Council notes floor-area-ratio report, members warn of three-story storage buildings in commercial zones

The Los Angeles City Council on Feb. 1 voted to note and file a report on floor area ratio (FAR) provisions while several members urged a prompt ordinance to close perceived loopholes that allow three-story self-storage tilt-up buildings in commercial (C) zones.

Public commenter and long-time planning critic Morton Shapiro urged the council to oppose how FAR has been used downtown and to better explain FAR to the public. Council member Janet Goldberg described an example in Glassell Park where one-story buildings were being replaced with 3-story tilt-up storage buildings; Goldberg said the structures and truck traffic would be inappropriate for adjacent residential areas.

Council member Cindy Misakowski said planning staff presented two ordinances to the Planning Commission: one to remove certain by-right storage uses from commercial zones and another to add site-plan review standards for industrial zones. Misakowski said the Planning Commission supported only one of the ordinances at its recent hearing; both ordinances would be forwarded to PLUM and council for action shortly. Several council members said the city can address the FAR and site-plan-review issues through ordinance rather than by a blanket charter change.

At the end of the discussion the council recorded a roll-call vote of 14 ayes to note and file the FAR report. Council members said they expected implementing ordinances to be considered soon and that PLUM would shepherd the changes addressing where self-storage uses should be allowed and what site-plan controls should apply.

The discussion underscored tension between downtown development history and neighborhood protections; members urged prompt staff work to define appropriate zones and to add site-plan review criteria to prevent heavy industrial-style storage facilities from being built by right next to residential areas.