Planning for Mansionization
From: TERA e.letter 11-23-06
The following information was made available by the City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning:
There has been a great deal of discussion about the pros and cons of “Mansionization” in recent years. The Los Angeles Department of City Planning has been conducting a citywide study on how to best address the issue of mansionization as it affects non-hillside and non-coastal properties. The Planning department is in the process of evaluating a proposal to address the issue of mansionization.
The Planning Department defines mansionization as new construction or additions on residentially zoned lots that are out-of-scale with the surrounding neighborhood, but which comply with the current City zoning regulations.
The Planning Department’s preliminary proposal is to revise the City’s Municipal Code to reduce the size and bulk of single-family dwellings. The revisions involve a reduction of the existing Floor Area Ratio (FAR) from 3:1 to a base of 1:1, and 1.25:1 with the Proportional Stories Rule (PSR). FAR determines the maximum size of a house permitted on a property by using a ratio of Floor Area to Buildable Area, which is the lot area minus the required yard setbacks. The revisions also include changing the definition of Floor Area for Single Family Dwellings to exclude the first 400 square feet of garage space and qualified basement areas, and include the garage area in excess of 400 square feet.
This proposal would affect all lots zoned single family residential (R1, RS, RE9, RE11, RE15, RA, RE20 and RE 40) that are not located in a Hillside Area or Coastal Zone. For properties located in a Specific Plan area or in a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, the more restrictive requirements would prevail.
The intent is to reduce the permitted maximum size of a Single Family Dwelling. The Planning Department provides the following examples: Currently on a typical 5,000 square foot lot zoned R1, the existing FAR of 3:1 could yield a two story 4,940 square foot single family dwelling or a three story 7,020 square foot single family dwelling. Under the proposed FAR of 1:1, in the same zone with the same lot size, the maximum Floor Area that could be built could not exceed 2,470 square feet, at a 28 foot height.
The Proportional Stories Rule (PSR) is intended to mitigate the bulk and size of single family dwellings. A large two or three story, box like structure would not be allowed by right. All floors above the ground floor of a structure would not exceed 2/3rds of the Floor Area on the ground floor on a flat lot. The maximum size of a box-like structure possible in the same example would be 2,470 square feet at 28 feet in height. An FAR bonus of 0.25 would be granted when a structure implements the PSR. In this example, the proposed PSR bonus would allow for a maximum of 3,088 square feet of floor area at a height of 28 feet.
This proposal is preliminary at the current time but if you have comments about it, please feel free to contact City Planning Department employees Erick Lopez at (213)978-1243 or Anita Cerna at (818)374- 5042 or visit the Planning Department web site at www.planning @lacity.org .