ORDINANCE 306Dabove the height limits herein prescribed, but no pent-
house or roof structures, or any space above the height
limit shall be allowed for the purpose of providing
additional floor space.
C . A:,EA .
General
a. Except as hereinafter provided:
1. No lot area shall be so reduced or diminished that
the yards or other open spaces shall be smaller than
prescribed by this ordinance, nor shall the density of
population be increased in any manner except in conformity
with the regulations established herein.
2. No yard or other open space provided around any
building for the purpose of complying with the provisions
of this ordinance shall be considered as providing a
yard or open space for any other building; provided
further, that no yard or open space on an adjoining
property shall be considered as providing a yard or
open space on a lot wherein a building is to be erected.
3. Every building hereafter erected shall be located
on a lot as herein defined and in no case shall there
be more than one (1) main building and its accessory
buildings on one (1) lot except as hereinafter provided.
4. Through lots one hundred and forty (140) feet or
more in depth may be improved as two (2) separate lots
with the dividing line midway between the street frontages,
and each resulting half shall be subject to the controls
applying to the street upon which each such half faces,
except that the required maximum front and rear yard may
each be reduced to ten (10) feet for lots the total
depth of which is less than one hundred and sixty (160)
feet, and provided that if the whole of such through lot
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is improved as one building -site no accessory building
shall be 'Located closer to either street than the distance
constituting the required front yard on such street.
5. Every individual parcel of land at the time it was
first zoned shall be deemed to be one lot, and not more
than one main building shall be permitted on said parcel
of land unless all regulations herein established are
complied with or a subdivision tract map is recorded
with the Recorder of Los Angeles County, provided further,
that if a parcel of land contains an area of ten thousand
(10,000) square feet or more, but not more than two (2)
acres, then for each five thousand (5,000) square feet
of area contained in such parcel located in any "R" Zone,
an additional separate building unit may be erected
subject to all other provisions pertaining to the
particular "R" Zone in which it is located.
6. Every required front, side or rear yard shall be
open and unobstructed from the ground to the sky.
b. Where two - family dwellings or multiple- family dwellings
not exceeding two and one -half (22) stories in height
are arranged so as to rear upon the side yards, the
following regulations shall apply:
1. In the case of group houses or court apartments,
such required side yards shall be increased by one (1)
foot for each entrance or exit opening into or served
by such side ,;card, as required in this provision. Open,
unenclosed porches not extending above the level of
the first floor may project into the required width of
such place or dourt a distance of not more than twenty
(20 %) per cent and in no case more than six (6) feet.
2. In the case of a row of dwellings arranged so as
to rear upon one side yard and front upon the other,
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the side yard upon which such dwellings rear shall be
increased as required above for group houses and the
average width of the side yard upon which such dwellings
front shall be not less than one and one -half (12) times
the width of the other side yard. Open, unenclosed
porches not extending above the level of the first floor
may project into the side yard upon which such dwellings
front a distance of not more than twenty (20 %) per cent
and in no case more than six (6) feet.
3. Where a roadway is provided in the place or court,
the width allowed for such roadway. shall be in addition
to that required above.
4. All other requirements, including front, side and
rear yards, shall be complied with in accordance with
the zone in which such group houses or court apartments
are located.
c. In the "R" Zones, no building shall be hereafter erected,
structurally altered or used for a school, church, in-
stitution or other similar use permitted under the use
regulations of this ordinance, unless such buildings
are removed at least fifteen (15) feet from every
boundary line of a property included in any "R" Zone,
and provided that no front yard, as required in the
zone, nor any side yard, as required above, shall be
used for play or parking purposes.
Exceptions
a. For the purpose of side yard regulations, the following
dwellings with common party walls shall be considered
as one (1) building, occupying one (1) lot; two -, three-
and four - family dwellings and row houses not more than
two (2) rooms deep.
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b. In computing the depth of a rear yard, for any building
where such yard opens onto an alley, one -half (1/2) of
such alley may be assumed to be a portion of the rear yard.
C. Loading spaces as herein required may occupy not more
than fifty (50 %) per cent of a required rear yard.
d. The front and side yard requirements for dwellings and
apartments shall be waived where the latter are erected
above stores.
e. An accessory building may occupy not more than twenty -five
(25%) per cent of a required rear yard, provided such
building is not more than one (1) story in height and
located at least fifteen (15) feet from the nearest part
of a main building. Further, no two (2) story accessory
building shall occupy any part of a required rear yard,
and in the case of a reversed frontage, no building
shall be erected closer than five (5) feet to the line
of abutting lot to the rear.
f. In any case where a through lot has a depth of not more
than one hundred and forty (140) feet, accessory
buildings not exceeding one (1) story nor fifteen (15)
feet in height may be located in one of the required
front yards; provided every portion of such building
is at least ten (10) feet from the nearest front lot line.
g. A porte cochere may be placed over a driveway in a side
yard, provided such structure is not more than one (1)
story in height, is unenclosed on at least three (3)
sides and is entirely open except for the necessary
supporting columns and reasonable architectural features.
h. Cornices, eaves, belt courses, sills, buttresses or
other similar architectural features may extend or pro-
ject into a side yard not more than two (2) inches for
each one (1) foot of the width of such side yard and
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1993
may extend or project into a front or rear yard not more
than thirty (30) inches.
j. Fire escapes may extend or project into any front, side or
rear yard not more than four (4) feet.
k. Open, unenclosed stairways, or balconies not covered by a
roof or canopy, may extend or project into a required rear
yard not more than four (4) feet and such balconies and
canopies may extend into a required front yard not more
than thirty (30) inches.
1. Uncovered porches, platforms or landing places which do
not extend above the level of the first floor of the
building, may extend into any front, side or rear yard
not more than six (6) feet; provided, however, that an
open work railing, not more than thirty (30) inches in
height may be installed or constructed on any such porch,
platform or landing place.
m. Open work fences, hedges, landscape architectural features
or guard railings for safety protection around depressed
ramps, not more than three and one -half (32) feet in
height, may be located in any front, side or rear yard.
n. A fence or wall not more than six (6) feet in height,
or a hedge maintained so as not to exceed six (6) feet
in height, may be located along the side or rear lot
lines, provided such fence, wall or hedge does not extend
into the required front yard nor into the side yard
required along the side street on a corner lot, which
in this case shall also include that portion of the rear
yard abutting the intersecting street wherein accessory
buildings are prohibited, and further provided that
the provision shall not be so interpreted as to prohibit
the erection of a fence enclosing an elementary or high
school site, if such fence does not project beyond the
front line of the building.
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o. Trees, shrubs, flowers or plants shall be permitted
in any required front, side or rear yard.
SECTION 13: VARIANCES.
When practical difficulties, unnecessary hardships or results
inconsistent with the general purpose of this ordinance result through
the strict and literal interpretation and enforcement of the pro-
visions thereof, the Planning Commission of the City of E1 Segundo,
upon the receipt of a verified application from the owner or lessee
of the property affected, stating fully the grounds for the appli-
cation and the facts relied upon, or upon the motion of the said
Commission, shall have authority, as an administrative act, to grant,
upon such conditions and safeguards as it may determine, such
variances from the provisions of this ordinance as may be in harmony
with its general purpose and intent, so that the spirit of this
ordinance shall be observed, public safety and welfare secured and
substantial justice done.
I. The granting of such a variance, when conforming to the
provisions of this paragraph, is hereby declared to be an adminis-
trative function the authority and responsibility for performing
which is imposed upon the Planning Commission, and the action there-
on by the Planning Commission shall be final and conclusive provided
the circumstances prevailing in connection with any such variance
conform to one or more of the following:
A. Permit a conforming use in a zone to be extended
into an adjoining more restricted zone.
B. Permit a transitional use on a lot adjoining a
non - conforming building, provided such transitional use shall only
be a use permitted in the next less restricted zone than the one
in which the non - conforming building is located.
C. Permit off - street automobile parking lots, public
parking areas or storage garages in "R" Zones on property adjacent
to existing or proposed multiple dwelling or commercial development.
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D. Permit the location of motion picture studios in
"C -2" Zones.
E. Permit in the "C" or nMn Zones any use allowed in the
next less restricted zone because of its limited nature, modern
devices, equipment or technological improvements.
F. Permit in connection with authorized uses in "R -3 "..
'ICn and I'M'O Zones such commercial or industrial uses as are purely
incidental to such authorized use.
G. Permit temporary buildings and uses for
periods of
not to exceed two (2) years in undeveloped areas, and for periods of
not to exceed six (6) months in developed sections.
H. Permit the modification of the automobile parking -
space or loading space requirements wherein, in the particular in-
stance such modification will not be inconsistent with the purpose
and intent of such requirements.
I. Permit such modification of the height and area
regulations as may be necessary to secure an appropriate improvement
of a lot which is of such shape, or so located in relation to
surrounding development or physical characteristics, that it cannot
otherwise be appropriatel.)r improved without such modification.
J. Permit the modification of the conditions under
which specific uses are allowed in certain zones.
Provided that in no case shall any of the above variances
be permitted where they may become detrimental to the existing or
future development of the immediate area or neighborhood.
H. A. Variances other than those specified above, and
for which no defined policy has been established by this ordinance
under Part I hereof, shall be considered by the Planning Commission
acting in an advisory capacity to the City Council, and the re-
commendation made by the Planning Commission with respect to any
such variances shall be subject to approval by the City Council
in the manner provided in Section 15.
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B. All of the following, and all :natters directly related
thereto, are declared to be special uses and authority for the
location and. operation thereof shall be granted only under the
provisions of this Part II of this Section. This declaration
is based on the fact that all of the uses here enumerated
possess characteristics of unique and special forms as to make
impractical their being included automatically in any classes
of use as set forth in the various zones herein defined.
1. Airports.
2. Cemeteries.
3. Eolumbariums.
4. Crematories.
5. Establishments or enterprises involving
large assemblages of people or auto-
mobiles, including:
a. Amusement Parks.
b. Circuses.
c. Fair Grounds.
d. Open -air Theatres.
e. Race Tracks.
f. Recreational centers privately operated.
6. Institutions of a philanthropic or eleemosynary
nature.
7. Mausoleums.
8. Mental Hospitals.
9. Natural resources, development of, together
with necessary buildings, apparatus or
appurtenances incident thereto.
10. Radio or Television transmitters.
11. Sanitariums.
C. All matters required in Section 11 to be reviewed
shall be approved and allowed only under the provisions of this
Part II.
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III. A. Upon the filing of a verified petition by a
property oigner, a lessee, or upon its own motion, the Planning
Commission shall give public notice of the intention to consider
the granting of a variance as provided in Section 15.
B. Not more than forty (40) days following said
hearing, the Planning Commission shall announce its findings by
formal resolution and said resolution shall recite, among other
things, the facts and reasons which, in the opinion of the
Commission, make the granting or denial of the variance ne-
cessary to carry out the provisions of this Section and the
general purpose of this ordinance, and if such resolution grants,
or recommends that the variance be granted, as the case may be,
it shall also recite such conditions and limitations as may be
imposed to serve the purpose of this Section.
Such resolutions shall be numbered consecutively
in the order of their passage and shall become a permanent
record of the Planning Commission.
be shown:
C. Before any variance may be granted, it shall
1. That there are exceptional or extraordinary
circumstances or conditions applicable to the property involved,
or to the intended use of the property, that do not apply generally
to the property or class of use in the same vicinity or zone.
2. That such variance is necessary for the
preservation and enjoyment of a substantial property right of
the applicant possessed by other property in the same vicinity
and zone.
3. That the granting of such variance will not
be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious
to the property or improvements in such vicinity and zone in
which the property is located; and
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4. That the granting of such variance will not adversely
affect the Comprehensive General Plan.
D. Application for a variance shall set forth in detail such
facts as, in the opinion of the applicant, pertain to sub - paragraphs
1, 2, 3 and 4 of Paragraph C next above.
SECTION 14: AT�aTDMMTS.
Boundaries of the zones established by this ordinance or the
classification of property uses therein may be amended, re-
classified and altered whenever public necessity and convenience
and general welfare require. Such changes may be initiated by:
(a) the verified petition of one or more owners of property pro-
posed to be so changed or reclassified; (b) Resolution of In-
tention of the City Council; (c) Resolution of Intention of the
Planning Commission.
Whenever the owner of any land or building desires a re-
classification of his property, he shall present to the Planning
Commission a petition duly verified by him requesting an amend-
ment, supplement or change of the regulations prescribed for
such property.
Upon the filing of such verified petition, or the passage
of such resolution of intention, the Planning Commission shall
provide for such hearings thereon as may be required by law for
amendments, extensions or additions to the zoning plan, and
notices of such hearing or hearings shall be given, and the
Planning Commission shall take such action thereon as is pro-
vided for in Section 15 hereof.
SECTION 15: PETITIONS, NOTICES, INVESTIGATIONS AND HEARINGS.
PETITIONS. The Planning Commission shall prescribe the
form in which applications for changes of zone boundaries or
classifications or for variances are made. It may prepare and
provide blanks for such purpose and may prescribe the type of
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