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City mulls illegal apartments and okays tall spires
by Jason Dietrich
Bootleg apartments are out. Finials are in.
At its meeting Tuesday night, the Redondo Beach City Council approved an amendment to the planning code allowing decorative architectural features to poke above the legal height limit of a building, banned parking in the side yards of corner lots, and allowed smaller businesses to use shared parking.
The council agreed to study a provision aimed at helping planning officers crack down on illegally constructed apartments in single family residential areas.
Currently the planning code defines a separate residence as a having its own kitchen area. But code enforcement officers have been running across "bootleg" bachelor apartments that don't have full kitchen areas, and don't fit the definition of a separate residence, said Randy Berler of the Redondo Beach Planning Department.
"These days you can rent out a small apartment with just a mini fridge and a microwave," Berler said.
The planning department recommended classifying a separate residence as having its own entrance.
District 4 Councilman Bob Pinzler said that changing the definition of an apartment would put the city in a difficult position as far as enforcement and liability.
"Do you go back and cite the buildings you've already inspected? Or just enforce selectively? You're opening yourself up for a whole lot of litigation," Pinzler said.
Councilman John Parsons, District 5, said the definition might put undue restrictions on homeowners.
"So does that mean if I have an outside door to my house, and I close off the inside entrance to that room, I've created an apartment?" asked Parsons.
Staff will take another look at the problem and report back to council.
The changes the council did approve to the code will let the planning department allow spires, pinnacles, finials and weather vanes on buildings to stick up above existing height limits.
"Decorative architectural features that add character to a building without adding significant bulk or mass can now be considered," said Berler.
The code change also forbids parking in the side yard of a corner lot that isn't screened by a decorative wall. Formerly, parking off a driveway on the side of a corner lots was allowed.
The changes will also allow the planning commission to consider shared parking arrangements for yet smaller. Shared parking is allowed when businesses have different peak hours, like an office building and a restaurant.ER