The R-A, residential agriculture zone is intended to provide for residential and agricultural purposes, primarily the growing of nursery stock, flowers, fruits, and vegetables, with appropriate single-family dwellings with a minimum lot area of one acre. The R-A zone aims to preserve lands best suited for agriculture from the encroachment of incompatible uses, to prevent the intrusion of urban development into agricultural areas in such a manner as to make agricultural production uneconomical or impractical to preserve in agricultural use, and provide appropriate areas for certain predominantly open uses of land that are not injurious to agricultural uses but that may not be harmonious with urban uses.

(Ord. No. 2020-1059, § 1, 3-23-2020)

Buildings, structures, and land shall be used and buildings and structures shall hereafter be erected, altered or enlarged in the R-A zone only for the following uses, plus such other uses as the Planning Commission may deem to be similar and not more obnoxious or detrimental to the public health, safety, and welfare. All uses shall be subject to the property development standards in section 18.07.060. The following uses shall be permitted by right:

A.

Single-family dwellings.

B.

Farms and ranches for orchards, tree crops, field crops, row crops, berry and bush crops, flower gardening, production and wholesale nurseries, aviaries.

C.

Farms and ranches for animal husbandry and livestock farming, provided:

1.

There be no more than one horse, mule, cow, steer, nor more than three goats, sheep or similar livestock, nor more than ten chickens, turkeys or similar fowl for each acre of lot area.

2.

The minimum lot size for such a use shall be one acre.

3.

There shall be no such animal and no pen, coop, stable, barn or corral within 20 feet of any lot line abutting a street, or within 35 feet of any other lot line, or within 50 feet of any dwelling or other building used for human habitation on the same or adjacent lot.

D.

Horticulture.

E.

Apiaries.

F.

Churches or other religious institutions on a minimum lot size of one acre and located on a major thoroughfare or primary collector as designated by the general plan.

G.

Residential care facilities, licensed with the State of California. See definition under section 18.02.010 of this title.

H.

Transitional housing. See definition under section 18.02.010 of this title.

I.

Supportive housing. See definition under section 18.02.010 of this title.

(Ord. No. 2020-1059, § 1, 3-23-2020)

The following uses shall be permitted as accessory to the principal uses in the R-A zone:

A.

Private stables, greenhouses, lathehouses, barn corrals, pens or other similar rooms, buildings or structures for the storage of packing products produced or raised on the same premises, and petroleum products for exclusive use on the premises.

B.

Rooming and boarding of not more than three persons per single-family dwelling unit.

C.

Private garages and off-street parking areas.

D.

Private swimming pools, exclusively for the use of the residents and guests, subject to the following provisions:

1.

There shall be a minimum of three-foot unobstructed clearance provided along at least 60 percent of the perimeter of all swimming pools constructed in order to provide adequate access to the pool for safety purposes. The three-foot unobstructed clearance area shall be measured from the edge of the water line along the perimeter of the pool to the property line.

a.

No more than 40 percent of the perimeter of the pool may contain architectural or landscaping features which encroach into the three-foot unobstructed clearance area by this chapter.

2.

In no case shall swimming pool accessory mechanical equipment be permitted within the required front yard setback area or within the 5-foot side yard and rear yard setback areas, except when it is located at least ten feet from any dwelling, at which time said accessory mechanical equipment shall have no minimum setback requirement from side yard and rear yard property lines.

E.

Signs, subject to the provisions of chapter 18.26.

F.

Storage of trailers and mobile homes, subject to the provisions for accessory uses.

G.

Portable outdoor storage units and shipping containers, subject to the provisions of section 18.28.110.

H.

Other accessory uses and accessory buildings customarily appurtenant to a permitted use, as determined by the Director of Community Development.

I.

Home occupations subject to the requirements of section 18.02.010, "home occupation."

J.

Subdivision tract sales offices, signs, flags and temporary construction/job site trailers, subject to provisions of chapter 18.38.

K.

Kennels, subject to the provisions of section 18.28.080.

L.

Cottage food operations, subject to the requirements as defined under section 18.02.010.

M.

Accessory dwelling units, subject to the provisions of section 18.28.060.

(Ord. No. 2020-1059, § 1, 3-23-2020)

The following uses may be permitted in the R-A zone subject to a conditional use permit:

A.

Public uses of an administrative, public service or cultural type including city, county, state or federal administrative centers and courts, libraries, museums, art galleries, police and fire stations, ambulance service and other public buildings, structures and facilities.

B.

Country clubs and related uses.

C.

Sale of agricultural products produced on the premises, provided that a City business has been obtained.

D.

Schools.

E.

Public riding stables and academies.

F.

Public buildings; except for storage, corporation, repair yards.

G.

Public utility substations.

H.

Churches or other religious facilities on a lot size of less than one acre.

I.

State licensed general hospitals.

J.

State licensed sanitariums.

K.

State licensed child care facilities.

L.

Public parks and playgrounds.

M.

Temporary tract sales office and tract signs, for subdivisions less than 20 lots and as permitted in chapter 18.38 of this title.

N.

Aviaries, subject to the provisions contained in section 18.28.050 of this title.

(Ord. No. 2020-1059, § 1, 3-23-2020)

The following uses are prohibited in the R-A zone unless expressly allowed by this chapter:

A.

Multiple dwellings.

B.

Commercial uses.

C.

Industrial uses.

D.

Trailers and mobile homes for residential uses.

E.

Metal buildings, except accessory buildings used exclusively for storage. All such accessory metal buildings shall be treated with some rust or corrosion-inhibiting substance. Portable outdoor storage units and shipping containers shall comply with section 18.28.110.

F.

Off-site advertising.

G.

Possession of animals not classified as household pets under title 8 of this Code.

(Ord. No. 2020-1059, § 1, 3-23-2020)

The following property development standards shall apply to all land and buildings in the R-A zone:

A.

Lot area. For all new lots and proposed rezoning, the following provisions shall apply:

1.

For all principal uses, the minimum lot area shall be one acre.

2.

For uses requiring a use permit, conditions as specified by the Planning Commission.

B.

Lot coverage. The maximum allowable lot coverage by structures for all uses shall be 15 percent. Additional ten percent allowable lot coverage is provided for accessory structures proposed on single-family lots when the dwelling footprint has reached the 15 percent maximum. The additional ten percent allowance shall be calculated based on multiplying ten percent by the size of the lot.

C.

Lot dimensions. For all new lots and proposed rezoning, the following provisions shall apply, unless otherwise approved by the Planning Commission:

1.

Width.

a.

All lots except cul-de-sac lots shall have a minimum width of 125 feet.

b.

All cul-de-sac or curvilinear lots shall have a minimum width of 85 feet at the front line.

2.

Depth. All lots shall have a minimum depth of 150 feet.

D.

Setback requirements. The following setback requirements shall apply to all uses without livestock or fowl as listed in subsection 18.07.020.C of this chapter:

1.

Front yard. Twenty-five feet minimum, except detached accessory structures shall have a 50-foot minimum front yard setback. No accessory structure/building shall be located within the front yard or exterior side yard area of a single-family lot.

2.

Side yard.

a.

Interior side yard. For lots having two interior side yard areas, one such interior side yard shall have a setback of at 12 feet, and the other interior side yard setback shall be at least five feet. For lots having only one interior side yard, the setback shall be at least 12 feet. A third garage space may be substituted for a portion of the required 12 feet such that a side yard setback of five feet is permitted adjacent to a third garage space. Detached accessory structures located in the rear half of the lot shall have a minimum interior five-foot side yard setback requirement, unless constructed with appropriate fire-resistive walls as required by the California Building Code. Accessory structures shall be constructed to meet the requirements of the applicable California Building Code.

b.

Exterior side yard. Twenty-five feet minimum.

c.

New home designs (side yard). Development of new single-family homes shall be designed such that their attached or detached garages are positioned on the 12-foot side yard setback side.

3.

Rear yard. Twenty-five feet minimum. Detached accessory structures shall have a minimum rear yard setback requirement of five feet, unless constructed with appropriate fire-resistive walls as required by the California Building Code. A minimum setback of five feet shall be required for a garage that is accessed from an alley. In all cases a minimum clearance of eight feet shall be required between an accessory structure and the lowest overhead utility line located in an alley. Accessory structures shall be constructed to meet the requirements of the applicable California Building Code.

4.

Livestock or fowl. For those uses with livestock or fowl as listed in subsection 18.07.020.C, of this chapter, the following provisions shall apply: there shall be no such animal and no pen, coop, stable, barn or corral within 20 feet of any lot line abutting a street, or within 35 feet of any other lot line, or within 50 feet of any dwelling or other building used for human habitation on the same or adjacent lot.

E.

Distance between buildings. The following provisions shall apply for the distance between main buildings, accessory buildings and between main and accessory buildings on the same lot, except for those buildings and accessory buildings listed in subsection 18.07.020.C of this chapter. Whenever two or more buildings of mixed height are adjacent to one another, the distance provisions pertaining to the highest of the buildings shall apply.

1.

For buildings end to end, the minimum distance between buildings shall be ten feet for single story buildings, and 20 feet for two-story buildings.

2.

For buildings rear to end or front to end with space for exit or entry purposes, the minimum distance between buildings shall be 15 feet for single story buildings, 25 feet for two-story buildings.

3.

For buildings front to rear with space for entry or exit purposes the minimum distance between buildings shall be 20 feet for single story buildings, and 30 feet for two-story buildings.

4.

For buildings front to front arranged about an interior court with a driveway to said interior court, the driveway being access to parking area or building, the minimum distance between buildings shall be 30 feet for single story buildings, and 40 feet for two-story buildings. However, if no driveway is provided, the minimum distance shall be 25 feet for single story buildings, and 35 feet for two-story buildings.

F.

Floor area ratio requirements.

1.

For single story buildings and the first story of all multiple story buildings, the maximum allowable floor area ratio shall be 0.15:1.

2.

For all two-story buildings the maximum allowable floor area ratio shall be 0.24:1.

G.

Building height requirements. No building erected shall have a height greater than two stories or 25 feet, whichever is less as defined under section 18.02.010. Permitted projections above this higher include: ventilating fans or similar equipment required to operate and maintain the building, skylights, church steeples, flag poles, chimneys, or similar structures, when approved by the Planning Commission, provided that the same may be safely erected and maintained at such height in view of the surrounding conditions and circumstances.

H.

Population density. For all residential uses, there shall be a minimum of one acre of lot area for each dwelling unit.

I.

Site plan approval. Before any group dwelling, condominium, or nonresidential building is erected on any lot, a site plan, floor plan of all buildings, elevations of all buildings, and a landscape plan shall be submitted to and approved by the Planning Commission pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

J.

Yards, landscaping, open space requirements.

1.

Yards. The minimum individual yard requirements for all uses shall be the same as those listed in the setback requirements in subsection 18.07.060.D, with the exception of the following conditional uses: general hospitals, sanitariums, nursing homes, residential care facilities, maternity homes, elementary schools, high schools, and child care facilities.

a.

For sanitariums, nursing homes, residential care facilities, and maternity homes, minimum individual yards shall comply with the following:

(1)

Front yard: 20 feet minimum.

(2)

Side yard: 25 feet interior minimum; 25 feet exterior minimum.

(3)

Rear yard: 25 feet minimum.

b.

For schools, and childcare facilities minimum individual yards shall comply with the following:

(1)

Front yard: 40 feet minimum.

(2)

Side yard: 30 feet interior minimum; 40 feet exterior minimum.

(3)

Rear yard: 30 feet minimum.

c.

For general hospitals, minimum individual yards shall comply with the following:

(1)

Front yard: 50 feet minimum.

(2)

Side yard: 40 feet interior minimum; 50 feet exterior minimum.

(3)

Rear yard: 40 feet minimum.

d.

The minimum rear yard requirements for all residential uses may be reduced by up to 50 percent if the minimum overall yard area requirement is met.

2.

Landscaping.

a.

For all residential uses, Front yard and exterior side yard areas of single-family homes shall be landscaped and maintained. Where a single-family residence exists on a lot, a minimum of 50 percent of the required front yard of said lot shall be maintained as landscape area and in which mow strips shall not be permitted and no more than 50 percent of the front yard area shall comprise of concrete, asphalt, or hardscape material such as decorative rock or brick, or paving stones.

b.

All other uses shall provide landscaping which shall be maintained. All new development shall be consistent with the Ceres Water Efficient Landscape Guidelines and Standards and the State of California Model Water Efficiency Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) requirements.

3.

Open space requirements. Additional open space requirements shall be specified by the Planning Commission upon site plan approval.

K.

Fences, hedges and walls. When any elementary school, high school, public buildings, public utility substation, church, general hospital, sanitarium, residential care facility, maternity home, child care facility, place of public assembly, or commercial use abut an R-A zone, a six-foot high solid masonry wall or landscaped and maintained fence shall be required.

L.

Off-street parking requirements.

1.

For all single-family residential uses, two parking spaces per dwelling unit. The parking or storage of any vehicles, beyond the provided driveway, within the front yard and exterior side yard landscape areas of a single-family residence is prohibited.

2.

For all schools, general hospitals, sanitariums, residential care facilities, public buildings, public utility substations, and places of public assembly, the following off-street parking requirements shall apply:

a.

Schools, including public, parochial, and private elementary schools, high schools, kindergartens and nursery schools: One space for each employee and one space for every four students in grades nine through 12.

b.

General hospitals, sanitariums, and charitable and religious institutions providing sleeping accommodations: 1½ spaces for each licensed bed. Facilities of 100 beds and larger shall provide off-street parking as prescribed by the Director of Community Development.

c.

Residential care facilities: One space for every three licensed beds.

d.

Public buildings and grounds other than schools and administrative offices: One space for every two employees, plus the number of additional spaces prescribed by the Director of Community Development.

e.

Public utility structures and installations: one space for every two employees on the maximum shift plus the number of additional spaces prescribed by the Director of Community Development.

f.

Places of public assembly: one space for every five seats or one space for every 50 square feet of floor area usable for seating if seats are not fixed in all facilities in which simultaneous use is probable as determined by the Director of Community Development.

M.

Loading requirements.

1.

For all residential uses, no requirements.

2.

For all permitted farms and ranches, as determined by the Director of Community Development.

3.

For all allowed country clubs, schools, public utility substations, public buildings, general hospitals, and churches. When any of the foregoing requires the receipt, delivery or distribution of goods by truck with the potential frequency of once a day or greater, one berth, plus any additional berths as may be required by the Director of Community Development.

4.

Off-street loading shall comply with the standards established by chapter 18.25 of this title.

N.

Access.

1.

Vehicular access.

a.

The following conditional uses shall be located on streets with a classification of major thoroughfares or greater as designated by the general plan: general hospitals, churches, high schools.

b.

There shall be vehicular access from a dedicated street or alley to off-street parking facilities on the property requiring off-street parking.

c.

All ingress to and egress from public property shall be in a forward motion.

2.

Pedestrian access. There shall be pedestrian access from a dedicated street to property use for residential purposes. Driveways shall be considered pedestrian access.

O.

Signing. All signage shall comply with chapter 18.26 of this title.

P.

Laundry, clothes drying areas, and facilities. Laundry, clothes drying areas, and facilities shall not be allowed in front and exterior side yards.

Q.

Solid waste storage, disposal facilities.

1.

No open storage shall be allowed.

2.

Unless specifically waived by the Director of Community Development, an area for the storage, collection, and loading of garbage, solid waste, refuse and recyclable materials shall be provided for each residential unit when two or more such units are located on the same lot or for each residential development where common trash collection facilities are provided. Such areas shall be conveniently located for users and collectors and of sufficient size to accommodate the volume of garbage, solid waste, refuse and recyclable materials generated by the development. Such areas shall be protected from the weather and screened from public view in accordance with the Ceres Water Efficient Landscaping Guidelines and Standards.

R.

Recreational facilities.

1.

For single-family dwellings, no requirements.

2.

For condominium group and cluster dwellings, as required by the Planning Commission upon site plan approval.

S.

Park-in-lieu fees. Parkland dedication or in-lieu fees shall be required of all new residential uses in the R-A zone, based on a per dwelling unit assessment. Park-in-lieu fees shall be calculated established in chapter 13 of title 17.

(Ord. No. 2020-1059, § 1, 3-23-2020)