13-0 Council Vote : L.A. Limits Size of New Houses on Sherman Oaks Hillside Lots

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance prohibiting the construction of big houses on small hillside lots in Sherman Oaks.

The building restrictions, approved 13 to 0, ban houses that are taller than 30 feet, and require front and back yards to be at least five feet deep. Also, new houses cannot cover more than half of their lots, according to the ordinance.

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky pushed for the measure after a group of hillside residents complained that their rustic neighborhood was being overwhelmed by construction of disproportionately large houses along Oakfield Drive.

The ordinance says the overdevelopment threatens slope stability and increases traffic along the area’s narrow streets. Also, sewer and utility lines are inadequate to support large houses, the ordinance says.

The neighborhood has long been known as “Stilt Street” for the eye-catching row of historic houses built on stilts with a minimum of grading. The homes were designed to blend into the scenic canyon area, and residents contend that future housing should maintain the architectural integrity of the neighborhood, which has been featured in movies.

The regulations were approved by the council without comment and were sent to Mayor Tom Bradley for his expected approval. They apply to an area east of Beverly Glen Boulevard between Mulholland Drive and Valley Vista Boulevard.

In Effect for Year

Once the ordinance is signed into law, it will be in effect for a year while planners and community leaders evaluate whether permanent controls are needed to protect the neighborhood.

It also includes regulations limiting hillside grading and requiring additional parking spaces for bigger houses. If developers want exceptions to the rules, they must appeal to the Planning Commission.