As used in this chapter the following words and terms shall have the meaning ascribed thereto:

References. The term "condominium" as used in this chapter shall be deemed to include community apartments and stock cooperatives.

Architectural unity and harmony should be achieved both within the project and between the project and the surrounding neighborhood so that it promotes stability of and does not constitute a disruption to the established character of the neighborhood;

Provide for a high level of safety, compatibility and quality of the design of buildings, signs, parking areas, landscaping, luminaries and other site features. These shall include functional aspects of the site development, such as automobile and pedestrian circulation;

A comprehensive and integrated design, providing its own open space, off-street parking and amenities for contemporary living. Insofar as the scale of the project allows open space, walkways and other areas for people should be separated from parking areas, driveways and other areas for automobiles;

A layout of structures and other facilities to effect conservation in the street, driveway, curb cut and other public or quasi-public improvements. Additionally, structures shall be designed to minimize, within the context of accepted architectural practice, the consumption of natural resources, such as sunlight, air circulation and energy;

A configuration and orientation, which respects reasonable design limits imposed by the natural and man-made environment. Structures shall be situated to take advantage of view, topography, sun and wind, while at the same time not obstructing comparable advantages for adjacent properties. Structures shall be situated to minimize or buffer any undesirable characteristics of the site such as street noise and nearby deleterious commercial or industrial uses;

The layout of the units and open space within the project shall establish, through the use of structure and landscape materials, a perceptible spatial transition from the public street, through semi-privacy of common areas, to the privacy of the unit. The environment of each condominium unit shall be private and free from visual, audio and other intrusions;

Provision by the project sponsor of adequate outdoor living space, storage space and parking to meet the needs of long-term property owners; and

Covenants, conditions and restrictions ensuring that potential problems, resulting from lack of continuous and centralized management do not impact the public health, safety and welfare.

Storage of Boats, Trailers, Recreation Vehicles. Storage of boats, trailers, recreation vehicles and other similar vehicles shall be prohibited in required parking spaces and/or where visible from the public right-of-way.

Guest Parking. Guest parking spaces shall be used only for guest parking. No individual vehicle shall use a guest space for more than seventy-two hours. Guest parking shall be marked "Guest Parking Only" and maintained at all times.

Assignment and Use of Required Off-street Parking Spaces. Required off-street parking spaces, except guest parking spaces, shall be permanently and irrevocably assigned to particular units within the project on the basis of the required parking per unit. To the maximum practicable extent the parking spaces assigned to each unit shall be contiguous to the unit. In no case shall the private storage area of one unit overhang or take its access from another unit. All parking spaces shall be used solely for the purpose of parking motor vehicles, as defined in the Motor Vehicle Code of the State of California (Vehicle Code, Section 415). No parking spaces shall be used, rented or leased to any person, except in conjunction with the occupancy of a unit within the project.

Access to Required Parking. Access to the required parking shall not be blocked at any time by any item, including, but not limited to, motor vehicles, trash, storage containers and trailers. The access to required parking shall be maintained at all times to provide for the safe use by automobiles and pedestrians.

Right of Public Entry to Common Area. The city of Lawndale, county of Los Angeles, state of California, and government of the United States, and any department, bureau or agency therefor, shall have the right of access to the common areas of the project at all times for the purpose of preserving the public health, safety and welfare.

Television and Radio Antennas, Including Dish Antennas. Individual television and radio antennas in compliance with Chapter 17.98 shall be allowed outside the unit with prior notice to the homeowner's association board or architectural committee. The declaration shall provide either for a central antenna with a connection to each unit via underground or internal wall wiring, or each unit shall be served by a cable antenna service provided by a company licensed to provide such service within the city.

Maintenance of Common Open Space. Provisions shall be made for annual assessments for maintenance and special assessments for capital improvements. The amount of the annual assessment as well as the data and procedure for its increase shall be specified and shall be limited to the estimated yearly payment of real property taxes and maintenance and improvement expenses incurred with respect to the common area. The manner in which special assessments may be levied for the purpose of defraying, in whole or part, the cost of any construction, reconstruction, repair or replacement of any capital improvement upon the common area shall be specified. Both annual and special assessments must be fixed at a uniform rate for all units and may be collected on a monthly basis.

Approved Plans Binding the Association. The covenants, conditions and restrictions shall state that the final city approved building plans, landscaping plans and utility plans are binding on the association. Planning commission approval must first be secured for any changes to such items, and any modification to any portion of such items.

Condominium Association. All condominium projects are required to establish an operating homeowners association to have jurisdiction over all matters of common interest to the members of the particular association. Such homeowners association shall comply with all requirements found in the California Corporations Code and any other applicable state and/or federal law.

Maximum Number of Units Allowed. The declaration shall specify the number of units in the project approved by the city, stated as the maximum allowed without city approval for additional units.

Rights of the City. The declaration shall specify that, if in the opinion of the city manager of the city of Lawndale (or an authorized representative), the association at any time fails to maintain the common areas or improvements thereon in accordance with the standards of repair, maintenance and cleanliness specified in the declaration, the city may give written notice to the association and shall require that the association take appropriate corrective action within thirty days of receipt of such written notice, unless there exists a hazardous condition creating an immediate possibility of serious injury to persons or property, in which case the time for correction may be reduced to a minimum of five days of receipt of notice. The association shall have the right, within ten days of such written notice of deficiency, to file an appeal with the city council for public hearing before the city council to consider the reasonableness of the city's requirements as set forth in the written notice of deficiency. The decision of the city council on such appeal shall be binding upon all parties but may be appealed by the association through an appropriate action in any court having jurisdiction. If the association, within the time set forth in the notice of deficiency (subject to extension for such time as may be required to appeal the notice of deficiency to the city council) does not undertake and complete the corrective work required in the notice of deficiency, the city may undertake and complete such corrective measures against the association as a lien, in the same manner as set forth in this section for the establishment of liens against association property. The remedy in this section allows the city to take action but does not require any action by the city. This remedy is cumulative in nature and does not prevent the city from exercising any other remedy civilly, criminally or administratively that it may possess under its police powers and the state of California.

Within the time allotted by state law after receipt of a complete application for a project, as determined by the director of community development, a public hearing shall be held pursuant to special use permit requirements in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 17.28 of this title.

In approving or conditionally approving a project, the following findings shall be made:

All condominium projects, excluding apartment conversion projects, approved by the planning commission shall meet the following standards:

The planning commission may, by resolution, approve other criteria compatible with the standards contained in this section.

Each unit shall have two vehicular parking spaces in a garage, or in subterranean parking, to be a minimum of twenty feet by twenty feet interior dimension, to be clear and unencumbered.

Every dwelling unit containing four or more bedrooms or rooms that, in the judgment of the community development director, can be used as bedrooms, shall provide one additional off-street parking space. This parking space need not be covered.

One-half visitor parking space shall be provided for every unit. Fractions of parking spaces shall be rounded up to the next whole number. Visitor spaces can be covered or uncovered but must be visible, accessible and easily identifiable as visitor parking. Visitor parking spaces shall not be located in front setbacks and shall not be assigned to residents.

Access is to be determined by the fire department and standards for adequate access above the minimum zoning ordinance parking access standards.