AA-2024-4438-PM-HCA

2025110681

City of Los Angeles

NOE - Notice of Exemption

11/18/2025

11/18/2025

Courtney Yellen

City of Los Angeles

Planning Assistant

Lead/Public Agency

6262 Van Nuys Boulevard, Room 430
Van Nuys , CA 91204

(818) 374-5059

courtney.yellen@lacity.org

34°9'10.3"N 118°28'43.2"W

Valley Vista Boulevard, Gloria Avenue, Dunsmore Avenue

91436

.78

2283-008-018

Interstate 405; US Route 101

None

Van Nuys Airport

Maha Montessori; Lanai Road Elementary; Hesby Oaks Elementary

Encino Reservoir; Los Angeles River

1N

15W

00

Categorical Exemption

Section 15301, Class 1 and Section 15315, Class 15

The City of Los Angeles determined based on the whole of the administrative record, that the proposed parcel map is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301, Class 1 and 15315, Class 15. Class 1 consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency’s determination including but to limited to the subdivision of one single family lot into two for the purposes of developing single family residences. Class 15 consists of the division of property in urbanized areas zoned for residential, commercial, or industrial use into four or fewer parcels when the division is in conformance with the General Plan and zoning, no variances or exceptions are required, all services and access to the proposed parcels to local standards are available, the parcel was not involved in a division of a larger parcel within the previous 2 years, and the parcel does not have an average slope greater than 20 percent. The City has further considered whether the proposed project is subject to any of the six exceptions (listed as A-F) set forth in State CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2, that would prohibit the use of any categorical exemption. None of the exceptions are triggered for the following reasons: A. Location. Classes 3, 4, 5, 6, and 11 are qualified by consideration of where the project is to be located. A project that is ordinarily insignificant in its effect on the environment may in a particularly sensitive environment be significant. Therefore, these classes may not be utilized where the project may impact on an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern where designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies. Not applicable as this project relies upon a Class 1 and Class 15 Categorical Exemption as discussed above. B. Cumulative Impacts. The exception applies when, although a particular project may not have a significant impact, the impact of successive projects, of the same type, in the same place, over time is significant. Based on a review of databases including the City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning ZIMAS for nearby case approvals (ZIMAS), the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) for recently issued permits, and Navigate LA for other entitlements requested on property in the surrounding area, there are not a significant number of similar active projects in the vicinity, and as such, the cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place, over time, would not be significant. C. Unusual Circumstances. This exception applies when, although the project may otherwise be exempt, there is a reasonable possibility that the project will have a significant effect due to unusual circumstances. The subject site is a level, irregular shaped lot, consisting of 33,978 gross square feet per the parcel map stamped by a licensed land surveyor (34,006 square feet per ZIMAS) of lot area. The site is located on the north side of Valley Vista Boulevard with a street frontage of approximately 172 feet .The site is located within the Encino – Tarzana Community Plan area, with a land use designation of Very Low II Residential and Low II Residential and is zoned R1-1 and RE15-1-H. The RE15-1-H Zone would permit a maximum of two dwelling units, based on the minimum lot area requirements (one dwelling unit per 15,000 square feet of lot area). The R1-zoned portion constitutes a legal nonconforming lot area, therefore it is permitted to remain as it is not being expanded or further intensified through the proposed subdivision of land. Any future development of Parcel B will be required to comply with the development standards of both the RE15 and R1 zones. Pursuant to Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Section 17.51, the applicant is requesting approval of a preliminary parcel map, AA-2024-4438-PM-HCA, for the subdivision of one lot into two lots. Parcel A is zoned RE15-1-H and proposes a lot area of 15,571 square feet. Parcel B is dually zoned RE15-1-H and R1-1 and proposes a lot area of 14,332 square feet within the RE15-1-H Zone and 4,075 square feet within the R1-1 Zone, for a total lot size of 18,407.31 square feet. Pursuant to Chapter 1, LAMC Section 17.53 J, the applicant requests an adjustment to proposed Parcel B to permit a 4.45 percent reduction in the minimum lot area requirement, allowing 14,332 square feet in lieu of the otherwise required 15,000 square feet within the RE15-1-H Zone. The subject site is currently developed with an existing single family dwelling, pool, and spa. While the current development is not depicted on the parcel map stamp-dated October 31, 2024, City records, including Certificate(s) of Occupancy Nos. 05014-20000-08372; 05014-20000-08872 and Permit No. 09047-3000-00100, confirm their presence on the property. The applicant shall obtain demolition permits from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) for all existing structures that would otherwise cross the newly established property lines. No architectural plans reviewed and stamped by LADBS were provided as part of the application, and no construction is proposed or approved herein. However, as conditioned, no grading or demolition of the existing single-family dwelling is permitted until the applicant submits plans for new construction to LADBS Plan Check. This is to avoid a net loss of housing as required under the Housing Crisis Act. Any new construction shall comply with all applicable zoning regulations and shall be subject to review and approval by LADBS. According to the Tree Inventory Report, prepared by Arsen Margossian, Certified Consulting Arborist (#WE-7233A), dated February 21, 2024, 34 trees exist onsite, two of which were identified as protected trees (one Holly Oak and one Coast Live Oak) and six street trees along the public right-of-way. The application is for the subdivision of land and no proposed construction or plans have been submitted or reviewed. No recommendations or suggestions for tree removal are proposed in the Tree Inventory Report as submitted. Prior to the issuance of any demolition or grading permit, the applicant shall submit an updated Urban Forestry Referral Form No. CP-4087 and Tree Report that has been reviewed and signed by the Urban Forestry Division. As conditioned herein, the proposed project will be required to replace any protected native trees or shrubs removed at a 4:1 ratio and protected street trees at a 2:1 ratio as approved by the Board of Public Works and Urban Forestry Division. Furthermore, all significant, non-protected trees will be required to be replaced at a 1:1 ratio with 24-inch boxes, as conditioned herein. The applicant submitted an Owner’s Declaration of Biological Resources signed on April 19, 2024. According to ZIMAS records, the subject site has low Biological Resource Potential and low Mountain Lion Potential. Further, the subject site is not located within the Santa Monica Mountains Zone and has no Monarch Butterfly Potential. The site is not located within a 300-foot Habitat Buffer and is not located within a County-Designated Significant Ecological Area (SEA) or Coastal Resource Area (CRA). The site is not located within a United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)-designated Critical Habitat Areas (CHAs). The subject site is not located within a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) or a Criterion 1 Protected Area for Wildlife (PAWs). The project site is located within the 6.5 km from the Hollywood Fault, but is not located within the Alquist-Priolo Fault Zone. The site is not located within a designated hillside area. The site is not located within a high fire hazard severity zone, flood zone, landslide, liquefaction, methane, or tsunami inundation zone. The site is located within a liquefaction zone and within the BOE Special Grading Area and will be required to comply with all applicable regulations as it pertains to development within a liquefaction zone and BOE Special Grading Area. Prior to the issuance of any permits, the project would be required to be reviewed and approved by the Department of Building and Safety and the Fire Department. The site is not identified as having hazardous waste or past remediation. The site is within Flood Zone Type C, which denotes areas outside of a flood zone. The site is not subject to the Specific Plan for the Management of Flood Hazards. The parcel map has been approved contingent upon the satisfaction of the Department of Building and Safety, Grading Division prior to the recordation of the map and issuance of any permits. Therefore, there is no reasonable possibility that the project will have a significant effect due to unusual circumstances. D. State Scenic Highway. This exception applies when, although the project may otherwise be exempt, there may be damage to scenic resources, including but not limited to, trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources, within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway. Based on a review of the California Scenic Highway Mapping System (California State Scenic Highways | Caltrans), the subject site is not located along a State Scenic Highway, and there are no designated State Scenic Highways located near the project site. Based on this, the proposed project will not result in damage to scenic resources including trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources, within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway, and this exception does not apply. E. Hazardous Waste. Projects located on a site or facility listed pursuant to California Government Code 65962.5. Based on a review of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control "Envirostor Database" (http://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/public/), no known hazardous waste sites are located on or proximate to the project site. In addition, there is no evidence of historic or current use, or disposal of hazardous or toxic materials at this location. Further, the project site is not identified on the California GeoTracker database (https://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/) which is the State Water Board data management system for sites that impact or have the potential to impact water quality with emphasis on groundwater. Based on this, the project will not result in a significant effect due hazardous waste and this exception does not apply. F. Historical Resource. Projects that may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. The project site has not been identified as an historic resource by local or state agencies, and the project site has not been determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, California Register of Historical Resources, or the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments Register, and/or any local register according to the City’s HistoricPlacesLA website. Therefore, the project will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. In conclusion, since the project meets all of the requirements of the categorical exemption set forth at CEQA Guidelines, Sectio 15301, Class 1 and Section 15315, Class 15 and none of the applicable exceptions to the use of the exemption under Section 15300.2 apply to the project, it is appropriate to determine this project is categorically exempt from the requirements of CEQA.