City planning departments within the State of California are notorious for having strict rules on what can and can’t be done when building or remodeling structures. People who come from other states are often shocked by how difficult it can be to build on their own land. Even people who are familiar with the type of regulation that is typical in California can find the process of getting building plans approved by city officials burdensome and overwhelming.
As someone who has worked as an architect in Long Beach, CA for more than two decades now, I have a lot of experience working within the limits of city building codes. Some cities’ building codes are less strict than others, but every city in my area has an extensive list of regulations that must be followed in order for plans to be approved.
However, over the years, we have come to realize that some of these regulations are open to interpretation. We have found that if we approach city planning officials early on in the design process and have a conversation with them about certain a design aspect that may not meet the strict letter of the law, but still meets the spirit of the law, there is a possibility that we can get it approved.
Many of the items in the building code are designed with safety in mind—the safety of the structure’s inhabitants, as well as the safety of those in the surrounding buildings. There are also regulations that are there to protect the privacy of others, and those that ensure public buildings are accessible to those with disabilities. If we can demonstrate that our design doesn’t compromise anyone’s safety or privacy and still meets ADA requirements, we may be able to convince city officials to approve a design element that doesn’t follow the building code in the strictest sense.
Getting planning department officials to agree to anything other than the strictest interpretation of the building code can sometimes be a challenge. It involves creativity and effective communication on our part, as well as a certain amount of openness on the part of city officials. We always make it clear that we understand why the rule is in place but also how our design still accomplishes what the rule was intended to accomplish (or prevent, as the case may be).
It doesn’t always work out, and we do our best not to get our clients’ hopes up that it will, but we’ve been successful enough times to make it worth trying. And our clients always appreciate our efforts on their behalf—even if they don’t end up getting all the concessions they were hoping for.
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