SEC. 91.8501. GENERAL.

(Amended by Ord. No. 182,850, Eff. 1/3/14.)

91.8501.1. Purpose. (Amended by Ord. No. 185,587, Eff. 7/16/18.) The purpose of this division is to provide alternative building standards for the conversion of Existing Buildings, or portions thereof, from commercial or industrial uses to Joint Living and Work Quarters. The alternative standards are designed to provide a reasonable level of safety to the building occupants and are in conformance with the provisions of California Health and Safety Code Section 17958.11.

91.8501.2. Application. (Amended by Ord. No. 181,133, Eff. 5/11/10.) Nothing in this division shall be construed to allow the reduction of the seismic or fire and life safety elements of an Existing Building, where such elements provide a greater level of protection than the minimum requirements established by this division.

The alternative building standards of this division may be applied when the commercial or industrial uses in an Existing Building are converted (change of use or occupancy) to Joint Living and Work Quarters provided:

A. General Fire and Life Safety Requirements for All Existing Buildings. All Existing Buildings that are converted to Joint Living and Work Quarters shall comply or be made to comply with all of the building area, height, number of stories, type of construction, occupancy, means of egress and other fire and life safety requirements of this code for a new building of the same use or occupancy, except as provided in this division.

B. Structural Requirements for all Existing Buildings. For all existing buildings, the change of occupancy or use of any portion of an Existing Building to a Joint Living and Work Quarters may be permitted provided the entire building complies or is made to comply with all the structural requirements in LAMC Subsection 91.8502.12. (Amended by Ord. No. 185,587, Eff. 7/16/18.)

91.8501.3. Definition. (Amended by Ord. No. 186,488, Eff. 12/27/19.) For the purpose of this division, certain terms are defined as follows:

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE is an artist or artists using a space within a building for combined living and artistic working purposes.

EXISTING BUILDING is a building for which a building permit was issued prior to April 1, 1994.

FEMA 352, "RECOMMENDED POST-EARTHQUAKE EVALUATION AND REPAIR CRITERIA FOR WELDED STEEL MOMENT-FRAME BUILDINGS" is the June 2000 edition prepared by the partnership of the Structural Engineers Association of California, the Applied Technology Council, and the California Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering (SAC) Joint Venture for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, DC.

JOINT LIVING AND WORK QUARTERS is a residential occupancy of one or more rooms or floors used as a dwelling unit with adequate work space reserved for, and regularly used by, one or more persons residing there pursuant to Health and Safety Code (H&S) Section 17958.11(a). (Amended by Ord. No. 181,133, Eff. 5/11/10.)

QUALIFIED HISTORICAL BUILDING is any building deemed of importance to the history, architecture or culture of any area by an appropriate local, state or federal governmental jurisdiction. This shall include designated buildings on, or determined eligible for, official national, state or local historical registers or official inventories, such as the National Register of Historic Places, California Register of Historical Resources, State Historical Landmarks, State Points of Historical Interest, and officially adopted city or county registers, inventories, or surveys of historical or architecturally significant sites, places or landmarks.

STATE HISTORICAL BUILDING CODE is a set of code standards known as Part 8, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations and published as the California Historical Building Code. (Amended by Ord. No. 179,324, Eff. 12/10/07, Oper. 1/ 1/08.)

91.8501.4. General. A Joint Living and Work Quarters shall not be used for public sales purposes or for instructional classes when either is inconsistent with residential use. No hazardous activities such as, but not limited to, welding, open flame, or storage of flammable liquids shall occur in the Joint Living and Work Quarters. (Amended by Ord. No. 181,133, Eff. 5/11/10.)

EXCEPTION: In buildings three stories or less in height, activities such as welding, open flame, or minimal storage of flammable liquids may be allowed provided written approval is obtained from the Fire Department.

All buildings containing a Joint Living and Work Quarters shall have a sign posted in a conspicuous location at each entrance to the building. The sign shall be constructed of a durable weatherproof material and shall meet the requirements of Los Angeles Fire Department Standard No. 58. In the lower white diamond of the sign, a red colored letter "A" shall be placed so as to meet the size and letter thickness specified in the Los Angeles Fire Department Standard No. 58.

If any portion of an Existing Building is converted to a Joint Living and Work Quarters, then the entire building, including any portion not being converted, shall comply with all of the requirements of the code for a new building of the same use and type of construction except as provided in this division.