Does the City of Los Angeles require a permit to cement property?

Question:My neighbor has complety cemented his large backyard. This is a trend in my neighborhood. The problem is that I'm sure daytime temperatures in the areas will rise and all the groundwater from any rainfall will divert into the drains and never replenish groundwater. So all the trees surrounding his home will suffer. My neighbor cut down all his trees to make room for the cement so it's not really his problem.

But can't the city restrict this? This practice not only promotes blight in our communities it is bad for the environment.

If the city does not currently have a restriction, what else can be done to stop this practice?

Answers:
I live a few miles down the road in Orange County, so my answer is based on what I've been able to research on the Internet.

Although it is usually ignored, the Los Angeles Municipal Code requires a building permit to construct a patio. I quote: "A permit is required to ... construct ... any ... structure (including ... patios ...)". See:
http://www.ladbs.org/permits/bldg_permit...

The Department of Building and Safety, before issuing the building permit, is responsible for verifying that the proposed project is in compliance with the City of Los Angeles Zoning Code. I don't have a copy of the zoning code, and the link doesn't work, so I can't tell you if there is a restriction on what percentage of ones backyard is a concrete patio. But this is where the restriction would be located.

You could call Building and Safety at (888)-LA4-BUILD to ask whether the code does limit the patio size. If there is no restriction, you can voice your concerns and ask how you might bring about a change to the zoning code. On the other hand, if the patio area is limited, and you really have a problem with what your neighbor has done, you could call for a code enforcement officer to inspect the situation. However, I would not recommend that you do this, unless you want to precipitate a neighborly feud.