The Los Angeles City Council on March 25 approved two Interim Control Ordinances (ICOs), drafted by Department of City Planning staff: one ordinance prohibiting demolitions and substantial alterations of homes in five proposed Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZs), and a second ordinance limiting the scale of new construction in 15 additional neighborhoods. Both ordinances took effect immediately upon adoption.

These ICOs have been enacted for an initial 45-day period, during which they may be renewed for a period of up to two years. The ordinances are meant to provide immediate relief from demolitions and mansionization activity in areas experiencing significant change, providing time for the department to craft permanent development regulations in these neighborhoods.The ICO Holmby Westwood outlines current restrictions.

The Department has prepared two new Zoning Information files, providing instructions to City staff in implementing the ordinances. To review the Zoning Information and text of the new ordinances, visit http://zimas.lacity.org/documents/zoneinfo/ZI2444.pdf and http://zimas.lacity.org/documents/zoneinfo/ZI2443.pdf.

The Department is currently completing the hiring process for planners to help staff a new neighborhood conservation unit, which will assist in pursuing three follow-up steps to the ICOs. First, Planning staff will prepare amendments to the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance (BMO), originally enacted in 2008, to close loopholes that have led to the construction of larger homes. Second, the Department will also move forward to adopt five new HPOZs over the next two years, in significant and cohesive historic neighborhoods: Carthay Square, Sunset Square, Holmby-Westwood, the El Sereno Berkshire Craftsman District, and Oxford Square. And finally, the Department will create permanent, contextual zoning tools to address neighborhood character in the other ICO neighborhoods through re:code LA, the comprehensive re-write of Los Angeles’ 1946 zoning code.