Residential land is separated into five (5) zoning districts, with specific Use Types, minimum lot area, and other requirements, as described below.
(a) Rural Residential - 5 acre minimum parcel size (RR-5) Zone. The purpose of the Rural Residential-5 Zone (RR-5) is to recognize existing rural residential areas with no public water and sewer systems surrounded by intensive agriculture, with lot sizes of generally five (5) acres or more. The RR-5 Zone is notably applied in Monument Hills, an area of poorer quality soils. The predominant land use in the zone is large lot rural homes, although attached and/or detached ancillary or second units, and farm worker housing is allowed. The RR-5 Zone is one of the two (2) zoning districts that is consistent with the Rural Residential (RR) land use designation set by the 2030 Countywide General Plan. General Plan Policy AG-1.5 states that areas designated as Agriculture are strongly discouraged from being redesignated to RR or any other non-Agriculture designation. Thus, it is anticipated that the RR-5 zoning will not be extended to any additional areas during the 2030 planning period. The minimum lot size for newly created parcels in the RR-5 Zone is five (5.0) acres.
(b) Rural Residential-2 acre minimum parcel size (RR-2) Zone. The Rural Residential-2 (RR-2) Zone, like the RR-5 Zone, recognizes existing areas in the County that have been developed with very low density (one (1) to five (5) acre) large lot homes with no public services such as water or sewer. The RR-2 Zone allows for a limited variety of agricultural uses, including the keeping of animals, which is regulated based on the size of the parcel. The RR-2 Zone is most notably
applied to the Hardwoods area of Dunnigan, which does not currently have public services but is expected to be connected to public water and sewer within the 2030 planning period. The RR-2 Zone is one of the two (2) zoning districts that is consistent with the Rural Residential (RR) land use designation set by the 2030 Countywide General Plan. As in the case of the RR-5 Zone, General Plan policy strongly discourages areas that are now designated as Agriculture from being redesignated to RR or any other non-Agriculture designation. Thus, it is anticipated that the RR-2 zoning will not be extended to any additional areas during the 2030 planning period. The minimum lot size for newly created parcels in the RR-1 Zone is two (2.0) acres.
(c) Low Density Residential (R-L) Zone. The Low Density Residential (R-L) Zone includes traditionally low density neighborhoods with primarily detached single family homes located in existing unincorporated towns such as Esparto, Knights Landing, Clarksburg, Madison, Dunnigan, Yolo, and Zamora. Some of these areas have public services including water and sewer, while others do not. Lot sizes in communities zoned R-L with no or limited public services are restricted in size to no less than two acres, in order to accommodate on-site wells and leachfields. Along with single family homes, the R-L Zone also allows duplexes (two family)and small multifamily housing such as “triplexes” (three family), and “four-plexes” (four family). The R-L Zone is the one zoning district that is consistent with the Residential Low (RL) land use designation set by the 2030 Countywide General Plan. The density allowed in the R-L Zone is between one (1.0) and ten (10.0) housing units per net acre. The minimum lot size for newly created parcels in the R-L Zone is one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet. The maximum lot size for newly created parcels with water and sewer services is one (1) acre.
(d) Medium Density Residential (R-M) Zone. The Medium Density Residential (R-M) Zone includes parcels in neighborhoods with a mix of housing densities, including detached and attached single family homes, condominiums, townhouses, “garden” apartment complexes, and mobile home parks. The R-M zone is applied only in unincorporated towns that are served by some public water and/or sewer system, i.e. Esparto, Knights Landing, Madison, Dunnigan, and Yolo. Certain small compatible neighborhood-serving retail, office, and service uses are also allowed within the R-M Zone as “mixed use residential” activities. The R-M Zone is the one zoning district that is consistent with the Residential Medium (RM) land use designation set by the 2030 Countywide General Plan. The density allowed in the R-M Zone is between ten (10.0) and twenty (20.0) housing units per net acre. The minimum lot size for newly created parcels in the R-M Zone is one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet.
(e) High Density Residential (R-H) Zone. The High Density Residential (R-H) Zone includes parcels and neighborhoods planned for the more dense condominium, townhouse, and apartment projects. The R-H zone is applied only in unincorporated towns that are served by both public water and sewer systems, i.e. Esparto, Knights Landing, Madison, and Dunnigan. Mixed uses are encouraged in the R-H Zone, and a greater variety of neighborhood-serving retail, office, and service uses are allowed within the R-H Zone than in the R-M Zone. The R-H Zone is consistent with the Residential High (RH) land use designation set by the 2030 Countywide General Plan. The density allowed in the R-H Zone is greater than twenty (20.0) housing units per net acre. The minimum lot size for newly created parcels in the R-H Zone is one thousand five hundred (1,500) square feet.
(Ord. 1445, eff. August 14, 2014; as amended by § 2, Ord. 1497, eff. June 7, 2018; as amended by § 3, Ord. 1547, eff. March 10, 2022)