SEC. 17.02. DEFINITIONS.

For the purpose of this Article the following words and phrases are defined as follows; for any words or phrases not defined here, see Div. 13C.1. (Administration Definitions) of Chapter 1A of this Code:

Alley – A public way, other than a street or highway, providing a means of vehicular access to abutting property;

Average Natural Slope – The average of the ungraded slopes at selected contours within a given parcel of land divided by its area as computed from either the City’s Engineer’s topographic maps or a topographic map prepared by a California registered civil engineer or California licensed land surveyor. Regardless of which map is used, calculations cannot be derived or interpolated from a map that originally had contour intervals of greater than 25 feet for subdivisions or greater than five feet for parcel maps. Average natural slope shall be computed by the following formula:

S =

C × L × 100

Where: S = average natural slope in percent.

C = contour interval in feet, at no greater than 25-foot intervals for subdivisions or five-foot intervals for parcel maps, resulting in at least five contour lines.

L = total accumulated length of all contours of interval “C” in feet.

A = the area being considered in square feet.

Slopes may be computed only by the entire subdivision or parcel map area. The calculation “L” (contour lengths) and “A” (area in square feet) can be computed by 500-foot grid increments, as shown on the City Engineer’s topographic maps. The “L” for each grid increment must be added to the “L” for every other grid increment and the “A” for each grid increment must be added to the “A” for every other grid increment to determine the “L” and the “A” for the entire subdivision or parcel map, prior to calculating the average natural slope for that subdivision or parcel map. In any matter where the average natural slope is used to calculate density pursuant to Sections 17.05 (Design Standards) or 17.50 (Parcel Maps – General Provisions) of this Chapter, the subdivision file shall contain copies of all maps and all calculations so that the figures can be verified. All maps and all calculations are required to be submitted at the time of the filing of a subdivision application or the application is deemed incomplete.

Building Site – Any parcel of land which conforms to the definition of a lot as defined in this article.

City Engineer – The City Engineer.

Design – Design of a subdivision shall include:

(1) street alignments, grades and widths;
(2) drainage and sanitary facilities and utilities, including alignments and grades thereof;
(3) location and size of all required easements and rights-of-way;
(4) fire roads and firebreaks:
(5) lot and size configuration;
(6) traffic access;
(7) grading;
(8) land to be dedicated for park and recreation purposes, and

(9) such other specific requirements in the general plan and configuration of the entire subdivision as may be necessary or convenient to insure conformity to or implementation of the general plan or any adopted specific plan.

Drip Line – A line which may be drawn on the ground around a tree directly under its outermost branch tips and which identifies that location where rainwater tends to drip from the tree.

Engineer – The Registered Civil Engineer employed by the owner or by the subdivider to prepare the Subdivision Maps and improvement plans.

Fire Protection – Such fire hydrants and other protective devices as required by the Chief Engineer of the Fire Department.

Flood Hazard – A hazard to land or improvements due to overflow water having sufficient velocity to transport or deposit debris, scour the surface soil, dislodge or damage buildings, or erode the banks of water courses.

Freeway – A highway in respect to which the owners of abutting land have no right or easement of access to or from their abutting lands or in respect to which such owners have only limited or restricted right or easement of access, and which is declared to be such in compliance with the Streets and Highways Code of the State of California.

Frontage Road – A street lying adjacent and approximately parallel to and separated from a freeway, and which affords access to abutting property.

Future Street or Alley – Any real property which the owner thereof has offered for dedication to the City for street or alley purposes but which has been rejected by the City Council of the City of Los Angeles, subject to the right of said Council to rescind its action and accept by resolution at any later date and without further action by the owner, all or part of said property as public street or alley.

Highway, Major – Any street designated as a major highway on the Highways and Freeways maps of the Transportation Element of the General Plan.

Highway, Secondary – Any street designated as a secondary highway on the Highways and Freeways maps of the Transportation Element of the General Plan.

Hillside Grading Areas – Hillside Grading Areas as defined in Section 91.7003 (Grading, Excavations and Fills; Definitions) of this Code.

Improvement – Such street work and utilities to be installed, or agreed to be installed by the subdivider on the land to be used for public or private streets, highways, ways, and easements as are necessary for the general use of the lot owners in the subdivision and local neighborhood traffic and drainage needs and required as a condition precedent to the approval and acceptance of the Final Map or Parcel Map. Such street work and utilities include necessary monuments, street name signs, guardrails, barricades, safety devices, fire hydrants, grading, retaining walls, storm drains and flood control channels and facilities, erosion control structures, sanitary sewers, street lights, street trees, traffic warning devices other than traffic signals and relocation of existing traffic signal systems directly affected by other subdivision improvements and other facilities as are required by the Bureau of Street Lighting or Bureau of Street Maintenance in conformance with other applicable provisions of this Code, or as are determined necessary by the Advisory Agency for the necessary and proper development of the proposed subdivision and to insure conformity to or the implementation of the general plan or any adopted specific plan.

Inundation – Ponded water or water in motion of sufficient depth to damage property due to the presence of the water or to deposit of silt.

Lot – A parcel of land conforming to the definition of Lot contained in Section 12.03 (Definitions) of this Chapter, which is identified on a final Map or a Parcel Map recorded in the Office of the County Recorder with a separate and distinct letter or number.

Model Dwelling – A one-family residential unit having all the following characteristics:

(a) Said unit is constructed upon a proposed lot or in a proposed building previously designated as a model dwelling site by the Advisory Agency in a subdivision or a multiple unit development for which the Advisory Agency has approved or conditionally approved a tentative map, but for which a final map has not yet been recorded.

(b) The proposed lot upon which the unit is constructed is recognized as a legal building site for the duration of the model dwelling permit.

(d) Where applicable, temporary access thereto is permitted over future streets previously restricted to public access.

(e) Said unit is intended to be temporarily utilized as an example of the dwellings which have been built or which are proposed to be built in the same subdivision or multiple dwelling development.

Problem Areas – Those portions of the City of Los Angeles determined by resolution of the Board of Public Works to be actually or potentially dangerous by reason of geological conditions, being subject to inundation or overflow by storm water, or because of any other potentially dangerous condition, including but not limited to areas subject to rapid spread of fire.

Protected Tree – Any of the following Southern California native tree species, which measures four inches or more in cumulative diameter, four and one half feet above the ground level at the base of the tree:

(a) Oak tree including Valley Oak ( Quercus lobata ) and California Live Oak ( Quercus agrifolia ), or any other tree of the oak genus indigenous to California but excluding the Scrub Oak ( Quercus dumosa ).

(b) Southern California Black Walnut ( Juglans californica var. californica ).

(c) Western Sycamore ( Platanus racemosa ).
(d) California Bay ( Umbellularia californica ).

This definition shall not include any tree grown or held for sale by a licensed nursery, or trees planted or grown as a part of a tree planting program.

Public Way – Any street, channel, viaduct, subway, tunnel, bridge, easement, right of way or other way in which a public agency has a right of use.

Residential Planned Development – A group of residential buildings and appurtenant structures located and arranged in accordance with the requirements of the RPD residential planned development district Sec. 13.04 (“PRD” Residential Planned Development Districts) of this Chapter in which the property is located. A residential planned development may include schools. It may also include churches, hospitals, infirmaries, recreational and commercial uses, as an integral part of the development and intended for use by its occupants, to an extent commensurate with the planned population of the RPD district.

Roadway – That portion of a right of way for a street or alley used or intended to accommodate the movement of vehicles.

Service Road – That part of a major or secondary highway, containing a roadway which affords access to abutting property and is adjacent and approximately parallel to and separated from the principal roadway.

Slope – The plane or incline of land usually expressed as a percentage where % slope =

vertical distance × 100 horizontal distance

Street, Collector – A street including the principal access streets of a subdivision which carries traffic from local streets either directly or via other existing or proposed collector streets to a major or secondary highway.

Street, Local – Any street other than a collector street, major or secondary highway, or freeway, providing access to abutting property and serving local as distinguished from through traffic.

Surveyor – A licensed land surveyor authorized to practice in California.

Tree Expert – A person with at least four years of experience in the business of transplanting, moving, caring for and maintaining trees and who is (a) a certified arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture and who holds a valid California license as an agricultural pest control advisor or (b) a landscape architect or (c) a registered consulting arborist with the American Society of Consulting Arborists.

Water Supply – Such water system supply and distribution facilities as are necessary to provide a reliable and adequate water supply for private use and public fire protection purposes.

Vehicular Access Rights – The right or easement for access of owners or occupants of abutting lands to a public way other than as pedestrians.

SEC. 17.03. ADVISORY AGENCY.

A. Authority and Duties. See Sec. 13B.7.1.C. (General Provisions; Advisory Agency) of Chapter 1A of this Code.

When the Advisory Agency approves or conditionally approves a tentative map, it may also designate certain lots or proposed buildings, whether existing or to be constructed on a lot shown on said map, as sites for the construction of model dwellings. The Advisory Agency is authorized to designate said sites only if it determines that they comply, or can be made to comply with the design standards for sites for model dwellings as hereinafter set forth in Section 17.05 of this article.

In addition to the authorities established in Div. 13B.7. (Division of Land) of Chapter 1A of this Code, the Advisory Agency, acting in the capacity of an Associate Zoning Administrator, shall also have the authority to reduce the width of required passageways pursuant to Section 12.21 C.2.(b) (Spaces Between Buildings – Passageways) of this Chapter to no less than five feet between habitable buildings and detached condominiums, unless the Fire Department determines that the reduction would result in a safety hazard. And shall have the authority to grant deviations of no more than 20 percent from the applicable area, yard, and height requirements. The subdivider must ask for adjustments at the time of filing. In permitting adjustments, the Advisory Agency shall make the findings contained in Sec. 13B.5.2. (Adjustment) of Chapter 1A of this Code.

The reductions / deviations shall be included in the written decision of the Advisory Agency. Notification and appeal rights to such reductions / deviations shall conform to Sec. 13B.7.2. (Tentative Tract Map) of Chapter 1A of this Code.

B. (This subsection intentionally left blank.)

C. (This subsection intentionally left blank.)

D. Subdivision of Air Space. Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, in any zone, the Advisory Agency is authorized to approve, conditionally approve or disapprove a preliminary parcel map or a tentative tract map showing one or more air space lots (as defined in Section 12.03 of this Code), provided that such air space lots are created in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 1, Article 7 of this Code.

thstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, in any zone, the Advisory Agency is authorized to approve, conditionally approve or disapprove a preliminary parcel map or a tentative tract map showing one or more air space lots (as defined in Section 12.03 of this Code), provided that such air space lots are created in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 1, Article 7 of this Code.

The Advisory Agency shall require, as a condition of approval of any tentative tract map or preliminary parcel map showing one or more air space lots, that the final map or parcel map showing such air space lots be based upon a site plan which accurately describes the location of such lots. After recordation of such map and upon construction of the buildings or structures within the air space lots, if it is determined by the Department of Building and Safety that there are minor discrepancies between the site plan and the actual physical location of the air space lots in such buildings or structures, lot lines for the air space lots may be adjusted as necessary through the parcel map exemption procedure set forth in Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 17.50 B.3.c.