The following is a definition of terms that are commonly used in the Development Services and Land Development Department.
“A Permit” – shall mean Construction A Permit
“ADA” – Americans with Disabilities Act
“ACOS” – Automated Certificate of Occupancy System
"Amenity Zone" - The portion of the Sidewalk Area (Border) between the face of the curb and the Pedestrian Zone. Primary uses include street trees, landscaping, street utilities, signage, and street furniture. Where long landcaping strips exist (as in many residential areas), the Amenity Zone is commonly referred to as the “parkway”.
“Applicant” – shall mean any Owner or duly authorized agent of such Owner who has submitted an application for a permit.
“B Permit” – shall mean Construction B Permit
“BCA” – Bureau of Contract Administration
“BOE” – Bureau of Engineering
"Border" - The term used by BOE for the part of the right-of-way between the curb face and property line. In this guide, this part of the public right-of-way is referred to as “Sidewalk Area”.
“BSL” – Bureau of Street Lighting
“BSS” – Bureau of Street Services
“CALOSHA” – California Occupational Safety & Health Community Association
“Caltrans” – California Department of Transportation
"CBD" - Central Business District
“C of C” – Certificate of Occupancy
“CC&R” – Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions
"CDBG" - Community Development Block Grant
"CEQA" - California Environmental Quality Act
“City” – shall mean the City of Los Angeles
"CRA" - Community Redevelopment Agency
“County” - County of Los Angeles
“DBS” – Department of Building and Safety
“Department” – shall mean the Department of Public Works
"Discretionary Decision" - an action taken by a governmental agency that calls for the exercise of judgment, including engineering judgement, in deciding whether to approve and/or how to carry out a decision.
“DOT” – Department of Transportation
“EIR” – Environmental Impact Report (State)
“EIR” – Environmental Impact Statement (Federal)
“E Permit” – shall mean Excavation E Permit
"FIR" - Fiscal impact Report
"Frontage Zone" - The portion of the Sidewalk Area adjacent to the property line. There is no frontage zone in many residential districts because the pedestrian zone directly adjoins the property line.
“Inspector” – shall mean inspectors employed by the Bureau of Contract Administration, Department of Public Works
“ICO” – Interim Control Ordinance
“LDG” – Land Development Group
“LAFD” – Los Angeles Fire Department
“LAMC” shall mean the Los Angeles Municipal Code
"Marquee" - shall mean a canopy that has a top surface which is sloped less than 25 degrees from the horizontal and is located less than 10 feet (3048 mm) from operable openings above or adjacent to the level of the marquee (CBC Chapter 2 - Definitions)
“MH Permit” – shall mean Maintenance Hole Permit
"Ministerial Decision" - An action taken by a governmental agency that follows established procedures and rules and does not call for the exercise of judgment in deciding approval
"Ministerial Permit" - A permit for which staff needs to determine only conformity with applicable ordinances and laws before approving a permit for a project. Ministerial permits are issued as a government action "performed according to legal authority, established procedures or instructions from a superior, without exercising any individual judgment.“
"OPR" - Office of Planning and Research, State of California
“Parkway” – shall mean an area between the curb and the sidewalk, usually composed of dirt or grass.
"Pedestrian Access Route(PAR)" - See Pedestrian Zone
"Pedestrian Zone" - Also known as the Pedestrian Access Route (PAR), the Pedestrian Zone is a continuous and unobstructed path of travel provided along the Sidewalk Area. The pedestrian zone is intended to be a seamless pathway for wheelchair and white cane users, composed of a firm, stable, and slip-resistant surface (typically concrete). It should be at least 5 feet wide to provide adequate space for two pedestrians to comfortably pass or walk side by side. BOE refers to the paved pedestrian path as the “sidewalk”.
“Permittee” – shall mean the Applicant to whom a permit has been granted by the Department.
“PCRF” – Planning Case Referral Form
“Public Counter” – shall mean any counter of the BOE that provides service to a walk-in customer.
“Public Right-of-Way” – shall mean the area, or property, across, along, beneath, in, on, over, under, upon, and within the dedicated public alleys, boulevards, courts, lanes, roads, sidewalks, spaces, streets, and ways owned by, or under the control of the City. This pertains to property as they now exist or hereafter will exist and which are or will be under the permitting jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Engineering.
“PWRS” – Public Way Reservation System
"PUD" - Planned Unit Development
“R-3 Ordinance” – shall refer to the LAMC 12.37 - Highway and Collector Street Dedication and Improvement
“RCTMC” – Rail Construction Traffic Management Committee
“R Permit” – shall mean Revocable Permit
“S Permit” – shall mean Sewer Connection Permit
“SD Permit” – shall mean Storm Drain Connection Permit
“SDRF” – Street Damage Restoration Fee
“SFC” – Sewerage Facilities Charge
“SFD” – Single Family Dwelling
"SRO" - Single Room Occupancy
“Sidewalk” – shall mean a concrete slab where the pedestrian walks on top of, usually located adjacent to the property line.
“TC of O” – Temporary Certificate of Occupancy
“TCP – Traffic Control Plan
“TCTMC” – Transportation Construction Traffic Management Committee
"TDR" - Transfer of Development Rights
"TOD" - Transit-oriented Development
“WATCH Manual” – Work Area Traffic Control Handbook
“W Permit” – shall mean Water Course Disruption Permit
“Work Order” – shall mean a number that is tied to a specific project, to keep track of labor and non-labor charges.
“U Permit” – Excavation Utility Permit
"UBC" - Uniform Building Code
"UHC" - Uniform Housing Code