What do you know about the Mansionization Ordinance in the city Of Los Angeles?
Let’s back up. When you vote, those people elected to office, say city council members who represent you, help in setting the direction of your local zoning codes. It is your responsibility to know what is going on in your community. You need to keep up with a million issues. Especially zoning codes that affect the value of your land and protect your rights of what can be built. These zoning codes can affect could affect your views, sun access, ability to generate solar energy, privacy, density of your neighborhood, parking conditions, and many other personal issues. So keeping yourself informed is very important when it comes to what can and can’t be done to your or other properties. This needs to be done in a proactive manner. You cannot wait till the last minute to have real impact on zoning changes. If you want to protect your piece of the pie stay educated. Be involved. Work with your local neighborhood councils, council office, neighbors, and planning commissions. This could be the best way to protect your own interests for your personal freedom and property values. For most people, their homes are their biggest investment in their lives. Treat it that way!
A great example is when I lived in Van Nuys abutting an alley against an R-3 property with duplexes on them. I started to work with the city planning department on a new transitional height ordinance to limit the height of new buildings facing our R-1 property. I worked with most of my neighbors and local developers putting together realistic transitional height rules to protect the rights of single family home owners from the intrusion of the 45 foot high buildings adjacent to R-1 properties. Although I moved, I stuck with the process of putting in place the Transitional Height Ordinance. One person can make a difference.
When it comes to the Mansionization Ordinance in Los Angeles and the modifications to it, there are many points of view. The developer wants to maximize their profits. The richer crowd wants to maximize their development rights and their privacy. The existing homeowner with a small home wants their privacy and continued use of the past and present property features. Some homeowners just want to maximize their property values and are just fine while the others maximize the property values by building bigger. You can look at this with many different eyes. Preservation of exiting ways, Nimbyism has its supporters. Remember change is always coming. So you need to plan where you live ahead of time and adjust to the realities for societal changes. That adjustment can mean being involved in community planning. You do not have to move out to regain your personal freedom.
I believe in getting along with my neighbors. But sometimes they do things you would never think of. Does your neighbor get all required permits? Do they cut protected trees down? Did your neighbor’s trees start to encroach on your property? Does their dog bark and keep you on edge? Did the dog chase away your free ranging pets as in the coyote, rabbits, quail, and others? What do you do as a vegan when you smell their BBQ? Did your neighbor put up fences and gates when the past owners kept an open yard? Did you work with city planning to affect your rights and property values on these issues?
I do not look at just one ordinance. I look at the package. It’s what I want to occur in the future, 5-10-12 years out. How do you want to leave your neighborhood to future generations? Would you build something you have rights too even if you do not agree with the rules? The integrity of each person is theirs alone to live with.
The Mansionization ordinance involves many calculations to determine the allowable area on any floor. There are property line set back options, height options, and other ways to do the calculations. In the hillsides you also have slope density limitations with its options. All the zoning restrictions get modified over time once the general concepts are put in place. Over time they get activated in a test case in one neighborhood and then expand to others. The active neighborhoods usually get the test and then it expands outward. This shows who cares about their rights. These are hard won activities, but democracy is a lot of work and always will be. I believe in fighting for my rights. Keep it peaceful. Never give up. Those with the foresight to be “proactive” secure more rights than the non-participating. What about you?
