VALLEY VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN

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Effective April 4, 1993

Regulations

Section 1.       Establishment of Specific Plan

The City Council hereby establishes the Valley Village Specific Plan for residential and commercial development in the North Hollywood Community Plan area as shown within the heavy lines on the map and as further described as:  the area bounded by Burbank Boulevard to the north, the Hollywood Freeway (I-170) to the east, the Ventura Freeway (I-101) to the south and the Tujunga Wash to the west.

Section 2.      Purposes

A.      To assure that the development of the area is in accordance with provisions of the North Hollywood Community Plan;

B.     To assure orderly, attractive and harmonious multiple residential and commercial developments that are adjacent to the existing single-family developments with the Valley Village area of the North Hollywood Community Plan area;

C.     To provided coordinated and comprehensive standards for height, design, building massing, open space, and landscaping for new projects so that multiple residential and commercial projects are harmonious with adjacent single-family neighborhoods;

D.     To assure that all residential and commercial uses are consistent with the general character of the existing single-family developments within the Valley Village area of the North Hollywood Community Plan area;

E.     To preserve the quality and existing character of the Valley Village area;

F.     To minimize adverse environmental effects of development and promote the general welfare by regulating buildings by height, and bulk, and prohibiting commercial uses which are not compatible to their sites and surroundings, or which cause parking or traffic circulation impacts;

G.    To adequately buffer single-family residential uses from adjacent multiple residential and commercial development;

H.     To preserve stable single-family neighborhoods presently zoned for single-family uses.

Section 3.     Relationship to Other Provisions of Chapter 1 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code

A.     The regulations of this Specific Plan are in addition to those set forth in provisions of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (hereinafter Code) and do not convey any rights not otherwise granted under such other provisions, except as specially provided herein.

B.     Wherever this Specific Plan contains provisions which require different commercial land uses, building heights, stepback requirements, landscaping requirements, yard setbacks, parking requirements or other provisions which differ from those provisions contained in Chapter 1 of the Code, the Specific Plan shall prevail and supersede the applicable provisions of that Code.

C.     Procedural requirements of this Specific Plan are set forth in Section 11.5.7 of the Code.  In approving an exception to this Specific Plan pursuant to Section 11.5.7 D, the City Planning Commission and the City Council on appeal may simultaneously approve any conditional use under their jurisdiction without any additional application.  Only one fee shall be required for joint applications.

Section 4.    Definitions

       The following words, whenever used in this Specific Plan, shall be construed as defined in this section.  Words and phrases not defined herein shall be construed as defined in  Section 12.03 of the Code and Division 4 of Article IX of the Code, if defined therein:

Drive-through Restaurant:  shall mean an establishment which dispenses food for consumption on or off the premises, over a counter, or through a window, to an individual in a vehicle.

Fast-food Restaurant:  shall mean an establishment which dispenses prepared food over a counter for consumption on or off the premises, except for a cafeteria, and generates at least 31.6 trips over 1,000 square feed of gross floor area.  For purposes of this Specific Plan, cafeteria shall mean a restaurant in which the customers serve themselves or are served at a counter and take the food to tables to eat for consumption only on the premises; trip shall mean an arrival or a departure during the a.m. or p.m. peak hours by a motor vehicle, as determined by the Department of Transportation; and gross floor area shall mean the total square footage confined by the outside surface of the exterior walls of a building, except that square footage devoted to vehicle parking and necessary interior driveways and ramps.

Open Space:  shall mean an area open from the ground to the sky intended to be used for active and passive recreation purposes, which is free of storage areas, surface parking for automobiles or trucks, or other improvements.  Open Space may include walkways or recreation areas (i.e., swimming pools, barbecue and picnic areas, areas devoted to sports, games and hobbies, fountains, ponds, benches, sun decks and other similar amenities).  Projections into yards as specified in Section 12.22 C 20 of the Code are permitted in open space.

Project:  shall mean the erection or construction of or addition or alteration to any building or structure which increases the height, floor area, number of dwelling units or number of guest rooms on a residentially or commercially zoned property.

Section 5.    Zoning and Land Use

All land uses shall be consistent with the North Hollywood Community Plan and with the additional regulations as specified in this Specific Plan.

A.     Residential Land Uses.  One-family residentially zoned lots shall be maintained with one-family dwellings.

B.     Commercial Land Uses.  Unless the zoing on a lot is more restrictive than allowed by the C4 Zone, a commercially zoned lot within the Valley Village Specific Plan Area shall be limited to the C4 use limitations in Section 12.16 A 2 of the Code, except that the following uses shall not be permitted:

1.  All ground floor residential uses

2.  automobile sales, new

3.  bathhouses

4.  burglar alarm busineses

5.  driving schools

6.  escort businesses

7.  fast-food & drive-through restaurants

8.  hotels and motels

9.  massage parlors

10.  mobile home sales, new

11.  monuments and tombstones, retail sales

12.  off-site advertising signs

13.  recreational vehicle sales, new

14.  rescue missions

15.  taxicab businesses

16.  trade schools, universities and barber and beauty colleges

17.  trailer sales, new

Section 6.  Specific Plan Development Regulations

Any Project on a lot or lots located in whole or in part within the Specific Plan Area as described in Section 1 of this ordinance shall conform to the following development regulations:

A.  General Provisions

1.  For multiple-family residential Projects constructed on a lot adjacent to a lot zoned for RW1 or more restrictive residential uses:

a.  Any portion of a building wall above a height of 26 feet and facing an RW1 or more restrictively zoned lot shall not have any balcony or any openings to a hallway or public stairway. Window openings shall otherwise be allowed 44 inches above the floor in any room.

b.  Open balcony guardrails on buildings facing an RW1 or more restrictively zoned lot shall be prohibited with the exception that the lower six inches of the guardrail may be open.

c.  Any area on a rooftop used for recreational purposes shall be fenced off and that enclosure shall be set back 10 feet from the edge of the building.  Any rooftop recreation area that is located within 20 feet of a RW1 or more restrictively zoned lot shall have fencing at least six feet in height with opaque or solid wall construction materials.

2.  All lighting for a Project shall be low-illumination safety lighting and of a color similar to incandescent light which is shielded and directed onto the property on which the Project is located.

B.  Building Height

1.  Residential Uses.

a.  No multiple-family building shall exceed 36 feet in height.

b.  No one-family building shall exceed 30 feet in height.

2.  Building Height and Stepback for Commercial Uses.

Notwithstanding Section 12.21.1A (10) of the Code to the contrary, commercial Projects shall conform to the following provisions pertaining to height limitations on C-zoned lots when the Project is located with the distances specified from a lot classified in the RW1 or more restrictive zone:

Distances                                                    Height

0 to 49 feet                                                25 feet

more than 49 feet to 99 feet           33 feet

more than 99 feet to 199 feet         45 feet

C.  Open Space for Multiple-Family Projects.

1.  A Project shall provide a minimum of 100 square feet of Open Space per dwelling unit.

2.  A minimum of 50 percent of all Open Space shall be landscaped.

3.  Paved areas, excluding parking areas, shall consist of the following materials:  stamped concrete, colored concrete, tile and/or other brick pavers, or similar materials.

4.  Fifty percent of the required Open Space may consist of the front and/or rear yard, provided such yard is landscaped.

D.  Multiple-Family Projects Built on One or More Lots with A Total Width of 150 Feet or More and Adjacent to RW1 or More Restrictive Zones.

1.  Walkways

a.  A Project shall have a walkway which shall consist of a paved area and a landscaped area, the total width of which walkway shall be a minimum of eight feet for a minimum depth of ten feet beyond the required yard.  The paved portions of walkways shall not exceed 50 percent of the required walkway area, nor be less than 44 inches in width.  The remaining area shall be landscaped.

b.  Materials for the paved areas shall consist of the following:  stamped concrete, colored concrete, tile and/or brick pavers, or similar materials.

c.  Walkways shall be maintained free of all encroachments, except for allowable projections as specified Section 12.22 C 20 of the Code.

2.  Yard Requirements.

a.  The front yard shall be that required by the Code plus an additional five feet for 50 percent of the lot frontage.

b.  The side yard shall be a minimum of 10 feet for a multiple-family residential Project which is adjacent to an RW1 or more restrictively zoned lot on the side lot line.

E.  Yard Requirements for Commercial Projects.

1.  The area of the front yard shall be no less than five percent of the total lot area, but shall not extend to a depth of greater than 15 feet.

2.  The side yard shall be 10 feet for a Project adjacent o an RW1 or more restrictively zoned lot on the side lot line.

3.  The rear yard shall be 20 feet measured from the rear lot line for a Project which is adjacent to an RW1 or more restrictively zoned lot on the rear lot line.

4.  Where there is an alley, the setback shall be measured from the centerline of the alley for a Project adjacent to an RW1 or more restrictively zoned lot.

Section 7.  Signs

A.  No commercial off-site sign or sign support structure shall be erected with the Specific Plan Area.

B.  No roof sign shall be erected within the Specific Plan Area.

Section 8.  Parking

A.  Parking Standards for Residential Projects.

1.  Any multiple-family Project shall provide resident parking as required by 12.21 A 4(a) of the Code, or any amendment thereto, and guest parking at a ratio of least one quarter space per dwelling unit in excess of that required by the Code.

2.  New condominiums shall provide guest parking at a minimum of one-half space per dwelling unit in excess of that required by the Code.

3.  Guest parking shall be clearly identified, easily accessible to guest, and shall not be in tandem.

B.  Parking Standards for Commercial Projects.

Parking for an office development shall be at least three parking spaces for each 1,000 square feet of floor area.

Section 9.  Landscape Standards

A.  General Requirements.

Any multiple-family or commercial Project shall provide landscaping in conformance with the following requirements:

1.  A landscape plan prepared by a person licensed to prepare landscape plans under state law shall be submitted for review and approval to the Director of Planning, or his or her designee.

2.  Landscape plans shall include the approximate size at maturity, location of all proposed materials, the scientific and common names of such plant materials, the proposed irrigation plan and the estimated planting schedule.

3.  Artificial plants are prohibited.

4.  Landscaped areas shall be planted with a variety of plant materials which include shrubs, trees and ground cover.

5.  All landscaped areas shall be equipped with an automatic sprinkler or drip irrigation system designed to conserve water.

6.  All plants and trees shall be drought-resistant.

B.  Buffer Standards.

1.  There shall be a five-foot buffer of plant material wherever a multiple=family or commercial Project is adjacent to an RW1 or more restrictively zoned lot or use.  The plant material shall be maintained at a height of not lower than six feet at maturity.  Fifteen-gallon trees shall be planted on private property on which the Project is located.

2.  A solid, decorative, masonry block wall, a minimum of six feet in height, shall be constructed along any side or rear lot line of a multiple-family or commercial Project between any adjacent one-family residential use and any parking or driveway use of the Project, if no wall already exists along said lot line of the Project.  There shall be no openings, except for a lockable gate provided for landscape work or as may be required by the Code.  Decorative masonry walls shall mean split-face, slump stone, plaster, brick or stone facing with a top cap.  Both sides of the wall must be decorative.

C.  Existing Trees and Replacement Trees

1.  Existing non-fruit bearing mature trees that are at least five feet in height shall be incorporated in a multiple-family or commercial Project, except within the building area and driveway access.

2.  For every tree removed due to subterranean parking facilities, a replacement tree shall be planted on a 1:1 basis.  Replacement trees shall be at least a 24-inch box size, not less than eight feet in height, with a trunk diameter of not less than two inches, and a minimum branch spread of five feet.  All trees shall be in healthy growing condition

D.  Street Trees and Planting Requirements.

Any multiple-family or commercial Project shall provide street trees in conformance with the following requirements:

1.  Shade-producing street trees shall be planted at a ratio of at least one tree for each 30 lineal feet of street frontage when no obstructions are present.

2.  The minimum size for street trees shall be 10 feet in height and two inches in caliper at the time of planting.

3.  Street trees shall be approved by the Street Tree Division of the Bureau of Street Maintenance.

E.  Landscaping Requirements.

1.  In addition to the other landscaping standards provided in Section 9 of this ordinance, any multiple-family Project shall provided landscaping in conformance with the following requirements:

a.  The area from the lot line to the building shall be landscaped with live plant materials and/or ground cover, except for required exit-ways, walkways and driveways.

b.  Front, rear and side yards shall be landscaped using similar materials so that the total development creates a consistent landscape theme.

c.  A minimum of 50 percent of the total required front and rear yards shall be planted.

2.  In addition to the other landscaping standards provided in Section 9 of this ordinance, any commercial Project shall provide landscaping in conformance with the following requirements:

a.  At least 24-inch box shade tree shall be planted for every four surface parking spaces.

b.  The trees shall be dispersed within the parking area so as to shade the surface parking area at a maturity and shall be protected by curbing or other suitable measures, to the satisfaction of the City Planning Department.  The shade trees may be planted along the periphery of a parking area, provided that the trees are planted so as to shade the surface parking area.

c.  An automatic sprinkler system shall be installed to water the trees.

Section 10.  Public Right-Of-Way, Dedications and Roadway Improvements

At least one-half of the width of any street, highway, or alley abutting a lot on which a Project is located shall be dedicated and guaranteed or improved for the full width of the lot to comply with the standards set forth in Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 17.05 to the satisfaction of the City Engineer.

Any required improvements pursuant to this ordinance shall be made in accordance with the procedures described in Section 12.37 D of the Code.  The appeal procedure described in Section 12.37 I of the Code may be utilized by any person required to make improvements by the provisions of this ordinance.

Any RW1 or more restrictively zoned lot which abuts a local street shall be exempt from the provisions of this Section

Section 11.  Severability

If any provision of this Specific Plan is found to be unconstitutional or otherwise invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions of this Specific Plan which can be implemented without the invalid provision, and, to this end, the provisions of this Specific Plan are declared to be severable.