A. General development standards:
1. Any area used for storage of trash or equipment, and all loading and repair areas, except within service bays, shall be screened from all public streets and residential property by a six-foot decorative masonry wall, architectural feature, or by equivalent landscaping.
2. All lighting shall be designed and located so as to confine direct rays to the premises.
3. When a building is proposed over two or more lots, the lots shall be combined as prescribed in Title 16 of the Fullerton Municipal Code.
B. Permitted building height:
1. Any portion of a structure over ten feet in height shall be set back one foot for each foot over ten feet from any property with a residential zone classification. The building height at any given point shall be measured from the existing grade of the nearest property with the residential zone to the top of roof (see Figure 10).
Figure 10
2. For property with a commercial zone that is not adjacent to or across a public alley from a property with a residential zone or located in a public parking district (see Subsection 15.30.060.H), the height of a building is unlimited. However, the building shall be subject to floor/area ratio requirements that can affect the permitted building height. (See Subsection 15.30.050.E)
C. Setbacks:
1. Building setbacks are prescribed in Table 15.30.050.A. Fence and wall height and location restrictions are found in Subsection 15.30.050.F of this chapter.
Table 15.30.050.A Building Setbacks for Commercial Zone Classifications | |||||
Minimum setback from a property line… | Reference | O-P | G-C | C-3 | C-M |
Table 15.30.050.A Building Setbacks for Commercial Zone Classifications | |||||
Minimum setback from a property line… | Reference | O-P | G-C | C-3 | C-M |
….along a public street: | |||||
Building wall or parking area | 2, 3 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Garage door | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | |
….along a public alley: | |||||
Building wall or parking area | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Garage door | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
.…along an interior lot line: | |||||
Building wall or parking area* | 4, 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Notes: All measurements are in feet. See Subsection 15.30.050.F for fence and wall setback and height regulations. * See Subsection 15.30.050B for a wall setback along a property line with a residential zone. | |||||
2. For properties zoned either G-C or C-3 in the Central Business District, the required ten-foot building setback along any public street may be waived, as provided by the Fullerton CBD Design Guidelines, adopted by City Council.
3. For all other property outside the Central Business District, new building and/or parking areas shall be required to maintain a landscaped setback as specified in Subsection 15.30.050.G of this chapter, and a greater landscaped street setback may be required pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 15.46.
4. In the O-P zone, a two-story building without windows facing adjoining R-1 or R-1P property shall set back a minimum of 25 feet from the common property line. A two-story building with windows facing an abutting property with an R-1 or R-1P zone shall set back a minimum of 50 feet from the common property line.
5. Building walls are subject to building code requirements for a one-hour firewall when within ten feet of a property line.
6. Setbacks from street lines as prescribed in this chapter for any commercial zone classification shall be satisfied when met by the provision of city parkway widths that are or will be landscaped in excess of the ultimate street right-of-way width as shown on the Circulation Element of the General Plan or as described in Title 16 of the Fullerton Municipal Code. In the case of variations between the two documents or in street widths that differ within short distances, the Director of Engineering shall make the determination as to the parkway width. Where the full setback is not satisfied, the setback may be reduced to the extent that the parkway width is exceeded.
7. Height restrictions in setback and vision clearance areas:
a. Buildings shall not exceed a height of three feet above natural grade in any setback area except as provided for in this subsection.
b. Trees, shrubs, flowers and plants of any height shall be permitted in any required side or rear setback area that is not within a vision clearance area as defined by Subsection 15.30.050.C.8 of this chapter. In front setbacks, when not within a vision clearance area as defined by Subsection 15.30.050.C.8 of this chapter, trees, shrubs and flowers of any height are permitted, but continuous hedges over three feet in height are not permitted.
c. Within a vision clearance area as defined by Subsection 15.30.050.C.8 of this chapter, nothing may obstruct a clear view.
d. See Subsection 15.30.050.F of this chapter for regulations on walls and fences.
8. Vision clearance requirements:
a. Where a common property line exists be- tween commercial and residential property no building wall, fence or landscaping over three feet in height shall be permitted in a triangular vision clearance area having one point at the intersection of the common property lines and the street line, one point seven and one-half feet along the street line toward the commercial property, and one point seven and one-half feet along the common property line (see Figure 11).
Figure 11
b. Where a driveway access exists on a commercial property, no building wall, fence or landscaping over three feet in height shall be permitted in triangular vision clearance areas on either side of driveway (see Figure 12). Each clearance area shall have one point at the intersection of the driveway and the street line, one point seven and one-half feet along the street line away from the driveway, and one point seven and one-half feet along the driveway line.
Figure 12
c. In the case of a lot at the intersection of two streets, no building wall, fence or landscaping over three feet in height shall be permitted in triangular vision clearance area which is measured with one point at the intersection of the street lines (or their prolongations) and the other points located 15 feet from that point along each of the street lines, or as determined by the Director of Engineering.
D. Permitted site coverage:
1. Within the commercial zone classifications there is no maximum site coverage requirement.
2. On a property with an office-professional (O-P) zone, all buildings including accessory buildings and structures and any area used to provide parking or vehicular access shall not cover more than 75 percent of the lot or building site. In addition, see Subsection 15.30.050.E of this chapter for floor/area ratio restrictions.
3. Within the commercial zone classifications any area not covered by buildings or required paving shall be landscaped.
E. Floor/area ratio (FAR) and requirement for a traffic study:
1. All proposed new development or expansion of existing development, with the exception of low-traffic conditionally permitted residential uses such as residential care facilities for the elderly, retirement complexes and single- room occupancy (SRO) residential hotels, shall be subject to the floor/area ratio (FAR) restrictions contained in Table 15.30.050.B.
Table 15.30.050. B Floor/Area Ratios for Commercial Zone Classifications | |
Zone Classification | Floor / Area Ratio
|
O-P | .35 |
G-C | .35 |
C-3 | .90 (2.0 within a downtown parking district or within ¼ mile from a transit station) |
C-M | .35 |
F. Fences and walls:
The height of walls, fences, hedges or guardrails on property with a commercial zone classification shall be in accordance with Table 15.30.050.C except for the following:
Table 15.30.050.C Maximum Heights for Walls and Fences in Commercial Zone Classifications | |
Location | Maximum Height |
Within a street setback area | Three feet. A non view-obscuring fence as high as six feet may be approved by the Director of Development Services (see Subsection 15.30.050.F.2) |
Interior lot line adjacent to property with a residential zone | Eight feet within five feet of the side property line. |
Not within a street setback area | Subject to applicable height restrictions for buildings. |
Within a vision clearance area | Three feet. (The height applies to any feature that could block a clear view of traffic across a vision clearance area. See Subsection 15.30.050.C.7 of this chapter). |
1. A private school or child-care center may install non view-obscuring fence to a height of six feet within the required street setback area.
2. For all other uses a non view-obscuring fence may be as high as six feet in a street setback area, subject to the approval of the Director of Development Services. In reviewing such applications, the Director of Development Services shall consider the proposed construction materials, compatibility with neighboring properties, vision clearance and other factors as necessary. The applicant may appeal the Director's decision pursuant to Chapter 15.76 of this title.
G. Landscaping requirements:
1. All street setbacks shall be landscaped except for pedestrian and vehicular access ways, parking areas, or other non-irrigated areas designed for non-development (e.g. existing native vegetation).
2. All open parking areas (e.g. non-structured) shall be landscaped such that:
a. Planters with a total landscaped area equaling a minimum of 25 square feet per parking space, or 8% of the square footage of the open parking area, whichever is greater, shall be provided and distributed throughout the open parking area; and
b. Trees with a total shaded area (e.g. the area under the tree canopy or dripline 15 years after installation) equaling a minimum of 50% of the square footage of the open parking area shall be provided and distributed throughout the open parking area.
3. Landscaping and irrigation shall be provided for landscaped areas pursuant to Chapter 15.50 for the following:
a. Installation of new landscaped areas; or
b. Rehabilitation of existing landscaped areas where affected landscaped area is equal to or greater than 2,500 square feet; or
c. Installation of a new landscape area or areas less than 2,500 sq. ft. in aggregate may opt to comply instead with the prescriptive measures contained in Chapter 15.50 Appendix A.
d. New or rehabilitated projects using treated or untreated graywater or rainwater captured on site, any lot or parcels within the project that has less than 2,500 square feet of landscape area and meets the lot or parcel’s landscape water requirement (Estimated Total Water Use) entirely with the treated or untreated graywater or through stored rainwater captured on site is subject only to Appendix A Section (5).
(Ord. 3232 (part), 2016; Ord. 3226 (part), 2016; Ord. 3134 (part), 2009; Ord. 3066, (part), 2005: Ord. 3026, 2003: Ord. 2982, 2001).