A critical analysis of zoning ordinances in Los Angeles County

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A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF ZONING ORDINANCES IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY

A Thesis Presented to^ the Faculty of the School of Public Administration The University of Southern California

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in Public Administration

by John L. Richerson August 1950

UMI Number: EP64500

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7’Am thesis, written by ....... 5J0h n . _ L . _ _ _ M .......... under the guidance of hl$.... Faculty Committee, and approved by a ll its members, has been presented to and accepted by the Council on Graduate Study and Research in p a rtia l f u lf i ll ­ ment of the requirements f o r the degree of

..........MASTER....OF...SGIEKCE........ In PUBLIC ADHIHISTRATIOK Jr•

Dean Dote

.............. .

Faculty Committee

Chairman

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I.

PAGE

THE LOS ANGELES METROPOLITAN A R E A .......... Definition

........

1

. . • • • • • • • • •

General characteristics of the area

1

• . . .

1

Incorporation and annexation of unin­ corporated areas

• • . . ..............

Zoning in the unincorporated communities

15

Zoning in the City of Los A n g e l e s ........

20

Complexities of the area

21

Cities within a city II.

.................

..............

. . •

22

. .

24

HISTORY OF ZONING IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA Early California zoning ordinances

III.

12

. . . .

24

Standardization of zoning symbols.. .......

37

Other attempts at standardization

39

• •• • •

COMPARISON OF THE PROVISIONS OF THEVARIOUS

ORDINANCES

. . . . . . . . . .

Method of comparison

.......

45

...............

Comparison of zoning nomenclature

45

.......

50

Several specific uses and the zones in

which first p e r m i t t e d ................. Billboards or outdoor advertising signs Gasoline service stations

57 •

57

.............

59

H o s p i t a l s ............................

60

Schools and churches

62

.................

iii

CHAPTER

PAGE Trailer parks

.....................

Residences in heavy

manufacturingzones

The method of granting variances

67 69

The County of Los A n g e l e s .........

71

Los Angeles

77

City

................

Definition of terms IV.

•. .

63

used

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

.......

82

........

85

The nomenclature of the various zones The recommendation

.

...............

Perpetuation of system

85 86

...........

87

Uses permitted within the various zones

88

Recommendation

...................

Perpetuation of system

...........

89 91

The methods of granting variances and exceptions

.......................

91

Recommendations regarding administra­ tive methods

...................

94

Support for the idea of county cooper­ ation

...............

96

Opposition to the theme of over-all county planning

.........

The method the county -would use The present county methods Disadvantages

• •• •

97 99

.......

100

...................

101

iv

CHAPTER

PAGE The zoning administratorsystem

• • • •

102

County acceptance of a zoning administrator system An alternate recommendation

............

104

• • • • • • .

105

••• •• •

106

Boards of appeal in general The replies received from the questionnaire

• • « • • • •

..........

110

Arrangement and terminology of ordinances

........ . . . . . . . .

Front, rear, and side yard setbacks

• .

Ill 112

Method of accomplishment of over-all standardization

................

116

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE I.

PAGE Statistical Data on Cities in Metropolitan A r e a ...........

II* III*

Names of Zones in Various Jurisdictions

V. VI.

* .

51

Highest Zone in Which Certain Uses Are Permitted

IV.

6

.............

Methods of Granting Variances

• • • • • • • •

65

• ••*•••

72

Variations in R-l Zone Provisions Replies from Questionnaires

• • • • •

• • • • • • • •

113 115

CHAPTER I THE LOS ANGELES METROPOLITAN AREA

Definition*

For purpose of this study, the

Los Angeles Metropolitan Area will be considered as that portion of the County lying within the coastal plain, thus excluding the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountain ares, the desert beyond the mountains, and the islands of San Clemente and Santa Catalina.

It is within

this area that over 99 per cent of the entire population of the County reside, and within which forty-four of the forty-five cities are located, the city of Avalon being on Catalina Island. General characteristics of the area.

The above

described area contains 1234 of the 4033 square miles in the county;^* and it is within this area that a tre­ mendous industrial and residential growth has taken place within the last decade.

The influx of population

has caused a great housing shortage and has resulted in converting thousands of acres from agricultural use to residential subdivisions, not only adjacent to previously

^ Annual Report of the Regional Planning Commis­ sion, County of Los Angeles, Fiscal Year 1943-1949, p. 27.

2

existing urbanized areas, but reaching Tar out into the San Fernando, San Gabriel and Gardena valleys and into the southeast portion of the county•

It is not an un­

common thing to drive past an orange grove today and return a few days later to find the trees being removed and the land being graded for a subdivision.

Large

areas of land change completely from a strictly rural to a strictly urban status in a very short space of time. There are many factors contributing to the change in the industrial picture in Los Angeles County since the last war.

A great many persons made their first

visit to the area during the war, either as members of the armed forces, or as employees in war production plants.

A large percentage of them liked the climate,

as well as the area, and decided they would either stay or return after the war.

Manufacturers found a ready

labor market with a low percentage of absenteeism due to inclement weather, year-around working conditions, cheaper land and cheaper fuel, good shipping facilities by land, water and air, together with a receptive of­ ficialdom and an enthusiastic Chamber of Commerce. The combination of the above factors, as well as many others, had the result of bringing many very large manufacturing plants to this area, as well as hundreds

3 of smaller ones, thus providing a place to work for the people who wanted to live here.

Most of the basic

industries, such as steel mills, woolen mills, etc., have not moved out to this area, and perhaps only a small percentage of them ever will, since the economy of being near their source of basic material is diffi­ cult to overcome, but the economy of the Los Angeles Metropolitan area has undergone a definite change in the last ten years, covering the period during and subsequent to the war. The need for housing, of course, has been ampli­ fied by this tremendous influx of new people into the area.

Tracts of land, hundreds of acres in area, have

changed in a matter of ninety days from a farm or a citrus orchard to a new community of homes, fully oc­ cupied, with the washing out on the line and children playing in the streets.

As this is being written a new

area, known as Lakewood, in the southeast portion of the county, is being built on an assembly line production basis, which will change approximately 2000 acres from vacant land to a "city" of 10,000 homes and 35,000 people.

All of this is taking place within a matter of

months, and it is understood♦ that preliminary plans for another ranch of about 2500 acres at the extreme easterly

4 boundary of* the county are on the drawing board at this time.

If these plans materialize, and there is no reason

to doubt that they will, another rural area will become urbanized before the end of the year 1950. The reason for mentioning this growth in this paper is the far-reaching effect that such development has on County Government in general and on the County Planning Commission in particular.

There was no zoning

problem in the Lakewood area~it was unzoned.

It was

one of those large areas held in single ownership, and the use of any property sold or subdivided by the owners, The Montana Ranch Company, was amply protected by private covenants known as deed restrictions.

There were so many

other areas in the county which, it was felt, needed zoning protection much more than this area, that the ef­ forts of the limited staff were expended in that di­ rection.

Rapid plans had to be made, of course, for

such things as schools, parks, playgrounds, business cen­ ters for neighborhood shopping facilities, and other items of interest to planners.

Deed restrictions are being

placed on this area by the subdivider, but a zoning study is now imperative, and it is on the drawing boards of the Planning Commission at this time. The other ranch area mentioned happens to be

5

zoned, having been adjacent to another district that was zoned a few years ago, but, for the most part, it is in an agricultural zone, and if subdivided, there will have to be changes made to place the bulk of the area in a residential classification and to provide business zoning for the shopping centers* The two ranches just discussed, while on a much larger scale than other single developments, are indica­ tive of the problems faced by all planning commissions in the county.

More industrially zoned areas are needed;

more precise community plans are necessary; and most of the zoned areas, whether in the county or in cities, need to be re-studied in the light of changing conditions. The cities in the metropolitan area vary as much in area and population as they do in economic and social characteristics.

An inspection of Table I will reveal

that Los Angeles leads in area with 453*47 square miles, and Maywood trails with 1.14 square miles;

2

it will show

also that Los Angeles leads in population with 2,067,774 persons, while Vernon is at the bottom with 956.

3

The

2 "Official Areas of Incorporated Cities in the County of Los Angeles,” by C. E. Arnold, County Surveyor, Revised, January 1, 195P* 3 "Population and Dwelling Units,” No. 33# The Re­ gional Planning Commission, County of Los Angeles, Arthur H. Adams, Director of Planning, October, 1949*

TABLE I STATISTICAL DATA ON CITIES IN METROPOLITAN AREA

Place

Year Zoned

Ordinance Number Used in This Study

Area in Square Miles

Population January 1950**

County of L*A. ♦Alhambra Arcadia Avalon Azusa Bell Beverly Hills ♦Burbank Claremont ♦Compton Covina Culver City El Monte El Segundo Gardena ♦Glendale Glendora Hawthorne Hermosa Beach Huntington Park ♦Inglewood La Verne ♦Long Beach

1927 1921 1926 1943 1936 1935

1494

4083.21 7.18 10.59 1.21 4.13 1.57 5.04 16.73 3.37 6.85

4,272.282 51,966 22,809 2,035 10,710 16,237 29,948 80,206 4,645 46,523 3,928 19,693 7,939 7,909 14,477 105,509 3,911 15,930 12,424 31,108 46,220 4,270 276,112

Persons per Square Mile***

Distance to Nearest City/

Number of Adjacent Cities

1050

7200 2200 2000 2600

0 0 25 1.5 0 0 0 0 0

5 3 0 0 10400 2 1922 6000 1 4800 2 1923 1400 1 1929 626 6800 2 1927 278 3000 0 1948 1 .3 2 0 .3 ‘ 5100 0 1 1926 3.87 0 4300 252 1 1940 1.84 1500 0 306 2 5.36 1947 4800 0 2 1936 57 3.04 5200 20.26 0 1921 529 3 1700 0 1932 2.24 431 1.5 2 .3 2 6900 0 416 2 1931 9100 0 1920 2 1.36 10900 0 2.82 1929 693 3 6500 0 7.08 2 925 1924 2300 0 Code# 1 .8 2 1 1940 0 7900 34.98 1921 3 * Cities governed by freeholders charters* # Section of Municipal Code* ** Estimated by Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission* *** Approximately* / Miles* 760 286 409 380 Code# 776

,

. . ..

TABLE I (continued) STATISTICAL DATA ON CITIES IN METROPOLITAN AREA

Place

*Los Angeles Lynwood Manhattan Beach Maywood Monrovia Montebello Monterey Park Palos Verdes Est. *Pasadena *Pomona *Redondo Beach San Fernando San Gabriel San Marino *Santa Monica Sierra Madre Signal Hill Southgate South Pasadena *Torrance Vernon West Covina Whittier

Area in Square Miles

Population January I95 O** 2,067,774 25,932

415 346

453.47 3.50 3.61 1.14 6.19 7.66 5.42 4.73 21.23 13.65 6.04 2.31 3.34 3.72

1922

146

6 .1 0

1923 193^ 1924 1923 1923 1941 1927 1923

391 275

2.94 2.14 6.96 3.47

Year Zoned

Ordinance Number Used in This Study

1921 1937 1923 1929 19231929

90500 422 502

331

1050

4^3

1921

194# 1922

.£4 2613

1930 1931 1929

1161

1921

1925

942

1 6 ,2 1 0

14,296 20,717 21,556 19,445 2,165 111,479 35,404 24,746 13,331 20,671 11,332 77,794 7,414 4,129 50,671

316

1 6 .6 6

1 6 ,36 0 2 1 ,24 6

147

4*16 6.94 4.54

956 3,961. 23,631

1011

726

Persons per Square Mile*** 46 OO

Distance to Nearest City/

1100 230

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

450 5300

1 .6

7400 4200 12700 2500 2700 3600 46 O 5200 2600 4100 5600 6200 3100 9600 2500 1900

7300 5300

0.3

* Cities governed by freeholders charters# # Section of Municial Code. ** Estimated by Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission. / Miles. *** Approximately.

Number of Adjacent Cities 16 2

3 3

1 1 1 1 6 2

3

1 2

4

1 2 1 2

4 4 3 0 0

3

table also indicates the distance to the nearest other city, as well as the number or adjacent cities*

These

latter data are important in that they indicate the compactness of the area and the fact that there is very little open country between any of the cities*

Note

that there are only five cities that are not adjacent to at least one other city; ten that adjoin one other; four­ teen that are contiguous with two others; eight that have three immediate neighbors; three with four common boun­ daries; one with five and one with six other cities im­ mediately adjacent; and, of course, Los Angeles either surrounding or next to sixteen others.

The most isolated

City in the area is Whittier, 1.3 miles from Montebello, separated by the community of Pico which is fairly well urbanized. An inspection of the map on the following page will give the reader a better picture of the geographical re­ lationships between the various cities of the area.

Note

that the city of Signal Hill is entirely Surrounded by Long Beach; that San Fernando and Santa Monica (except for the Pacific Ocean) are completely encompassed by Los Angeles; that South Pasadena has no unincorporated area adjacent to it, being bounded by Alhambra, San Marino, Pasadena, and Los Angeles; and that one cannot reach

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an communities and their environs and of states, regions and the Nation, as ex­ pressed through determination of the comprehensive area of land uses and occupancy and the regulation thereof. The Journal is published quarterly.” The Cal-chapter is divided into two sections, northern and southern, each meeting on a Saturday in alternate months. The attendance consists almost exclusively of persons actively working in the planning profession, and the discussions are of a technical nature, many worth-while experiences and ideas being exchanged. There is an annual meeting of the entire chapter in December of each year at a central location, usually the City of San Jose.

kk Planning Congress and the majority of the cities. The California Chapter of the American Institute of Planners devoted an entire meeting to discussion of the subject a few months later, and all present reached an agreement that the study was badly needed.

The re­

sult of the discussion was to adopt a resolution re­ questing the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to instruct the Regional Planning Commission to make the study and appropriate recommendations.

The Board of

Supervisors did so instruct the Commission, and some preliminary work has been done by the staff, although the research done in the preparation of this paper represents the only definite steps that have been taken. Perhaps the results of this work will be sufficient data upon which to base a preliminary report by the Commission, and it is hoped that a modus operandi can be reached in order to further prosecute the proposal.

CHAPTER III

COMPARISON OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE VARIOUS ORDINANCES Method of comparison.

An "across the board"

com­

parison of all of the ordinances involved, indicating every detail of the differences, would be a monumental task requiring the preparation of voluminous tables of statistics.

Since the purpose of this study is to deter­

mine whether the differences are of sufficient importance to justify a more complete analysis, coupled with an ef­ fort by all concerned to remedy the situation, the end result of the detailed study at this time does not seem to justify the means.

Sufficient information should be

obtained by selecting a number of specific items which are known— or at least suspected— to differ widely in the various jurisdictions, and to tabulate these differ­ ences in order to present a convenient means of compari­ son.

That, then, will be the method used.

It should be

realized that the list of items selected will by no means be exclusive, and that very likely there will be many other provisions which will be in conflict.

46 Table III, page 6 5 , indicates the results of the study. ^ Letters have been sent to a group of persons who have occasion to work with the various ordinances in the area, inquiring as to whether their experiences have indicated that the variations in the ordinances are of sufficient annoyance or inconvenience, in their opinion, to justify an all-out effort to standardize them.

These

persons are planning consultants, attorneys, realtors, builders, subdividers, engineers, public officials, Chamber of Commerce men, and individual property owners #10 are known to be active in more than one jurisdiction

in the county.

The letters were written on official

Regional Planning Commission stationery as a part of the study mentioned in Chapter II as having been ordered by

1 Throughout this chapter many referenes will be made to the provisions of the ordinances of each city and of the county. For convenience and ready reference the numbers of the respective ordinances have been listed in Table I, pages 6 and 7. All mention of ordinance pro­ visions hereafter will be understood to be referred to the ordinance number listed as the source. This procedure, while not exactly the accepted method of referring to sources, is believed to be justified due to the fact that many references will need to be made to each ordinance, and the use of the normal method would result in eight or ten repetitions of the identical reference to each of ap­ proximately forty ordinances which will be discussed in the chapter, the result being to add more pages to the thesis for no particularly valid reason.

47 the Board of Supervisors.

Replies to these letters will

be analyzed along with the analysis of the data obtained by the study outlined in the preceding paragraph.

A

reproduction of the letter follows: COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES THE REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION 103 West Second Street Los Angeles 12, California June 2, 1950 Mr. Gordon Whitnall, et al: Subject:

Standardization of Zoning Ordi­ nances in Los Angeles County.

As you are probably aware, the Board of Supervisors has instructed the Regional Planning Commission to under­ take a study and make recommendations as to the desira­ bility and method of accomplishing the project of stan­ dardizing the provisions of the Los Angeles County Zoning Ordinance and the ordinances of the forty-five cities in the County. These instructions were at the request of the California Chapter of the American Institute of Planners. We feel that your wide experience in dealing with matters of this nature places you in a position to give us some valuable advice. It is requested, therefore, that you answer a few specific questions in order to guide us in the preliminary stages of the study. The questions are brief, and your replies may be equally so, in order not to burden you unduly at this time. 1.

Have you found, in your work, that the vari­ ations in the ordinances are of sufficient in­ convenience and annoyance that you feel a real need for standardization?

4$ 2.

If so, which particular items are of major importance in your opinion? The items which seem to vary the most are the methods of ad­ ministration, zoning classifications, setback and yard requirements, off-street parking and loading provisions, lot areas, lot frontages, and uses permitted in the various zones, among others*

3.

Is it desirable— and feasible— to write a zon­ ing ordinance in lay language, with a minimum of legal phraseology?

4.

Would you be willing, if requested, to aid this office in convincing the various Planning Com­ missions, City Councils and other officials of the importance of standardization? (Provided, of course, that you answered the first question in the affirmative).

While this project is yet in a formative stage, an early reply will be of value to us in determining the extent of the research necessary to accomplish the desired results. Very truly yours, THE REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION A. H. Adams, Director of Planning JLR:brc The letter, dated June 2, 1950, on the subject, Standardization of Zoning Ordinances in Los Angeles County, was sent to the following persons: Planning Consultants: Gordon Whitnall, Everett Mansur, Charles Eliot, Will Norris, and Charles Clark. Planning Directors: Charles B. Bennett of Los Angeles, J. A. Mellen of

49 Glendale, Harmon Bennett of Burbank, Werner Ruchti of Long Beach, Paul Schafer of Pasadena, and Leslie Storrs of Santa Monica. Attorneys: Bernard Brennan, Clyde Harrell, Jr., Harold Slane, Charles C. Stanley, Jr., Hugh Gordon, and Donald J. Dunne. Civil Engineers: Harold A. Barnett, Joe Ells, Leonard Gowdy, J. R. Newville, and Karl F. Tuttle. Realtors: Wally S. Caldwell, Jack Mandigo of Austin Securi­ ties Corporation, Roy C. Seeley, and Charles De Toy of Coldwell, Banker and Company. Subdividers and Builders: Donald H. Ayers, H. N. Berger, John Burke, Edward H. Loftus, Fred Marlowe, and Reno Sirrene. Architects: Robert E. Alexander, Earl Heitschmidt, Eugene Weston, Paul Williams, and the American Institute of Architect s. Public Utilities Men: Charles W. Mack of Southern California Edison Co. Allen L. Cleveland of the Southern California Gas Co. H. H. Watson of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co. John A. Scott of the Associated Telephone Co. Fred Spencer of the Pacific Electric Railway R. P. Bray of the Southern Pacific Railway, C. J. Doherty of the Santa Fe Railway. And to the following persons: John Payne of the Western Oil and Gas Association, Earl Anderson, Secretary of the Los Angeles Realty Board,

*

50 Clifford Rawson, Secretary of the Home Builder1s Institute, Louis A, Gretz, Secretary of the Southeast Area Industrial Association, Robert Platt, Secretary of the Los Angeles County Farm Bureau, James F. Bone, Manager of the Industrial Depart­ ment of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Ken Winebrenner, Manager of the Civic Development Department of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Lindsay Van Tongren, Secretary of the El Monte Community Chamber of Commerce, James F. Townsend, President of the League of Civic Associations of Upper San Gabriel Valley, William J. Fox, Chief Engineer of the Department of Building and Safety of the County of Los Angeles* Comparison of zoning nomenclature*

The accomplish­

ment of having all jurisdictions adopt a standard set of zone designations, which was outlined in Chapter II, was, of course, a very worthwhile project which brought order out of chaos, and all concerned were very happy about the vdiole thing.

An examination of the zone designations

which are now in use after more than twenty years indi­ cates that there has been considerable "straying away" by some jurisdictions, and that some system of continuous coordination should have been set up at that time.

Table

II indicates the existing situation regarding nomenclature of zones. While the general system of various degrees of residential concentration indicated by R-l, R-2, R-3, and

TABLE II NAMES OF ZONES IN VARIOUS JURISDICTIONS

City

No. of zones

County of L. A.

21

R-1,2,3,4; B-A; A-1,2,2H; C-R,l,2,3,4; P; M-l,2,3,4; Q; B-1,2 (Buffer).

Alhambra Arcadia

11

Avalon Azusa

5 13

R-0,1,2.3; P; C-2,3; M-1,2; S-l,(Special Use); S-2(Public Purpose]. R-1,2,3; C-l; U. R-l?2,3,4; C-l,2,3,4; P; M-1,2; B(Buffer); W(Water Conser­ vation) . R-1 ,2 ,3 ; c-2,3,4; P; m-i: Pub. Bldg; Eight R-l type zones;R-4; Church; C-3,4; M-2. R-1,1 l/2,2,3; C-2,3; M-1,2; A-l; Cemetery; Airport.

Bell Beverly Hills Burbank Claremont Compton Covina Culver City El Monte El Segundo Gardena Glendale Glendora Hawthorne Hermosa Beach Huntington Park

a 14 11 7 9 10

Names of Zones

R-1,2,3; P-l; C-2; M-1,2. R-A,l,2,3,4; C-1,2; M-1,2.

4

R-1,2,3,4; C-l,2,3; M-1,2,3R-1,2,3,4; P-l; C-2; M-1,2. R-1,2,3,4,5; C-2,3; M-1,2. R-l,2,4; C-3,4; M-1,2. R-1,2,3,4; E-4; C-2,3; m -2. R-l,2; C-l; M-l.

10

R-1,2,3,4; C-l,2,3; M-l,2,3.

a 10 7

a

TABLE II (continued) NAMES OF ZONES IN VARIOUS JURISDICTIONS

City Inglewood La Verne Long Beach Los Angeles Lynwood Manhattan Beach Maywood Monrovia Montebello Monterey Park Palos Verdes Est. Pasadena Pomona Redondo Beach San Fernando San Gabriel San Marino Santa Monica Sierra Madre Signal Hill Southgate South Pasadena Torrance Vernon West Covina Whittier

Names of Zones

No. of zones 9 6 a

17 a

10 3 a 9 3

10 9 9 6 2 9

7 5 11 a

10 7

r-i,i 1/2,2 ,3; P-l; c-2,3; M-1,2. R-l,2,4; A-2; C-3; m -2. R-l,2,4; C-3; M-2,2A; P(Public Use); T(Trailer Camp). R-A,l,2,3,4,5; A-1,2; P; C-l,2,3,4,M; M-l,2,3 . R-1,2,3; c-2,3; P-l; M-1,2. A-l; R-1,2,3,4; B-l; C-l,2; M-1,2. A, B & C, equals R-4, C-3, and M-l, respectively. R-A,l,2,3,4; C-2; M-1,2. R-A,l,2,3; P-l; c-l,2.

R-l; R-M(Multiple Residence); C. R-R,l,2,3,5; C-P; C-2; C; M; P. R-1,2,3; P-l; C-l,2; M-1,2; Cemetery. R-A,l,2 ,3; p-l; c-l,2 ; M-1 ,2 . •

R-1,2,3; C-l,2; M-l. R-l; C-l; plus six area districts. R-1,2,3,4; A (Parking); C-2,3; M-1,2. R-l, lA(Resorts), 1L(Estates],2,3; C-l; M-l. R-2,4; C-3; M-2,3 . R; R-1,2,3A; C-l; M-1,1A,2; T (Transportation); P. A-l; R-1,2,3; C-l,2; M-1,2. R-A,i,2,3 ; P-l; c-i,2,3; M-1,2. R-l,2,3 ,4 ; C-2,3; M-2 .

R-4; commercial intensity by C-l, C-2, and C-3; and manufacturing activities by M-l, M-2, and M-3, have been adhered to as a rule, many other classifications have crept in •which indicate the need for another study at this time.

One new zone which has had almost univer­

sal acceptance is the P-zone for off-street parking of motor vehicles, but even it is referred to as P-l in several cities; and the designation P is used in Long Beach to indicate a Public Use zone for public buildings, parks, playgrounds, public service, and other semi-public use.

The parking zone first appeared in the ordinance of

the City of Lynwood, adopted on February 15, 1946, which was written by Gordon Whitnall, and has been used by a large number of the other cities and the county.

Mr.

Whitnall is believed to be the originator of the zone. Los Angeles County has led the field in the number of new zones to be added.

In addition to the

zones mentioned in the above paragraph, the county has added R-A (Residential-Agricultural); A-l and A-2 (light and heavy agricultural, respectively); A-2-H (A-2 plus Hog Ranches); C-R (Commercial Recreation); C-4 (Same as C-3 but requiring off-street parking); P (Parking); M—4 (Unlimited Manufacturing): Q (Quarry); B-l and B-2 (Buffer zones applied adjacent to certain industrial

54 zones to protect adjoining property).

There are now

twenty-one zones provided for in the county ordinance. Arcadia has added zone R-0 (First Residential— an estate-type zone); P (parking); S-l (Special Use); and S-2 (Public Purpose).

Azusa followed the county with the

C-A, P and B (Buffer) zones, and added zone W (Water Con­ servation) to apply to a permanent spreading ground. Beverly Hills has a conglomeration of residential class­ ification in her zones R-l.x; R-l.5; R-l.5.x; R-l.6.x; R-l.7.x; R-l.&.x; R-A.x.l, as well as a Church Zone. The zoning in Beverly Hills is "frozen” by referendum vote of the people and cannot be changed even by the City Council. Following along, it is found that Burbank has a new R-l l/2 zone, in addition to special zones for air­ ports and cemeteries; Gardena has an R-5 zone which is the same as the county A-l zone, and which was formerly called R-5 by the county; Glendora has added zone E-4 (Estates); Inglewood also uses an R-l l/2 zone; Long Beach includes M-2-A (M-2 with residences prohibited); P (Public Use), and T (Trailer Camp); and Los Angeles now has seventeen zone classifications including A-l, A-2, and R-A, all three of which are single-family residential zones which permit most agricultural uses

55 with varying degrees of lot area and minimum lot front­ age requirements, but which are quite different from the correspondingly named zones in the county; and the big city has also added zones R-5 (Unlimited Residential); P (Parking); C-4 (more restrictive than C-3); and C-M (Commercial-Manufacturing)• Further perusal of the nomenclature list re­ veals that Manhattan Beach has an A-l zone similar to the county’s A-l, except that it permits two-family resi­ dences, and a B-l (Beach Recreation) zone somewhat similar— in intent, at least— to the county’s C-R (Commercial Recreation) zone but totally different from the county B-l (Buffer) zone.

Maywood apparently has never adopted the

standard nomenclature system, and has only zones A, B, and C, which correspond generally to normal R-4, C-3, and M-l zones, respectively.

Montebello and Monrovia have each

added an R-A (Residential-Agricultural) zone, Montebello’s being similar to the county A-l, and Monrovia’s being almost identical with the Manhattan Beach A-l. Exclusive Palos Verdes Estates uses only three zones, R-l, R-M (Multiple Residence, similar to most R-3 zones) and a C zone in which only the normal neighborhood businesses are permitted.

Pasadena has an R-R (Restricted

Residential) zone in which certain multiple type of

development is permitted under strict regulation, after obtaining a permit from the City Planning Commission; the R-3 zone in Pasadena is almost identical with the county R-4 zone, and the R-5 zone is similar to the County A-lf while the R-4 classification is omitted entirely; further complications are added in the same city by a C-P (Commercial Parking) zone which permits most ordinary commercial and some light manufacturing uses, provided certain off-street parking and loading areas are estab­ lished, all subject to the approval of a Zoning Committee; the C-2 zone is called Limited Business; the C zone is similar to most C-3 zones; and the M zone compares with the usual M-l zone in other jurisdictions; while the P zone permits parking only upon the approval of the Planning Commission. Pomona, in addition to the normal zones, has established a Cemetery zone; the high-class residential City of San Marino boasts only two zones— R-l and C-l— with six area districts used within the R-l zone for control of lot frontages and minimum lot areas; and Santa Monica has added zone A (Automobile Parking) which is similar to most P zones*

South Pasadena has seen fit to

complicate the residential zone structure by adding a straight R zone as well as an R-3A; has also added an M-1A and a new zone called T (Transportation), which has

57 been applied to railroad rights-of-way that may be abandoned and revert to private ownership, in order to control the use of such right-of-way until they can be obtained by the City by eminent domain for public purposes. Several specific uses, and the zones in which first permitted.

The uses which have been chosen for

comparison are several which are known to vary consider­ ably as to which zone first permits them in the various jurisdictions; they are billboards, service stations, hospitals, schools, churches, and trailer parks. Billboards» or outdoor advertising signs are one of the problem uses that have caused more controversy, probably, than any other type of business.

They have, in

the past, been placed indiscriminately along scenic high­ ways; and in many instances dangerous curves, railroad crossings and other hazards to highway traffic, as well as many a beautiful view, have been obstructed by signs which have been placed in the most advantageous position to insure the advertiser that the travelling public is forced to see his display.

Not only have the highways

been cluttered with the large billboard which is main­ tained by national advertising companies, and which

53 usually features nationally advertised products, but many a local merchant has seen fit to strew his signs along the road in order that the passing public will have no opportunity to forget his location, and, too, there are always with us the Motorola and Burma-Shave type of advertising device which add little to the driver’s pleasure, but much to his confusion. Roadside improvement organizations from coast to coast have waged relentless war upon this type of highway embellishment, with the result that the outdoor advertiser has been seriously curtailed in his activities, and in some areas he has been practically regulated out of existence.

In 1935, the Legislature of the State of

California passed a law known as the Outdoor Advertising Act,2 by which the State took over all regulation of out­ door advertising except that which was permitted to be exercised by the cities and counties through the medium of zoning.

The result has been that each jurisdiction, if it

permitted them at all, used its own best judgment or imagination as to which zone should permit the billboards. The thirty-four city zoning ordinances investi­ gated indicate that the seven cities of Beverly Hills,

2 Business and Professions Code. Chapter 5202

59 Burbank, Huntington Park, Maywood, Palos Verdes Estates, San Marino, and West Covina, have declared them detri­ mental to the general welfare and have eliminated them entirely; Hawthorne and Pomona permit them in C-l, which is normally regarded as the most highly restricted business zone; Los Angeles County and the twelve cities of Arcadia, Compton, Covina, El Segundo, Inglewood, Los Angeles, Lynwood, Manhattan Beach, Monrovia, Montebello, Redondo Beach, and San Gabriel require that they locate in zone C-2; the six cities of Azusa, Bell, Glendora, La Verne, Santa Monica, and Signal Hill go one step farther and designate C-3 as the highest zone in which they are permitted; Pasadena permits them in her C zone, which is about the same as an ordinary C-3 zone; they must seek zone M-l in Gardena, Sierra Madre, and South Pasadena; and are relegated to the heavy industrial zone M-2 in the cities of El Monte, Torrance, and Whittier. Gasoline service stations do not fare as badly as billboards in number of cities which place them in different zones; they may locate in zone C-l in the county and eleven cities; in zone C-2 in fifteen cities; in zone C-3 in seven; while Beverly Hills, by failing to mention them as a use permitted in her C-3 zone, ap­ parently requires that they be located in zone M-2.

In

60 this regard, it is sometimes very difficult to determine, from the ordinance, exactly which zone certain uses re­ quire; it is necessary to go through a process of elimi­ nation, and unless one is thoroughly familiar with the specific ordinance involved, it is a very easy matter to misinterpret the provisions and to make a statement re­ garding the ordinance which a thorough study, or inter­ pretation by the City Attorney or County Counsel, might prove to be false* Hospitals present a rather difficult problem to those engaged in the study of zoning classifications; by the very nature of the service they offer, they should best be located in a quiet area, isolated from heavy in­ dustrial and commercial activities with their resultant disturbing noises; but by the nature of the type of establishment they are, usually a multi-story building requiring much off-street parking, generating traffic, causing disturbances by sirens on their ambulances, and the depressing effect of illness and death, they make themselves unwelcome in a residential area*

They should

be accessible by mass transportation, as well as by good roads, in order that relatives and friends may conven­ iently visit the patients, yet ready accessibility by

61 mass transportation usually places them where they do not -wish to locate* A special permit in any zone is required to locate a hospital in the cities of Arcadia, Montebello, Pasadena, Redondo Beach, and West Covina; Beverly Hills requires a permit, but provision is made that a permit may not be granted in any zone other than C-3 and M-2; Los Angeles County has a still different arrangement, permitting the establishment of a hospital in zone C-3, C-4, M-l, or M-3, without a permit, requiring a permit in zone C-2 and all agricultural zones, and prohibiting hospitals entirely in all residential zones and in the heavy industrial zones M-2 and M-4* There is no uniformity among the other cities regarding the location of hospitals; in Compton, El Segundo, Inglewood, and Lynwood, they may locate in zone R-3; in Covina, Monrovia, and Whittier, they must seek zone R-4; in the City of Los Angeles they are permitted in zone R-5; in Azusa, Hawthorne, Manhattan Beach, Pomona, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, and Torrance, all of the residential zones are eliminated, and the first commer­ cial zone of C-l is required; the cities of Burbank, San Gabriel, and Santa Monica first permit them in zone C-2; while the remaining cities of Bell, El Monte, Gardena,

62

Glendora, Huntington Park, La Verne, Maywood, and Signal Hill relegate the quiet-seeking institute of healing to the heaviest commercial zone, C-3. 3 Schools^ and churches do not fare quite so badly as the hospitals in selecting a location.

In all

but three of the cities studied they may be established in one of the residential zones, although Hawthorne, Huntington Park and San Marino insist that each of these necessary uses be located in zone C-l.

In the other

3 An interesting discussion regarding the proper location of elementary schools was held at a meeting of the American Institute of Planners in River­ side about a year ago, at the time the Institute made the request to the Board of Supervisors for the stan­ dardization study. The City of Long Beach, as previously mentioned, has a special zone for public and quasi-public buildings, including schools, and Mr. Werner Ruchti, the Long Beach Planning Director, was defending it on the grounds that schools, with their accompanying playgrounds, were a disturbing element in a single-family residential zone, and that purchasers of property should be forewarned of the possibility of such a use being established in the vicinity of their homes. Mr. Charles Bennett, Planning Director of Los Angeles, took the opposite view, stating that since the school was required by State law, and the users of the facilities normally lived in a single-family zone, that the school should be located as conveniently as possible, in order that small children, particularly, would not be required to cross heavy traffic arteries to attend classes. Several members of the Institute, dis­ cussing the matter after the meeting, were wondering whether the points of view of the two gentlemen were in­ fluenced by the fact that Mr. Ruchti is a bachelor, while Mr. Bennett is the father of several children.

63 cities they are accepted in either zone— R-l, R-2, R-3, or R-4— and in most cities they are classified together, although one or two of the cities apparently feel that schools are more detrimental than churches, and require a less restrictive zone for the educational institutions, and, conversely, there are three or four that permit the schools in a more restrictive zone than the churches•

Several of the above cities, however, do

permit schools in any zone, if approval of the site is first obtained from the Planning Commission.^ Trailer parks present quite a difficult problem. Since the end of the war a large proportion of the persons making up the great influx of population in this area have arrived in trailers.

Due to the shortage of permanent

housing, it has been necessary for many of them to make the trailer their permanent abode, and, added to the increase in tourist travel by this means, has created

4 The State Conservation and Planning Act. Chap­ ter £07, Statutes of 1^47, Article 7, Section 7J, re­ quires that in cities or counties which have a master plan, no property may be purchased for public use without first being submitted to the Planning Commission for ap­ proval. However, a School Board may, even if the site is disapproved by the Commission, proceed with the pur­ chase of the site, if approved by a two-thirds majority of the entire membership of the Board.

64 a great demand for trailer parks.

In the early days

of the trailer boom, many of the so-called "parks" were merely vacant lots where parking space was rented, with little or no regard for sanitary facilities, and little attempt made to make the trailer park a pleasing place in which to stay.

The State, through the Housing Act,^

attempted to require minimum standards, but was required, due to personnel shortage, to rely largely upon local authorities to enforce the regulations.

The various

cities and counties also attempted to regulate them through health laws, building codes, and zoning regula­ tions, but ever-present, even today, is the property owner who will rent out one or two, or several, parking spaces in his back yard, depending on how much room he has, and how much he can crowd the neighborhood before his tenants begin causing complaints from his law-abiding neighbors.

The various Trailer Park Owners* Associations

have cooperated one hundred per cent in attempting to eliminate this type of establishment, and have been very cooperative in agreeing to suitable standards for the development of their facilities.

5 State Housing Act, Sections 15,000 to 17,902, Health and Safety Code.

TABLE III

HIGHEST ZONE IN WHICH CERTAIN USES ARE PERMITTED Billboards

City County of L. A. . . Alhambra Arcadia . • • • • • Avalon Azusa ........... Bell . . ........ Beverly Hills • . • Burbank . . • • • • Claremont Compton • • • • • • Covina • ••••• Culver City El Monte • . . . • El Segundo .... Gardena ....... . Glendale Glendora ........ Hawthorne • • • • • Hermosa Beach Huntington Park . • Inglewood ....... La Verne • • • • . Long Beach

Service Stations

Hospitals

Schools

Churches

Trailer Parks

C-2

C-l

C-3

R-4

R-4

C-3

C-2

C-2

P

R-2

R-2

N

C-3 C-3 N N

C-l C-3 M-2 C-3

C-l c -3

M-2P C-2

R-3 R-3 R-l R-l

R-3 R-3 R-4 R-l

M-l N M-2 N

C-2 C-2

C-2 C-2

R-3 R-4

R-2 R-2

R-2 R-2

N M-l

M-2 C-2 M-l

C-3 C-2 C-2

C-3 R-3 C-3

R-4 R-2 R-4

R-4 R-2 R-3

M-l M-l M-l

C-3 C-l

C-2 C-l

C-3 C-l

R-4 C-l

R-3 C-l

C-3 M-l

N C-2 C-3

C-3 C-2 C-3

C-3 R-3 C-3

C-l R-2 R-l

C-l R-2 R-3

N C-3 C-3

P— Permit Required N— Not Permitted

TABLE III (continued)

HIGHEST ZONE IN M U C H CERTAIN USES ARE PERMITTED City

Billboards

Los Angeles • . • • Lynwood ......... Manhattan Beach • . Maywood . . . . . . Monrovia * . . . . Montebello * . . . Monterey Park Palos Verdes Est. Pasadena . . . . . ......... Pomona Redondo Beach . . . San Fernando San Gabriel . . . . San Marino . . . . Santa Monica • . . Sierra Madre • . . Signal Hill • . . . Southgate South Pasadena . . Torrance ........ Vernon West Covina • . . • Whittier • ........

Service Stations

Hospitals

Schools

Churches

Trailer Parks

C-2 C-2 C-2 N C-2 C-2

C-2 C-2 C-l c-3 C-2 C-2

R-5 R-3 C-l C-3 R-4 P

R-4 R-2 R-4 R-4 R-2 R-2

R-4 R-2 R-4 R-4 R-2 R-3

M-2 C-2 M-l N M-l P

N C C-l C-2

C C-2 C-l C-2

N P C-l P

R-l R-2 R-l R-2

R-l R-3 R-l R-2

N C C-3 M-l

C-2 N C-3 M-l C-3

C-l C-l C-2 C-l C-3

C-2 N C-2 C-l C-3

R-3 C-l R-2 R-3 R-2

R-3 C-l R-2 R-3 R-4

M-l N C-3 M-l M-2

M-l M-2

C-l C-l

C-l C-l

R-3 R-3

R-3 R-3

M-l M-2

N M-2

C-l C-2

P R-4

R-2 R-4

R-2 R-4

P M-2

P— Permit Required N — Not Permitted

ON on

67

However, in eight cities, no new trailer parks may be established in any zone; two recognize them as problem uses and provide that they may be established in certain commercial and industrial zones if they are able to obtain a special permit;

four cities relegate

the trailer to the heaviest industrial zone; twelve per­ mit them in the light industrial zone M-l; the county and six cities will allow them to invade the C-3 general com­ mercial zone; while the lone City of Lynwood welcomes