The following regulations shall apply to the “RA” Suburban Zone:
A. Use. No building, structure or land shall be used and no building or structure shall be erected, structurally altered, enlarged or maintained except for the following uses, and when a “Supplemental Use District” is created by the provisions of Article 3 of this chapter, for such uses as may be permitted therein:
1. One-family dwellings.
2. (Deleted by Ord. No. 171,687, Eff. 8/19/97.)
3. (None)
4. Parks, playgrounds or community centers, owned and operated by a government agency.
5. Golf courses, except driving tees or ranges, miniature and pitch and putt courses having an average fairway length per hole of less than 125 yards, courses illuminated for nighttime play and similar uses operated for commercial purposes. (Amended by Ord. No. 123,664, Eff. 3/10/63.)
6. Truck gardening and nurseries. (Amended by Ord. No. 181,188, Eff. 7/18/10.)
7. (Amended by Ord. No. 159,341, Eff. 10/11/84.) The keeping of equines, bovines, goats or other domestic livestock other than swine), poultry, fowl, rabbits, chinchillas and other small animals, in conjunction with the residential use of the lot, provided:
(a) That these activities are not for commercial purposes, except that a maximum of two currently licensed equines not owned by the resident of the involved property may be boarded (for which monetary compensation may be paid) or kept on that property as an accessory use. (Amended by Ord. No. 161,352, Eff. 7/20/86.)
(b) The keeping of equines, bovines, goats or other domestic livestock (other than swine) shall be permitted only on lots having an area of 17,500 square feet or more; provided, however, that such keeping of domestic livestock shall also be permitted on lots which were of record as of November 19, 1966 and qualified for the minimum lot area requirement of 17,500 square feet by including the area of one-half of the abutting streets. Where equines and/or bovines are being kept, the number shall not exceed one equine or bovine for each 4,000 square feet of lot area.
8. Two-family dwellings, on lots having a side lot line adjoining a lot in a commercial or industrial Zone, provided that: (Amended by Ord. No. 126,309, Eff. 2/13/64.)
(a) The lot on which the dwelling is located does not extend more than 100 feet from the boundary of the less restricted Zone which it adjoins;
(b) There is a minimum lot area of 20,000 square feet for each two family dwelling.
9. (None).
10. Conditional uses enumerated in Sec. 12.24 of this Chapter when the location is approved pursuant to the provisions of Div. 13B.2. (Quasi-Judicial Review) 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.)
11. Accessory buildings, including private garages, accessory living quarters, servants quarters, recreation rooms, greenhouses, bathhouses, or private stables, provided that:
(a) An accessory living quarters, servants quarters, recreation room or a private garage or any combination of said uses may be included in one building not exceeding two stories in height.
(b) No stable is located or maintained on a lot having an area of less than 17,500 square feet and its capacity does not exceed one equine for each 4,000 square feet of lot area. (Amended by Ord. No. 157,144, Eff. 11/22/82.)
(c) Automobile parking space is required in connection with permitted uses and additional space may be provided in accordance with the provisions of Section 12.21 A.
12. Accessory uses and home occupations, subject to the conditions specified in Section 12.05 A.16. of this Code. (Amended by Ord. No. 171,427, Eff. 1/4/97, Oper. 3/5/97.)
13. Backyard beekeeping, as an accessory use, provided that: (Added by Ord. No. 183,920, Eff. 12/6/15.)
(a) The person who is the owner of or in possession of an apiary is registered as a beekeeper with the County of Los Angeles Agricultural Commission.
(b) The number of hives is limited to one for every 2,500 square feet of lot area.
(c) Hives are not located in the required front yard of a lot, including through lots.
(d) Hives are located a minimum of five feet from the front, side, and rear lot lines and a minimum of 20 feet from public rights-of-way or private streets.
(e) Hive entrances face away from, or parallel to, the nearest lot line adjacent to another lot.
(f) A six-foot wall, fence, or hedge is located between hives and adjacent lots, or hives are placed at a minimum of eight feet above ground level of the adjacent lot. The purpose of this provision is to provide a solid barrier to help direct bees over six feet above ground level when departing the lot to minimize interactions between bees and individuals in the vicinity.
(g) A water source for bees shall be provided at all times on the property where the bees are kept to discourage bee visitation at swimming pools, hose bibs and other water sources on adjacent public or surrounding property.
14. Names, plates and signs as provided for in Sec. 12.21 A.7.
B. Restriction. (Amended by Ord. No. 173,268, Eff. 7/1/00, Oper. 7/1/00.) For any lot designated as Public, Quasi-Public, Public/Quasi- Public Use, Other Public, or Open Space on the land use map of the applicable community or district plan; any lot shown on the map as having existing lakes, waterways, reservoirs, debris basins, or similar facilities; any lot shown on the map as the location of a freeway right-of-way; and any property annexed to the City of Los Angeles where a plan amendment was not adopted as part of the annexation proceedings:
Any of the uses permitted by Subsection A. of this section shall require prior approval in accordance with the provisions of Section 12.24.1 of this Code.
C. Area (Development Standards). No building or structure nor the enlargement of any building or structure shall be erected or maintained unless the following yards, lot areas, and floor area limitations are provided and maintained in connection with the building, structure, or enlargement: (Amended by Ord. No. 179,883, Eff. 6/29/08.)
1. Front Yard. There shall be a front yard of not less than 20% of the depth of the lot, but such front yard need not exceed 25 feet, provided, however, that where all of the developed lots which have front yards that vary in depth by not more than ten feet comprise 40% or more of the frontage, the minimum front yard depth shall be the average depth of the front yards of such lots. Where there are two or more possible combinations of developed lots comprising 40% or more of the frontage, each of which has front yards that vary in depth of not more than ten feet, the minimum front yard depth shall be the average depth of the front yards of that combination which has the shallowest average depth. In determining the required front yard, buildings located on key lots, entirely on the rear half of lots, or on lots in the “C” or “M” Zones, shall not be counted, provided, however, that nothing contained in this paragraph shall be deemed to require front yards which exceed 40 feet in depth. (Amended by Ord. No. 139,155, Eff. 10/16/69.)
On key lots the minimum front yard may be the average of the required front yard for the adjoining interior lot and the required side yard along the street side of a reversed corner lot, but such minimum front yard may apply for a distance of not more than 100 feet from the rear lot line of the reversed corner lot, beyond which point the front line specified in the above paragraph shall apply. Where existing buildings on either or both of said adjoining lots are located nearer to the front or side lot lines than the yards required by this article, the yards established by such existing buildings may be used in computing the required front yard for a key lot.
2. Side Yards. (Amended by Ord. No. 169,775, Eff. 6/2/94.)
(a) There shall be a side yard on each side of a main building of not less than ten feet, except that where the lot is less than 70 feet in width, and was of record prior to July 1, 1966, the side yard may be reduced to ten percent of the width of the lot, but in no event less than three feet. Provided, however, that where a side yard of less than ten feet in width is permitted pursuant to the foregoing provisions, and the building erected on the lot is three or more stories in height, one foot shall be added to such side yard.
(b) In lieu of the additional one foot side yard for buildings of three or more stories specified above, for new construction of a main building or ground floor addition to the main building on a lot not located in a Hillside Area or a Coastal Zone, one foot shall be added to each required side yard for each increment of ten feet or fraction thereof of height above the first 18 feet of height of the main building.
(c) Side yard requirements in specific plans, Historic Overlay Zones or in subdivision approvals shall take precedence over requirements in this subsection. This subsection shall apply in these areas, however, where there are no side yard requirements provided in the specific plan, Historic Overlay Zone or in the subdivision approval.
3. Rear Yard. There shall be a rear yard of not less than twenty-five (25) percent of the depth of the lot, but such rear yard need not exceed twenty-five (25) feet.
4. Lot Area. Every lot shall have a minimum width of 70 feet and a minimum area of 17,500 square feet. The minimum lot area per dwelling unit shall be 17,500 square feet except for a two-family dwelling on lots having a side lot adjoining a lot in a commercial or industrial Zone as provided for in Subsection A. of this section. (Amended by Ord No. 133,218, Eff. 11/19/66.)
Provided, however, that on property located within the RA Zone and also within the “H” Hillside or Mountainous Area for which a Master Plan including dwelling unit densities has been adopted by the Council, the number of lots may be limited and the maximum areas may be increased so that the number of dwelling units permitted will not substantially exceed the densities shown on the Plan. (Amended by Ord. No. 129,693, Eff. 5/2/65.)
There may be lots with less than the minimum width and area, as provided by Section 17.05 H. of this Code, and there may be a single dwelling on each lot if the lot is shown with a separate letter or lot number on a recorded Subdivision Tract Map or Parcel Map. (Amended by Ord. No. 130,871, Eff. 9/20/65.)
Exceptions to area regulations are provided for in Sec. 12.22 C. (Amended by Ord. No. 129,673, Eff. 5/2/65.)
5. Maximum Residential Floor Area. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,802, Eff. 3/17/17.) For a lot located in a Hillside Area or Coastal Zone, the maximum Residential Floor Area shall comply with Section 12.21.1 A.1. of this Code.
For all other lots, the maximum Residential Floor Area contained in all buildings and accessory buildings shall not exceed 25 percent of the lot area when the lot is less than 20,000 square feet. For lots 20,000 square feet or greater, the maximum Residential Floor Area shall not exceed 20 percent of the lot area, or 5,000 square feet, whichever is greater.
An additional 20 percent of the maximum Residential Floor Area for that lot shall be allowed if any of the methods listed below are utilized. Only one 20 percent bonus per property is allowed.
(a) The total Residential Floor Area of each story other than the base floor in a multi-story building does not exceed 75 percent of the base floor area; or
(b) The cumulative length of the exterior walls facing the front lot line, equal to a minimum of 25 percent of the building width, shall be stepped-back a distance of at least 20 percent of the building depth from a plane parallel to the lot width established at the point of the building closest to the front lot line. When the front lot line is not straight, a line connecting the points where the side lot lines and the front lot line intersect shall be used. When through-lots have two front yards, the step-back shall be provided along both front lot lines.
For the purposes of this provision, all exterior walls that intersect a plane parallel to the front lot line at 45 degrees or less shall be considered to be facing the front lot line. The building width shall be the greatest distance between the exterior walls of the building measured parallel to the lot width. The building depth shall be the greatest distance between the exterior walls of the building measured parallel to the lot depth.
6. Verification of Existing Residential Floor Area. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,802, Eff. 3/17/17.) For additions with cumulative Residential Floor Area of less than 1,000 square feet constructed after January 1, 2008, or remodels of buildings built prior to January 1, 2008, the existing Residential Floor Area shall be determined based on the building records or the building square footage shown on the most recent Los Angeles County Tax Assessor’s records at the time the plans are submitted to the Department of Building and Safety and a plan check fee is paid. Except that Residential Floor Area may be calculated as defined in Section 12.03 of this Code when a complete set of fully dimensioned plans with area calculations of all the structures on the lot, prepared by a licensed architect or engineer, is submitted by the applicant.
Any work that does not qualify as a remodel, as defined in the paragraph below, or additions that are 1,000 square feet or larger shall require a complete set of fully dimensioned plans with area calculations of all the structures on the lot prepared by a licensed architect or engineer.
For the purposes of implementing this subdivision, a remodel shall mean the alteration of an existing building or structure provided that at least 50 percent of the perimeter length of the contiguous exterior walls and 50 percent of the roof are retained.