Calimesa City Zoning Code

Existing structures or land uses that comply with the requirements of this chapter may continue to operate, and may only be altered or replaced in compliance with this chapter.

Existing structures or land uses that do not comply with the requirements of this chapter may continue to operate and may be sold or otherwise transferred in compliance with the city’s regulations for nonconforming uses (CMC § 18.15.120, Nonconforming structures and uses).

General Development Standards.

Additional Height. Where the maximum height of a new structure is permitted to exceed three stories, with issuance of a conditional use permit, the following provisions shall apply.

Fences and Walls.

Landscaping. Landscaping shall comply with Chapter 18.70 CMC, Landscape Requirements, and Chapter 18.75 CMC, Water Conservation for Landscaping, unless a more strict requirement is specified within this chapter. In addition to the requirements of Chapter 18.70 CMC, every project within the downtown business district shall be required to landscape all portions of the lot or parcel that are not occupied with structures, required parking, walkways, patios, or other hard surface areas. No vacant portion of any parcel shall be left unlandscaped or untreated with some type of hard surface, such as cement, decorative pavers, and similar materials. Temporary landscaping shall be required for projects where phasing within the site is necessary, such as for pad sites or future buildings. A landscaping plan for temporarily vacant land within a proposed development is required if phasing is necessary.

Outdoor Gathering Spaces. An open space creates an inviting shared space between the multiple uses of the downtown business district. Areas that are not occupied by buildings shall be enhanced with landscaping and hardscape amenities such as seating areas, trellises, trees, benches, planters, and water features. The following standards shall apply to outdoor gathering spaces.

News Racks and Vending Machines. News racks and other vending machines shall be located behind sidewalks and out of the public right-of-way. News racks shall not exceed eight feet in width and two feet in depth, and shall be no higher than four feet as part of any development project. Where possible, all news racks shall be architecturally integrated into the overall project and should appear as if the presence of the news racks or vending machines is part of the structure. Outside vending machine locations should be carefully considered and integrated into the overall project. Unless architecturally integrated into a building facade or properly screened, vending machines shall not face a public right-of-way.

Parking. All on-site parking within the DNC and DVS zones shall comply with the provisions of Chapter 18.45 CMC, Off-Street Parking. The number of required parking spaces within the DVC zone shall be provided in accordance with Table 18.39.060-3. All other parking requirements in the DVC zone, except as noted below, shall be set forth in Chapter 18.45 CMC.

Service, Trash, and Utility Areas. Covered enclosures are required and shall comply with the city’s trash enclosure standards. Furthermore, enclosure walls shall be architecturally compatible with main structure(s) or designed to match approved decorative masonry wall. Trash enclosures adjacent to landscaped areas shall also incorporate the use of vines and large shrubs for the purpose of screening the enclosure walls.

Screening. Any equipment, whether on the roof, side of structure, or ground, shall be screened. The method of screening shall be architecturally compatible in terms of materials, color, shape, and size. The screening design shall blend with the building design and include landscaping when on the ground.

Signs. Signs within the downtown business district shall comply with Chapter 18.50 CMC, Sign Regulations, with the exception of city-initiated signs that may be co-located with other freestanding signs. City-initiated signs, including freestanding electronic reader-board signs necessary to advertise city-sponsored events, shall be permitted within the downtown business district and shall be exempt from the standards and provisions of Chapter 18.50 CMC, provided they are approved by the planning commission and the city council. Such signs may be co-located with existing or proposed monument signs, freestanding signs, or other types of signage. Co-location may include the signage of nearby businesses, whether or not the co-located signage is advertising a business or shopping center located on the property where the sign is located.

New building facades should be designed in accordance with the downtown village commercial architectural design guidelines. Renovation of existing buildings of a different architectural style may adhere to their original style, as determined by the director. In general, all new or renovated building facades should achieve the following:

With the intent of protecting sensitive land uses, the proposed design shall promote a harmonious and compatible transition in terms of scale and character between areas of different land uses.

Parking structures shall be architecturally compatible with the primary and surrounding structures.

Each building may have one or more street frontages. Design consideration must be taken to orient pedestrian and automobile access. Buildings should be designed to maximize views, where available, keeping in mind that the prominent view of the building is equally important. Solar access and noise attenuation should also be a consideration in the final design and placement of building forms.

Vehicular access to each site must be designed to minimize conflicts between pedestrians, autos, and service vehicles. Sight lines, pedestrian walkways, and lighting are factors to consider in final site designs.

Buildings should be oriented so that public access or windows face areas of pedestrian activity, such as public plazas and pedestrian pathways.

Multiple buildings in a single area should be grouped and organized to demonstrate a positive functional relationship to one another. The grouping of multiple buildings should be clustered to create functional plazas and pedestrian corridors. Where clustering is impractical, a visual link should be established between buildings through the integration of an arcade system, trellis, colonnade, or other such open structure.

Enhanced or “signature” architecture shall be provided at prominent locations. Buildings with unique architectural elements, such as clock towers and other landmark structures, should be positioned on corners of significant intersections or entryways to enhance the sense of arrival and project monumentation.

Each development project with a commercial or office gross leasable area (GLA) of 15,000 square feet or more shall provide or contribute 50 square feet of outdoor gathering space for every 1,000 square feet of GLA.

Outdoor gathering spaces shall have a minimum dimension 15 feet in any direction and a minimum area of 400 square feet.

Outdoor gathering spaces may consist of pedestrian-accessible spaces, including outdoor seating areas, open space, water features, and landscape areas.

Outdoor eating areas provided as part of private eating establishments cannot be counted toward the outdoor gathering space requirement, unless the eating areas are open and accessible to the public, with no fencing or other barriers or obstructions. If the eating areas are enclosed by fencing or landscaping no greater than four feet in height, these areas may count toward up to 20 percent of the total outdoor gathering space requirement.

Outdoor gathering spaces shall exclude parking areas and roadways.

Commercial or office space provided within a live-work unit is exempt from the requirements for outdoor gathering spaces.

Outdoor gathering spaces provided in accordance with these standards shall incorporate a variety of pedestrian amenities to promote regular use. Pedestrian amenities may include but are not limited to seating, lighting, special paving, landscaping, food and flower vendors, artwork, and/or special urban recreational features.

To ensure the visibility and security of outdoor gathering spaces and community amenities, buildings adjacent to an existing or planned pedestrian plaza, patio, or urban park shall provide at least two of the following elements along the building wall abutting the outdoor gathering space or community amenities:

In instances where small or awkwardly shaped properties make the provision of on-site outdoor gathering space impractical, the director may permit the in-lieu payment of the cost to construct the required amount of usable open space off site.

Residential uses shall comply with the development standards in Table 18.39.060-1.

Residential uses shall comply with the development standards applicable to the R-H residential zone contained in CMC § 18.20.040, Residential development standards, and 18.20.050, Specific development standards for residential districts.

A minimum of 70 square feet per unit shall be private with a minimum dimension of seven feet in any direction. Private open space shall be accessible directly from the living area of the unit, in the form of a fenced yard, patio, courtyard, balcony, or roof garden. In lieu of this requirement, a developer may propose an alternative that provides comparable amenities for the unit and increases the minimum common space requirements twofold.

A minimum of 100 square feet per unit shall be usable common open space.

Required off-street parking spaces for a multifamily residential unit shall be within a 100-foot walking distance of the dwelling unit for which the parking space is assigned or from an elevator providing access to the unit.

The standards contained in CMC § 18.20.060, Design and neighborhood compatibility standards, do not apply in the downtown business district.

Housing should be oriented to streets and pedestrian walkways.

The windows of interior living spaces shall overlook streets and public spaces to enhance community security and maximize view potential.

Residential buildings shall emphasize pedestrian access and connections to public sidewalks, paths, recreational facilities, and enhanced edges.

Structures shall be configured and oriented to afford a sense of individuality and privacy and to create small-scale public spaces.

Recreational facilities shall be conveniently and centrally located for the majority of units.

Ground-floor residential uses are not permitted to be located along Calimesa Boulevard.

A minimum of 100 square feet of usable common open space shall be provided for each live-work unit or any residential unit in a mixed use building.

The residential open space requirements of mixed use buildings must be met in addition to any public plaza space requirements generated by nonresidential portions of the mixed use building. See CMC § 18.39.110 for private open space requirements.

In an existing commercial building, parking for the residential unit(s) shall be provided on site, in addition to that required for the commercial use(s), or by evidence of an agreement for off-site parking acceptable to the city.

Required parking shall be provided for each use, calculated in accordance with the individual requirements for the particular uses. Parking requirements may be reduced in developments where it can be demonstrated that shared parking facilities will meet parking demand without providing separate facilities for each use. Shared parking shall be provided in accordance with CMC § 18.45.110, Shared parking provisions.

Defined below are the various building elements that define the transition between the street and the primary building facade. Such elements are permitted to encroach within the primary building setback as set forth in Table 18.39.060-1.

When commercial and residential uses in a project are not vertically integrated, the residential product should be elevated from the sidewalk through the application of elevated building pads and “stoop” style building design to help define the separation between public and private spaces.

Each building may have one or more street frontages. Design consideration must be taken to orient pedestrian and automobile access. Buildings must be designed to maximize views, where available, keeping in mind that the prominent view of the building is equally important. Solar access and noise attenuation should also be a consideration in the final design and placement of building forms.

Site planning must take the location of residential units into consideration and must screen or cover service areas to minimize noise levels and visual impacts.

Where commercial and residential uses are on the same level, different design methods may be used to clearly distinguish between public and private (commercial versus residential) spaces and access points. These methods could include vertical separation by raising the residential unit slightly above grade or applying distinguishing materials, textures, colors, or other physically clear demarcations at a common grade level.

The residential units must be designed to ensure the security of residents through the provision of secured entrances and exits that are separate from the nonresidential uses and are directly accessible to resident parking areas.

Buildings with solely residential uses should be elevated from the sidewalk through the application of elevated building pads and “stoop” style building design to help define the separation between public and private spaces.

Residential portions of the project must be designed to limit the interior noise caused by the commercial and parking portions of the project. Proper design may include but must not be limited to building orientation, double or extra-strength windows, wall and ceiling insulation, and orientation and insulation of vents. Where it is necessary that windows be closed in order to achieve the required noise level, means must be provided for ventilation/cooling to provide a habitable environment.

No use shall produce continual vibrations or noxious odors that are perceptible without instruments by the average person at the property lines of the site or within the interior of residential units on the site.

Commercial uses must be designed and operated, and hours of operation limited where appropriate, so that neighboring residents are not exposed to offensive noise, especially from traffic, trash collection, routine deliveries, or late-night activity.

No use must produce continual loading or unloading of heavy trucks at the site between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Outdoor lighting associated with commercial uses shall not adversely impact surrounding residential uses, but shall provide sufficient illumination for access and security purposes. Such lighting shall not blink, flash, oscillate, or be unusually bright or intense.

Covered trash enclosures are required due to the urban nature of mixed use environments. Since residential units have the potential to be close together and will most likely be designed as multistory, covered structures can minimize the visual impact of unsightly trash bins from dwelling units.

Utility structures become a larger design issue as density increases. The various structures and boxes must be carefully sited and coordinated with landscaping before final engineering plans are done. Major utilities and pull-boxes shall be out of the line of sight.

Parking in the mixed use areas includes public and private facilities, surface parking, and structured parking. Parking for residents must be secure, accessible, and separated from that open to the general public.

Where there are vertically mixed uses, parking spaces specifically designated for nonresidential and residential uses must be marked by the use of posting, pavement markings, and/or physical separation.

Mixed use development located along Calimesa Boulevard must include commercial, office, public, or live-work with commercial space on the ground floor of the portion of the project that fronts onto Calimesa Boulevard.

Live-work premises shall only be used by people who live in the unit. Living and working spaces shall not be rented or sold separately.

The commercial square footage approved for the live-work unit should not be converted into residential use and should remain commercial in nature.

Live-work units and buildings must comply with any requirements imposed by the building, fire, community development, police, and public works departments intended to protect the public health, safety, and welfare.

Businesses using commercial vehicles that weigh more than 15,000 pounds or vehicles with more than two axles are prohibited.

The minimum total floor area of a live-work space shall be 750 square feet within each unit. All floor area other than that reserved for living space shall be reserved and regularly used for working and display space.

Each live-work unit fronting a public street, and located at street level, shall have a pedestrian-oriented frontage that publicly displays the interior of the nonresidential areas of the structure. The first 25 feet of the floor area depth at the street-level frontage shall be limited to display and sales activity.

The living space within the live-work unit shall be contiguous with and an integral part of the working space, with direct access between the two areas, and not a separate stand-alone dwelling unit. The residential component shall not have a separate street address from the business component.

Where more than one live-work unit is proposed within a single structure, each live-work unit shall be separated from other live-work units and other uses in the structure. Access to each unit shall be provided from common access areas and corridors.

Landscaping should be selected at a scale that is consistent with the building site.

Street landscaping should be appropriate for sidewalk environments to limit the potential of root systems to affect the adjacent sidewalks.

Landscaping should not interfere with pedestrian movement or impede the visibility of business and signage.

Furnishings should be placed where pedestrian traffic, viewsheds, or building ingress and egress will not be obstructed.

Furnishings should be constructed of durable, high quality materials that can withstand the elements without showing wear.

Furniture design should be complementary to the architectural styles of the area.

Fixtures should be complementary to the architectural styles of the area.

Overly glaring or flashing lights are discouraged.

Signs should consist of high quality materials and color palettes that reflect the architectural themes of the surrounding area;

Location and placement of signs should not obstruct pedestrian or vehicular movement.