Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, all terms used in this Title 21 which are defined in the Subdivision Map Act are used in this title as so defined, unless from the context hereof it clearly appears that a different meaning is intended. (Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 15, 1945.)

“Advisory agency” means and refers to both the regional planning commission and the hearing officer. The hearing officer shall exercise all of the duties associated with the submission, review and approval or disapproval of maps of reversions to acreage which are delegated to the advisory agency by this Title 21, unless the regional planning commission determines to and itself exercises such duties. (Ord. 85-0194 § 1, 1986: Ord. 11665 § 13, 1978: Ord. 10965 § 5, 1974: Ord. 9071 § 3 (part), 1966: Ord. 7345 § 4 (part), 1958: Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 12, 1945.)

“Article” means an article of the ordinance codified in this Title 21 unless some statute or other ordinance is referred to. (Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 14, 1945.)

“Building site” means that portion of the lot or parcel of land upon which the building and appurtenances are to be placed, or are already existing, including adequate areas for sewage disposal, clearances, proper drainage, appropriate easements, and, if applicable, the requirements of other ordinances. (Ord. 7634 § 2 (part), 1959: Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 14.5, 1945.)

“County surveyor” means county engineer. (Ord. 9071 § 4 (part), 1966: Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 14.2, 1945.)

“Cul-de-sac” means a street which is designed to remain permanently closed at one end. For the purposes of this Title 21, the length of a cul-de-sac shall be measured along the centerline of the cul-de-sac from the point where the centerline terminates within the turnaround to the right-of-way line of the street with which the cul-de-sac intersects. (Ord. 10485 § 1, 1972: Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 13, 1945.)

For the purpose of this Title 21, the term “division of land” refers to subdivisions unless a more restrictive meaning is clearly determinable from the context. (Ord. 11665 § 20, 1978: Ord. 9404 § 6, 1966: Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 23, 1945.)

“Hearing officer” means the person who is an employee of the department of regional planning appointed by the director and confirmed by the board of supervisors to perform the duties which are delegated to the advisory agency by this Title 21. (Ord. 85-0194 § 2, 1985.)

A. “Lease” means and includes an oral as well as a written lease, tenancy at will, month-to-month or similar tenancy.
B. Title 21 shall not apply to the leasing of apartments, offices, stores or similar space within an apartment building, industrial building, commercial building, mobilehome park or trailer park, except as provided in Section 21.08.090 nor shall this title apply to mineral, oil or gas leases. (Ord. 11665 § 16, 1978: Ord. 10486 § 2, 1972: Ord. 9404 § 1, 1967: Ord. 7345 § 3 (part), 1958: Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 15.5, 1945.)

A. “Lease project” refers to a development wherein two or more residential or commercial buildings are constructed and maintained on a parcel of land, and apartments, offices, stores or similar space are leased within one or more of the buildings, overall control of the land and buildings comprising the project being retained by the lessor. The following shall not be included when computing the number of buildings within a lease project:
1. Accessory or satellite buildings;
2. Parking structures;
3. Commercial buildings having a floor area of less than 400 square feet.
B. The term “lease project” does not refer to a development of a parcel of land having less than twice the required area, as designated by the Zoning Ordinance set out at Title 22 of this code, or less than 10,000 square feet when the Zoning Ordinance has no designation. (Ord. 10486 § 3, 1972: Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 15.6, 1945.)

“Lot” and parcel shall be used synonymously. (Ord. 9071 § 4 (part), 1966: Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 14.1, 1945.)

“Minor land division” means a subdivision creating four or less parcels, a condominium project creating four or less condominiums as defined in Section 783 of the Civil Code, a community apartment project containing four or less parcels, or a lease project containing four or less building sites. (Ord. 11665 § 18, 1978: Ord. 10965 § 8, 1974: Ord. 10486 § 5, 1972: Ord. 9721 § 3, 1969; Ord. 9404 § 4, 1967: Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 21, 1945.)

A reference to an ordinance by number means an ordinance of the county of Los Angeles. (Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 16, 1945.)

“Pad” means a building site prepared by artificial means including grading, excavation or filling, or any combination thereof. (Ord. 7634 § 2 (part), 1959: Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 16.5, 1945.)

“Section” means a section of the ordinance codified in this Title 21 unless reference is made to some statute or other ordinance. (Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 17, 1945.)

“Shall” is mandatory; “may” is permissive. (Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 18, 1945.)

“Sloping terrain” means any ground surface having a grade of eight percent or more. The latest available Six and Seven and one-half minute United States Geological Survey Quandrangles or a survey by a registered civil engineer or licensed land surveyor shall be utilized to determine such grade. (Ord. 8042 § 1 (part), 1961: Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 19, 1945.)

A. “Subdivision” means the division by any subdivider of any unit or units of improved or unimproved land, or any portion thereof, shown on the latest equalized county assessment roll as a unit or as contiguous units, for the purpose of sale, lease, financing or transfer of title, whether immediate or future.
1. Property shall be considered as contiguous units even if it is separated by roads, streets, utility easements or drainage or railroad rights-of-way.
2. The provisions of Section 66424.2 of the Subdivision Map Act concerning the merger of contiguous parcels of land shall be applied in determining whether the sale, lease, financing or transfer of title of contiguous parcels is a subdivision under the terms of this section.
3. “Subdivision” includes a condominium project, as defined in Section 1350 of the Civil Code; a community apartment project, as defined in Section 11004 of the Business and Professions Code; or a lease project, as defined in this Title 21.
4. Any conveyance of land to a governmental agency, public entity or public utility shall not be considered a division of land for purposes of computing the number of parcels.
5. The qualification contained in Section 66424.1 of the Subdivision Map Act concerning the division of a unit of land before a change in the equalized county assessment roll shall apply to subdivisions as defined in subsection A of this section.
B. Division of Land For Mobilehome Purposes. The term “subdivision” shall also refer to any area or tract of land designed to accommodate mobilehomes used for human habitation approved as a division of land for mobilehome purposes and for which a final map or parcel map has been recorded pursuant to the provisions of this Title 21. For the purpose of this title, this type of subdivision shall be considered a residential subdivision. (Ord. 11681 § 1, 1978: Ord. 11665 § 17, 1978: Ord. 10965 § 7, 1974: Ord. 10486 § 4, 1972: Ord. 9823 § 1 (part), 1969: Ord. 9404 § 3, 1967: Ord. 9204 § 1 (part), 1966: Ord. 8822 § 1, 1965: Ord. 8792 § 1, 1965; Ord. 8500 § 1, 1963; Ord. 7345 § 4 (part), 1958: Ord. 5883 § 1, 1952: Ord. 5584 § 1 (part), 1950: Ord. 4478 Art. 2 §§ 20 and 20.1, 1945.)

“Subdivision Map Act” means Division 2 of Title 7 of the Government Code. (Ord. 11665 § 12, 1978: Ord. 4478 Art. 2 § 11, 1945.)

“Vesting tentative map” shall mean a tentative map for a subdivision that when approved or conditionally approved by the advisory agency confers a vested right to proceed with development for a specified period of time after recordation in accordance with applicable ordinances and general and specific plans in effect at a predetermined date. (Ord. 86-0040 § 1, 1986.)