighborhoods, p
address:

– Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
– Height
– Grading

• Includes neighborhood-s
communities to adjust c

• Would apply only to R1,
Hillside Area.

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

ide Ordinance

tion in hillside single-
proposed regulations

specific overlays to allow
citywide baseline limits.

RS, RE, & RA Zones in

Regional To

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

opography

Preliminary Proposal

FLOOR AREA RATIO

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

O

What is Floor Ar

• FAR establishes relations
and amount of developm
property.

• Usually expressed as per

• Current FAR regulations
development limits whic
greater than the lot itsel

– 5,000 sq-ft R1 lot = over

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

rea Ratio (FAR)?

ship between property
ment permitted for that

rcentage or ratio.

result in maximum
ch are substantially
lf.

7,000 sq-ft.

Floor Are

SLOPE BAND METHOD:
• Building/Structure Size

size, zone, & steepness
property.
• Unique FAR starting po
Family Zone.
• FAR is gradually reduce
of the lot using identifi

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

ea Ratio

e regulation based on lot
s of slopes on a

oint for each Single-

ed for steeper portions
ied Slope Bands.

Slope B

Slope Band Angle (in degree
0% - 15% 0 – 8.5
15% - 30%
30% - 45% 8.5 – 16.5
45% - 60% 16.5 – 24
60% - 100% 24 – 31
100% or greater 31 – 45
45 or greater

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

Bands

es) Description
Flat to Moderate Slope

Strong Slopes (true hillside)
Very Strong Slopes

Moderately Severe Slopes
Severe Slopes
Extreme Slopes

Slopes

100% (45⁰)

60% (31⁰)
45% (24⁰)
30% (16.5⁰)
15% (8.5⁰)
0% (0⁰)

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

Bands

Represented as Angles

Floor Are

Single-Family Zone Hillside Area R

Slope Bands (%) R1 RS RE9

0 – 14.99 0.50 0.45 0.40

15 – 29.99 0.45 0.40 0.35

30 – 44.99 0.40 0.35 0.30

45 – 59.99 0.35 0.30 0.25

60 – 99.99 0.30 0.25 0.20

100 + 0.00 0.00 0.00

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

ea Ratio

FARs from Baseline
Mansionization Ordinance

Residential Floor Area Ratios (FAR)
RE11 RE15 RE20 RE40 RA
0.40 0.35 0.35 0.35 0.25
0.35 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.20
0.30 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.15
0.25 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.10
0.20 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.05
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Determining M

Hillside Area Maximum Res

Area within

Slope Bands (%) Slope Bands

0 – 14.99 A1 ×

15 – 29.99 A2 ×

30 – 44.99 A3 ×

45 – 59.99 A4 ×

60 – 99.99 A5 ×

100 + A6 ×

Maximum Residential

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

Maximum RFA

sidential Floor Area Formula

FARs = Residential Floor Area
M1 = V1
M2 = V2
M3 = V3
M4 = V4
M5 = V5
M6 = V6
Floor Area
Sum of V1 through V6

Slope A

(example above uses 2 ft contours)

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

Analysis

• Topographical Survey
prepared by Licensed
Surveyor (using 1ft
contours).

• Contours are lines
representing a change
in elevation (+/- 1ft).

• Slope Analysis
measures distance
between each contour
line to determine
slope.

• Shorter Distance =
Steeper Slope.

Real World Examp

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

ple: Slope Analysis

Will Determine “M” Values “A” Values
in Formula
Zone: RE20-1-H
Lot Size: 40,567 sq-ft

Slope Band Area within
Slope Band
< 15%
15% - 30%  15,977.3 sq-ft
30% - 45%  3,342.4 sq-ft
45% - 60%  5,113.0 sq-ft
60% - 100%  6,726.5 sq-ft
>100%  7,802.4 sq-ft
 1,605.1 sq-ft

Real World E

Single-Family Zone Hillside Area R

Slope Bands (%) R1 RS RE9

0 – 14.99 0.50 0.45 0.40

15 – 29.99 0.45 0.40 0.35

30 – 44.99 0.40 0.35 0.30

45 – 59.99 0.35 0.30 0.25

60 – 99.99 0.30 0.25 0.20

100 + 0.00 0.00 0.00

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

Example: FAR

“M” Values
in Formula

Residential Floor Area Ratios (FAR)
RE11 RE15 RE20 RE40 RA
0.40 0.35 0.35 0.35 0.25
0.35 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.20
0.30 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.15
0.25 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.10
0.20 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.05
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Real World Exam

Hillside Area Maximum Res

Area within

Slope Bands (%) Slope Bands

0 – 14.99 15,977.3 ×

15 – 29.99 3,342.4 ×

30 – 44.99 5,113.0 ×

45 – 59.99 6,726.5 ×

60 – 99.99 7,802.4 ×

100 + 1,605.1 ×

Maximum Residential

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

mple: Max RFA

sidential Floor Area Formula

RE20 Residential Floor Area
FARs = 5,592.05
0.35

0.30 = 1,002.73

0.25 = 1,278.25

0.20 = 1,345.30

0.15 = 1,170.36

0.00 = 0.00

Floor Area = 10,388.69 sq-ft

Theoretica

Scenario 1 – “Flat” R1 Lot Slope Bands (%
0 – 14.99
15 – 29.99
30 – 44.99
45 – 59.99
60 – 99.99
100 +

Scenario 2 – Sloped R1 Lot Slope Bands (%
0 – 14.99
15 – 29.99
30 – 44.99
45 – 59.99
60 – 99.99
100 +

Scenario 3 – Very Sloped R1 Lot Slope Bands (
0 – 14.99
15 – 29.99
30 – 44.99
45 – 59.99
60 – 99.99
100 +

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

al Examples

%)Area (sq-ft) FAR Residential Floor Area
5,000 0.50 2,500
0 0.45 0
0 0.40 0
0 0.35 0
0 0.30 0
0 0.00 0
(5,000) Maximum RFA = 2,500 sq-ft

%)Area (sq-ft) FAR Residential Floor Area
2,500 0.50 1,250
1,000 0.45 450
950 0.40 380
400 0.35 140
100 0.30 30
50 0.00 0
(5,000) Maximum RFA = 2,250 sq-ft

(%)Area (sq-ft) FAR Residential Floor Area
500 0.50 250
600 0.45 270
1,000 0.40 400
2,000 0.35 700
500 0.30 150
400 0.00 0
Maximum RFA = 1,770 sq-ft
(5,000)

Guaranteed M

• To ensure that size limi
restrictive, Guaranteed
Floor Area (RFA) are in

R1 RS RE9 RE11
5,000 7,500 9,000 11,000
sq-ft min sq-ft min sq-ft min sq-ft min

lot lot lot lot

1,500 sq-ft 3,000 sq-ft

• For lots which comply
requirements.

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

Minimum RFA

its are not too
d Minimum Residential
ncluded.

RE15 RE20 RE40 RA
15,000 20,000 40,000 17,500
sq-ft min sq-ft min sq-ft min sq-ft min

lot lot lot lot

4,000 sq-ft 3,000
sq-ft

with minimum lot size

20% RFA

• Proportional Stories Option
Area of each story other than
does not exceed 75% of the B

• Front Facade Stepback Optio
At least 25% of the front faca
back at least 20% of the build

These options only available for
natural/existing “flat” (less than
pad.

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

A Bonus

n Base Floor
Base Floor area.

on
ade stepped-
ding depth.

r buildings on a
n 15% slope)

20% RFA

• Minimal Grading Option
Total grading on site, includin
exceed 10% of the total lot si
yards, whichever is less.

Available when at least 60% o
30% or greater.

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

A Bonus

ng exempted grading, does not
ize in cubic yards or 1,000 cubic

of lot is comprised of slopes of

20% RFA

• Landform Grading Option
Grading done in accordance w
in order to better reflect orig
minimum disturbance to natu

Available when at least 60% o
30% or greater, and total qua
grading does not exceed 1,00

Landform Grading explained in later slid

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

A Bonus

with Landform Grading Manual
ginal landform and result in
ural terrain.

of lot is comprised of slopes of
antities of non-exempted
00 cubic yards.

de.

20% RFA

• Green Building Option
New single-family dwelling in
the requirements for the U.S
(USGBC) Leadership in Energy
(LEED®) for Homes program a

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

A Bonus

n substantial compliance with
S. Green Building Council’s
y and Environmental Design
at “Certified” level or higher.

20% RFA

• Only one 20% RFA Bonus gran
more than one option utilized

• Open to suggestions for addi

– Objective: to create incentives
result in development which re
communities or do not increas

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

A Bonus

nted, not added together if
d.

itional bonus options.

for preferred design methods that
emains compatible with surrounding
se perceived bulkiness of buildings.

Zoning Administ

• Zoning Administrator will con
grant an Adjustment of no m
Residential Floor Area limits.

• Increase larger than 10% wou

• Zoning Administrator Cases r
Clearance, Notification, and P
Conditions of Approval.

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

trator Authority

ntinue to have authority to
more than 10% of the maximum

uld require Variance.

require Environmental
Public Hearing, and include

Preliminary Proposal

RESIDENTIAL FLOO
DEFINITION

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

OR AREA (RFA)

RFA: What I

• Interior/Enclosed Spaces (No

Area within exterior walls of all struc

• Vaulted Ceilings (No change fro

Portions of building, in excess of 100
14 ft counts as twice the area.

• Stairwells (No change from BMO

Stairwells only counted once.

• Potentially Habitable Attics (

Any attic (or portion of) with ceiling

BASELINE HILLSIDE ORDINANCE

Prepared by the City of Los Angeles – Department of City Planning

Is Included?

o change from BMO definition.)
ctures, except as otherwise exempted.
om BMO definition.)
0 sq-ft, with ceiling height greater than

definition.)

(No change from BMO definition.)
height more than 7 ft.