Where
Unincorporated Altadena, Los Angeles County, in the Altadena Community Standards District. A flag lot on a cul-de-sac, R-1-7,500.
The project
A family room behind the garage, about 300 square feet, on a one-story house that stayed one dwelling.
What the County said
In August 2020 the planner required relief from an 11-foot-4-inch side yard down to five feet, because the house and garage already sat close to the west property line and the current setback would have left a room too narrow to use. He also questioned a rear yard shown under 25 feet.
What we did
We corrected the rear dimension and took the side yard through the route the Community Standards District provides for modifying its own standards, County Code section 22.306.090, rather than argue an existing-wall reading that would not have carried a hearing. The Hearing Officer approved the modification on April 20, 2021, and required a small workshed on the site to appear on the final site plan. The affidavit was recorded and the planner confirmed approved plans on August 26, 2021. Plan, structural and energy responses followed, and the building permit issued November 2, 2022. When field dimensions changed in 2023, we reconciled them with planning before they became a problem at final.
Outcome
On June 10, 2025 the County closed the permit and wrote “Addition complete.”
Status as of October 2026
Complete.
What it shows
The size of the room never mattered. The lot decided the setback, the setback decided the room, and the honest route was a hearing, not a workaround. Five years from first comment to final is what that route costs; the result is a room that is legal on every side. See the home additions service page →
Unincorporated LA County projects need sign-offs from several agencies before the permit issues. See how each one works: Unincorporated LA County Permits, Agency by Agency.
Next case: A home lost in the Woolsey Fire, rebuilt through coastal review and a septic count →
Have a project like this one?
Send us the address and what the city has said so far, or call (626) 214-8651.