This zone is intended to provide areas within the city where development is limited to low-density concentrations of single-family dwellings, and to stabilize and protect the residential character of such areas. It has the further purpose of the provision of community facilities needed to complement urban residential areas and for institutions which require a residential environment and to minimize traffic congestion and to avoid an overload of utilities designed to service only low-density residential uses. The provisions of this zone are intended to encourage a suitable environment for family life through the regulation of densities of development, yards, fencing, heights, and similar aspects of development. This zone implements the Suburban Neighborhood land use designation in the General Plan.

(Ord. No. 1204, § 3(Exh. A.1), 7-26-23)

The following uses are permitted in the S-N (Suburban Neighborhood) zone subject to all provisions of this chapter:

A.

Primary Uses.

1.

Single-family detached dwelling. No more than one principal dwelling unit shall be located on each lot.

2.

Family daycare homes.

3.

Public parks and playgrounds.

4.

Temporary subdivision sales offices.

5.

The keeping of household pets so long as the number thereof does not exceed four dogs or cats, or a combination thereof, over four months of age, and other household pets that shall not be a public nuisance due to odors, noise, or public health considerations.

7.

Such other similar uses as are approved by the planning commission.

8.

Public utility facilities (city-initiated).

9.

Community gardens (subject to site plan review).

10.

Existing commercial agricultural activity consistent with California Civil Code "Right to Farm Act."

B.

Accessory Uses. The uses listed below are allowed as incidental uses to an existing permitted or conditional use on the site.

1.

Utility and recreational uses including garages, carports, pool cabana, storage shed, laundry room, electrical equipment room, shade structure, and similar uses subject to the provisions of Chapter 17.60.

2.

Swimming pools and related equipment, outdoor kitchen countertops and gas-fired pits/barbeque grills, subject to the provisions of Chapter 17.60.

3.

Court games and outdoor play courts with lighting up to ten (10) feet in height.

4.

Greenhouses, date orchards, and other fruit and vegetable gardens for private use.

5.

Home occupations, and cottage food operations, subject to the provisions of Section 17.58.010.

6.

Accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units, per Section 17.60.010.H. (Accessory Dwelling Units).

C.

Conditional Uses. The following uses are permitted in the S-N (Suburban Neighborhood) zone subject to the acquisition of a conditional use permit in accordance with the provisions of Section 17.74.010:

1.

Apiaries (bee farming).

2.

Commercial radio and television towers.

3.

Fire stations, police stations.

4.

Libraries, museums.

5.

Community centers.

6.

Parking lots.

7.

Private lighted or unlighted tennis courts and other similar uses, except for not to include swimming pools and spas.

8.

Public and quasi-public uses of an educational or religious type, including public and parochial elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools and colleges, commercial child daycare and pre-school facilities, churches, parsonages, and other religious institutions.

9.

Public and private golf courses.

10.

Public utility distribution substations and public service facilities.

11.

Single-family detached residential subdivisions using flexible standards of the planned development overlay zone in Chapter 17.38.

12.

Special event establishments on a parcel two acres or greater.

D.

Prohibited Uses. The following uses are expressly prohibited in the S-N (Suburban Neighborhood) district:

1.

Outdoor advertising displays and billboards.

(Ord. No. 1204, § 3(Exh. A.1), 7-26-23; Ord. No. 1220, § 2(Exh. A), 2-26-25)

The following standards of development shall apply in the S-N (Suburban Neighborhood) zone:

A.

Residential Density.

1.

Minimum Density. Two dwelling units/acre.

2.

Maximum Density. Eight dwelling units/acre.

B.

Lot Area Requirements. The minimum lot area for any new lot created in the S-N (Suburban Neighborhood) zone shall be as follows:

1.

Interior Lots. Five thousand four hundred (5,400) square feet; however, the average lot size for any subdivision shall be a minimum of five thousand (5,000) square feet.

2.

Corner Lots. Six thousand (6,000) square feet.

3.

Minimum lot width shall be fifty (50) feet; corner lots shall be sixty (60) feet minimum. Knuckle or cul-de-sac lots shall be forty (40) feet, provided the average width is fifty (50) feet.

4.

Minimum lot depth shall be eighty (80) feet.

C.

Yard Requirements.

1.

Minimum side yards shall be five feet and maintained free and clear of obstructions from ground or wall-mounted equipment.

2.

Minimum street side yard shall be ten (10) feet.

3.

Minimum front yard shall be fifteen (15) feet for the habitable portion of the residence, and twenty (20) feet for front-loading garages. Side-loaded garages shall be a minimum of twelve (12) feet from the front property line. The percentage of side-loaded garages shall not exceed fifty (50) percent within any block face.

4.

Minimum rear yard shall be twenty (20) feet for the main residence. Accessory structures shall comply with the rear yard regulations of Section 17.60.010(F).

5.

Front yard setbacks in subdivision developments may be reduced by twenty-five (25) percent provided the average of all such setbacks is not less than the minimum for the district.

D.

Maximum Lot Coverage.

1.

The maximum lot coverage by all buildings, main and accessory structures, shall be fifty (50) percent, except as allowed per Section 17.60.010.H. (Accessory Dwelling Units).

E.

Height Limits.

1.

Building height for the primary structure shall not exceed thirty-five (35) feet; not to exceed three stories.

2.

Building height for accessory structures shall not exceed seventeen (17) feet; not to exceed one story.

3.

The maximum height of accessory dwelling units shall be per Section 17.60.010.H. (Accessory Dwelling Units).

F.

Off-Street Parking.

1.

Off-street parking spaces shall be provided and continuously maintained (free of storage or other obstructions) in accordance with the requirements set forth in Section 17.56.010.

2.

All new single-family homes shall provide a two-car garage with a minimum clear dimension of twenty (20) feet by twenty (20) feet. An approved two-car carport in the rear yard may satisfy the minimum parking requirements for an existing single-family dwelling and would qualify the home for a garage conversion into habitable space, provided the driveway and drive approach serving the garage are completely removed and replaced with front yard landscaping.

G.

Additional Regulations and Standards.

1.

Architectural review by the planning commission is required for development projects involving the construction of more than three dwelling units. The planning commission shall make a decision pursuant to Chapter 17.72 after conducting a public hearing. An administrative architectural review is required by the planning director for up to three units concurrent with building plan check.

2.

Covered Parking. All new single-family homes shall provide a two-car garage with a minimum clear dimension of twenty (20) feet by twenty (20) feet. An approved two-car carport in the rear yard may satisfy the minimum parking requirements for an existing single-family dwelling and would qualify the home for a garage conversion into habitable space, provided the driveway and drive approach serving the garage are completely removed and replaced with front yard landscaping.

3.

Energy Efficient Design and Heat Island Reduction Strategies. New development shall submit an energy efficient design and heat island reduction plan that incorporates heat island reduction strategies such as light-colored cool roofs, light-colored paving, permeable paving, substantial shade free coverage, shade structures and shaded asphalt paving. Energy efficient building and site design strategies shall be incorporated such as appropriate solar orientation, thermal mass, use of natural daylight and ventilation, and shading.

4.

Perimeter Landscape Setback. The minimum perimeter landscape setback for residential projects without buildings frontages along perimeter streets shall equal at minimum ten (10) feet at any point and have an average perimeter landscape setback of twenty (20) feet for the entire frontage. Shade tree plantings shall be installed to provide shade of thirty (30) percent of landscape area within ten (10) years. Shade structures with cool roofing materials may be permitted in whole or in part in lieu of shade tree plantings. California native species shall be incorporated in at least forty (40) percent of required landscape areas.

5.

Perimeter Rear-Facing Building Variation. Residential dwellings with rear elevations facing perimeter streets exceeding one story, shall include two of the four options for building variation: Vertical modulation demonstrated by two facade heights varying by five feet (minimum), built-in patio or balcony, chimney structure, or building horizontal modulation with a minimum fifteen (15) percent facade recess or projection by a minimum of four feet.

6.

Equestrian and Agricultural themed improvements including equestrian rail fencing, agrarian lighting, agrarian signage, 10-foot-wide decomposed granite multi-purpose trail and date palms planted twenty (20) feet on center shall be installed along Avenue 50, Avenue 52, Van Buren Street, Avenue 53, and Avenue 54 South of Avenue 50.

7.

Circulation. Residential projects with new proposed streets shall incorporate a circulation design to minimize traffic speed and reduce the need for speed bumps.

8.

Landscaping in the front yard and within the public right-of-way abutting a site shall include the following.

a.

A minimum of one 24-inch box shade tree and one 15-gallon shade tree.

b.

A minimum of twenty (20) shrubs, espaliers, and succulent plants. Landscaping shall include vertical shrubs to adequately screen the sides of utility boxes or cables boxes without obstructing access to the utility boxes.

c.

Ground cover in the form of decomposed granite for yard or planter areas less than ten (10) feet in width, and three-fourths-inch pea gravel or larger gravel for planter or yard areas larger than ten (10) feet in width.

d.

The use of sod shall be limited to no more than twenty (20) percent of the total front yard area. The remainder of the yard shall be landscaped utilizing a variety of drought tolerant plant materials including shrubs, espaliers, and succulents.

e.

The front yard area between the front building line of the home and the street line shall not be paved more than sixty (60) percent of the total front yard area. Those areas that are not paved shall be landscaped in accordance with this section.

f.

A minimum 30-inch landscaped planter is required along the interior property line abutting a residential driveway serving an attached garage, unless the side yard serves as an approved driveway, pursuant to Section 17.54.010(H).

g.

A permanent underground irrigation system shall be installed for the front yard and public right-of-way areas of the site.

h.

All trees, plants and groundcovers located in the front yard and in the adjacent public right-of-way shall be maintained by the land owner/occupier as needed to avoid overgrowth and shall be adequately irrigated to avoid loss of plants. Dead plants shall be re-planted as needed with new plantings to provide a well-maintained front yard appearance.

9.

Refer to Section 16.32.170 of the Coachella Municipal Code for proposed changes in product sizes within single-family residential tracts in which a previously approved product was constructed.

H.

Fencing. All developments in the S-N (Suburban Neighborhood) zone shall have fencing as follows:

1.

A six-foot high fence on all rear property lines and interior side lot lines. Fences shall be solid and substantially built. Openings in such fences shall be protected by doors which are normally kept closed.

a.

All wood fences shall be provided with a two-inch by four-inch plate, top and bottom, and shall be well braced.

b.

The fence material shall be a minimum of three-fourths-inch boards and shall be vertical in alignment and without interruption.

2.

In subdivisions of five or more units, fencing on all rear property lines and those side yard lot lines of those units denoting the boundaries of the subdivisions shall be of solid masonry construction. Such walls shall be finished with caps of appropriate size. Opening for pedestrian and bicycle connections shall be provided at no less than 250-foot intervals to improve connectivity with the surrounding neighborhood.

3.

Front and street side yard fencing shall conform to Section 17.60.010(D)(3) of this Code.

4.

If a fence exists at the required location, the requirement may be waived. Waiver may be granted if the chief building official, with the concurrence of the director of community development, finds that the existing fence is of sound construction with an expected life of at least ten (10) years.

I.

All new single-family residential development shall be designed pursuant to the design standards included in Chapter 17.19 (Supplemental Standards for Single-Family Residential).

(Ord. No. 1204, § 3(Exh. A.1), 7-26-23; Ord. No. 1220, § 2(Exh. A), 2-26-25)