18.16.260 Live/Work.
A. Purpose. The purpose of this section is to make new and existing commercial buildings available for joint living and work quarters for individuals and families engaged in art-making, small-scale custom manufacturing and similar creative endeavors and other uses permitted in the base zoning district. The cultural and economic life of the City is enhanced by the residents regularly engaged in the arts. It is the intent of these regulations to:
1. Allow the reuse of existing buildings as live/work space.
2. Allow for the construction of new buildings specifically designed for live/work.
3. Ensure that the permitted commercial uses shall not be interfered with or compromised by the live/work uses allowed under these regulations.
B. Use Permit. Live/work uses will be permitted in the C-1 and C-2 Commercial Districts and the L-1 Industrial District only with approval of a use permit pursuant to Larkspur Municipal Code Chapter 18.76 and subject to the following provisions listed below, except as modified by a use permit. Live/work uses may also be permitted or conditionally permitted within a Planned Development District if specified in an approved Precise Development Plan.
C. Live/work buildings shall comply with the following standards:
1. The minimum total gross square footage of a live/work space shall be seven hundred fifty (750) square feet.
2. Density for live/work space shall comply with the floor area ratio (FAR) for the underlying zoning district. The living portion of the space shall not be exempt from the FAR standards.
3. The workspace must meet the requirements of the building and fire code for the type of activity/use being undertaken.
The living portion of the unit shall be incidental to the workspace and the live/work space shall be maintained and classified as a business use. There shall be an interior connection between the live and work portions of the unit.
4. The parking and loading requirements for live/work shall be the same as for the similar commercial or industrial use for the commercial or industrial portion of the building or there shall be at least a minimum of one parking space per live/work unit, whichever is greater. Additional parking spaces may be required as determined by the Planning Commission, during the conditional use permit process.
5. The yard/setback requirements shall be the same as the base zoning designation.
6. The height limit requirements shall be the same as the base zoning designation.
7. The permitted work activities shall be in accordance with the base zoning designation.
8. The occupant of a live/work space, by selecting this type of occupancy, accepts the conditions found in the area including, but not limited to, industrial noise, pollution, fumes, dirt, traffic, and odors to the extent that they are permitted by law in the base district. The occupant and property owner should also be aware that a proposed activity or use might require building and fire code upgrades (e.g., firewalls, fire sprinklers). Conditions to this effect shall be recorded with the property and included in any lease agreement.
9. The live/work use must be in compliance with all applicable City performance standards and regulations.
10. There shall be no storage of flammable liquids or hazardous materials beyond that normally associated with a residential use. Storage of flammable liquids and hazardous materials beyond that normally associated with a residential use, such as for an artist studio, shall be allowed only through an approved conditional use permit and approval from the Fire Marshal and Chief Building Official.
11. The living space shall not be rented separately from the working space.
12. There shall be no signs or advertising in conjunction with a live/work facility, except as may be permitted pursuant to Larkspur Municipal Code Chapter 18.60.
13. Live/work units shall be occupied and used only by a business operator, or a family of which at least one member shall be the business operator. (Ord. 1069 § 5, 2023; Ord. 1030 § 2(12), 2018; Ord. 940 § 2, 2004)