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ARTICLE 8
PRIVATE STREET REGULATIONS
 
 
Section
18.00   Scope.
18.01   Definitions.
18.02   Reserved.
18.03   Procedure.
18.04   Subdivisions.
18.05   Private Streets, Lot or Building Site Standards.
18.07   Posting of Private Streets.
18.08   Director Approval and Appeals.
18.09   Private Street Names.
18.10   Building Permits.
18.12   Modifications.
 
 
SEC. 18.00. SCOPE.
   A.   The purpose of this article is to prescribe rules and regulations governing the platting and division of land as lots or building sites which are contiguous or adjacent to private road easements; to provide for the filing and approval of Private Street Maps; to provide for the approval of private road easements as private streets, to provide for the naming of private streets, and to require that lots or building sites which are contiguous or adjacent to private streets conform to the minimum requirements of this chapter before permits may be issued. (Amended by Ord. No. 158,691, Eff. 3/12/84.)
 
   B.   When private streets have been laid out and designated as such to a recorded subdivision map or on a filed record of survey map, the provisions of this article shall not apply thereto.
 
   C.   When a developed residential lot or building site has its access driveway located within a private road easement that existed and was recorded prior to September 6, 1961, said private road easement shall be deemed to have been approved in accordance with the provisions of this article and may be continued. Further, on such lot or building site additions and alterations may be made to such dwelling, and accessory buildings may be erected on said lot if no additional dwelling units or guest rooms are created. (Amended by Ord. No. 187,712, Eff. 1/23/23, Oper. 1/22/24; Ord. No. 187,930, Eff. 7/7/23.)
 
An ordinance requiring a residence to be built upon a lot having a frontage on a street or private easement determined by the planning commission to be adequate for purposes of access is valid and is not an unlawful delegation of legislative power.
   Mitchell v. Morris, Cal. App. 2d 466.
 
 
SEC. 18.01. DEFINITIONS.
 
   For the purpose of this article, the following words and phrases are defined as follows:
 
   “Approved” shall mean “Approved by the City Engineer of the City of Los Angeles,” unless otherwise specified.
 
   “Board” shall mean the Area Planning Commission. (Amended by Ord. No. 173,268, Eff. 7/1/00, Oper. 7/1/00.)
 
   “Building site” shall mean any parcel of land which conforms to the definition of a lot as defined herein.
 
   “City” (Deleted by Ord. No. 173,106, Eff. 3/5/00.)
 
   “Council” (Deleted by Ord. No. 173,106, Eff. 3/5/00.)
 
   “Commission” (Deleted by Ord. No. 173,106, Eff. 3/5/00.)
 
   “Director” (Deleted by Ord. No. 173,106, Eff. 3/5/00.)
 
   “Highway, Major – Any street designated as a major highway on the Highways and Freeways maps of the Transportation Element of the General Plan. (Added by Ord. No. 172,840, Eff. 11/4/99.)
 
   Highway, Secondary – Any street designated as a secondary highway on the Highways and Freeways maps of the Transportation Element of the General Plan. (Added by Ord. No. 172,840, Eff. 11/4/99.)
 
   “Local street” shall mean a street providing access to abutting property and serving local, as distinguished from through traffic.
 
   “Lot” shall mean a parcel of land conforming to the definition of LOT contained in Section 12.03 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code. (Amended by Ord. No. 128,289, Eff. 10/15/64.)
 
   “Major Highway” (Deleted by Ord. No. 172,840, Eff. 11/4/99.)
 
   “Person” shall mean natural person, joint venture, joint stock company, partnership, association, club, company, corporation, business trust, organization or the manager, lessee, agent, servant, officer or employee of any of them.
 
   “Private road easement” See Div. 13C.1. (Administration Definitions) of Chapter 1A of this Code. (Amended by Ord. No. 187,712, Eff. 1/23/23, Oper. 1/22/24; Ord. No. 187,930, Eff. 7/7/23.)
 
   “Private street” See Div. 13C.1. (Administration Definitions) of Chapter 1A of this Code. (Amended by Ord. No. 187,712, Eff. 1/23/23, Oper. 1/22/24; Ord. No. 187,930, Eff. 7/7/23.)
 
   “Secondary Highway” (Deleted by Ord. No. 172,840, Eff. 11/4/99.)
 
   “Shall” and “may”.Shall” is mandatory. “May” is permissive.
 
 
SEC. 18.02. RESERVED.
   (Repealed by Ord. No. 187,712, Eff. 1/23/23, Oper. 1/22/24; Ord. No. 187,930, Eff. 7/7/23.)
 
 
SEC. 18.03. PROCEDURE.
   (Amended by Ord. No. 187,712, Eff. 1/23/23, Oper. 1/22/24; Ord. No. 187,930, Eff. 7/7/23.)
 
   See Sec. 13B.7.7. (Private Street Map) of Chapter 1A of this Code.
 
 
SEC. 18.04. SUBDIVISIONS.
 
   The provisions of this article shall not be construed as authorizing the subdivision of land without fully complying with the provisions contained and set forth in Article 7 of this chapter. However, the provisions of this article may be complied with by complying with the provisions of Article 7 of this chapter relating to subdivisions without the necessity for filing a Private Street Map in addition to the subdivision maps required by said article. (Amended by Ord. No. 122,064, Eff. 6/14/62.)
 
 
SEC. 18.05. PRIVATE STREETS, LOT OR BUILDING SITE STANDARDS.
 
   All private streets, lots or building sites shall conform to the following regulations:
 
   A.   Major and Secondary Highways. (Amended by Ord. No. 172,840, Eff. 11/4/99.) The location, widths and alignment of all private streets shall conform to the location, widths and alignment of all major and secondary highways designated on the Highways and Freeways maps of the Transportation Element of the General Plan; and to any proceedings for any public improvement; and to any “subdivision map” which has been tentatively approved.
 
   B.   Local Street Alignment – All private streets as far as practical shall be in alignment with existing public or private streets and their proper projections or prolongations provided that where the property being divided into lots or building sites is large enough a modified curve street layout may be permitted;
 
   C.   Private Street Width – All private streets shall be designed to conform with private street standards adopted by the Commission as provided in Section 17.05 of the Code; (Amended by Ord. No. 122,064, Eff. 6/14/62.)
 
   D.   Street Grades – On hillside or mountain streets comprising a through route, a grade in excess of six percent (6%) shall not be permitted unless a grade not to exceed eight percent (8%) will obviate an excessive curvature or eliminate excessive cuts. Grades of all streets shall be as low as possible consistent with the advantageous development of the proposed platting and division of land;
 
   The grade of any street of more than local traffic needs shall not exceed ten percent (10%). No local street grade shall exceed fifteen percent (15%);
 
   E.   Curves And Tangents – A minimum center line radius of at least seventy-five (75) feet shall be used on winding mountain streets, a minimum center line radius of at least five hundred (500) feet shall be used on all through traffic streets. In flat areas, curves on local streets shall have radii as long as possible consistent with local conditions. The tangent distance between reversed curves shall not be less than fifty (50) feet;
 
   F.   Intersections – Private street intersections shall be as nearly at right angles as practicable;
 
   G.   Effect on Adjoining Property – Private street layout shall be designed to provide access to and not impose undue hardship upon property adjoining the proposed division of lands;
 
   H.   Cul-De-Sacs (Dead-End Streets) – Cul-de- sacs shall be permitted only where through streets are not practical, or where good neighborhood design suggests their use. Adequate provisions for turning shall be made at the end of each such cul-de-sacs by providing a circle or other area within a minimum over all radius of 42 feet. In the case of unusual topographic conditions, a “T” or “Y” turn may be permitted. The legs of the “T” or “Y” turn shall have a minimum paved surface 12 feet in width and 20 feet in length, the minimum radius between each leg and the street shall be 20 feet.
 
   I.   Rounding Block Corner At all block corners, the property line shall be rounded or cut back. Intersection corners on the private street prolongation of major and secondary highways shall be rounded with 20’ radius curves and all other corners shall be rounded with 15’ radius curves provided that where business development is indicated a diagonal cut-off substantially equivalent to rounding may be used in order to aid building construction, in which case at right angle intersections a substantial equivalent shall be a ten-foot by ten-foot cutoff.
 
   J.   Improvements, Drainage And Sewage
 
   1.   All private streets and all lots and building sites laid out contiguous or adjacent to private streets shall have approved drainage facilities and the method for sewage disposal shall be approved by the Department of Health. All such private streets shall be graded and improved to an approved width and grade. The street grading and improvement shall include surface improvements, fire hydrants and water mains, catch basins, pipe culverts, sanitary sewers where reasonably available and storm drains where required. Drainage easements shall be improved to an approved manner. Major and secondary highways shall be graded to an approved width and improved to an approved width and grade necessary for the general use of lot owners adjoining said private street and local neighborhood traffic and drainage needs;
 
   2.   Where street improvements, drainage or sewers are required to be constructed in a private street, plans and profiles showing the grades and the nature and extent of the required improvements shall be filed with the City Engineer for the City Engineer’s approval, the checking of plans, inspections, supervision and other services rendered in connection with the construction of required improvements shall be accomplished under permits in accordance with the provisions of Section 62.105(b) of this Code.
 
   3.   Where improvements have been previously constructed in a private street, plans and profiles showing the grades and the nature and extent of the existing improvements shall be filed with the City Engineer for the approval and said plans shall be checked and where additional construction is required, the same shall be inspected and supervised, and all services rendered in connection with the existing or required improvements shall be accomplished under permit in accordance with the provisions of Section 62.105(b) of this Code.
 
   4.   Whenever a Private Street Map or a portion thereof includes land which is within a Local Drainage District, the provisions and requirements of the ordinance establishing such District shall be complied with. (Added by Ord. No. 142,862, Eff. 2/13/72.)
 
   K.   Conformance To General Plan. (Amended by Ord. No. 138,800, Operative 6/23/69.) Each Private Street Map shall be designed in compliance with the zoning applying to the property or approved by the City Council for change.
 
   In addition, where a Private Street Map involves land for which a General Plan including dwelling unit densities has been adopted by the Council, and said land is also in an “H” Hillside or Mountainous Area established by Article 2 of this chapter, the number of lots or building sites on said map shall be limited so that the number of dwelling units permitted by the applicable zoning regulations shall not substantially exceed the dwelling unit densities shown on said plan. Provided, however, that the Council, upon determining that a different density would be more in accord with the public health, safety and welfare after considering the existing, proposed and ultimate traffic, sewage, drainage and other facilities in the area or any other pertinent information, and after report and recommendation from the City Planning Commission, may by resolution establish a different density than that shown on the adopted General Plan. In such instances the number of lots permitted on the Private Street Map may be based on the densities established by such resolution so long as the size of such lots is not less than that required by the applicable zoning provisions. Should the Commission fail to act upon a request for different density within 50 days of its submission such request shall be transferred to the Council for action thereon.
 
   Each Private Street Map shall substantially conform to all other elements of the General Plan as adopted by the Commission.
 
 
SEC. 18.07. POSTING OF PRIVATE STREETS.
 
   At or near the entrance of each intersection of a private street with a dedicated public street or with another private street, there shall be erected and maintained by applicant a sign post to which is attached a sign having an area of at least 15 inches by 21 inches upon which is printed and clearly legible in at least 2-inch letters the name of the private street and the words “PRIVATE STREET,” in at least one-inch letters the words “NOT DEDICATED FOR PUBLIC USE OR MAINTAINED BY THE CITY OF L.A. (LAMC 18.07).” The words, letters and figures of the sign shall be arranged in substantially the following manner:
 
“(NAME OF STREET),
PRIVATE STREET
NOT DEDICATED FOR PUBLIC USE
OR MAINTAINED BY CITY OF L.A.
(LAMC 18.07)”
 
 
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