2.3 Development Standards

New structures and alterations to existing structures shall be designed, constructed, and established in compliance with the requirements of this chapter. This chapter outlines development standards for Smoky Hollow-East, Smoky Hollow-West, and the Parking zoning districts. Development standards for the Public Facilities (PF) zoning district shall comply with Chapter 15.10 (Public Facilities Zone) of the El Segundo Municipal Code (ESMC).

2.3.1 Development Standard Objectives

The following objectives are broad policy statements intended to guide development and design decision making.

Encourage reuse and preservation of existing buildings that contribute positively to the area’s visual and functional character.
Enhance investment potential through higher-intensity development while respecting the area’s physical form and eclectic, creative character.
Provide development standards that emphasize flexibility, creativity, and innovation to attract desired uses.
Create standards and guidelines that differentiate between the smaller scale block-and-lot patterns of the western portion of the district and the larger scale block-and-lot patterns of the eastern portion to conserve opportunities for a variety of business types and maintain the sense of district authenticity.
Address parking needs while limiting the proliferation of surface lots. Maintain parking regulations that allow for better site design and maximum site utility.
Identify standards and guidelines for on-site open space and encourage the retention and development of off-site open spaces.

2.3.2 Development Tiers and Community Benefits

The base development standards listed in Table 2-2 represent the minimum project requirements. New development that proposes to exceed the base standard for height, density, or any other development standard beyond the minor deviation threshold allowed by Section 4.5.1 Administrative Adjustment shall in return provide community benefits that enhance Smoky Hollow’s character and experience. However, under no condition shall building height exceed 50 feet.

Proposals to exceed standards shall submit a Community Benefits Plan and be considered through the appropriate review process described in Section 4.5.2: Community Benefits Plan for Tier I and Tier II level projects.

2.3.3 Development Standards Applicable to All Zoning Districts

Projects within the Smoky Hollow Specific Plan shall also comply with the standards in the following sections of ESMC:

15-2-3 Exceptions to Building Heights
15-2-4 Height restrictions for walls and fences
15-2-9 Screening
15-2-10 Temporary Buildings
Chapter 18: Signs.

Table 2-2: Building Intensity and Height Standards by Zoning District

Development Standard		Smoky Hollow West	Smoky Hollow East	Parking
A. FAR Standards
1. Allowable Gross Floor Area Ratio (FAR) ¹	Base Standard	0.75	1.0	0.15 2
	Community Benefits Tier I3	1.5		N/A
	Community Benefits Tier II3	>1.5		N/A
B. Height Standards
1. Maximum Building Height	Base Standard	35 ft
	Community Benefits Tier I3	50 ft
	Community Benefits Tier II3	50 ft
2. Parapet Height		May exceed maximum building height by 5 ft
Notes: sf = square feet; ft = feet 1. FAR shall be calculated using gross floor area of structures, as defined in Appendix A. 2. FAR in the P zone is applicable only to non-parking facility uses. 3. See 4.5.2: Community Benefits Plan.

Table 2-3: General Development Standards by Zoning District

Development Standard	Smoky Hollow West	Smoky Hollow East	Parking
C. Lot Standards
1. Minimum Lot Area	5,600 sf	11,200 sf	5,000 sf
2. Minimum Lot Frontage	50 ft		N/A
D. Building Design Standards
1. Building Orientation: Franklin Avenue	Lots adjoining Franklin Avenue shall provide a minimum of one primary entry facing Franklin Avenue. Primary entry doors shall be visible and accessible from the public sidewalk.1		N/A
2. Building Transparency: Franklin Avenue Frontages (see Figure 2-2)	For new buildings or new additions fronting Franklin Avenue, a minimum 15% facade transparency shall be provided at the ground level or first 12 feet of height above grade, whichever is less, through the utilization of windows, entries, or similar openings.		N/A
E. Setback Standards
1. Front Yard	No setback required
2. Side Yard	No side or rear setback required, unless adjacent to a residential zoning district, in which case the setback along only the property line shared with a residential zoning district shall be 10 feet. Lots separated by streets or other rights-of-way, including alleys, are not considered adjacent.
3. Rear Yard
4. Front and Side Yards Adjoining Franklin Avenue	Minimum 0 ft, maximum 5 ft
5. Adjoining Alley	Minimum 10 ft, as measured from property line		No setback required
6. All Structures	Comply with corner, driveway, and alley visibility requirements in ESMC Sections 15-2-6 (Corner Clearance) and 15-2-11 (Driveway Visibility).
Notes: sf = square feet; ft = feet 1.A secured and transparent gate facing a public sidewalk and street that opens to a garden, terrace, plaza, paseo, or similar may be defined as a primary entrance.

Figure 2-2: Building Transparency, Franklin Avenue Frontages

Table 2-4: Open Space Standards by Zoning District

Development Standard	Smoky Hollow West	Smoky Hollow East	Parking
F. Open Space and Landscaping Standards
1. Open Space, General	Minimum 3% of lot	Minimum 3% of lot. If the lot area exceeds 22,400 sf, a minimum of 10% of the lot.	Minimum 3% of lot
2. Surface Parking Lot Landscaping	On sites larger than 22,400 sf, a minimum of 1 tree shall be provided on site for every 4 at-grade, open-to-the-sky surface parking spaces (see Figure 2-3). Each required tree shall be a minimum 24-inch box tree with a projected growth to a minimum of 25 feet in height and canopy, as documented in the Sunset Western Garden book or similar.
3. Irrigation	All landscaped areas, including trees at surface parking lots, shall be provided with appropriate permanent watering facilities.
Note: 1.Required open space may be provided on building rooftops; however, at least 50% of required open space shall have direct access from the existing ground elevation.

Figure 2-3: Surface Parking Lot Landscaping: Illustrative Landscaping at Surface Parking that Meets Standard

Table 2-5: Access, Loading, and Refuse Collection Standards by Zoning District

Development Standard	Smoky Hollow West	Smoky Hollow East	Parking
G. Access, Loading, and Trash Standards
1. Vehicular Access	a. Lots adjoining an alley are prohibited from providing curb cuts along street frontages. b. For lots not adjoining an alley, a maximum of 1 curb cut is allowed for each 150 ft of lot frontage along a public street. c. New curb cuts along Franklin Avenue are prohibited. d. Curb cuts shall not be more than 25 ft in width except where required by the City to be larger for safety purposes.		a. New curb cuts along Franklin Avenue are prohibited. b. Curb cuts shall not be more than 25 ft in width except where required by the City to be larger for safety purposes.
2. Loading	a. Not required if gross building area < 50,000 sf. b. Required if gross building area ≥ 50,000 sf and/or required for the following uses when the use exceeds 2,500 sf in size: restaurant or other food sales and service. c. On-site loading areas shall be at least 18 ft long and 10 ft wide. For lots adjoining an alley, loading areas shall adjoin or have access from the alley. Loading spaces may encroach into any required alley setback.		Not required.
3. Refuse Collection	a. Refuse collection service shall be contracted with an approved local service provider. Refuse collection areas shall be screened per ESMC Section 15-2-8 D. b. On lots adjoining an alley, refuse collection storage areas shall be oriented to and accessed from the alley.

Table 2-6: Parking Standards by Zoning District

Development Standard	Smoky Hollow West	Smoky Hollow East	Parking
H. Private Parking Standards
1. New Construction and Change of Occupancy1	2.5 spaces per 1,000 sf gross floor area. Shall be on-site, off-site per covenanted agreement, or addressed through payment of in-lieu fees, per ESMC Section 15-15-6D.
2. Additions to Buildings	2.5 spaces per 1,000 sf gross floor area (addition only). Shall be on-site, off-site per covenanted agreement, or addressed through payment of in-lieu fees, per ESMC Section 15-15-6D.
3. Tandem Parking	Tandem spaces shall have a maximum length of 40 feet (parking for 2 vehicles maximum).
4. Bicycle Parking2	Consistent with Section 5.106.4 of the 2016 California Green Building Standards Code: New projects anticipated to generate visitor traffic shall provide one 2-bike capacity rack for 5% of new visitor motorized vehicle parking spaces being added, with a minimum of one 2-bike capacity rack. Additions or alterations that add 9 or fewer visitor vehicle parking spaces are excluded. New buildings with 10 or more tenant-occupants or additions or alterations that add 10 or more tenant vehicle parking spaces shall provide secure bicycle parking for 5% of the tenant vehicle parking spaces being added, with a minimum of one secure bicycle parking space. Acceptable parking facilities shall be convenient from the street and shall meet one of the following: .a. Covered, lockable enclosures with permanently anchored racks for bicycles; b. Lockable bicycle rooms with permanently anchored racks; or c. Lockable, permanently anchored bicycle lockers.
5. Other Parking Area Development Standards1	Refer to ESMC Sections 15-15-1 through 15-15-5.
Notes: 1.Parking requirements in the Parking Zoning District apply only to non-parking uses. 2.Bicycle parking standards shall apply to new construction, additions, and alterations, but shall not apply to change of occupancy or use.

Smoky Hollow Specific Plan 2018 (web version)

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2.3.1 Development Standard Objectives

2.3.2 Development Tiers and Community Benefits

2.3.3 Development Standards Applicable to All Zoning Districts