LA County maintains roughly 30 community plans plus several specific plans under LACO Title 22 that overlay base zoning across unincorporated areas like Altadena, East LA, Marina del Rey, and Topanga with tailored use, density, height, and design rules.
Title 22.10 of the LA County Code authorizes Community Plans and Specific Plans for unincorporated areas. The Department of Regional Planning (DRP) administers about 30 community plan areas, including Altadena, East Los Angeles, Marina del Rey, Santa Monica Mountains North Area, Topanga, West Athens-Westmont, and Westside. Each plan supplements the base zoning with a land-use map, development standards, design guidelines, and occasionally Project Permit Compliance review. Where a plan conflicts with base zoning, the plan controls. Coastal community plans also serve as Local Coastal Programs. Always verify your parcel's plan via the GIS-NET parcel viewer before assuming a base-zone rule applies.
Building inconsistently with an applicable community or specific plan triggers permit denial, stop-work orders, and required redesign, removal, or restoration at the owner's expense.
See how Lakewood's specific plans overview rules stack up against other locations.
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