So What is a "Q" Condition?

The title of this post is the question I was seeking an answer to.

I started at the L.A. City Department of Planning's Web site at: http://cityplanning.lacity.org/.

From there, it was a matter of searching around and this is what I found.

A "Q" condition is a classification wherein a property or properties have "restrictions on property as a result of a zone change, to ensure compatibility with surrounding property."

The three lots that make up the footprint of the old McCowan's Market are zoned for commercial use, but it can be translated for residential sake to be equivalent to R3.

I guess we should hope for the placement of the Q condition because that would ensure that whatever is built on the three lots that make up the footprint of the building are kept compatible with the surrounding property.

As I was looking around the Planning Web site, I was able to read about lots of Q condition rulings that allowed for or disallowed for many different things. There are Q conditions for the height of structures, the set backs, from the property lines, and other issues that appeared to be covered under an umbrella that is the "Q" or "Qualified Condition".

It seems that a developer can't always use equivalent zoning types to build whatever he or she wishes. Whatever is built should be compatible with the surrounding property.

Since the surrounding properties, including the three properties Mr. Rosenthal is building single-family houses on, are single-family dwellings on R1 size lots, a Q condition would mandate that only similar type dwellings be built on the lots left behind after the market is demolished.

There, I hope it helps. I now have a little better idea of what a Q condition is.

Now if I can just get to those darn buttons by Monday evening.