For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ACCESS. The place or way by which pedestrians and vehicles shall have safe, adequate, and usable ingress and egress to a property or use required by the provisions of this chapter.
ACCESSORY BUILDING. Attached or detached subordinate building, the use of which is customarily incidental to that of the main building or to the main use of the land and which is located on the same lot with the main building or use.
ACCESSORY USE. A use customarily incidental and accessory to the principal use of a lot or a building or other structure located upon the same lot as the accessory use.
AGRICULTURE. The science and art of farming, producing crops, floriculture, horticulture and the work of cultivating the soil.
ALLEY. Any public thoroughfare for the use of pedestrians, or vehicles, not less than 10 feet nor more than 30 feet wide, which has been deeded or dedicated to the city as a secondary means of access to abutting property.
ANTENNA, SATELLITE or DISH. Any exterior or external receiving device whose purpose is to receive communications or other signals from a transmitter relay in planetary orbit in space.
(Ord. 846, passed - -85)
APARTMENT. A room or flat occupied, or intended or designed to be occupied, by one family for living and sleeping purposes and containing one kitchen.
APARTMENT HOTEL. A building or portion thereof, designed for or containing both individual guest rooms or suites of rooms and dwelling units.
APARTMENT HOUSE or MULTIPLE DWELLING UNIT. A building or a portion of a building, designed or used for occupancy by three or more families living independently of each other and containing three or more dwelling units.
AUTOMOBILE REPAIR GARAGE. A building used for the overhaul and repair of vehicles, including body repairs, engine overhaul, upholstery work, parts rebuilding and like activities.
AUTOMOBILE SERVICE STATION. A gasoline service station, with attendant facilities for the servicing and maintenance of automobiles, having gasoline pumps and maintenance facilities; provided, that services do not include body repair work, engine overhaul, upholstery work, parts rebuilding and such like services.
AUTOMOBILE WRECKING. The dismantling or destruction of one or more automobiles, motor-cycles or any other motor vehicles.
AVIARY. A collection of more than five ornamental or song birds on a parcel, not including birds kept or maintained for commercial purposes or poultry.
BASEMENT. That portion of a building between floor and ceiling which is partly below and partly above grade, as defined in this chapter, but so located that the vertical distance from grade to the floor below is less than the vertical distance from grade to ceiling (see “story”).
BEDROOM. Any room used, or intended or designed to be used for sleeping purposes, provided such room has a minimum size of 90 square feet.
BOARDINGHOUSE or ROOMINGHOUSE. A building or portion thereof which is used to accommodate, for compensation, three or more boarders or roomers, not including members of the occupant's immediate family, who might be occupying such building.
COMPENSATION. Compensation in money, services or other things of value.
BUILDING. Any structure having a roof supported by columns or by walls and intended for the shelter, housing, or enclosure of persons, animals, chattel, or property of any kind.
BUILDING HEIGHT. The vertical distance from the average finished ground level of the site to the highest point of the structure.
BUILDING SITE. The area, including all required yards, open space and parking, which a main building and its accessory buildings and uses occupy.
BUNGALOW COURT. A group of three or more detached one-story, one-family or two-family dwellings located upon a single lot, together with all open spaces as required by this chapter, but not including tourist courts or motels.
BUSINESS. A use or activity involving the sale or rental of goods or the sale or furnishing of services of any kind.
CAMPGROUND, PUBLIC. A public area wherein major recreational equipment may be placed as temporary dwellings.
CARPORT. A permanent roofed structure with not more than three enclosed sides used or intended to be used for automobile shelter and storage.
CHURCH. A building used for public or private purposes, including prayer, worship, weddings, or special services. Such building shall be fully enclosed with walls, including windows and doors, and shall conform to applicable legal requirements affecting design and construction.
CLUB. Any building or premises used by an association of persons, whether incorporated or unincorporated, organized for some common purpose, but not including a group organized solely or primarily to render a service customarily carried on as a commercial enterprise.
COMMISSION. The Planning Commission of the city.
CONVALESCENT HOMES. A building used for the housing of more than one hospital outpatient.
DAY NURSERY. Any type of group child day care programs, including nurseries for children of working mothers, nursery schools for children under the minimum age of education in public schools, parent cooperative nursery schools, play groups for preschool children, and programs covering after-school care for school children, provided such establishment is institutional in character and is licensed by the state or county and conducted in accordance with state requirements.
DETACHED BUILDING. Any building that is not physically joined to another building by a common wall.
DIRECTOR. The Planning Director of the city.
DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT. Any building or structure in which food and drink are prepared for service to customers outside such building or structure, even though the food and drink are served to customers inside such building or structure or to customers occupying vehicles outside such structure and includes self-service restaurants for take-out food.
DUPLEX. A building containing two dwelling units.
DWELLING. A building, or portion thereof, designed for or occupied exclusively for residential purposes.
DWELLING, GROUP. A combination or arrangement of dwellings on one building site.
DWELLING, MULTIPLE. A building, or a portion of a building, designed or used for occupancy by three or more families living independently of each other and containing three or more dwelling units.
DWELLING, MULTIPLE-FAMILY. A building or portion thereof designed for or occupied by three or more families living independently of each other.
DWELLING, ONE-FAMILY. A detached building designed or used exclusively for occupancy by one family and containing one dwelling unit.
DWELLING, TWO-FAMILY. A detached building designed for or occupied exclusively by two families living independently of each other.
DWELLING UNIT. One or more rooms in a dwelling, apartment house or apartment hotel designed for or occupied by one family for living or sleeping purposes and having not more than one kitchen.
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. An institu-tion offering academic instruction or training leading to a degree, or accredited by the state, including private colleges or trade schools but not including dance schools, business schools and similar commercial establishments.
FAMILY. An individual, or two or more persons related by blood or marriage, living by themselves, or living with a group of not more than four other persons who are not related by blood or marriage, and living together as a single housekeeping unit in a one-family dwelling unit; or a group of not more than five persons who are not related by blood or marriage, living together as a single housekeeping unit in a one-family dwelling unit.
FLAGPOLE. A freestanding structure or a structure attached to a building or to the roof of a building on a parcel of record and used for the sole purpose of displaying flags of political entities.
FOSTER HOME. A home licensed by state or county agencies, wherein food, lodging and like needs are provided for children under 16 years of age by an individual, association, corporation, society or public agency designated by a court of competent jurisdiction to be entrusted with the care of such minors. Such care can be provided on a 24-hour per day basis.
FRONTAGE. That portion of a lot, parcel or site that abuts a dedicated public street.
GARBAGE, PRIVATE. An accessory building, or an accessory portion of the main building, designed and used primarily for the shelter or storage of operable vehicles owned or operated by the occupants of the main building and having a minimum of four walls.
GARAGE, PUBLIC. A building, other than a private garage, used for the storage, care, repair or servicing of automobiles.
GARBAGE. All waste food or discarded food of all kinds, including, but not restricted to, meat, fish, fruit, bakery goods, and vegetable refuse, or any putrid or offensive organic matter, except manure or fertilizer used for agricultural purposes.
GRADE. The average of the finished ground level at the center of all walls of a building. In the event walls are parallel to and within five feet of a sidewalk, the ground level shall be measured at the sidewalk.
GROSS FLOOR AREA. The total dimensions on each floor as measured from the outside wall.
GROSS LOT (OR LAND) AREA. The total dimensions on the lot as measured along property lines.
GROUP HOUSES. Two or more separate buildings, each containing one or more dwelling units.
GUESTHOUSE. Living quarters, having no kitchen facilities, located within an accessory building located on the same premises with a main building and occupied for the sole use of members of the family, temporary guests, or persons permanently employed on the premises.
HOME OCCUPATION. Any use customarily conducted entirely within a dwelling or building, accessory thereto, and carried on by the inhabitants thereof, which use is clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the structure for dwelling purposes and in connection with which there is no display, no stock in trade nor commodity sold upon the premises, no person employed upon the premises and no mechanical equipment used, except such as is necessary for housekeeping purposes, and which use does not change the character thereof, does not encumber any parking spaces, and does not adversely affect the uses permitted in the zone of which it is a part. HOME OCCUPATIONS shall be subject to a home occupation permit.
HOSPITAL. An institution providing physical or mental health services, inpatient or overnight accommodations, and medical or surgical care of the sick or injured.
HOTEL. A building providing separate bedrooms for the accommodation of travelers, semi- permanent residents and the like, where no individual kitchen facilities are provided, whether known as a hotel, motel or roominghouse.
INSTITUTION. An organization having a social, educational, or religious purpose as a school, church, hospital, club or lodge.
JUNK. Any combustible, noncombustible, putrescible or non-putrescible waste or material, including but not limited to trash; refuse; paper; glass; cans; bottles; rags; fabrics; bedding; ashes; trimmings from lawns, shrubbery or trees, except when such trimmings are used for mulch or like agricultural purposes; household refuse other than garbage, including lumber, metal, plumbing fixtures, bricks, building stones, plaster, wire or like material, whether from demolition, alteration or construction of buildings or structures, or from other sources; tires or inner tubes, auto, aircraft or boat parts; plastic or metal parts or scraps; damaged or defective boats, machinery, vehicles or engines, whether or not repairable; and damaged or defective toys, recrea-tional equipment or household appliances or furnishings, whether or not repairable.
KENNEL and DOG KENNEL. Any lot or premises on which five or more dogs and cats at least four months of age are kept, boarded, or trained, whether in special buildings or runways or not.
KITCHEN. Any room used or intended or designed to be used for cooking or the preparation of food, including any room having a sink and either a three-fourths-inch gas opening or provision for an electric stove.
LABOR SUPPLY CAMP. Any place, area, or building where living accommodations are maintained or intended for persons performing agricultural or other types of labor on property other than property owned or leased by the owner of such accommoda-tions.
LANDSCAPING. Unless otherwise defined elsewhere in this chapter, the planting, including replanting in case of death, disease, disfigurement or dismemberment, of live trees, shrubs and ground cover which, at the time of planting, are healthy, vigorous, and free of diseases, and of a species that is able to thrive in the environment and soil type in which it is planted, and maintenance thereof sufficient to sustain plant life, including an underground irrigation system with a useful life of not less than 10 years. LANDSCAPING also includes decorative rock, fountains, and artificial surfaces when inter-spersed with shrubs and/or trees.
LOT.
(1) A parcel of real property shown as a delineated parcel of land with a number or other designation on a final map of subdivision recorded in the office of the County Recorder of Ventura County; or
(2) A parcel of land which was a recorded parcel separate from any adjacent parcel of land and was indicated as a separate parcel on the records of the Ventura County Assessor on November 3, 1960, provided such parcel has legally recorded access to a public street, either directly or by way of an access strip at least 20 feet in width, which is topo-graphically traversable by vehicular traffic; or
(3) A parcel of land created subsequent to November 3, 1960, pursuant to a lot split or parcel map approved by the Planning Commission of the city and, in the case of a parcel map, duly recorded in the office of the County Recorder of Ventura County.
LOT AREA. The number of square feet enclosed within the lot lines of a lot. For the purposes of computing the permitted number of units in residential zones, however, LOT AREA shall mean the net area remaining in the lot after required dedications for public streets are made and the area necessary for private streets and main access driveways are deducted.
LOT, CORNER. A lot or parcel of land situated at the intersection of two or more streets or highways, which streets or highways have an angle of intersection, measured within such lot or parcel of land, of not more than 135°.
LOT DEPTH. The horizontal distance between the front and rear lot lines, measured in the mean direction of the side lot lines.
LOT, INTERIOR. A lot having lots adjoining on two sides.
LOT, KEY. The first interior lot to the rear of a reversed corner lot, whether or not separated by an alley.
LOT LINE, FRONT. The property line dividing a lot from a street. On a corner lot only one street line shall be considered as a front line. The shorter street frontage shall be considered the front lot line. In the case of lots without street frontage, the Planning Director shall designate the front lot line.
LOT LINE, REAR. The lot line most nearly parallel to the front lot line.
LOT LINE, SIDE. Any lot lines other than front lot lines or rear lot lines.
LOT, REVERSE CORNER. A corner lot, the side lot line of which is substantially a continuation of the front lot line of a lot or parcel of land which adjoins the rear lot line of such corner lot.
LOT, THROUGH. A lot other than a corner lot having frontage on two parallel streets.
LOT WIDTH. The horizontal distance between the side lot lines, measured at right angles to the depth at a point midway between the front and rear lot lines.
MAJOR RECREATIONAL EQUIPMENT. Recreational equipment designed to be used as temporary dwellings for recreational outings, or designed to be used for other recreational purposes, such as travel trailers, trailer coaches, pickup campers, motorized dwellings, tent trailers, boats, and boat trailers, and the like.
MOBILE HOME. A structure one or more sections, which, when erected on site, measures eight feet or more in width and 32 feet or more in length, and which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling, with or without a permanent foundation, when connected to the required utilities, and includes the plumbing, air-conditioning, and electrical systems contained therein.
(Ord. 755, passed - -81)
MOTEL. A building or group of buildings or units attached, semi-attached or detached, designed to serve as temporary sleeping quarters for transient persons, whether known as a motel, auto court, tourist court or bungalow court.
MOTOR VEHICLE. A device by which any person or property may be propelled, moved, or drawn upon a public street, excepting a device moved by human power.
NONCONFORMING BUILDING. A building or structure, or portion thereof, which was lawfully erected or altered and maintained but which, because of the application of the provisions of this chapter to it, no longer conforms to the regulations of the zone in which it is located.
NONCONFORMING USE. A use which was lawfully established and maintained but which, because of the application of this chapter to it, no longer conforms to the use regulations of the zone in which it is located.
NURSERY OR CHILD CARE HOME. A facility licensed by state or county agencies in which children's recreation or educational activities, or both, are provided for compensation.
OCCUPANCY, CHANGE OF. A dis-continuance of an existing use and substitution therefor of a use of a different kind or class.
OCCUPIED. Arranged, designed, built, altered, converted, rented or leased or intended to be occupied.
OPEN SPACE, COMMON USABLE. Land areas within a multiple-dwelling project not occupied or intruded upon by any structure, which may be used for scenic or recreational purposes by all the residents of the project. COMMON USABLE OPEN SPACE does not include land areas occupied by streets, driveways, parking areas, service areas,
required front yards or required side yards abutting a street; provided, however, that land areas occupied by recreational structures and facilities shall be deemed to be common usable open space.
OPEN SPACE, PRIVATE USABLE. Areas within a multiple-dwelling project not occupied or intruded upon by any structure which are devoted exclusively to the private recreation and leisure use of the residents of one dwelling unit and does not include any space within a dwelling unit.
PARKING LOT, PUBLIC. A parking lot for motor vehicles created to serve the public either as a separate business or as an accessory use to a business, whether owned by a governmental agency or by a private person or business.
PARKING SPACE. A space, clearly delineated on the ground or pavement, of dimensions required elsewhere in this chapter, to be used for the parking or stopping of motor vehicles.
PATIO. A deck or paved area not extending above the first floor level of a building and open to the sky.
PATIO COVER. A covered shelter for semi-outdoor recreational activities, which meets the standards of Chapter 49 of the Appendix of the Uniform Building Code.
PERMANENT STRUCTURE. Any object having a solid foundation or fixed location on the ground.
PERSON. Any individual, firm, company, copartnership, joint venture, association, club, fraternal organization, corporation, estate, trust, receiver, organization, syndicate, city, county, municipality, district or other political subdivision of any other group or combination acting as a unit.
POULTRY. Domestic fowl, chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys, but specifically excluding guinea fowl.
PUBLIC ROAD OR STREET. Any road, street, or thoroughfare of whatever nature, publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for the purposes of vehicular travel.
PUBLIC UTILITY. The company or companies distributing natural gas, electricity, water, telephone, cable TV or similar services.
REST HOME. Any place or institution which makes provision for bed care or for chronic or convalescent care for one or more persons exclusive of relatives, who by reason of illness or physical infirmity are unable to care for themselves; but in which no alcoholics, drug addicts, persons suffering from mental sickness, disease, disorder or ailment or from contagious or communicable diseases are kept and in which no surgical or other primary treatments such as are customarily provided in sanitariums or hospitals are performed. REST HOME includes all places as defined in Cal. Code of Regs. Title 22, § 97005 and licensed as nursing or convalescent homes.
ROOM, HABITABLE. Any room used, or intended or designed to be used, for sleeping, living, cooking or dining purposes excluding such enclosed spaces as closets, pantries, bath or toilet rooms, service rooms, connecting corridors, laundries, unfinished attics, foyers, storage spaces, cellars, utility rooms and similar spaces.
SCHOOL, COMMERCIAL. A school providing training or personal improvement (beauty college, dance school, business school, gymnasium, and the like).
SCHOOL, ELEMENTARY OR HIGH. An institution of learning which offers instruction in the several branches of learning and study required to be taught in the public schools by the California Educational Code. High schools include junior and senior.
SCHOOL, PRIVATE. An accredited private school or college, providing academic or trade education.
SECRETARY. The secretary of the Planning Commission.
SELF-SERVICE LAUNDRY. An establishment for laundering where there is no pickup or delivery service and no steam or hand laundry of any type; however, that all washing machines and accessory extractors and dryers shall be installed on a single floor without double decking and there shall be no intermingling of customers' laundry.
SERVICE STATION. See “automobile service station.”
SIGN. Any writing (including letters, words or numerals), pictorial presentation (including illustration or decoration) or emblem (including device, symbol or trademark), visible from any public or private street or means of access thereto, used to advertise or direct attention to an activity, product, place, person, organization, business or enterprise.
SIGN AREA. This is computed as including the entire area within a regular geometric form or combination of regular geometric forms comprising all the display area of the sign. Frames and structural members not bearing advertising matter are not included in computation of area. One face of a double-faced sign shall be considered in determining the sign area, provided both faces are parallel or the angle between the faces does not exceed 30°.
SIGN, OFF-SITE. A sign other than an on-site sign.
SIGN, ON-SITE. A sign relating in its subject matter to the premises on which it is located, or to products, accommodations, services or activities sold, rendered or conducted on the premises. ON-SITE SIGNS do not include signs erected by the outdoor advertising industry.
STABLE, COMMERCIAL. A stable other than a private stable.
STABLE, PRIVATE. An accessory building or structure used for the keeping of horses owned by the occupants of the premises and not kept for remuneration, hire or sale.
STORY. Any portion of a building included between the upper surface of any floor and the upper surface of the floor next above, except that the topmost story shall be that portion of a building included between the upper surface of the topmost floor and the ceiling or roof above. If the finished floor level directly above a basement, cellar or unused underfloor space is more than six feet above grade as defined in this section for more than 50% of the total perimeter, or is more than 12 feet above grade as defined in this section at any point, such basement, cellar or unused underfloor space shall be considered as a story.
STREET. A county road, state highway, public road, street or alley, or private thoroughfare not less than 10 feet in width connecting with a county road, state highway, public road, street or alley which affords primary access to an abutting lot.
STREET, PRIVATE. A privately-owned vehicular right-of-way used as access by two or more lots which do not have frontages on a public street.
STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS. Any change to a bearing wall, column, beam, joist, roof, rafter or other supporting member of a building or structure.
STRUCTURE. Anything constructed or erected which requires a location in or on the ground, or which is attached to something having a location on or in the ground, such as signs, flagpoles, or similar appurtenances, including a building or a building's architectural features and roof appurtenances required to operate and maintain the building, but not including fences, or walls used as fences, less than six feet in height.
SURFACE MINING OPERATIONS. All, or any part of, the process involved in the mining of minerals on mined lands by removing overburden and mining directly from the mineral deposits, open-pit mining of minerals naturally exposed, mining by the auger method, dredging and quarrying, or surface work incident to an underground mine. SURFACE MINING OPERATIONS shall include, but are not limited to:
(1) In-place distillation, retorting or leaching;
(2) The production and disposal of mining waste;
(3) Prospecting and exploratory activities.
SWIMMING POOL. A tank or pool created by artificial means designed for the purpose of containing a body of water and offering the possibility of use for swimming, bathing, and/or bodily immersion by any person, any portion of which tank or pool exceeds 18 inches in depth.
TOWNHOUSE. A single-family dwelling unit attached to one or more other single-family dwelling units provided only one such dwelling unit is located on a lot.
TRAILER PARK, TRAILER COURT, MOBILE HOME PARK AND PUBLIC TRAILER CAMP. Any area or tract of land used or designed to accommodate two or more automobile trailers, including trailer camps as defined by law, and used as living or sleeping quarters.
TRAILER, TRAVEL. A vehicular portable unit, mounted on wheels, of such a size or weight as not to require special highway movement permits when drawn by a motorized vehicle; primarily designed and constructed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational, camping or travel use.
TRANSIENT. Tourists or other persons abiding in the city for a short period of time.
USE. The purpose for which land or building is designed, arranged or intended or for which either is or may be occupied or maintained.
USE AREA. An open or yard area, uncovered by building or structures, used as the main use or accessory use of a lot or parcel.
YARD. An open space, other than a court, on a lot, which space is unoccupied and unobstructed from the ground upward except as otherwise expressly provided in this chapter.
YARD AREA. The area of yard on a given lot expressed in numbers of square feet.
YARD, FRONT. A yard extending across the full width of a lot, the depth of which is the minimum horizontal distance between the front lot line and a line parallel thereto on the lot, except that where there is an official plan line or a future street line, front yards shall be measured from such official plan line or future street line and a line parallel thereto on the lot.
YARD, REAR. A yard extending across the full width of a lot, having at no point a depth of less than the minimum required horizontal distance as measured from the part of the main building nearest the rear lot line towards the rear lot line, and such measurement shall be along a line representing the shortest distance between said part of the main building and rear lot line. The required rear yard shall be that portion of the rear yard contiguous to the rear lot line having at no point a depth less than that required for the rear yard. The area to the rear of the rear lot line of an interior triangular or gore-shaped lot shall be considered a part of the required rear yard.
YARD, REQUIRED. That yard area required by this chapter.
YARD, SIDE. A yard extending from the required front yard or the front lot line where no front yard is required, to the rear lot line, the width of which is the minimum horizontal distance between a side lot line and a line parallel thereto on the lot, except that where there is an official plan line or a future street line, side yards shall be measured from such official plan line or future street line and a line parallel thereto on the lot.
YARD SPACE, INTERIOR. That area on the lot behind the front setback line which is open from ground to sky and used as private open space except as otherwise permitted in this chapter.
('81 Code, §§ 17.04.005—17.04.645) (Ord. 704, passed - -78)