Temporary Curbs Set on Hillside Homes

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday imposed temporary restrictions on single-family home construction in an eight-mile stretch of the Santa Monica Mountains where city officials say building on narrow roads has created safety problems.

The restrictions, proposed by Councilmen Michael Woo and Zev Yaroslavsky, are expected to severely limit home construction on the hillsides south of Mulholland Drive between the San Diego Freeway and Outpost Drive, covering an area from Bel-Air to the Hollywood Hills. They will be in place for a year while officials draft permanent controls for the area.

The restrictions, which affect projects submitted to the Department of Building and Safety since Dec. 1, 1988, do not apply to renovations of existing homes. Projects are also exempt if they meet various setback, parking, fire safety and street access requirements, and if the owner agrees to join any future benefit assessment district set up to improve roads.

Fire officials say the restrictions are necessary because building on remote and unwieldy hillside lots has made it difficult for fire trucks and ambulances to reach some victims.