LA County has no countywide BMO like LA City, but Title 22 Chapter 22.110 sets hillside grading and bulk limits, and several Community Standards Districts cap floor area ratio in unincorporated communities like Altadena, La Crescenta-Montrose, and Topanga.
Title 22 (Planning & Zoning) of the LA County Code regulates residential bulk through several pathways rather than one mansionization ordinance. Section 22.110.090 imposes hillside development standards: graduated height limits, ridgeline protection, and grading caps tied to slope. Roughly 20 Community Standards Districts in Title 22 Division 6 add neighborhood-specific FAR caps, lot coverage maximums, and second-story setback rules — Altadena CSD limits FAR to 0.45, La Crescenta-Montrose CSD adds daylight planes, and Topanga CSD restricts mass on visible hillsides. Department of Regional Planning reviews projects; large additions in CSDs need Director's Review or a hearing.
Stop-work orders and permit revocation for exceeding FAR or hillside limits. Title 22.60 administrative penalties run up to $1,000 per day. Illegal grading triggers separate Title 11 civil penalties and restoration orders under Public Works supervision.
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena setbacks are set by zoning district under Title 17. Front yards generally require 25 ft minimum. ADU rear yard setback is 10 ft minimum. Attached AD...
Pasadena, CA
Lot coverage in Pasadena varies by zoning district under Title 17. In hillside overlay districts, gross floor area includes covered parking, habitable attic,...
See how Pasadena's anti-mansionization rules stack up against other locations.
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