The purpose of this regulation is to implement the general plan, which envisions maintaining the semi-rural character of the city and providing a variety of housing sizes. This chapter's regulation of the relationship of house size to lot size is intended to:

A.

Preserve and perpetuate the established relationship of buildings and spaces characteristic of Clayton's residential setting, where relatively modest residences are surrounded with generously sized areas of natural and landscaped open grounds;

B.

Assure that the scale of residential development responds to the limitations created by constrained lot sizes;

C.

Minimize the out-of-scale appearance of large residences relative to their lot size and to other residences in a neighborhood;

D.

Minimize the environmental damage of tree removal and grading which may result from over-building; and

E.

Expand the range of house sizes to accommodate housing needs and preserve and enhance diversity of housing.

(Ord. 375, 2004)

The size of a proposed new residence or expansion of an existing residence shall be limited as set forth in this section. These limits are not entitlements; the approved size of a proposed new residence or expansion of an existing residence subject to site plan review shall be at the discretion of the Planning Commission, which may, to meet the standards of site plan review, approve a residence smaller than the limits set forth in this chapter.

A.

Lots Under Five thousand (5,000) Square Feet. The maximum building footprint and maximum floor area of a single-family dwelling on a lot of less than five thousand (5,000) square feet shall be equal to fifty-five percent (55%) of the net parcel area of the lot.

B.

Lots Five thousand (5,000) Square Feet to Less Than Sixteen Thousand Square Feet. The maximum building footprint and maximum floor area of a single-family dwelling on a lot of five thousand (5,000) square feet to less than sixteen thousand (16,000) square feet shall be that shown on the schedule provided in Section 17.78.070.

C.

Lots Sixteen Thousand (16,000) Square Feet or More.

1.

The maximum building footprint of a single-family dwelling on a lot of sixteen thousand (16,000) square feet or more shall be equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of the net parcel area of the lot; and

2.

The maximum floor area of a single-family dwelling on a lot of sixteen thousand (16,000) square feet or more shall be equal to thirty-five percent (35%) of the net parcel area of the lot.

(Ord. 375, 2004)

The building footprint and floor area of a single-family dwelling shall be calculated as follows:

A.

The building footprint shall include the floor area (as established by subsections 17.78.030.B. and D. of the ground floor, plus the portion of the floor area of any floors above the ground floor, which project outward from the building beyond the exterior wall of the ground floor.

B.

The floor area shall include the total horizontal area of each floor within the exterior walls of all buildings on a lot, including attached and detached principal and accessory buildings, second dwelling units, garages, carports (measured by total roof area), storage spaces and any enclosed space with a seven (7) foot or greater ceiling height, as measured at the exterior face of the enclosing walls. The area of a fully enclosed atrium shall be calculated as interior floor area.

C.

The floor area shall be doubled for any interior space with an exterior height of seventeen (17) feet or greater measured from finished floor level.

D.

The floor area calculation shall exclude:

1.

Attics and lofts, or those portions of attics and lofts, which have less than an eight (8) foot ceiling height, as measured form the top of exterior framing elements;

2.

Basements where the finished floor level directly above is less than four (4) feet above the finished grade on all sides;

3.

A balcony, porch, deck, or other structure (except carport) where at least one of the longest dimensions is unenclosed.

(Ord. 375, 2004)

The following types of projects are exempt from the building footprint and floor area limitations of this Chapter 17.78.

A.

Fill-in Additions. Additions of newly created habitable space, which are to be fully contained within the building envelope of any existing conforming or nonconforming single-family residential building, as determined by the Community Development Director. Examples include excavation and improvement of areas behind the skirt walls of hillside residences, improvement of attic spaces, and limited exterior changes such as the addition of dormers (not exceeding interior height of eight (8) feet), windows and doors.

B.

Small Additions. Any addition or accessory building of less than two hundred (200) square feet, provide that no approvals for either a new residence, an exterior addition, or a small addition exemption have been granted within the past five (5) years from the time of the subject application, and a variance is not requested.

C.

Damaged or Destroyed Buildings. Any legally constructed building which is destroyed or damaged by fire, flood, wind, earthquake, war, riot, or other calamity or act of God may be reconstructed to its original building footprint and floor area in substantially the same location.

D.

Designated Planned Developments. Residences in the Chaparral Springs (Tracts 7303 and 7066), Dana Ridge (Tract 4504), Diablo Ridge (Tract 7766 (exclusive of detached residences on Condor Way and Keller Ridge Drive) and Tract 7767), Marsh Creek Park Villas (Tract 4240), and Stranahan (Tract 7887), and Diablo Meadows (Tract 9536) Planned Developments. (Any additions or accessory buildings in these Planned Developments will continue to be subject to the site plan review requirements and the development standards originally approved for the respective Planned Development.)

(Ord. 375, 2004; Ord. 491, § 2, 2021)

When an addition to an existing residence involves the complete demolition of an existing accessory building, that previously existing building footprint and floor area shall not be counted as existing space and its replacement shall be viewed as newly constructed space.

(Ord. 375, 2004)

"Net parcel are" means the total horizontal area included within a lot, excluding areas within vehicular or pedestrian access easements.

(Ord. 375, 2004)

Maximum Building Footprint and Floor Areas

(Ord. 375, 2004)