Planning & Land Use

The Planning & Land Use Committee works to minimize the impact of development on the community.  The Committee receives notices of development from the city and from residents who have been notified of a development in their neighborhood.  The permits and plans are analyzed and when needed, the SCRA can help facilitate a meeting between neighbors and developer to help find a solution that works for all involved.  If necessary, the SCRA can attend planning hearings to speak in favor or against projects and obtain some modification in density, height, parking, or landscaping.  In the past, the SCRA has joined the legal process by appealing decisions at the South Valley Area Planning Commission and the Downtown level.

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THE FACTS ABOUT THE STUDIO CITY OVERLAY/RFA

For the past two years, the Studio City Residents Association (SCRA), with the support of the SCNC, has worked diligently to pursue an ordinance that would address the size of development in Studio City. The Planning Department after a two year study has produced a proposal, known as the Studio City Overlay/RFA that addressed concerns of overbuilding on residential lots on the flat lands in Studio City.

According to the Planning Department, the proposed Residential Floor Area (RFA) Overlay restricts square footage to 33 percent of the lot size. If the owner articulates the design, i.e., the design is more than a square box, then 40 percent of the lot size is allowed. The typical 400 square foot garage, an accessory building not exceeding 250 square feet or breezeways that open on two sides are not included in calculating the square footage. For more details about exceptions see the Planning Report. Case Number CPC-2009-3741-CE at page A-1.

Here’s how it works:

Houses in Studio City are on average 1,970 square feet on lots from 5,000 to 8,000 square feet.   For purposes of this exercise, assume the smaller lot size of 5,000 square feet (a substandard lot) with a 1,970 square foot house: under the above proposal, the house can be remodeled or rebuilt to 2,000 square feet, not including 400 square feet for the garage or the other exceptions. If the house is on an 8,000 square foot lot, then the 1,970 square foot house can be remodeled/rebuilt to 3,200 square feet plus extra for the garage and exceptions. If there is a reason to exceed the limit, there is a variance procedure in place to allow for the proposed increase.