City of Los Angeles · Mulholland Specific Plan
Public Parkland 200-Foot Setback
Code Citation
MSPSP §5 B 3
MSPSP §5 B 3
Definition
The Mulholland Specific Plan area is bounded by and includes parcels adjacent to multiple state, county, and city parklands. The Plan establishes a 200-foot protection band: no project may be erected and no earth may be graded within 200 feet of any public parkland boundary without prior Director approval, supported by five findings.
Parkland proximity within 200 feet is one of the three property conditions that disqualify a project from Administrative Review regardless of size, alongside Prominent Ridge proximity (50 vertical feet) and stream proximity (100 feet).
What the Setback Triggers
- 200-foot setback from any public parkland boundary.
- Director approval required for any construction or earth grading within the setback.
- Five findings supporting the project’s compatibility with the parkland and the Plan’s purposes.
- Administrative Review ineligibility regardless of cumulative square footage.
Ordinance ExcerptNo project shall be erected and no earth shall be graded within 200 feet of any public parkland boundary without the prior written approval of the Director pursuant to Section 11.
What Plan Check Looks For
- Identification of public parkland boundaries within 200 feet of any project element, verified through ZIMAS and the Specific Plan map series.
- Topographic survey extending to capture the parkland boundary.
- A Project Description supporting the Director findings on scenic feature protection, minimal grading, natural slope appearance, ecological balance, and parkway-character compatibility.
- Site sections demonstrating relationship to the parkland.
- Project Compliance routing — parkland proximity disqualifies Administrative Review.
Upstream Decisions
- Run ZIMAS and the Specific Plan map series for parkland proximity flags before drafting.
- Where a project is within the 200-foot band, plan the five-finding narrative into the Project Description from the start.
- Coordinate landscape and grading strategy with the parkland’s character — oak woodland, chaparral, riparian — because the natural-appearance finding extends to graded slopes adjacent to the parkland boundary.
- Confirm Administrative Review ineligibility. A property within 200 feet of public parkland routes to Project Compliance with the DRB regardless of square footage.
Worked ExampleA 7,500-square-foot Inner Corridor lot has its rear property line abutting a state parkland boundary. The proposed addition is a 600-square-foot ADU at the rear, 95 feet from the parkland boundary. Both the ADU footprint and associated grading fall within the 200-foot setback.
The project is not eligible for Administrative Review despite being well under 900 cumulative square feet. The packet routes to Project Compliance, supports the five Director findings, and demonstrates that the building placement and grading are compatible with the adjacent parkland’s natural character. Landscape selection draws from native species consistent with the parkland’s plant community.
Source: Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific Plan, §5 B 3 (Public Parkland). Public parkland boundaries verifiable through ZIMAS and the City of Los Angeles parkland mapping.
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