Venice NeighborhoodCouncil
PO Box 550, Venice CA 90294
/www.VeniceNC.org
Email: info@VeniceNC.org,
LAND USE AND PLANNING
COMMITTEE STAFF REPORT
Submitted to LUPC June 15, 2011
Submitted to VNC Board of Officers
August 16, 2011
Case Numbers:
ZA-2011-754-ZAA
DIR-2010-2718-SPP-MEL
ENV-2010-2719-CE
Address of Project:
42-44 Ozone Avenue, Venice, CA 90291
Property Owners:
Stuart Bloomberg
Owner’s Representatives: Chris Parker and John Parker
ADDRESS:
CASE NUMBER:
LUPC CASE MANAGER:
42-44 Ozone Avenue, Venice, CA 90291
ZA-2011-754-ZAA, DIR-2010-2718-SPP-MEL,
ENV-2010-2719-CE
Sarah Dennison
Motion to:
1. Deny the request for relief from Mello Act
2. Deny request for 5ft front-yard setback and approve 10ft front-yard setback
3. Approve side yard setbacks from 4-ft to 3-ft.
MADE BY:
Robert Aronson
SECONDED:
John Reed
VOTE:
DATE APPROVED BY LUPC:
6-1-2
PROJECT SUMMARY TO VNC
This project is an application for demolition of a duplex and detached garage, built in 1925 and purchased in
2010, to construct a 3 story single family dwelling with attached garage on a lot zoned RD1.5-1. The project
lot area is approximately 3600 SF with dimensions of roughly 30’ W by 120’ L and is located on a Walk
Street in the North Venice sub-area and the Beach Impact Zone. Applicant is requesting zoning adjustments
for front and side yards as well as a VCZSP permit and Environmental and Mello Act exemptions.
LUPC STAFF REPORT
SYNOPSIS:
The applicant filed for director sign-off, as well as environmental and Mello exemptions in 2010, later
realizing that the front yard setback did not meet the LA Zoning Code requirements. In addition, LADBS
informed them that their rooftop construction of 288 SF above the 2nd story, including elevator and stair
access as well as covered storage, potting area and pizza oven, would be classified as a 3rd story thus
triggering a Zoning code requirement for an added 1’-0” of side yard setback from both east and west
property lines. At that time the applicant filed for zoning adjustments for both front and side yard setbacks.
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Applicant notified property owners within a 500’ radius of a community meeting and held that meeting on
May 31, 2011 at the Oakwood Recreation Center. No neighbors attended, or at that time, objected to the
project in written form, however since then, several stakeholders within the 500’ radius have stated that they
did not receive notification of that community meeting.
Request:
Front Yard Setback Adjustment
A front yard setback of 5’-0” (VZCSP min) in lieu of 15’-0” (LA
Zoning Code) broken down as follows:
 10’-0” setback for building as a whole
 7’- 0” setback for ground floor porch
 6’-11” setback or a partial 2nd floor projection
 5’-0” setback for the eave overhang
Side Yard Setbacks
3’-0” min. in lieu of 4’-0”min. required for a 3-story building
Size of Parcel:
Size of Project:
Number of Stories:
Lot Dimensions:
Assessed Land Value:
Last Owner Change:
Project Description:
3594 SF
4636 SF conditioned; 2028 SF unconditioned
2 plus 288 SF at rooftop (counted as 3rd story)
30’ x 120’
unknown
2010
VCZSP project permit, environmental and Mello exemptions and
zoning front and side yard adjustments requested for demolition of a
residential duplex with detached garage to construct a single family
dwelling with attached garage.
North Venice; Beach Impact Zone
RD1.5-1
TBA
TBA
Venice Sub-Area:
Zone:
Date of Planning Report:
Date of End of Appeal Period:
City Planning Report
Prepared by:
LUPC Staff Report Done By:
Owner/Applicant:
Owner’s Representative:
Contact Information:
Date(s) heard by LUPC:
Advisory Agency Hearing Date:
Applicant’s Neighborhood Mtg:
(500’ radius)
Mello Act:
Environmental:
N/A
Sarah Dennison
Stuart Bloomberg
Chris Parker, John Parker
(805) 388-3355
June 15, 2011
June 30 2011 scheduled (ZA)
May 31, 2011
Applicant has filed a letter requesting a waiver of Mello Act provisions
Based upon the financial hardship that would be created by their having
to replace one or more of the two existing units to be demolished on
this site with low income units in another location. No determination
has been made to date.
To Be Determined
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_______________________________________________________________________________________
ARGUMENTS FOR THIS PROJECT:
Height Limits: Project massing including 3rd story rooftop elements all fall within the 28’ Walk Street height
limit as measured from the centerline of the front property line located along Ozone Avenue.
Setbacks: Applicant has extensively documented precedents of similar front and side yard setbacks to those
being requested existing on adjacent and nearby properties. Side yard requirements are be required to be 10%
of lot width or 3’-0“ minimum. The extra 1’-0” yard width required for a 3rd story is based upon an extra 188
SF (100 SF is allowed by the VZCSP) of rooftop structure built to provide shade, storage and cover a potting
area and pizza oven. Much of this covered area is located toward the rear of the building thus allowing
unobstructed views from public pedestrian walkways.
Parking: Parking requirements for residential single-family dwellings in the RD1.5-1 on lots 30’-0” in width
are 2 spaces per SFD. Applicant is providing these 2 spaces enclosed within the project’s attached garage
entered from the rear alley, Ozone Court. No guest spaces are required.
Walk Street Neighborhood Character: Care has been taken in the design to vary rooflines and building
massing, and to provide facades with varied materials, building insets, and open spaces.
Neighborhood Comments: No neighbors have expressed any objections to this project. No neighbors
attended a community meeting held May 31, 2001 at the Oakwood Recreation Center.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
ARGUMENTS AGAINST THIS PROJECT:
Front Yard Setback: Many properties on this Walk Street block do maintain 10’-0” front yard setbacks.
Neighborhood Meeting: Since the community meeting took place, several stakeholders within a 500’ radius
of the project stated that they had not received notification of the community meeting.
Mello Act: The property purchased in 2010, has an existing duplex with two affordable units and a single
garage on site. Units are still occupied by tenants therefore not meeting the criteria of being vacant for one
year prior to the owner filing for application to demolish them. Thus this project removes 2 affordable units
from the housing stock in Venice.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
SYNOPSIS OF PUBLIC COMMENT:
No public comment has been recorded against this project.
LUPC Report compiled by:
Estimated number of hours of staff time:
Sarah Dennison
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