§ 11.08

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning. The word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely directory.

(05)

Commercial shall have the meaning set forth at Laguna Woods Municipal Code Section 13.06.010(c)(225).

(10)

Industrial shall mean the manufacturing, processing, repairing, renovating, painting, cleaning, assembling, storage, and/or research and development of goods, merchandise, technology, and/or equipment.

(15)

Redevelopment shall have the meaning set forth at California Health and Safety Code § 33020 et seq.

(20)

Residential property means any building designed for living and sleeping purposes, and having independent cooking and sanitation facilities. This excludes hotels, motels, and other temporary dwelling areas.

(25)

Retail shall have the meaning set forth at Laguna Woods Municipal Code Section 13.06.010(c)(660).

(Ord. No. 06-05, § 1, 8-16-2006)

The City shall not be permitted to acquire residential property by eminent domain for the sole purpose of transferring ownership of that residential property to a private party for use in a private commercial, retail,

industrial, and/or residential property development.

(Ord. No. 06-05, § 1, 8-16-2006)

Sec. 11.08.040. - Eminent domain by redevelopment agency.

Any redevelopment agency authorized by the City pursuant to California Health and Safety Code § 33000 et seq. shall not be permitted to acquire residential property by eminent domain for the purpose of redevelopment by a private party.

(Ord. No. 06-05, § 1, 8-16-2006)

CHAPTER 11.10. - OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS

Sec. 11.10.010. - Purpose and intent.

The purpose and intent of this chapter is to establish design standards that (i) involve no personal or subjective judgment by the City of Laguna Woods, (ii) are uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available, and (iii) are knowable by development applicants, project proponents, and the City of Laguna Woods before submittal. The design standards set forth herein are specifically intended to foster development within the City of Laguna Woods that enhances the area's aesthetics, character, and sense of place. The design standards are also specifically intended to integrate Crime Prevention through Environmental Design ("CPTED") standards.

(Ord. No. 23-04, § 3(Exh. A), 11-15-2023; Ord. No. 24-01, § 3(Exh. A), 1-17-2024)

Sec. 11.10.020. - Definitions.

For purposes of this chapter only, the following definitions shall apply, in addition to those set forth in Chapter 1.02 of this Code:

(05)

Arched shall mean having a vertical curve where the height of the curve is either (1) exactly half of the width of the curve, or (2) shorter in height than the actual curve.

(10)

Awning shall mean an architectural projection that provides weather protection, building identity, or decoration, and is wholly supported by the building to which it is attached. An awning is often comprised of a lightweight frame structure over which a cover is attached.

(15)

Balcony shall mean an external extension of an upper floor of a building, enclosed by a screen, balusters, or railings.

(20)

Balustrade shall mean multiple balusters supporting a railing on a balcony.

(25)

Baluster shall mean a post, upright support, or vertical piece that supports a railing on a balcony.

(30)

Building shall have the same meaning as the term is defined in Section 13.06.010(c)(130) of this Code, as amended from time to time or replaced with a successor statute.

(35)

Carport shall mean any parking area that is wholly or partially covered by a structure of any kind.

(40)

Cavity wall shall mean a wall built of masonry units or of concrete, or a combination of these materials, arranged to provide an airspace within the wall, and in which the inner and outer parts of the wall are tied together with metal ties

(45)

Clerestory shall mean an upper story or row of windows rising above the adjoining parts of the roof, designed to admit light into the inner space of a building.

(50)

Cornice shall mean the uppermost division of an entablature; a projecting shelf along the top of a wall supported by a series of brackets; the exterior trim at the meeting of a roof and wall, consisting of soffit, fascia, and crown molding.

(55)

Dry-stacked, surface-bonded wall shall mean a wall built of concrete masonry units where the units are stacked dry, without mortar on the bed or head joints, and where both sides of the wall are coated with a surface-bonding mortar.

(60)

Exterior shall mean any outer surface that is or would be visible from any point outside the parcel on which it is located assuming topography was flat and no other buildings, structures, fences, walls, landscaping, or similar visual obstructions were present.

(65)

Façade shall mean any single face of a building.

(70)

Glass curtain walls shall mean aluminum- or other metal-framed window systems that are non-structural and house glass panels.

(75)

Gross floor area shall have the same meaning as the term is defined in Section 13.06.010(c)(420) of this Code, as amended from time to time or replaced with a successor statute.

(80)

Landscape professional shall mean a licensed landscape architect, licensed landscape contractor, or any other person authorized to design a landscape pursuant to California Business and Professions Code §§ 5500.1, 5615, 5641, 5641.1, 5641.2, 5641.3, 5641.4, 5641.5, 5641.6, 6701, 7027.5, California Code of Regulations Tit. 16, § 832.27, or California Food and Agriculture Code § 6721, as amended from time to time or replaced with a successor statute

(85)

Light box sign shall mean an illuminated sign that contains mechanisms to encapsulate, suspend, protect and/or display a discrete sheet of backlit film which may include images and/or text, and which is designed to transmit light through the film for increased image brightness, contrast, and/or color saturation.

(90)

Neutral color shall mean a color that is not considered a primary color on any one or more of the following color models: CIE, CMYK, HEX, HSB, HSL, or RGB.

(95)

Parapet shall mean a low protective wall or railing along the edge of a roof, balcony, or similar structure; in an exterior wall, the part entirely above the roof.

(100)

Pilaster shall mean a partial pier or column, often with a base, shaft, and capital, that is embedded in a flat wall and projects slightly; may be constructed as a projection of the wall itself.

(105)

Roof deck shall mean the flat or sloped surface constructed on top of the exterior walls of a building or other supports for the purpose of enclosing the story below, or sheltering an area, to protect it from the elements, not including its supporting members or vertical supports.

(110)

Roof covering shall mean the covering applied to the roof deck for weather resistance, fire classification, or appearance.

(115)

Structure shall have the same meaning as the term is defined in Section 13.06.010(c)(790) of this Code, as amended from time to time or replaced with a successor statute.

(120)

Wall shall mean a vertical element with a horizontal length- to-thickness ratio greater than three, used to enclose space, whether load bearing or not. "Wall" specifically includes, but is not limited to, cavity walls, dry-stacked, surface-bonded walls, and parapets.

(125)

Wall plane shall mean the surface area that extends from the ground to the top of each wall. "Wall plane" specifically includes, but is not limited to, portions of walls located under eaves and overhangs. Where a single building has multiple wall planes along a single façade, the wall planes are additive and shall be considered a single wall plane.

(Ord. No. 23-04, § 3(Exh. A), 11-15-2023; Ord. No. 24-01, § 3(Exh. A), 1-17-2024)

Sec. 11.10.030. - Applicability.

(a)

This chapter shall apply to the following projects:

(1)

New construction of any building or structure with a gross floor area equal to or in excess of 25 square feet.

(2)

New construction of any trash enclosure, or expansion of any existing trash enclosure equal to or in excess of 25 square feet.

(3)

New construction of any generator or similar on-site energy source, or expansion of any existing structure housing a generator or similar on-site energy source equal to or in excess of 10 square feet.

(4)

"Developments" as that term is used in California Government Code § 65913.4, as amended from time to time or replaced with a successor statute.

(5)

"Housing development projects" as that term is used in California Government Code § 65589.5, as amended from time to time or replaced with a successor statute.

(b)

This chapter shall not apply to the following projects:

(1)

Projects not listed in subsection (a) above.

(2)

Wireless facilities subject to Section 13.26.210 of this Code.

(3)

Projects undertaken by an independent special district, school district, or other governmental agency when applicable law precludes the applicability of objective design standards.

(4)

Projects undertaken by the City, or undertaken on City-owned property, when the plans for such projects are subject to discretionary approval by the City Council.

(5)

Projects that received planning approval by the City Council or City staff prior to January 31, 2024.

(Ord. No. 23-04, § 3(Exh. A), 11-15-2023; Ord. No. 24-01, § 3(Exh. A), 1-17-2024)

Sec. 11.10.040. - Measurements.

(1)

Where this chapter references distances between or within parcels, the distance shall be measured from the outermost boundary lines of the closest parcels.

(2)

Where this chapter references distances between or within buildings, the distance shall be measured from the outermost wall of the closest points of each building.

(3)

Where this chapter identifies a setback from any parcel, the distance shall be measured from the outermost boundary line of the parcel to the closest point of the design feature or equipment setback which, for parking areas, shall be the edge of the asphalt, paving, or other parking surface closest to the parcel.

(4)

Where this chapter identifies a setback from any public street easement or right-of-way, the distance shall be measured from the outermost boundary line of the public street easement or right-of-way to the closest point of the design feature or equipment setback which, for parking areas, shall be the edge of the asphalt, paving, or other parking surface closest to the parcel.

(5)

Where this chapter identifies a percentage of landscape screening, the percentage shall be calculated by estimating the expected size and growth of the plantings at 12 months (365 days) after the initial date of

planting, as attested to by a landscape professional. Fractional values shall be rounded to the next highest whole number.

(6)

Where this chapter identifies the height of any wall or fence, the height shall be measured as set forth in Section 13.16.230 of this Code, as amended from time to time or replaced with a successor statute.

(7)

Where this chapter identifies the height of any clerestory, the height shall be measured from the exterior base of the wall on which the clerestory is located to the base of the clerestory frame.

(8)

Where this chapter identifies the height of any balcony's balustrade or balusters, or openings therein, the height shall be measured from the exterior base of the balustrade or balusters to the top of the balustrade or balusters, or openings therein, as may apply, on the exterior side.

(9)

Where this chapter identifies a percentage of roof or wall cover, or number of windows or other design elements, fractional values shall be rounded to the next highest whole number.

(10)

Where this chapter identifies a required overhanging eave, the overhang shall be measured from the point the roof extends past the wall plane to the outermost edge of the eave.

(11)

Where this chapter identifies a required arched opening, the vertical curve of the arch opening shall be measured from the point the opening begins to curve.

(12)

Where this chapter identifies the size of open air gaps in the design of trash enclosures, the gap shall be measured as the area which encloses, with four, six, or eight perpendicular lines, all points from any angle through which an object measuring more than one inch in length by one inch in width can be placed.

(Ord. No. 23-04, § 3(Exh. A), 11-15-2023)