Plan Check Language Library · Mount Washington
Section 6.B of Ordinance 168,707 layers two rules. The first is a 45-foot ceiling on building height across the entire One-Family Project. The second is a stepback envelope near the front lot line that holds the front massing low and steps it back as it moves toward the street. Both rules apply to retaining walls, not just buildings. The April 2025 application checklist requires the envelopes to appear graphically on the elevations sheet.
The 45-Foot Ceiling
Section 6.B.1 sets the overall height limit:
“Notwithstanding LAMC Sections 12.21 A 17 (c) and 12.21.1 to the contrary, no building or structure shall exceed 45 feet in height.”
Ordinance 168,707, Section 6.B.1
That sentence overrides the LAMC’s height rules for the underlying zone. The ceiling applies regardless of how steep the lot is or how the LAMC would otherwise calculate height. For a downhill lot where the LAMC might allow taller measurements from the lower grade, Section 6.B.1 still caps the absolute building height at 45 feet.
The Two Stepback Envelopes
Section 6.B.2 then layers a stepback envelope near the front lot line:
“Within six feet of the front lot line, no portion of a building or structure, including any retaining wall, shall exceed a height of 15 feet, and between six and 12 feet of the front lot line, no portion of a building or structure, including any retaining wall, shall exceed a height of 24 feet above the street curb elevation at the centerline of the front lot line. If the adjacent street does not have curbs, then height shall be measured from the lowest grade adjacent to the exterior wall of the building.”
Ordinance 168,707, Section 6.B.2
The envelope works in two zones measured from the front lot line:
| Distance from Front Lot Line | Maximum Height | Reference Datum |
|---|---|---|
| Within 6 feet | 15 feet | Street curb at centerline of front lot line, or lowest grade adjacent to the exterior wall if no curb |
| Between 6 and 12 feet | 24 feet | Same |
| Beyond 12 feet | 45 feet (the Section 6.B.1 ceiling) | Per LAMC and Section 6.B.1 |
Retaining Walls Are In
The phrase “including any retaining wall” inside Section 6.B.2 is the part that catches projects on steep front lots. The envelope counts retaining walls toward its height limits, not just the building above. A 4-foot-tall retaining wall placed five feet from the front lot line consumes part of the 15-foot allowance in the first envelope zone. The envelope is measured to the highest portion of any structure within the zone, retaining wall or otherwise.
For lots that need significant front-yard retainage to support a driveway or grade transition, the envelope often controls the design before the building footprint does.
The April 2025 Checklist Requires Envelopes on the Elevations Sheet
Item 12.d.i of the April 2025 application checklist requires the elevations:
“Including 6-foot and 12-foot stepback dimension envelopes (refer to Specific Plan Section 6.B).”
April 2025 Checklist, Item 12.d.i
This is a current procedural filing requirement published by the Department of City Planning, not a provision of Ordinance 168,707. Verify the current checklist before filing. In practice, the envelopes are drawn as dashed reference lines on the front and side elevations showing the 6-foot and 12-foot zones with their respective height limits, against which the proposed building and any front retaining walls are clearly dimensioned.
Design 1 Studio is a building design firm based in Pasadena, California. Over a decade serving Los Angeles County with residential and commercial design, including ADUs, hillside projects, multifamily, and historic-district work. Inspector-led methodology focused on producing drawings that anticipate plan check rather than react to it. Specialty work in Mount Washington / Glassell Park Specific Plan navigation. Contact through design1.studio.
Mount Washington Project Review
Drawing a Mount Washington Front Massing?
Design 1 Studio applies the Section 6.B envelope to the front facade and any front-yard retaining walls before the schematic is set. The 45-foot ceiling, the two stepback zones, and the elevations sheet the April 2025 checklist requires — all addressed at concept, not at correction.