A GUIDE TO BUILDING IN THE HILLS OF LOS ANGELES
Article #3: Scenario at 809 Higgins St., Hollywood Hills
We will walk you through the Baseline Hillside Ordinance with a scenario of improving a fictional property in a Hillside Area. This article will introduce the scenario, and the following articles of the series will explain how the challenge of each regulation was met. As always, the ordinances are intended to preserve general intents and exceptions may be approved in individual cases.
The fictional property is at 809 Higgins Street in the Hollywood Hills:
- Lot Size: 2,500 SF
- Lot Dimensions: 25’ wide by 100’ deep
- Story: Lot was purchased with an older residence and demolished to make way for new construction
- Note: Lot fronts a Substandard Hillside Street*
This is a tight lot with many constraints. We need to understand the parameters before moving forward with the design.
First step is to obtain a preliminary geological survey to determine what is under the soil and what can be built on the site.
For 809 Higgins Street, the survey result is typical of this area of the Hills. It shows a solid granite base with a cover layer of looser upper soil called colluvium. This layer varies in depth from 1-2 feet above bedrock to as much as 10 feet above bedrock.
SOIL REPORT: 809 Higgins Street
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Soil 1 | Soil 2 |
| TYPE | Solid Granite Base | Colluvium |
| DEPTH | Bedrock | Varies 1-10 feet above bedrock |
In geological terms colluvium is loose but in construction terms, the colluvium on the site is quite compact soil. In a flat low-lying area, the soil would be more than sufficient for a floating slab foundation. However, we are in the Hills, and the Geotechnical Engineer has recommended pile foundations driven into the bedrock.
Now that we better understand what is under the soil, we need to find out what the city regulations allow for the site.
Use Zimas (www.zimas.lacity.org) to search the jurisdictional, zoning, and code information to determine the city code requirements for the site. The best way to search is by the Assessor Parcel Number (APN) of the property.
For 809 Higgins Street, a few highlighted results from the search are as follows:
Planning and Zoning Information
– Zoning: R1-1
– Hillside Area: Yes
– Baseline Hillside Ordinance: Yes
… Additional information can also be found in another pull down window:
Additional Information
Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone: Yes
Special Grading Area: Yes
Landslide: Yes
Red Flag Restricted Parking: No
Property fronts on a Substandard Hillside Limited Street
The property is marked “Yes” for Baseline Hillside Ordinance, so it is subject to its specific regulations limiting height, setbacks, buildable areas, parking, among others.
With this information in hand, we can now begin to work through the Baseline Hillside Ordinance to determine all of the parameters for the design criteria.
* Substandard Hillside Limited Street: A street that is less than 36 feet wide and paved to a roadway width of less than 28 feet. The official determination is by the Bureau of Engineering. See definition on page 28 of the Baseline Hillside Ordinance, A Comprehensive Guide: http://planning.lacity.org/Code_Studies/BaselineHillsideOrd/BHComprehensiveGuide1stEdition.pdf
Note: The content in this article is for information only and it represents our interpretation of Los Angeles Zoning & Building codes. Current Los Angeles Zoning & Building Codes should be consulted for an in-depth understanding of the legal text contained in them, and building officials should be consulted as their interpretation of the Los Angeles Zoning and Building Codes may differ from ours.