Hancock Park is one of the few Los Angeles neighborhoods where a driveway is part of a protected historic streetscape. Before you collect quotes, it helps to know why that matters and which offices get involved.
What the houses (and driveways) look like
According to Los Angeles City Planning, the land was bought by Major Henry Hancock in 1863, and the residential subdivision was developed by his son, G. Allan Hancock, in the 1920s. The homes are large two-story single-family residences in Period Revival styles: Tudor, English, Spanish Colonial, Mediterranean, Monterey and American Colonial Revival (City Planning).
Two details shape almost every concrete job here. Most houses sit about 50 feet back from the street, a setback Hancock insisted on, and most have a side driveway that runs through a porte-cochère to a garage at the back (City Planning, Hancock Park HPOZ). That means driveways are long and narrow, they pass right beside the house, and the porte-cochère limits how big a truck or machine can get through. Ask every contractor how they plan to demolish and pour in a tight side run. Will they use a small excavator, a concrete pump or wheelbarrows? It changes both price and schedule.
The HPOZ: design review comes first
Hancock Park is a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ), adopted by the City Council in 2008 (City Planning, Hancock Park HPOZ). City Planning says that in an HPOZ all exterior work, including landscaping and alterations, is subject to additional review under the district's Preservation Plan, by staff or by the HPOZ Board (City Planning, HPOZs). For a homeowner, the practical steps are:
- Find out whether your project needs HPOZ review before you sign a contract. Changing a driveway's material, color, pattern, width or location is visible from the street, so ask the HPOZ staff contact listed on the City Planning page.
- A like-for-like replacement and a redesign (for example, a stamped pattern, pavers or a widened apron) may be treated differently. Don't assume. Ask.
- Build review time into your schedule. The Hancock Park HPOZ Board meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month (City Planning, Hancock Park HPOZ).
Street trees and the apron
Many Hancock Park blocks have mature parkway trees. In the City of LA, LAMC 62.104(b) makes the owner of a lot responsible for the sidewalk, driveway approach, curb return and curb on or fronting the lot (StreetsLA). The City has suspended enforcement in some circumstances, but some building permits can trigger a repair requirement (StreetsLA FAQ). If a street tree's roots are involved, the order is: first the Bureau of Engineering A-Permit for the concrete work, and only then the Street Tree permit from StreetsLA before any root is cut (BOE permit manual). BOE issues the A-Permit at no fee when it is for sidewalk repair of street-tree root damage (send BOE a photo); ask BOE whether your apron work qualifies (BOE permit manual). The City does not root prune parkway trees to prevent damage; owners may do it at their own expense with a no-fee StreetsLA permit, and StreetsLA recommends a Western Chapter ISA-certified arborist who holds a tree-service contractor license (StreetsLA policies).
Who issues what
- Driveway approach / curb / sidewalk (public right-of-way): City of LA Bureau of Engineering A-Permit (BOE).
- Street tree roots or removal: StreetsLA Urban Forestry Division (StreetsLA).
- Historic design review: City Planning, Office of Historic Resources / Hancock Park HPOZ (City Planning).
- Building permits on private property (for example retaining walls or structural work), when required: LADBS.
Hancock Park FAQ
Can I widen my driveway at the curb?
LAMC 62.105.2 sets the apron at 10 feet minimum and 18 feet maximum for single-family and duplex zones; wider needs a City-approved deviation (LAMC 62.105.2). At least 20 feet of full-height curb must be kept between driveways serving the same lot (BOE). In an HPOZ you will also need design review.
Is my house in the HPOZ?
Check the boundary map on the City Planning HPOZ page (list of HPOZs). Nearby Windsor Square is a separate HPOZ with its own plan.
Questions to ask Hancock Park contractors
- Have you done work that went through HPOZ review? Can you show the approved scope?
- How will you get equipment past the porte-cochère, and how will you protect the house walls, columns and landscaping along the side run?
- Will you match the existing finish and color at the street, or does the new design need approval first?
- Who applies for the BOE A-Permit and the StreetsLA tree permit, and is that included in your price?
- Do you subcontract root pruning to a certified arborist, or should I hire one directly?
Get every answer in writing as part of the quote. That way you can compare bids like for like.
Sources
- LA City Planning: Hancock Park HPOZ
- LA City Planning: Local Historic Districts
- BOE A-Permit manual
- LAMC 62.105.2 apron width
- BOE General Information on Class A Permits (PDF)
- StreetsLA tree root prune permits
- StreetsLA policies and guidelines
- StreetsLA FAQ
This page is general information, not legal or permit advice. Rules change; confirm with the agency before starting work.