As city officials grapple with new guidelines to regulate design and size for residential structures, an architectural organization is offering a blueprint that municipalities might want to consider.
The American Institute of Architects of Los Angeles released its recommendations for changes to Los Angeles’ proposed baseline mansionization ordinance, which would change zoning statutes that govern density, height and size of homes within single-family home neighborhoods. The ordinance to regulate large, out-of scale “McManisons” in various neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles is pending before the Los Angeles City Council and is the culmination of an outcry from homeowners who have seen the complexion of their neighborhoods change in recent years with the construction of residences that dwarf existing structures.
Culver City is also beginning to see the onset of these large-scale homes and is in the process of hiring a consultant to advise the city council on its plan to develop new regulations for zones with single-family homes or R-1 zones.
The architectural organization suggests clarity on side yards, offers recommendations on height, maximum floor area ration and driveways, decks and balconies.
“It is our professional concern that many of the proposed changes (and the rationale driving them forward) will unintentionally deliver flawed solutions and counter-productive consequences to otherwise very real problems with the code. We have prepared constructive recommendations to improve the proposed code amendments, which will better ensure an outcome that delivers greater clarity to architects, developers and to the greater community,” wrote Will Wright, the organization’s director of government and public affairs to Los Angeles Planning representatives.
While Wright’s letter was sent to Los Angeles officials, Culver City Councilman Thomas Small thinks his colleagues and the city’s planning staff can benefit by taking a look at the recommendations as well.
While Small, who is an architectural writer and consultant did not mention the architectural group’s recommendations at the June 14 City Council meeting where the council laid out specifics for how the consultant will be hired, a local architect did mention them.
The City Council adopted an ordinance on Jan. 4 that amended certain development standards for R-1 neighborhoods, which include reducing existing floor area ratio, setbacks, basements, balconies, and height and driveway placement, among other considerations.
Part of the discussion on the new guidelines will revolve around which approach they council should take: focusing on one neighborhood and then extrapolating what recommendations are created to other neighborhoods or take a case-by-case approach to each neighborhood.
Vice Mayor Jeffrey Cooper thinks the former approach has merit. “I think Carlson Park would be a good place to start. It has the layout and the lot size of many of the other neighborhoods,” Cooper said. “And that’s where a lot of the discussion about out- of scale -homes started.”
As the council moves forward, Small said it is critical to respect the diversity and unique characteristics of each individual neighborhood. “It’s crucial to protect the architectural fabric of each community. When you have that texture, you have to be careful not to break out of that,” the councilman said.
Perhaps one of the biggest takeaways from the institute’s recommendations references what Small touched on regarding neighborhood characteristics and Culver City could be substituted for the Los Angeles reference. “Encourage planning staff to more readily embrace design innovation that is locally tailored to the unique conditions of Los Angeles,” Wright wrote.
Cooper said he wants the consultant to be free to advise the council without any unnecessary pressure. “I want [the consultant] to be independent and to be able look at things with a fresh set of eyes,” he said.
Small said all of the recommendation from the architectural group may not have a particular resonance regarding defining new zoning applications in the short-term. “They may not be applicable right now, but they certainly could be later,” he said.
The recommendations can be found at http://www.aialosangeles.org/images/events/News/AIA_LA%20improvements%20to%20BMO%20BHO%200524162.pdf.
Gary Walker contributed to this story.
