Culver City Municipal Code Ch. 15.07 Planning

Section

Architectural Review Procedures

Architectural Review Procedures

The City Council of the City of Culver City hereby finds and determines that structural design techniques and amenities applied in the community directly and immediately affect the health, safety and general welfare of the inhabitants thereof as follows:

A. Structural appearance and quality in areas of the City significantly affected with the public interest directly relate to the City's economic strength and stability by attracting consumers and tourists, by establishing a sound relationship between the taxable value of real property in each area of the City and the cost of municipal services provided therefor, and by encouraging the attraction and retention of commercial and industrial investments in a manner consistent with the City's General Plan. Poor structural design quality and exterior appearance adversely affect the economic desirability of the immediate area and neighboring areas for multiple residential, commercial or industrial use, and hence impair the stability in value of both improved and unimproved real property in such area; prevent the most appropriate development of such area in accordance with the General Plan; and produce undesirable conditions affecting the health, safety, comfort and general welfare of the inhabitants of the City.

B. Structural appearance and quality in areas of the City significantly affected with the public interest directly affect the physical health and welfare of the inhabitants of the City and those using the public thoroughfares therein. Poor structural design technique and exterior appearance adversely affect human emotional, psychological, and ultimately, physical well-being. Since there is a tendency of some owners and/or developers to fail to consider the impact of the exterior appearance and design quality of an apartment, commercial or industrial building upon the natural site and its immediate man-made and scenic environment, in the absence of legislative action insuring reasonable consideration of such factors by owners and developers, the public will be forced to continue absorbing the external public costs created in the often short-sighted quest for profit by such failure to consider ecological impact.

C. Structural appearance and quality in business areas of the City which were developed prior to modern design and development standards are significantly affected with the public interest by virtue of their economic viability and high visibility on major arterial streets. Development over a period of several decades of commercial buildings along arterial streets with outmoded building materials, a lack of architectural design unity, a myriad of outdated storefront designs including graphics and poor or no landscaping has resulted in business areas not compatible with, appropriate to or acceptable in the contemporary retail market. This adversely affects the economic desirability of the immediate area and neighborhoods and may impair the stability and continued economic viability of these areas. Revitalization of these business areas by improving the commercial buildings with storefront designs and graphics, architectural amenities and common treatment of adjacent storefronts and building groups will alleviate the undesirable conditions affecting the health, safety, comfort and general welfare of the inhabitants of the City.

D. It is the purpose of this Section to prevent the above-enumerated and other harmful effects of the exterior appearance of buildings, whether of public or private ownership, erected in areas affected by the public interest, and thus fulfill the responsibilities of the City Council to promote and protect the health, safety, comfort and general welfare of the community, to promote the public convenience and prosperity, to conserve the value of existing buildings and real property, and to encourage the development of land within the City in accordance with the General Plan. It is also the purpose of this Section to alleviate the undesirable conditions above-enumerated within business areas designated as Commercial Revitalization areas by the City Council.

('65 Code, § 2-86.1) (Ord. No. CS-855 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 89-013 § 2)

Pursuant to § 3.03.230 D. of the Municipal Code, there are hereby established architectural review procedures.

('65 Code, § 2-86.2) (Ord. No. CS-855 §1 (part))

A. Architectural review shall be the responsibility of the Planning Commission except as modified herein.

('65 Code, § 2-86.3)

B. The Commission's rules for the transaction of other business shall be applicable to this responsibility.

('65 Code, § 2-86.4) (Ord. No. CS-855 § 1 (part))

Cross-reference:

Planning Commission, see §§ 3.03.200 through 3.03.235

A. The standard for architectural review as provided in this Section shall be Architectural Design District Standards established in the current Design and Physical Development Plan adopted by the City Council. The Planning Commission shall continually seek to update the plan when necessary to achieve the purpose of this Section.

B. In the areas designated as Commercial Revitalization areas by resolution of the City Council, the Storefront Improvement Design Guidelines for Commercial Revitalization Areas are adopted by the City Council as a supplement to be applied in addition to the Architectural Design District Standards of the Design and Physical Development Plan.

('65 Code, § 2-86.5) (Ord. No. CS-855 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 87-016 § 1; Ord. No. 89-013 § 3)

A. Projects requiring architectural review. Except as set forth in Subsection B., architectural review and approval is required prior to the issuance of a building permit for:

1. Construction of a new building or an addition to an existing building, whenever a cumulative total of seven hundred fifty (750) square feet or more of gross building floor area is added within a one year period.

2. Any project involving a substantial exterior modification as determined by the City Planner.

3. Any project involving a substantial change or intensification of land use, as determined by the City Planner such as but not limited to, another use which would require more parking, or the conversion of a residential structure to an office or commercial use.

4. Moving a building or structure onto a site (“move-on”).

5. Erection of a new, or a modification to an existing sign, fence, wall or any other appurtenant structure.

B. Projects not requiring architectural review. Architectural review is not required for construction of, or additions or alterations to an individual single family or two family dwelling or appurtenant structure, or two single family dwellings on one lot.

C. Modifications to an approved architectural review. Modifications to an approved architectural review, involving additions to existing structures or new buildings, shall require approval of an architectural review modification prior to the issuance of a building permit. Except for minor modifications, modifications to an architectural review approval shall be approved by the decision making authority which originally approved the architectural style. Unless the architectural review approval provides otherwise, the City Planner may approve minor modifications. As used in this subsection, minor modifications to an approved architectural review include, without limitation, changes other than ones involving structural additions or new buildings. Where an architectural review approval remains valid, an application for a modified architectural review shall be accompanied by written consent of the property owner.

('65 Code, § 2-86.6) (Ord. No. CS-855 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 87-016 § 2)

A. The City Planner shall be the decision making authority on all architectural review applications; provided that, the City Planner shall refer any application to the Planning Commission for decision if any of the following criteria apply:

1. The project is for a residential use and contains ten (10) or more units.

2. The project is for a commercial, industrial or institutional use and contains over ten thousand (10,000) square feet of gross building floor area.

3. The project otherwise requires Planning Commission review, such as but not limited to, site plan review, conditional use permit, subdivision or zone change application.

B. The City Planner may refer any architectural review application or modification to the Planning Commission for decision.

('65 Code, § 2-86.7) (Ord. No. CS-855 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 87-016 § 3)

A. The applicant for a building permit for any improvement subject to architectural review shall submit to the City Planner plans, elevations, specifications, and other data necessary to effectively relate the improvement to the Architectural Design District Standards.

B. Architectural review by the City Planner may be performed concurrently with the plan checking of working drawings submitted for a building permit, provided that the drawings contain sufficient information to determine compliance with the Architectural Design District Standards. Where an administrative discretionary review process by the City Planner may be involved, such as but not limited to, an administrative site plan review or variance, architectural review may be performed concurrently therewith. In such cases, the notice of decision required for such site plan review or variance shall include notice of the administrative architectural review decision.

C. Planning Commission architectural reviews shall be made at regular or special meetings which shall be open to the public. Each case requiring review shall be placed on the Commission's agenda. The Commission shall review each application, the staff report and any statement of the applicant, and after discussion, shall make its findings and decision by motion or resolution. If the property also requires other Planning Commission action, architectural review may be combined by the Commission with those other actions including the resolution reflecting the Commission's decision. The applicant shall be notified in writing of the Commission's decision within ten (10) working days of the date of the decision.

('65 Code, § 2-86.8) (Ord. No. CS-855 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 87-016 § 4)

The decision of the City Planner or the Planning Commission shall become final and effective twenty (20) working days after the date of decision as indicated in the notice of decision, unless appealed pursuant to the Zoning Code, as set forth in Title 17 of this Code.

('65 Code, § 2-86.9) (Ord. No. CS-855 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 87-016 § 5)