Development standards for the R-2 District are shown in Table 9-1G-8 and described below. Where a single, detached house is proposed on a lot, the development must comply with the standards of zone R-1.
Adjacent to R-1 | Adjacent to R-2/R-3 | Not Adjacent to Residential | Notes | |
Adjacent to R-1 | Adjacent to R-2/R-3 | Not Adjacent to Residential | Notes | |
Lot Area (square feet) | ||||
Lot size | 7,200 | 7,200 | 7,200 | For a newly created lot. |
Minimum Lot Area Per Dwelling | 3,630 | 3,630 | 3,630 | |
Maximum density allowed (du/ac) | 12 | 12 | 12 | |
Lot Width (feet) | ||||
Lot | 50 | 60 | 60 | For newly created lots |
Cul-de-sac (min. street/at setback) | 35/50 | - | - | 50 feet at front yard setback. |
Lot Depth (feet) | ||||
Lot (min.) | 80 | 80 | 80 | For newly created lots. |
Cul-de-sac (min.) | 80 | - | - | |
Setbacks | ||||
Front (feet) | ||||
1st Floor (min.) | 20 | 20 | 20 | |
2nd Floor (min.) | 20 | 20 | 20 | |
Interior Side (feet) | ||||
1st Floor (min.) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 feet for the first story adjacent to R-1 zone. 5 feet adjacent to R-2/R-3 zone. |
2nd Floor (min.) | 5/10 | 5/10 | 5/10 | An average second story setback of 10 feet must be provided, but not less than five feet. |
Corner Side (feet) | ||||
1st Floor (min.) | 10 | 10 | 10 | |
2nd Floor (min.) | 10 | 10 | 10 | An average second story setback of 10 feet must be provided. |
Rear (feet) | ||||
1st Floor (min.) | 15 | 5 | 5 | |
2nd Floor (min.) | 20 | 10 | 10 | Additional 5-foot setback from ground floor required setback. |
Maximum Building Height (feet) | ||||
Building | 2 stories or 30 feet in height | 2 stories or 30 feet in height | 2 stories or 30 feet in height | Whichever is less. Does not include fully subterranean parking. |
Accessory Building | 15 | 15 | 15 | |
Maximum Floor Area Ratio | ||||
Dwelling & Attached Garages | 0.50* | 0.50* | 0.50* | Of lot size including attached garage. |
Second Floor Size Compared to First Floor Size | 75% | 75% | 75% | |
Maximum Lot Coverage | ||||
Dwellings and structures | 50%* | 50%* | 50%* | |
Minimum Permeable Surface | ||||
Dwellings or structures | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.40 | Does not apply to projects where all the parking is subterranean. |
Minimum Gross Floor Area Per Dwelling Unit (square feet) | ||||
One Bedroom | 750 | 750 | 750 | |
Two Bedrooms | 900 | 900 | 900 | |
Three Bedrooms | 1,100 | 1,000 | 1,000 | |
More Than Three Bedrooms | +150 each additional bedroom | |||
Distance Between Buildings (feet) | ||||
Distance between primary dwellings and accessory structures | 15 | 15 | 15 | |
Distance between all other buildings/structures | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
Minimum Parking Spaces | ||||
Resident Parking (per unit) | 2 | 2 | 2 | Ground level must be in enclosed garage. |
Guest Parking (per unit) | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | Fractions of 0.5 or more must be rounded up. |
* Per Cal. Gov. Code § 65913.11, for projects consisting of 3 to 10 units, lot coverage and FAR restrictions may not prevent multifamily projects from achieving the following floor area ratios: the minimum FAR for projects consisting of 3-7 units is 1.0; the minimum FAR for projects between 8-10 units is 1.25. | ||||
A. Lot Size and Width Requirements:
1. Lot size - For newly created lots, the lot size must be a minimum of seven thousand two hundred (7,200) square feet.
2. Lot width - Each newly created lot must be no less than fifty-feet (50') wide adjacent to an R-1 zone, and sixty feet (60') wide adjacent to R-2, R-3, and non-residential zones. If the parcel is located on a cul-de-sac street, there must be a minimum required lot width of thirty-five feet (35') at the street and fifty feet (50') at the front yard setback.
3. Lot Depth - Each newly created parcel must have a minimum lot depth of eighty feet (80').
4. Cul-De-Sac, Flag Lots, and Tiered Lots - Multi-family uses are not allowed on cul-de-sacs, flag lots, and tiered lots.
B. Yard Setbacks:
1. Front Yard Setbacks:
a. Each lot must maintain a minimum front yard setback of twenty feet (20') in depth.
b. No portion of the building or structure must encroach through a plane projected from an angle of sixty (60) degrees measured at a height of twelve feet (12') at the required front setback line.
2. Side Yard Setbacks:
a. Interior lots must maintain a side yard adjacent to each side lot line of not less than five feet (5') for the first-story portion of the building. For the second story a combined average second story setback of ten feet (10') must be provided, but never less than five feet (5').
b. On a corner lot, properties must maintain a side yard adjacent to the street of not less than ten feet (10') for the first-story portion when adjacent to any zone. The second-story setback must be a combined average of ten feet (10').
3. Rear Yard Setbacks: When the property to the rear is zoned R-1, the rear yard setback must not be less than fifteen feet (15'). When the property to the rear is not zoned R-1, the rear yard setback must not be less than five feet (5'). When the property to the rear is zoned R-1, the second story rear setback must be no less than twenty feet (20'). When the property to the rear is not zoned R-1, second story rear setback must be no less than ten feet (10').
C. Placement of Buildings:
1. Buildings and structures must be a minimum of five feet (5') away from each other, except as allowed in Section 9-1N-6 (Encroachments).
2. No portion of any principal dwelling may be located in any required yard area, except as allowed in Section 9-1N-6 (Encroachments).
D. Maximum Floor Area Ratio:
1. No multiple-family residential project may exceed a total floor area ratio (FAR) of 0.50* (see note in Table 9-1G-8 regarding SB 478).
2. The floor area of the second story must not exceed seventy-five percent (75%) of the floor area of the first story. In calculating the floor area of the ground floor, the definition of floor area ratio is used.
E. Accessory Uses And Structures:
1. Accessory uses and structures, including accessory dwelling units, pool houses, workshops, sheds, and the like, but not including required garages, are limited to one (1) per lot and must be located in the rear fifty percent (50%) of the lot.
2. An accessory structure of one hundred twenty (120) square feet or less may be placed within a required side or rear setback, provided there is a minimum of five feet (5') of setback between the accessory structure and the property line. The exception is centralized trash enclosures which must be setback a minimum of two feet (2') from all property lines and a minimum of fifteen feet (15') from any window.
3. If either an alley or a utility easement exists along the rear of the lot, not less than ten feet (10') of the rear lot line must be maintained free and clear of buildings or structures, except for a fence with a gate to provide access to the alley or utility easement.
4. Portable shade structures are prohibited in the front yard and in the corner side yard.
F. Vehicle Parking and Driveways:
1. Each lot or parcel of land in zone R-2 must have-on the same lot or parcel of land-a minimum of two (2) off-street parking spaces per main dwelling unit outside of any required setback.
2. Garages must be setback ten feet (10') from the main building elevation.
3. Each required parking space in a garage must be no less than ten feet (10') wide and twenty feet (20') long.
4. Tandem parking may only be used for developments with two (2) or more units.
5. Guest parking may not be in the front yard, street side yard, in a required driveway, or a fire lane. Vehicle parking at grade may not be in the front or side yard areas, except on paved driveways. "No Parking" signs must be placed conspicuously at the entrance to and at intervals of not less than fifty feet (50') along every required driveway.
6. For lots with two units, driveways are limited to a maximum paved width of sixteen feet (16'). No more than twelve feet (12') of the vehicular access to the garage may consist of hardscape; the remaining four feet (4') on either side must consist of landscaping. For lots less than eighty feet (80') in width only one (1) driveway is allowed. The minimum driveway width will be ten feet (10') for sites with twenty-five (25) or fewer spaces. For sites with more than twenty-five (25) spaces, the minimum driveway width is ten feet (10') wide for each one (1)-way driveway or twenty feet (20') for two (2)-way driveways. If two (2) driveways are required, the driveways must be placed on opposite sides of the site. Where a lot abuts an alley, parking access must be from the alleyway and not from the primary street. If a parcel already has a driveway and a unit is added to the rear of the parcel, parking access for any new units must be from the alleyway and not from the primary street or existing driveway.
7. Walkways must not be placed directly adjacent and parallel to driveways, so as to expand the maximum size of driveways. Walkways parallel to driveways must be placed a minimum of three feet (3') from the driveway.
8. There must be no more than one (1) driveway per site, unless waived by the Community Development Director for the project to comply with the Fire or Building Code or in cases such as through lots, or large developments.
9. Entrances to units should be from open space areas, not from driveways.
G. Landscape and Hardscape Requirements:
1. At a minimum, twenty-five percent (25%) of a parcel must be landscaped. The landscaped area must include a minimum of seventy percent (70%) of live vegetation. Live vegetation includes lawn areas, shrubs, and flowerbeds and does not include permeable pavers, turf block, or grasscrete.
2. A minimum of forty percent (40%) of a parcel area must be permeable.
3. Hardscape in the front yard must not exceed the following:
a. On parcels less than fifty feet (50') in width, no more than forty percent (40%) of the front yard may be hardscape.
b. On parcels fifty (50) to eighty (80) feet in width, no more than thirty-five percent (35%) of the front yard may be hardscape.
c. On parcels greater than eighty feet (80') in width, no more than thirty percent (30%) of the front yard may be hardscape.
4. See section 9-1N-11 (Artificial Turf) for regulations related to artificial turf, including maximum coverage.
5. A combination of trees, shrubs, and ground cover must be incorporated into landscaping plans.
a. Three trees must be at least thirty-six (36)-inch box trees. All other trees should be twenty-four (24)-inch boxes.
b. Shrubs must be five (5)-gallons.
c. Landscape plans must be prepared by a licensed landscaped architect.
6. All landscaped areas and materials must be regularly and properly maintained.
7. Mulch or stone-type materials should be placed between plants as ground cover or backdrop, not as a replacement for live vegetation. Plants should be spaced so that at maturity, the plants eventually cover most, if not all, of the mulch or stone material.
8. The use of mounding grasses such as Festuca californica, Festuca rubra, and Carex pansa are preferred.
9. Bare dirt is not permitted within the front yard or visible street side yard. All bare dirt areas must be finished with a minimum three-inch (3")-thick layer of mulch, organic bark, or earth-tone-colored rubber bark.
10. Rocks, stones, and pebbles are not to be used near public sidewalks or streets because they are a slipping hazard.
11. Dry stream beds and areas of decomposed granite must not account for more than twenty percent (20%) of the front or rear yard.
12. Paved pathways to the front door should be no more than five feet (5') wide, and all other pathways should be no more than three feet wide.
13. Landscaping on Projects with Subterranean Parking:
a. Grass, groundcovers, and artificial turf must be at grade. Taller shrubs, grasses, and other ornamental plants must be at grade or in planters no less than eighteen inches (18") in height. Raised planters should be minimized to the extent feasible.
b. For main courtyards thirty feet (30') or more in width, at least one (1) medium tree with a twenty-four-foot (24') canopy or more at maturity must be planted in the main courtyard. For main courtyards less than thirty feet (30') in width, at least two (2) small trees with a twelve-foot (12') canopy, or more at maturity, must be provided. Trees must be planted in a minimum three-foot (3') deep planter (not exceeding eighteen inches (18") above finished grade in main courtyards).
c. Medium canopy trees must be planted in an area that is a minimum eighteen feet (18') in width and length or diameter. Small canopy trees must be planted in an area that is a minimum ten feet (10') in width and length or diameter.
d. A minimum of three feet (3') in depth is required for tree plantings in courtyards, above the top plate of subterranean parking.
H. Common Open Space Requirements:
1. Common open space is required for developments with more than two (2) units.
2. A minimum of twenty percent (20%) of the lot size must be provided for common open space.
3. Common open space must have a minimum dimension of thirty feet (30') for lots more than sixty feet (60') in width and twenty feet (20') for lots less than sixty feet (60') in width.
4. Common open space includes recreational-leisure areas, private areas (no more than one hundred twenty-five (125) square feet in size), or a combination of both.
5. Common recreational areas must be located on the same property as the residential use it serves and must be available exclusively for the use of all residents of the development.
6. Private useable open space will be contiguous to the residential units served. Private open space may be delineated by a wall, fence, hedge no taller than forty-two inches (42") in height.
7. All common areas will be developed and professionally maintained in accordance with approved landscape and irrigation plans.
I. Main Courtyard Requirements:
1. For sites with more than two (2) units and having a width of fifty feet (50') or more, a main courtyard must be provided on the lot.
2. The main courtyard must be no less than ten percent (10%) of the total lot area and in no case less than six hundred (600) square feet with a minimum width and length of:
a. Fifteen feet (15') measured parallel to the front and side parcel lines, for lots less than eighty feet (80') in width; and
b. Twenty feet (20') measured parallel to the front and side parcel lines, for lots greater than or equal to eighty feet (80') in width.
3. All courtyards must be open to the sky, but may include the following permitted projections:
a. Eaves may project up to three feet (3') into courtyards.
b. Exterior, unenclosed building elements such as stoops, balconies and open stairs may encroach three feet (3') into courtyards.
4. If mechanical or utility equipment is placed in courtyards, it must be screened visually and acoustically and must not encroach into the required courtyard areas. Mechanical or utility equipment can be in private open space.
5. On lots greater than or equal to eighty feet (80') in width, a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of any courtyard's perimeter must be surrounded by a building. On lots less than eighty feet (80') in width, any courtyard's perimeter should be surrounded by buildings as much as feasible.
6. The main courtyards must be visible and accessible from the sidewalk. Each ground floor unit must have access to a courtyard. The main courtyard must be visible from the street with a minimum ten-foot (10') wide opening that is open to the sky. For openings less than eighteen feet (18') in width into the main courtyard, the depth of the opening must not exceed twice the width of the opening.
7. All primary entrances to ground floor units must be accessed from the street frontage or a courtyard.
8. All courtyards must meet the planting and tree requirements in section 9-1G-22-G.
9. Private open space within a courtyard is limited to a maximum of one hundred twenty-five (125) square feet or twenty-five percent (25%) of the courtyard, whichever is less.
J. Walls and Fences:
1. No fences or walls will be allowed in the front yard, and all walls and fences must be non-view obstructing.
2. Design requirements for walls and fences are found in Article N, Site Planning and General Design Standards.
K. Grading and Drainage for Sites with At-Grade Parking:
1. Where existing drainage flows from adjacent sites, the subject site must continue to accept cross lot drainage and must not be designed in such a way as to drain toward adjacent sites. The subject site must not create any barriers that prohibit existing drainage flows from adjacent sites. In cases where compliance with this requirement is deemed not feasible by the city, the director may approve modifications to encourage as much onsite infiltration and detention as feasible.
2. If the proposed finished grade will not alter existing cross lot drainage patterns, the difference between the grade of the subject site and adjacent sites must be within eight inches (8"). If the proposed finished grade will alter existing cross lot drainage patterns, the applicant must demonstrate how the subject property will address existing cross lot drainage patterns.
L. Additional Requirements: New dwellings constructed within five hundred feet (500') of an arterial street or a railway must be provided with a mechanical ventilation system designed to attain enhanced air filtration with the use of air filters that have a filtration efficiency equivalent to a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of eleven (11) or higher as determined by testing methods established by the American Society Of Heating, Refrigerating And Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard 52.2, as periodically amended. All such ventilation system equipment and air filters must be installed, operated, maintained and replaced in a manner consistent with applicable building code requirements and with the manufacturer's specifications and recommendations. Alternative air pollution mitigation measures (e.g., setbacks, landscaped buffers, etc.) may be utilized where feasible if they can be shown to have a mitigating effect that is equal to or greater than the enhanced air filtration measures specified herein.
M. Trash areas: Trash containers must provide not less than fifty (50) gallons of capacity per dwelling unit. All containers must be regularly cleaned and maintained and provided with tight fitting lids. Refuse storage areas will be so located as to be easily accessible for trash pick-up. All outdoor trash, garbage and refuse containers will be screened on all sides from public view by a minimum six-foot (6')-high concrete or masonry decorative block wall, and the opening provided with a gate of a durable wood or comparable material.
N. Accessory storage: A minimum of sixty (60) cubic feet of enclosed accessory storage space must be provided per dwelling unit.
(Ord. 19-1036; amd. Ord. 20-1047; Ord. 22-1068; Ord. 23-1070)