CITY OF BELLFLOWER
Building in the City of Bellflower
The zoning code was enacted and created in line with a Comprehensive Plan for the orderly development of the City to encourage the most practical use of the land; conserve and stabilize the value of the real estate; provide ample open space for light and air; prevent and permit adequate management of fires; avoid undue population concentration; and promote public peace, health, safety, morals, and general welfare. No new buildings may be constructed, relocated, changed, added to, or extended, and no land, building, or premises may be used or designated for any purpose other than those that may be allowed in the district where the building, land, or premises is located.
You can find the zoning map in the Knowledge Center.
The Land Use Element is the primary tool for ensuring that residential, commercial, industrial, and open space land uses are logically organized to satisfy the community’s requirements. The Land Use Element defines objectives, guidelines, and implementation plans for the City of Bellflower’s new construction, redevelopment, and preservation of existing uses. The Land Use Element includes clauses that deal with the City’s physical growth and its surroundings’ logical and appealing arrangement.
Six residential density categories shall be established to provide the City with a range of building intensities that promote a variety of lifestyles: Agricultural Residential, Single Family Residential, Low-Density Residential, Medium Density Residential, High-Density Residential, and Senior Citizen Housing.
The Mixed Use land use category is developed to facilitate innovative land use design in both current commercial and multi-family residential zones.
The Mixed Use land use category was established to allow residential uses on commercial property or commercial uses on residentially used lots. Mixed-use refers to business and residential uses on the same property, though this is not always the case.
The Commercial land use category is developed to adapt four zoning subcategories: Office, Neighborhood Commercial, General Commercial, and Town Center.
The Industrial land use category contains a wide range of light industrial activities, including manufacturing materials or products, assembly of components, wholesale trade, distribution, or warehousing.
No building or structure may be erected, constructed, extended, altered, repaired, relocated, improved, removed, converted, or demolished without obtaining permission from the building official in accordance with California Building Standards Code. The State of California and the City of Bellflower use permits to control buildings. This is intended to guarantee the safety of any city construction. The main goal of construction codes is to ensure the safety of building inhabitants. For any new building, a permit is necessary. Any additions to or modifications to an existing building’s systems may necessitate the acquisition of a plumbing, electrical, or mechanical permit.
The City of Bellflower highly recommends hiring an appropriately licensed State of California contractor to obtain permits and ensure your project’s success.
The inspection process varies depending on the type of project.
For every residential remodel or alteration in the City of Bellflower, various city departments must submit, review, and approve a minimum set of construction documents before issuing a building permit. The City of Bellflower highly recommends using the services of registered, licensed professionals to design and provide all necessary documentation for the submittal and review process. The following construction documents are required:
- Site Plan and Plot Plan (if remodeling or alteration affects the exterior of the building)
- Floor Plan (existing and proposed)
- Foundation Plan (if altered)
- Roof/Floor Framing Plans (if varied)
- Structural and Construction Details, Cross Sections, Structural Calculations (if required)
- Plumbing, Mechanical, and Electrical Plans
- Title 24 Energy Calculations and Forms (if needed)
The contractor or owner/builder is obligated to arrange building inspections during all phases of the construction project after building permits have been obtained and construction has started. This is done to guarantee true craftsmanship and code compliance.
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City of Bellflower – Planning Department:
The Planning Department’s goal is to preserve and enhance all facets of the City’s physical environment. The Department acts as the curator of Bellflower’s vision and as an agent for putting City Council policies relating to regional concerns, housing, building, and land use into effect. By keeping an eye on the numerous factors (such as zoning and construction rules) that affect Bellflower residents’ quality of life, the Department fulfills its mandate. The primary goal of the planning department is to offer services that advance the neighborhood’s immediate and long-term interests in upholding Bellflower’s renownedly high residential and commercial development standards. By looking after and improving the infrastructure of the City, the Department aims to preserve and enhance the quality of life in the neighborhood.
To improve the efficacy, economy, and caliber of the services offered to the community, the Department continuously assesses the state and upkeep of City infrastructure.
All applications for consideration by the Development Review, Planning Commission, and City Council are evaluated and processed by department staff. Staff members perform in-person observations and background research, which results in the creation of staff reports with pertinent suggestions for the Planning Commission and Council to consider.
City of Bellflower – Building, and Safety Department:
The Planning Department’s Building & Safety Division is in charge of upholding City regulations regarding the development, renovation, and upkeep of buildings and structures.
This comprises the administration of abatement programs for defective and hazardous structures and offering State and local code administrative interpretations. It includes building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, energy, accessibility, and engineering plan inspection services.
The following are the responsibilities of the divisions:
Provides building quality controls through formal plan review, in-person field inspections, and pre-plan consultations with building designers.
The analysis of the designs and field inspections to ensures that the construction, addition, or repair of buildings adheres to standardized safety and energy requirements.
Accurately and promptly inform building, energy, and safety regulations contractors, architects, engineers, and property owners.
Coordinates the building plan inspection processes across all City agencies, enforces building regulations, and issues permits when questionable behavior is seen out in the open.
The City adopts the following codes:
- California Residential Code (CRC)
- California Mechanical Code (CMC)
- California Plumbing Code (CPC)
- California Electrical Code (CEC)
- California Energy Code
- California Green Building Standards Code (CGBS)
- Los Angeles County Fire Code
- City of Bellflower Regulations and Ordinances
City of Bellflower – Public Works Department:
The Public Works Department is in charge of general management, operation, and maintenance of the City’s right-of-way infrastructure, which includes streets, alleys, parking lots, graffiti removal, landscaping, and tree trimming. They are also in charge of general management, operation, and maintenance of city facilities and properties, which includes electrical, carpentry, plumbing, air conditioning & heating systems, painting, janitorial, and phone systems.
Designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining the City’s public buildings and infrastructure in a secure, resourceful, cost-effective, and aesthetically pleasing way is the Department of Public Works objective.
The departments’ divisions are listed below:
The administration division is responsible for organizing, planning, and managing the Streets and Facilities Divisions. It also oversees contracts for Public Works.
Facilities include 13 full-time and three part-time employees. These employees maintain the City’s facilities, including the three major parks.
Streets include 12 full-time and one part-time employee. These employees are assigned to the City’s Right-of-Way, Paint & Signs, Streets, and Landscape crews.
The Public Works Department is responsible for preserving and protecting the community’s urban forest and promoting the health and safety of City trees from the time they are planted through maturity.
Engineering provides engineering design, construction management, project management, construction engineering services, and all other essential engineering inspections and services. The division is responsible for approving and inspecting all public improvements, both privately and publicly funded, to confirm compliance with City and State standards through the development review process.
General Area Summary:
Bellflower is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California. Bellflower has a population of over With 77,400.
The City is known for its central location and proximity to popular attractions, including Universal Studios and Disneyland. Bellflower allows people to blend urban and suburban living, and most residents rent their houses. There are several parks and coffee cafes in Bellflower. Bellflower is home to many families. Bellflower’s public schools perform above average.
Contact Information:
Bellflower community center is found at 16600 Civic Center Drive, Bellflower, CA 90706. It’s open from Monday-Thursday: 8:00 am – 5:30 pm, Friday: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm (closed every other Friday and holidays), or you can call them at (562) 804-1424.