There’s a lot to love about the City of Signal Hill. Those who live there get the advantage of living in a quiet, suburban environment, while still having easy access to all the amenities that a big city like Long Beach has to offer. Those who own businesses in Signal Hill find themselves in an extremely business-friendly environment—one that promotes development in ways that other cities don’t.
Working as architects in Long Beach, which completely surrounds Signal Hill, we’ve had multiple opportunities to be involved in both residential and commercial projects in Signal Hill. Here are some of our observations about taking on home remodels or tenant improvement projects in Signal Hill.
What Signal Hill Homeowners Need to Know About Home Remodels
Many homes in Signal Hill feature some great scenic views due to being built into the side of a hill. Many people move to Signal Hill for the views alone, which can be spectacular. There’s a downside, however, when it comes to home remodels and new home builds in Signal Hill. The structural engineering and foundation work are typically more complicated on sloped sites than they would be for a similar suburban home on a “flat” site. Signal Hill homeowners looking to take on a home remodel or new home build will need to budget extra for this added work that will be required by the City.
Another thing to think about is that many of the neighborhoods in Signal Hill have HOAs. HOAs often have restrictions about what can be done—especially to the exterior of a home. Architectural plans will have to go through an extra approval step with the HOA, which can extend the project’s timeline.
Signal Hill residents should also be aware of any view ordinances that might limit the height of their home, as well as what kinds of trees can be planted.
Of course, none of these considerations should be considered “deal breakers” if you want to remodel your Signal Hill home. With careful planning and little creativity, a skilled architect (like those at Grisafe Architecture) should be able to get you just about everything on your home remodel wish list, even with these restrictions.
Tenant Improvement Projects for Signal Hill Businesses
As we mentioned earlier, Signal Hill has a very business-friendly climate that actively promotes development. The development department in Signal Hill tends to be very helpful—even cheerful! They have a spirit of, “What can we do to help push this project through?”
In other local cities, you get the feeling that city officials are actively putting up roadblocks to prevent development. At the very least, they act like they are doing us a favor by allowing us to submit architectural plans. Working in Signal Hill can feel like a breath of fresh air in contrast.
Whether you’re considering a residential or commercial project in Signal Hill, Grisafe Architecture can help. Not only will we complete the architectural drawings you need to submit to the City, but we can guide you through the approval process as well. We can even work with your general contractor to ensure that the plans are executed correctly. We are your advocate throughout the entire building or remodeling process. Contact us to get started.
