Chapter 18.62
SPECIAL YARD AND AREA REGULATIONS

Sections:

18.62.010  Public street frontage required.

18.62.020  Building site area.

18.62.030  Yards.

18.62.040  Improvement on through lots.

18.62.050  Rear yard – Modification corner lots.

18.62.010 Public street frontage required.

Except where otherwise provided for in this title, no building permit may be issued for any building or structure on any property unless said property abuts for a minimum distance of thirty-five (35) feet directly upon a public street. No building permit may be issued for any building or structure upon property which abuts solely upon a private road easement or other access not a public road, or for any property which abuts solely upon the end of a street which is not a publicly dedicated cul-de-sac. (Zoning Ord. § 31-1).

18.62.020 Building site area.

(a) Any lot or parcel of land and of record on January 11, 1955, and where no adjoining land at such date or thereafter in the same or common ownership with said parcel may be used as a building site, even when of less area or width than that required by the regulations for the district in which it is located, provided the lot area has not been decreased to less than five thousand five hundred (5,500) square feet since January 11, 1955, and subject also to the requirements of all other sections of this title, and all other pertinent ordinances of the City.

(b) The building site area is also deemed adequate of the property included in and assessed for a parking assessment district where the prescribed parking is provided by means of said parking district and such parking is approved by the City Council for the specific use proposed. (Zoning Ord. § 31-2).

18.62.030 Yards.

(a) Where four or more lots in a block have been improved with buildings, the minimum required front yard for main buildings shall be the average of the front yards of the improved lots if less than the front yard requirements.

(b) Architectural features such as cornices, eaves, and canopies shall not extend more than four feet into any required front yard, rear yard, or corner lot side yard; they may project to within two feet of any interior side lot line. Fireplace chimneys shall project not more than two feet into any required yard.

(c) Open uncovered porches or landing places not exceeding three feet in height may project to within three feet of any side lot line, and not exceeding six feet into any required front yard. Steps or stairs necessary for access are not to be included as part of the projection.

(d) Whenever an official plan line has been established for any street, required yards shall be measured from such line and in no case shall the provisions of this title be construed as permitting any encroachment upon any official plan line.

(e) On any parcel of land having an average width of less than fifty (50) feet, which parcel was of record on January 11, 1955, or is shown as a lot on any subdivision map on file in the office of County Recorder of the County of Santa Clara on said date and where no adjoining land is in the same or common ownership with said lot or parcel, then the width of each interior side yard may be reduced to ten percent of the width of such parcel, but in no case to less than three feet.

(f) Access yards and distance between buildings for dwelling groups shall be required as follows.

(1) Distance between buildings in any dwelling group shall be a minimum ten feet.

(2) Any yard providing access to a single row of group dwellings shall be a minimum twelve (12) feet.

(3) Inner court providing access to a double-row dwelling group shall be a minimum twenty (20) feet.

(g) The minimum frontage requirement for cul-de-sac turnaround areas shall be thirty-five (35) feet.

(h) No swimming pool or any accessory feature thereof shall be located within any required front or corner lot street side yard setback area.

(i) Swimming pools (to include "doughboy" or similar portable-type pools) shall not be located within five feet of any property line. Pumps and filter installations must also comply with this same five-foot setback requirement unless they are located outside the required twenty (20)-foot rear yard setback area, in which case no setback from the property line is required. Depth of excavation shall not exceed the horizontal distance from any building, with a minimum distance of five feet from said building. Property on which any swimming pool is located shall be fenced to afford a six-foot fence and to prevent access thereto by unauthorized persons. Gates shall be secured with self-latching devices, located at least five feet above ground level, at all times during which the pool is unattended.

(j) In computing the depth of a rear yard, for any building where such yard opens onto an alley, one-half of such alley may be assumed to be a portion of the rear yard. (Zoning Ord. § 31-3).

18.62.040 Improvement on through lots.

Where a through lot is improved as one building site, the main building or buildings shall conform to the requirements of the classification of the frontage occupied by such main building or buildings, and no accessory building or buildings or structures shall be located closer to either street than the distance constituting the front yard on such street. Through lots two hundred (200) feet or more in depth may be improved as two separate lots, with the dividing line midway between the street frontages, provided the area of each one-half lot meets the lot area requirement of the zone in which such property is located, and all buildings and structures on each such one-half lot shall be subject to the controls applying to the street upon which such one-half lot faces. (Zoning Ord. § 31-4).

18.62.050 Rear yard – Modification corner lots.

For a good cause shown the City Planner may vary the location of a required rear yard area on a corner lot from opposite the front yard setback to the interior side lot line. Said substituted rear yard location shall contain, from the front setback line to the normal rear lot line, an area at least equal in square footage to that required as a result of a normally located required rear yard setback. The resulting interior side yard (opposite the required front yard setback) shall not be less than five feet. (Zoning Ord. § 31-5).