City f San Luis Obisp Zning Regulatins December 2013 parking areas, parking f vehicles fr purpses f vernight camping r sleeping is prhibited by and shall be subject t enfrcement in accrdance with Chapter 10.34. (Ord. 1584 3, 2012: Ord. 1484 14, 2005: Ord. 1277 5, 1995). 17.16.020 Yards. A. Definitins and Purpse. 1. A "yard" is an area alng a prperty line within which n structures, parking spaces r parking backup spaces may be lcated, except as therwise prvided in these regulatins. Yards are intended t help determine the pattern f building masses and pen areas within neighbrhds. They als prvide separatin between cmbustible materials in neighbring buildings. Yards are further intended t help prvide landscape beauty, air circulatin, views and expsure t sunlight fr bth natural illuminatin and use f slar energy. 2. These regulatins prvide fr tw types f yards: a. "Street yard" means a yard adjacent t a lcal street, State highway, r adpted setback line. Frntages n Highway 101 are nt street yards. b. An "ther yard" is any yard ther than a street yard (i.e. side and rear yards). B. Measurement f Yards. 1. Street yards shall be measured frm the right-f-way line r adpted setback line t the nearest pint f the wall f any building. 2. Other yards shall be measured frm the prperty line t the nearest pint f the wall f any building. 3. The height f a building in relatin t yard standards is the vertical distance frm the grund t the tp f the rf, measured at a pint which is a specific distance frm the prperty line. Height measurements shall be based n the existing tpgraphy f the site, befre grading fr prpsed n-site imprvements. (Ord. 1365 (2000 Series)(part)) C. Yard Standards. 1. Street yards shall cmply with the fllwing: Table 2: Minimum Street Yards Zne Minimum Street Yard R-1 20 feet R-2 20 feet R-3 15 feet R-4 15 feet C/OS 20 feet O 15 feet PF As prvided in zne f adjacent lt* C-N 10 feet C-C As prvided in zne f adjacent lt* C-D As prvided in zne f adjacent lt* C-R As prvided in zne f adjacent lt* C-T 10 feet C-S See Chapter 17.46 M See Chapter 17.48 BP See Chapter 17.49 Page 38
December 2013 City f San Luis Obisp Zning Regulatins * If the zne f adjacent lt des nt have its wn standard, n street yard is required. Lts separated by streets r ther rights-f-way are nt cnsidered adjacent. If mre than ne zne is adjacent, the largest yard shall be required. 2. Other yards shall cmply with the fllwing: Table 3: Minimum Other Yards In R-1 and R-2 Znes Maximum Building Minimum Required Height * Yard ** A pint this high n the rf f a building: Must be at least this far frm the prperty line: 1-12 5.0 (min.in R-1 & R-2) 13 5.5 14-15 6.0 16-17 7.0 18-19 8.0 20 8.5 21-22 9.0 23-24 10.0 25 10.5 26 11.0 27 11.5 28 12.0 29 12.5 30-31 13.0 32 13.5 33 14.0 34 14.5 35 15.0 *Building heights shall be runded t the nearest whle ft. ** Yards shall be runded t the nearest 0.5 ft. Page 39
City f San Luis Obisp Zning Regulatins December 2013 Table 4: Minimum Other Yards In R-3, R-4, O And C-N Znes Maximum Building Height* A pint this high n the rf f a building: Minimum Required Yard** Must be at least this far frm the prperty line: 1-13 5 (min. yard) 14-15 5.5 16-17 6 18-20 6.5 21-22 7 23-24 7.5 25-26 8 27-29 8.5 30-31 9 32-33 9.5 34-35 (max. height) 10 * Building heights shall be runded t the nearest whle ft. ** Yards shall be runded t the nearest 0.5 ft. Table 5: Minimum Other Yards In C/OS, PF, C-C, C-D, C-R, C-T, C-S, M, and BP Znes Zne Minimum Other Yard C/OS 20 feet PF As prvided in zne f adjacent lt* C-C As prvided in zne f adjacent lt* C-D As prvided in zne f adjacent lt* C-R As prvided in zne f adjacent lt* C-T As prvided in zne f adjacent lt* C-S See Chapter 17.46 M See Chapter 17.48 BP See Chapter 17.49 * If the zne f adjacent lt des nt have its wn standard, n yard is required. Lts separated by streets r ther rights-f-way are nt cnsidered adjacent. If mre than ne zne is adjacent, the largest yard shall be required. 3. Yards with City-required landscape plans and strm water facilities shall be landscaped and maintained in accrdance with apprved plans. D. What may Occupy Yards. 1. Utility Structures. Cmpnents f public utility systems may be lcated within street yards when apprved by the Architectural Review Cmmissin. 2. Fences, Walls and Hedges. Fences, walls and hedges may ccupy yards t the extent prvided in Sectin 17.16.050. (Vegetatin may be cntrlled by the Califrnia Slar Shade Cntrl Act.) Page 40
December 2013 City f San Luis Obisp Zning Regulatins 3. Arbrs and Trellises. Arbrs and trellises may ccupy yards subject t the extent prvided in Sectin 17.16.050. Arbrs and trellises shall nt be cnnected t r supprted by a building, nr be designed t supprt lads ther than vines r similar plantings. They are nt cnsidered structures fr zning purpses and shall nt be used as pati cvers. 4. Signs. Signs in cnfrmance with the Sign Regulatins cdified in Chapter 15.40 may ccupy yards t the extent prvided in thse regulatins. 5. Architectural Features. The fllwing and similar architectural features may extend int a required yard n mre than 30 inches: a. Crnices, canpies, eaves, buttresses, chimneys, slar cllectrs, shading luvers, reflectrs, water heater enclsures, and bay r ther prjecting windws that d nt include usable flr space (Figure 1). Figure 1 b. Uncvered balcnies, uncvered prches, r decks may extend int the required yard nt mre than fur feet r ne-half the required yard distance, whichever is less. Fire escapes, exit stairs r ther required exits may be required t meet greater setbacks t cmply with Building Cde requirements. c. Decks, planters and similar features less than 30 inches abve grade may be lcated within the required yards. 6. Trash Enclsures. Trash enclsures which have been apprved by the Architectural Review Cmmissin may be lcated within a required yard, prvided n part f the enclsure is less than three feet frm any right-f-way r adpted setback line. 7. Vehicle Parking. Vehicle parking in frnt yard areas f residential prperties shall cnfrm t sectin 17.17.055 f this cde. N persn shall stp, park, r leave standing any vehicle, whether attended r unattended, within any street yard r upn any unpaved surface as defined in Sectins 12.38.040 and 17.16.020 f this cde. 8. Unenclsed Parking Spaces in Other Yards. Unenclsed parking spaces and parking aisles may be lcated within ther yards. Fr residential prperties parking spaces may nt be lcated within the frnt yard area unless cnsistent with sectin 17.17.055. 9. Unenclsed. Tandem Parking Spaces. Fr single dwellings required parking may be apprved by the Directr t be in tandem where safe and cmpatible with the surrunding neighbrhd. 10. Enclsed and Unenclsed Parking Spaces in Street Yard Prhibited. In n case may an enclsed parking space r required parking space frm which vehicles exit directly nt the street be lcated less than 20 feet frm the street right-f-way r setback line except as prvided in 17.16.020E.2 belw, r as prvided in 17.17.055.D. Page 41
City f San Luis Obisp Zning Regulatins December 2013 E. Exceptin t Yard Requirements. These regulatins prvide tw general types f exceptins t the yard requirements: first, thse which the prperty is entitled t because f physical circumstances and secnd, thse which the City may apprve upn request and subject t certain discretinary criteria. 1. Exceptins Prperty May Be Entitled T. a. Street Yards n Crner Lts Recrded Befre April 1, 1965. On crner lts in the R-1 and R-2 znes, recrded befre April 1, 1965, the street yard alng the lt frntage having the lnger dimensin shall be nt less than 10 feet, as in Figure 2. Figure 2 b. Street Yards n Crner Lts Where Each Crner Lt has Its Lnger Frntage Alng the Crss Street. In the R-1 and R-2 znes, when each crner lt n a crss street has its lnger frntage alng the crss street, as in Figure 3, the street yard alng the lngest frntage shall be nt less than 10 feet. Figure 3 c. Street Yard Averaging (develped areas). Where these regulatins require street yards and where buildings have been erected n at least ne-half f the lts in a blck as f the effective date f the regulatins cdified in this sectin, the minimum required street yard shall be the average f the street yards f the develped lts, but in n case less than 10 feet nr mre than wuld therwise be required. d. Reduced Street Yard fr New Structure Prviding Additinal Creek Setback. Where a new structure prvides a creek setback larger than required by this title, the required street yard shall be reduced ne ft fr each ne ft f additinal creek setback, s lng as the street yard is at least ne-half that required by Table 2. 2. Discretinary Exceptins. a. Reduced Street Yards. Upn apprval f a use permit, r in cnjunctin with tandem parking apprval, the directr may allw street yards t be reduced t zer fr unenclsed parking spaces. Street yard reductins are nt intended t allw fr garage cnversins. Street yards may be reduced t 10-feet fr structures including carprts. Reductins may be apprved fr garages when the driveway is lng enugh t accmmdate a parked car that desn't verhang the sidewalk (18.5 feet min.). Page 42
December 2013 City f San Luis Obisp Zning Regulatins b. Variable Street Yards in Subdivisins. In new residential subdivisins, the entity apprving the subdivisin may apprve variable street yards, t be nted n the apprved map, prvided the average f the yards n a blck is at least 15 feet and n yard is less than 10 feet. Garages r carprts which back directly nt the public right-f-way shall maintain a minimum setback s that a parked car desn t verhang the sidewalk (18.5 feet). c. Variable Other Yards in Subdivisins. In new residential subdivisins, the entity apprving the subdivisin map may apprve exceptins t the ther yard standards, with the exceptins t be nted n the map, prvided a separatin f at least 10 feet between buildings n adjacent lts will be maintained and an acceptable level f slar expsure will be guaranteed by alternative yard requirements r private easements t ensure the develpment will cmply with slar access standards f General Plan Cnservatin and Open Space Element Plicy 4.5.1. d. Other Yard Variatins in Previusly Subdivided Areas. Upn apprval f a use permit, the Directr may allw ther yards t be reduced t zer under either f the fllwing circumstances: i. When there exists adequate recrded agreement running with the land t maintain at least 10 feet f separatin between buildings n adjacent parcels and the develpment will cmply with slar access standards f General Plan Cnservatin and Open Space Element Plicy 4.5.1; r ii. When the reductin is fr either a minr additin t an existing legal structure which is nn-cnfrming with regard t yard requirements r fr a detached single-stry accessry structure prvided that the Directr makes the fllwing findings: (Ord. 1365 (2000 Series)(part)) in the case f a minr additin, that the minr additin is a lgical extensin f the existing nn-cnfrming structure; (Ord. 1365 (2000 Series)(part)) in the case f a detached single-stry accessry structure, that the accessry structure is cnsistent with the traditinal develpment pattern f the neighbrhd and will have a greater street yard setback than the main structure; (Ord. 1365 (2000 Series)(part)) that adjacent affected prperties will nt be deprived f reasnable slar expsure; (Ord. 1365 (2000 Series)(part)) and the develpment will cmply with slar access standards f General Plan Cnservatin and Open Space Element Plicy 4.5.1. that n useful purpse wuld be realized by requiring the full yard; that n significant fire prtectin, emergency access, privacy r security impacts are likely frm the additin; and that it is impractical t btain a 10-ft separatin easement pursuant t subsectin "i" abve. All such minr additins and new accessry structures shall cmply with applicable prvisins f Title 15, Building and Cnstructin Regulatins, f this cde (see als Chapter 17.14, Nn-cnfrming structures). (Ord. 1365 (2000 Series) (part)) e. Other Yard Building Height Exceptins. Upn apprval f a use permit, the Directr may allw exceptins t the standards prvided in Tables 3, 4, and 5 f subsectin C2 f this sectin. Such exceptins may be granted in any f the Page 43
City f San Luis Obisp Zning Regulatins December 2013 fllwing and similar circumstances, but in n case shall exceptins be granted fr less than the minimum yard required: (Ord. 1365 (2000 Series)(part)) i. When the prperty that will be shaded by the excepted develpment will nt be develped r will nt be deprived f reasnable slar expsure, cnsidering its tpgraphy and zning; ii. When the exceptin is f a minr nature, invlving an insignificant prtin f ttal available slar expsure; iii. When the prperties at issue are within an area where use f slar energy is generally infeasible because f landfrm shading; iv. When adequate recrded agreement running with the land exists t prtect established slar cllectrs and prbable cllectr lcatins; v. When the prperty t be shaded is a street. vi. Where n significant fire prtectin, emergency access, privacy r security impacts are likely t result frm the exceptin. (Ord. 1365 (2000 Series)(part)) vii. The develpment will cmply with slar access standards f General Plan Cnservatin and Open Space Element Plicy 4.5.1. f. Intersectin Visibility. At the intersectins nt cntrlled by a stp sign r traffic signal, n plant, structure r ther slid bject ver three feet high which wuld bstruct visibility may be lcated within the area indicated in Figure 4. At cntrlled intersectins, the City Engineer may determine visibility requirements fr prper sight distance. (Nte: Yard requirements may als be mdified by variance, Chapter 17.60; planned develpment, Chapter 17.62; specific plan, Chapter 17.52; r special cnsideratin zne, Chapter 17.56.) (Ord. 1102 - Ex. A(7), (8), 1987; Ord. 1085-1 Ex. A (part), 1987; Ord. 1009-1, 1984; Ord. 1006-1 (part), 1984; Ord. 941-1 (part), 1982: prir cde - 9202.5(C)) Figure 4 Any ther exceptin t the height limits requires apprval f a variance as prvided in Chapter 17.60. Fr height limits f signs, see Chapter 15.40. Sign Regulatins. (Ord. 1085-1 Ex. A (part), 1987; Ord. 1006-1 (part), 1984; Ord. 941-1 (part), 1982: prir cde - 9202.5(E)) Page 44