Venice : Height Limits on Housing

Temporary regulations that toughened height limits on new multifamily residences in parts of Venice and Mar Vista would be made permanent under a measure proposed by Councilwoman Ruth Galanter.

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday directed the Planning Department to draw up proposed zone changes incorporating terms of the 3-year-old interim ordinance, which lowered the allowable height of such buildings to 45 feet from 66 feet. Buildings within 50 feet of single-family homes are limited to 33 feet.

The measure also will require landlords who are planning to demolish buildings to provide six months’ notice before evicting residential or commercial tenants. It targets an area bounded by Lincoln Boulevard to the west, Rose Avenue to the north, Beethoven Street to the east and Venice Boulevard to the south.

The 1989 ordinance, which expires in July, also set the minimum number of parking spaces required for new apartments and condominiums. Those standards were dropped from the new proposal because they are no stricter than current parking requirements citywide, said Galanter spokesman Jeff Kruger.