Bellflower City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 17
32 R-3 MULTIPLE RESIDENTIAL ZONE
§ 17.32.010 Intent and Purpose.
This zone district is a High Density Residential Zone. The range of density permitted is intended to provide a variety of housing types such as garden apartments, town houses, condominiums, and dwelling groups and guarantee their compatibility with surrounding existing residential development. In that much of the development that will occur in this zone will bring people into close living arrangements, such things as dwelling unit privacy, openness, convenient parking, private and common outdoor spaces, security and overall visual qualities will be of utmost importance. Development in this zone, although providing for higher density living environments, will be expected to create a low density residential image.
(Prior code § 19-7.1)
§ 17.32.020 Permitted Uses.
The following uses are permitted in the R-3 Zone.
A.
Any use permitted in the R-2, Medium Density Residential Zone, subject to all conditions applicable thereto.
B.
Multiple family residential uses as follows, subject to the provisions of this Chapter.
1.
Community apartment.
2.
Planned developments (subject to the provisions of Chapter 17.60).
3.
Stock cooperative.
4.
Condominiums.
5.
Multiple family dwellings.
C.
Mixed use, provided that the real property has a General Plan Land Use designation of MU.
(Prior code § 19-7.2; Ord. 1247 § 3, 8/12/13; Ord. 1253 § 3, 10/14/13; Ord. 1346 § 10, 10/23/17; Ord. 1443, 4/28/2025)
§ 17.32.030 Conditional Uses.
All regulations of the R-2 District pertaining to the Use Permits also apply to the R-3 District, and the same uses are permitted only after a valid Conditional Use Permit is approved by the Planning Commission in the manner and subject to the same conditions as provided for in Chapter 17.96. In addition, the following uses may be permitted after approval of the Conditional Use Permit as provided in Chapter 17.96.
A.
Boarding and lodging houses.
B.
Mobile home park.
C.
Private clubs, fraternities, sororities, and lodges, excepting those whose chief activity is a service customarily carried on as a business, and provided the consumption of alcoholic beverages is not permitted on the premises.
D.
Religious facilities, excluding rescue missions and temporary public assemblies, whether held in a permanent building or in a tent or other temporary building. Religious facilities with a total gross floor area of less than 5,000 square feet may be allowed with an Administrative Use Permit.
E.
Public or Private Parking Lots. When the proposed location is an area designated High Density Residential on the General Plan or the location is existing R-3 Zone, the parking lot must be improved as required in Chapter 17.88. The following development standards must be met in addition:
1.
Provide landscaped setbacks as required in the zone district.
2.
Provide a minimum of 10% landscaping on the interior of the parking lot exclusive of required setbacks.
3.
Specific additional requirements to protect the adjacent residential uses, which the Commission determines as necessary.
F.
Child care center, provided that such center is required to maintain:
1.
Licenses from the appropriate agencies of the State of California and the County of Los Angeles.
2.
One parking space must be provided for every two employees plus one parking space for every five children the facility is designed to accommodate. In no event will less than three parking spaces be provided for each such use. All parking must conform to Chapter 17.88.
G.
Residential care facilities for the elderly, as defined in Chapter 17.08 of this Code, provided appropriate license must be obtained from the State of California for seven or more persons. The following requirements apply:
1.
One-half of a parking space per bed must be provided.
2.
Such uses cannot be located within 1,000 feet from any other residential care facility for seven or more persons, including for the elderly.
H.
Group care homes with seven or more clients licensed by a Federal or State Agency for housing and nonmedical care for children, the elderly, or physically or mentally handicapped people in a family-like environment.
I.
Wireless communication facilities, excluding ground mounted antennas.
(Prior code § 19-7.3; Ord. 1247 § 3, 8/12/13; Ord. 1253 § 3, 10/14/13; Ord. 1346 § 11, 10/23/17; Ord. 1417 § 10, 8/8/22; Ord. 1443, 4/28/2025)
§ 17.32.040 Development Standards.
All development in the R-3 Zone shall comply with the development standards set forth in this Chapter.
(Added during 2008 codification)
§ 17.32.050 Dwelling Unit Density.
The R-3 Residential Zone permits densities ranging from 14 to 22 units per net acre. For any given site, the density will be determined by satisfaction of the following standard of a maximum of one dwelling unit for each 1,980 square feet of net land area, provided all other development standards are complied with.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(a))
§ 17.32.060 Site Area.
The minimum lot area shall be not less than 6,000 square feet provided, however, that when a lot has an area less than 6,000 square feet and was recorded as a separate lot or parcel on or before September 3, 1957, said lot or parcel may be occupied by not more than one dwelling unit.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(b))
§ 17.32.070 Height of Main Structures.
No building or structure may exceed three stories or 40 feet in height, whichever is less.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(c); Ord. 1443, 4/28/2025)
§ 17.32.080 Yards.
A.
A front yard setback of not less than 10 feet for one-story buildings and 15 feet for two-story buildings must be provided. No building, structure, or the enlargement of a building or structure is permitted to encroach within the required front yard setback. Notwithstanding the foregoing, properties with less than the minimum required front yard setback may be deemed conforming pursuant to this title.
B.
Side Yards. The side yard for residential buildings shall be determined by the following standards. This method creates a yard area based upon the building wall type.
1.
Wall Type Definitions.
a.
Living Area Walls. Such a wall contains the principal windows of a habitable room, such as living rooms, family rooms, dining rooms and the like.
b.
Bedroom Walls. This is a wall that contains the principal windows of bedrooms.
c.
Secondary Walls. This type of wall contains the windows of kitchens or bathrooms as well as those that have no windows.
2.
Yard Dimensions. The minimum side yard shall be as follows:
a.
Living area walls and bedroom walls: Eight feet.
b.
Secondary walls: Five feet.
C.
The side yard fronting a street must be not less than 10 feet for one-story buildings and 15 feet for two-story buildings.
D.
Rear Yards.
1.
Interior lots must have a rear yard for residential buildings and structures of eight feet when adjacent to living areas and bedrooms and five feet for secondary walls.
2.
Through lots must have a rear yard for residential buildings and structures of 15 feet for one-story buildings and 20 feet for two-story buildings.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(d); Ord. 1179 § 1 (Exh. E), 5/26/09; Ord. 1217 §§ 6—8, 9/26/11; Ord. 1316 § 5, 9/26/16; Ord. 1443, 4/28/2025)
§ 17.32.090 Building Separation.
A.
Building separation standards are established for the following purpose:
1.
To maintain visual privacy from one unit to another;
2.
To reduce disruptive noise between the living areas of units and bedroom areas of other units; and
3.
To provide usable outdoor areas for each unit.
B.
The separation of residential buildings or building wings of the same structure shall be a minimum of 15 feet. The separation of nonresidential portions of residential buildings or building wings of the same structure shall be a minimum of 11 feet.
C.
In the case of the development of detached single dwelling units, the separation of buildings shall be a minimum of 11 feet on the first floor and 16 feet on the second floor.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(e); Ord. 1179 § 1 (Exh. E), 5/26/09)
§ 17.32.100 Building Bulk.
To minimize building bulk and mass, any new two-story residential structure must satisfy the 2/3 rule. The 2/3 rule requires the top story to be not more than 2/3 the size in total floor area of the bottom story.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(f); Ord. 1369 § 6, 1/28/19; Ord. 1443, 4/28/2025)
§ 17.32.110 Usable Open Space.
A.
Usable open space shall be provided in two forms: private and group open space. Usable open space that consists of water-efficient landscaping shall comply with the following:
1.
Water-efficient landscape designs shall consist of low-water-use plants;
2.
Decorative hardscape such as pavers, rocks, stone, brick, etc., may be used in the landscape design as an accent only. In no case shall the landscape design use a majority of decorative hardscape;
3.
Water-efficient landscaping shall be provided with a permanent irrigation system adequate to meet the water needs of all landscape material. Irrigation systems shall be designed to minimize maintenance and water consumption; and
4.
Site plan approval for water-efficient landscaping is required to ensure compliance with this subsection. An application, accompanied by plans, supporting information, and an application fee as established by City Council resolution must first be submitted to the Planning Department. The required content of the application, supporting information, and the plans shall be as determined by the Director of Planning.
B.
1.
Private Open Space. All of the units shall have an appurtenant private patio, deck or balcony, atrium or solarium with a minimum area of 150 square feet, with a minimum dimension of eight feet. In addition, a detached, single-family dwelling project shall provide private yard areas for each of the dwelling units.
2.
Private Yard Areas. The private yard area required for developments of 10 dwelling units or less shall be 20% of the lot area and shall be designated as private open space and allocated to each individual unit. The required front yard setback shall be included in the 20% lot area calculations, but private yard area shall not be placed in the front yard setback. All required front-yard and street-facing side-yard setbacks, excluding driveways and walkways, shall be landscaped and maintained.
C.
Group Open Space.
1.
Group open space for 10 dwelling units or less is not required.
2.
For developments of 11 or more dwelling units, group open space shall be defined as usable open space on the site which is available to all occupants of the development to be used by all residents. This open space shall be generally distributed throughout the development and must be reasonably accessible to all the dwelling units, except the front yard setback, which shall not be counted toward the group open space requirement.
a.
Area. A minimum of 25% of the total land area shall be in group open space. For developments of 11 dwelling units or more a maximum of 75% of the total required group open space may be allocated as additional private open space purposes upon approval of the Planning Director.
b.
Landscaping. A minimum of 50% of the group open space shall be appropriately landscaped with natural plant material. One-half of this amount shall be lawn or turf. The remainder of this space shall be planted in ground cover, trees, shrubs, and in the entire area provided with a permanent irrigation system. Such landscaping shall include a minimum of one tree, a minimum size of 48 inch box pursuant to the standard of the trade for such variety used, for every dwelling unit.
c.
Recreation Facilities. A maximum of 40% of the group open space may be in paved surface including a swimming pool, walks, patios, terraces, courts, and fountains. Recreation buildings or other communal buildings may cover not more than 10% of this area.
D.
Pilot Program. Notwithstanding the landscaping requirements for natural plant materials, the City Council hereby declares, for informational gathering only, one or more pilot programs to allow landscaping to consist of artificial turf may be approved by the Director of Planning; provided, that the Director shall first establish criteria and installation and maintenance standards for the artificial turf pilot program. If at any time in the future the City Council determines artificial turf will not be allowed in the City, including as a pilot program, then, within 10 years after notice from the City, any artificial turf approved as a pilot program shall be removed and replaced with natural plant materials by the owner of the property upon which the artificial turf was installed. Artificial turf may also be installed in the immediately adjacent parkway.
E.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, properties with less than the minimum required usable open space are deemed to be conforming pursuant to Chapter 17.92.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(g); Ord. 1176 § 1, 4/13/09; Ord. 1281 § 9, 9/8/14; Ord. 1316 § 5, 9/26/16; Ord. 1321 § 9, 10/24/16)
§ 17.32.120 Driveways.
Concrete driveways shall be provided with:
A.
Minimum 12 foot wide, if wall exposures are less than 150 lineal feet from a street;
B.
Minimum 20 foot wide, if wall exposures are less than 300 lineal feet from a street for 10 or fewer units;
C.
Minimum 26 foot wide with turnaround, if exposures are equal to or greater than 300 lineal feet from a street or more than 10 units;
D.
The minimum required back-out space shall be in compliance with the "Parking Standards" diagram shown under Section 17.88.020; and
E.
If a portion of the required driveway width is also used as a back-out space and the minimum required back-out space is greater than the minimum required driveway width, the minimum required back-out space requirement shall apply for the portion of the driveway used as back-out space.
F.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, properties with less than the minimum required driveway width are deemed to be conforming pursuant to Chapter 17.92.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(h); Ord. 1150 § 1 (Exh. 5), 11/26/07; Ord. 1179 § 1 (Exh. E), 5/26/09; Ord. 1316 § 5, 9/26/16)
§ 17.32.130 Off-Street Parking.
Off-street parking shall be provided as follows:
A.
A minimum of two enclosed parking spaces shall be provided for the first two bedrooms of each dwelling unit.
B.
One parking space shall be provided for each bedroom after the first two bedrooms, which may be in tandem but only with enclosed parking.
C.
One uncovered parking space shall be provided for each unit for the designated use of visitors.
D.
Vehicle Lifts and Similar Parking Systems.
1.
The use of vehicle lifts and similar parking systems for vehicle parking may be allowed in existing multi-family developments. Vehicle lifts and similar parking systems may be located on open/unenclosed parking spaces or within a garage.
2.
Screening. Vehicle lifts and similar parking systems shall not be visible from any public right-of-way, school, park, or abutting residentially zoned properties. Vehicle lifts and similar parking systems shall be screened with natural landscaping material or architecturally compatible structures such as garages or screen walls. The method and type of screening shall be reviewed and approved by the Planning Department. If fully enclosed structures or buildings are required, then they shall comply with the development standards as provided in Chapter 17.32 of the BMC.
3.
Setbacks. Vehicle lifts and similar parking systems shall not be located in any front-yard or street-facing side-yard setback. Vehicle lifts and similar parking systems shall be sited at least 50 feet from the front property line or on the rear 2/3 portion of the lot, whichever is greater.
4.
Unenclosed vehicle lifts and similar parking systems shall be visually appealing and made of material of muted and uniform color to ensure compatibility with surrounding structures.
5.
A maximum of 50% of existing parking spaces may be provided by vehicle lifts or other similar parking systems.
6.
Vehicle lifts and similar parking systems shall not be utilized to meet required guest parking. Guest parking shall remain open and accessible at all times.
7.
Maintenance. Vehicle lifts shall be fully serviced at least once a year.
8.
Recordkeeping. Property owner/management shall maintain up-to-date records of maintenance and repair servicing of vehicle lifts or other similar structures. The records shall be made available, upon request, by the City of Bellflower.
9.
In existing legal nonconforming parking lots, where fewer parking spaces are provided than required by Subsection (A), (B), or (C), the number of at-grade parking spaces shall not be reduced.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(i); Ord. 1227 § 1, 2/13/12; Ord. 1281 § 9, 9/8/14; Ord. 1300 § 4, 10/12/15)
§ 17.32.140 Minimum Floor Area.
The minimum floor area shall be as follows:
Unit Type | Minimum Floor Area |
|---|---|
Bachelor and single | 500 square feet |
One bedroom | 700 square feet |
Two bedroom | 900 square feet |
Three bedroom | 1,100 square feet |
For each additional bedroom above three the required unit size shall be increased by a minimum of 150 square feet.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(j))
§ 17.32.150 Lighting.
Lighting for the proposed project shall be provided as follows:
A.
Parking Areas. Any open parking area not lighted by street lights shall be lighted with fixtures that provide illumination of the parking area only.
B.
Driveways and Entrances. Any driveway entrance which serves as parking access to more than four units shall be lighted, either by street lights or special lighting fixtures. All common driveways shall be lighted with the equivalence of a 100 watt light per 50 feet.
C.
Addresses. The address sign on all residential units shall be lighted.
D.
Common Walkways. All common walkways shall be lighted with the equivalence of a 100 watt light per 35 feet. All walkway ramps and steps shall be lighted.
E.
Shielding. All lighting fixtures shall be shielded from neighboring residential units.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(k))
§ 17.32.160 Refuse Storage.
A refuse storage area, completely enclosed within a six foot high decorative wall (split face concrete block, or equivalent) with solid metal gates, large enough to accommodate standard sized commercial trash bins, must be located on the property in such a manner as to be accessible to refuse collection vehicles for all properties with multiple residential units, residential planned development or planned development overlays. Wall and gate materials, textures, colors, and design must be architecturally compatible with the surrounding buildings. All trash enclosures must be securely designed to prevent access to anyone other than the authorized users and the refuse service company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, properties developed with no refuse storage are deemed to be conforming pursuant to Chapter 17.92.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(l); Ord. 1316 § 5, 9/26/16)
§ 17.32.170 Mechanical Equipment.
All ground mechanical equipment shall be completely screened behind a permanent structure and all rooftop mechanical equipment shall be screened from view from the ground surface. Screening methods shall be architecturally compatible with the main building.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(m))
§ 17.32.180 Accessory Buildings and Structures.
A.
An accessory building located 50 feet or less from the front property line shall have the same side yard as the main building, regardless of whether the accessory building is attached to the main building.
B.
A garage or accessory building may be located on a side or rear property line when the building is:
1.
Located completely to the rear of the main building; and
2.
Located 50 feet or more from the front property line; and
3.
Constructed of one hour fire resistant material; and
4.
Constructed so that all roof drainage is directed to the subject lot.
C.
A garage or accessory structure shall not exceed 15 feet in height or contain more than 600 square feet of floor area.
D.
A garage that abuts and has garage doors opening onto an existing or proposed alley shall be located not less than 25 feet from the opposite side of the alley.
E.
An accessory building shall be located at least seven feet from a main building and at least three feet from another accessory building.
F.
Swimming Pools. The substructure of swimming pools shall be located not less than five feet from any side or rear property line and the interior finished surface of a swimming pool shall be located not less than five feet from the exterior finish of a house or structure.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(n))
§ 17.32.190 Variation in Wall Setback.
Buildings exceeding 80 feet in length shall have variations in the wall setback of at least four feet of each 80 feet of building length.
(Prior code § 19-7.4(o))
