A mix of things to report this post, as work continues to move along with respect to getting the site plan approved. It’s also the one year anniversary of my land purchase, and looking back, a lot has been accomplished in a very short time. From finding someone willing to take on the challenge of building on the property, to having the full geology and soils report completed, to actually having a full site plan that I’m both excited about and eager to get built – its been a fun year.
In honor of the anniversary (and because it’s the law), I have Brian Walsh Brush Clearance going in and doing the yearly brush cut back prior to the LAFD inspections that start in May. Last year I wrote about how I was hit with a late notice of a failed inspection due to it going to the previous owner, but this year I’m on top of what needs to be done. Brian kept his price the same this year, $675, which I still consider a bargain given the steepness of the slope and the fact that we had a very wet winter/spring here in LA, so the site is the most overgrown I’ve ever seen it (see header image). Brian’s guarantee that the property will pass the inspection also gives me peace of mind that I won’t get hit by any other penalties or extra fees going into the summer months.
On a totally different front, we’ve now reached the important stage of confidence with the site plan, based on the known requirements, and applying for the Preliminary Design Review with the Mulholland Scenic Parkway group. Doing this requires a referral form for Hillside Ordinance and preliminary approval for a Master Land Use Permit from the City of Los Angeles. While getting the site plan to this point has been part of Stillwater’s and Coast Engineering’s scope, all this extra filing and paperwork goes above and beyond what is typical for Stillwater’s Phase 1 work. I’m now into extra fee territory and approved an Additional Services Agreement this past week. This is billed hourly ($150) for the preliminary design review time as well as the final design review time that follows. In addition to those fees, Stillwater is hiring a local Design Review Expeditor for the various meetings that need to take place with the review boards. Given the complexities of approvals needed in LA, expeditors are common as they know the people, the departments and the processes to help gets things through. Of course that expertise comes at a cost, which starts with a $4,500 retainer. These are all important things to consider if you are thinking about building in LA – make sure you allow for extra time, and most importantly, sufficient budget for the complexities of the market you’re looking to call home.
Otherwise, I continue to sketch out kitchen cabinet designs. My younger son felt some of my designs ‘seemed busy’ which might be due to my cartoonish sketch style. But I’ve also headed in another direction from what was shared last time. I’m going to take both directions into a much tighter execution and then decide from there. I’ll post more progress in the coming weeks once I get to that refined stage.