Ordinances

Neighborhood activists in the northeast San Fernando Valley thought they scored a major victory in 1995, when they persuaded Los Angeles officials to approve zoning rules to keep new buildings on Foothill Boulevard from blocking their hillside views.

The City Council has voted to place an anti-traffic initiative on the June 3 ballot, while officials of the city's only hospital warned that the measure could halt its expansion. The council's action was a formality because supporters of the measure had collected enough signatures to place it before voters. But during the panel's meeting Tuesday night, some officials expressed concern about the potential consequences of the initiative. Earlier, the council reviewed a report that warned the city could lose at least $3 million a year in revenue and potentially tens of millions more because the measure would discourage development.

Los Angeles, known for its choking smog and fuel-burning gridlock, is poised to adopt one of the toughest green building ordinances in the nation. Two city council committees voted Friday to require that all major commercial and residential developments slash projected energy and water use and reduce the overall environmental footprint, placing the city on the cutting edge of an international movement to address the global warming effects of buildings.

In a crackdown under a new state law, inspectors have issued citations to five Orange County salons, putting them on probation for clipping toenails and soaking feet in unsanitary conditions, officials announced Tuesday. Salons in Huntington Beach, Anaheim, Buena Park and Santa Ana are among 10 cited by inspectors from the state Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. Five citations were issued in Northern California. Salons found in violation are subject to fines of at least $500.

The Santa Monica City Council delayed action late Tuesday on the drafting of an ordinance that would ban "single-use" plastic carry-out bags at all stores and restaurants within the city and would require retailers to charge a fee for paper bags. The measure, supported by Heal the Bay, an influential environmental organization based in Santa Monica, is aimed at accelerating a shift away from highly polluting plastic bags in favor of reusable canvas and other bags.

The City Council late Tuesday deferred a vote on whether to draft an ordinance that would prohibit stores and restaurants from distributing so-called single-use plastic bags to customers and would charge patrons for paper bags. The measure is supported by Heal the Bay, an environmental organization that encourages consumers to shift to reusable bags to limit the amount of polluting plastic that flows into storm drains and the ocean. Heal the Bay said the measure would be the "farthest-reaching bag ban" in the country.

The city of Los Angeles has some of the most stringent taxicab regulations in the country. Cabbies can't pick up passengers in bus zones, alongside red curbs or on busy streets when no-parking rules are in effect. During rush hour, the city's busiest streets become "No Stopping" zones, in which drivers can be ticketed for loading.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's top appointee on the city Planning Commission sent an e-mail to neighborhood activists asserting that a new city ordinance that allows housing developers to roll back zoning rules may violate state law.

Question: My neighbor's dog barks excessively, especially at night. I've reported the problem to our property manager, but all he offered to do was send a notice to the tenant who owns the dog. Is there anything I can do to resolve this issue? Answer: Everybody has the right to peace and quiet. The property manager should take an active role, especially if the barking creates a nuisance, which violates most lease terms. Management should send a letter to the tenant to make him or her aware of the noise situation and attempt to resolve the situation.

There may be a little less beauty in downtown Claremont if the City Council pushes through a restrictive ordinance on salons. Under the proposed ordinance, any new hair, nail, skin care, and tanning salons and day spas in Claremont Village would be restricted to second-floor or alley locations. Backers of the proposal said the rules are needed to prevent an over-concentration of beauty businesses in the downtown area.