(A) Lot size. The minimum lot area shall be 15,000 square feet with a mean average area in excess of one acre. Lots exceeding two acres in area shall be counted as two acres in averaging for a development. A minimum lot width and depth of 100 feet is required.
(B) Minimum floor area and lot coverage.
(1) The minimum floor area of a main building shall be 1,250 square feet.
(2) The maximum floor area of the main building shall be based on the net lot area and shall be determined using the following formula: 35% of the net lot area for the first 20,000 square feet of net lot area, plus an additional 10% of the remaining net lot area. Attached garages and other attached, enclosed accessory buildings shall be calculated as main building floor area.
(C) Accessory buildings.
(1) In the RF zone, the floor area ratio for all accessory buildings shall not exceed the percentages shown in the following table.
MAXIMUM ACCESSORY BUILDING F.A.R. | |
LOT SIZE | FLOOR AREA RATIO |
Under one acre | 10% (2,000 square foot maximum) |
One acre and above | 8% |
(2) In no case shall detached accessory structures exceed 80% of the main building floor area.
(3) Attached garages and other attached, enclosed accessory buildings shall be counted toward the total accessory building floor area as well as part of the main building floor area notwithstanding the minimized visibility garage provisions in § 17.12.040(C).
(D) Setbacks.
(1) Front yard setback requirements in the RF zone shall be as follows:
LOT LINE | BOUNDED BY | BUILDING TYPE | REQUIRED SETBACK |
Front | A street | Main or accessory | 25' |
(a) Average setback. Where residences or buildings on the same side of the street as the subject property are developed with front yard setbacks greater than required in the zone, the average setback shall be required. The average setback shall be determined using structures on the same side of the street in the same block, not to exceed 400 feet on either side of the subject property. The largest and smallest setback will be excluded in determining the average.
(b) Encroachments. Porches, platforms, and landing places not extending above the level of the first floor may encroach up to seven feet into the required setback. Architectural elements, such as oriel, cornices, eaves, or sills may encroach up to two feet.
(c) Flag lots. The front yard setback on a flag lot shall be measured from the closest property line, parallel to and not adjacent to the street. However, if a flag lot has a street frontage of 50 feet or greater, the front setback may be taken from the front property line if the house is built in the narrow portion of the lot. When a house on a flag lot is oriented in a direction other than towards the street, the Development Review Committee shall determine the location from where the front yard setback is measured.
(2) Side yard setback requirements in the RF zone shall be as follows:
LOT LINE | BOUNDED BY | BUILDING TYPE | REQUIRED SETBACK |
Side | Other lots or an alley | Main - first story | 10% of lot width, 5' minimum, 15' maximum |
Side | Other lots, a street or alley | Main - second story | 15' |
Side | Other lots or an alley | Accessory (except garages opening to alley) | 3' |
Side | An alley | Garages opening to alley | 25' from opposite side of alley |
Side | A street | Main or accessory | 10% of lot width, 10' minimum |
(a) Encroachments. Chimneys having a maximum parallel linear dimension of eight feet may project two feet into the required setback. Chimneys extending past the second floor may project into the side yard the same amount as on the first floor. Eaves may project two feet into the required setback.
(b) Second story setback. The required second story setback shall be 15 feet. For structures over 27 feet in height, the second story must be setback an additional two feet for every additional one foot in height.
(c) Decks and balconies. Decks one foot or more above the existing grade and balconies shall maintain the same setback as main buildings.
(d) Accessory structures located less than 80 feet from the front property line must be set back the same distance from property line as a main structure.
(e) On corner lots with garages opening on to the street, the garage must be set back a minimum of 20 feet from the side property line adjacent to the street.
(f) Accessory structures with a plate height exceeding nine feet and/or a ridge height exceeding 14 feet and two-story accessory structures shall maintain the same setback as main buildings.
(3) Rear yard setback requirements in the RF zone shall be as follows:
LOT LINE | BOUNDED BY | BUILDING TYPE | REQUIRED SETBACK |
Rear | Another lot or an alley | Main - first story | 25% of lot depth, minimum 20' |
Rear | Another lot or an alley | Main - second story | 25% of lot depth, plus 10' |
Rear | Another lot or an alley | Accessory (except garages opening to alley) | 3' |
Rear | An alley | Garages opening to an alley | 25' from opposite side of alley |
(a) Encroachments. Attached unenclosed, single story patios with no freestanding walls may encroach an additional ten feet into the required main building setback.
(b) Decks and balconies. Decks one foot or more above existing grade and balconies shall maintain the same setback as the main buildings.
(c) Accessory structures with a plate height exceeding nine feet and /or a ridge height exceeding 14 feet, two-story accessory structures shall maintain the same setback as the main buildings.
(4) Pad edge setbacks. On hillside lots with pads adjacent to slopes of three feet or more, using the formula: slope height/3 (SH/3), the following regulations also apply:
(a) Top of slope. The vertical height of the slope as taken from the toe to top of slope (irrespective of the property line) shall be divided by three using the formula SH/3. The quotient of SH/3 shall be rounded to the nearest whole number and is the required setback for structures from the sides and rear pad edge. The maximum setback required shall be 15 feet for the single story portion of the structure. The second story must be set back 15 feet from the pad edge. For structures over 27 feet in height, the second story must be set back an additional two feet for every additional one foot in height.
(b) Toe of slope. In addition to the setback requirements from property line, setback distances from the toe of slope for the side of a pad shall be five feet from the toe of the slope to any structures on the pad. No setback is required for the rear of the pad.
(E) Height restrictions.
(1) No building shall exceed two stories in height. The maximum building height is based on lot width as follows:
LOT WIDTH | MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHT |
Less than 75' | 27' |
75' and greater | 30' |
(2) Building height shall be determined by the vertical distance measured at any point of the proposed roof structure to the exterior or finished grade at the proposed exterior walls of the structure. No part of a building (except chimneys) shall extend above an imaginary line drawn at the maximum building height above finished grade as illustrated in the following diagram:
(3) Retaining walls. When used to extend the pad area of a lot adjacent to slope(s) a retaining wall shall not exceed a height of three feet unless the retaining wall is fully screened by a residence, garage, or other permitted structure so that the wall cannot be viewed from an adjacent parcel or from any street.
(F) Separation between buildings.
(1) Facing walls of separate buildings on the same lot in the RF zone shall meet separation requirements for each story according to the following table:
REQUIRED SEPARATION
| |
First story | 6' |
Second story | 20' |
(2) These building separation requirements apply equally to separate buildings that share a common roof.
(G) Hillside Development Standards (properties not covered by a specific plan). The following shall be required:
(1) Conservation of natural topographic features and appearances by means of land sculpturing to blend graded slopes and benches with natural topography.
(2) Protection of existing vegetation through careful site planning which may reduce areas of grading.
(3) Provision of safe access for vehicular and pedestrian traffic with minimum of disturbances of the natural terrain. Utilization of street designs and improvements which serve to minimize grading impact and harmonize with the natural contours and character of the hillsides. Street standards shall be per the city's adopted Hillside Development Policies and Standards.
(4) Every reasonable effort shall be made to preserve or minimize the impact on view corridors and scenic vistas. A visual impact analysis shall be required per the city's adopted Hillside Development Policies and Standards.
(5) Every reasonable effort shall be made to preserve mature trees, especially oaks. Special consideration shall be given to the preservation or relocation of heritage trees.
(6) Cantilevered construction, overhang, exposed structures or stem wall construction shall not be permitted. Cantilevered decking shall be permitted only if the line of sight analysis indicates no visual impact or appropriate mitigation measures can be adopted.
(7) Colors of the buildings shall be selected to blend with the natural colors and hues of the surrounding hillsides.
(8) A landscape plan shall be required indicating type and extent of proposed vegetation. In addition, landscape materials for the coverage and stabilization of graded slopes shall be approved by the Development Review Committee.
(9) A visual impact analysis shall be required for those dwelling units which are proposed to be developed in "sensitive" areas. "Sensitive" areas are those which are higher in elevation and visually exposed to the city-at-large and could potentially impact existing city-at-large view sheds. Proposed dwelling units designated as "sensitive" shall be set back from the top of the slope a distance determined by the line-of-sight analysis in addition to the required setbacks. The line of sight analysis is not designed to completely screen or eliminate the view of the dwelling units in sensitive areas. However, it is designed to minimize the visual impact of building lines by the use of increased setback, berming, landscaping and building design.
(H) Hillside Development permit required. In addition to the requirements of this chapter, where development proposals require grading of the lot with five feet or more of cut, five feet or more of fill, or a retaining wall of six feet in height or higher, approval of a Hillside Development permit is required for the following:
(1) Development of new single-family dwellings.
(2) Earth movement that creates a footprint of more than 500 square feet.
(3) Swimming pools and basements are excluded.
(`83 Code, § 17.12.010) (Ord. 94-03 § 6, 1994; Ord. 96-06 § 3, 1996; Ord. 97-08 § 3, 1997; Ord. 2001-10 § 1, 2001; Ord. 2001-17 § 4, 2002; Ord. 2004-11 § 4, 2004; Ord. 2016-08 § 21, 2016)