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Davis City Zoning Code

ARTICLE 40

03 RESIDENTIAL ONE-FAMILY R-1 DISTRICT

§ 40.03.010 Purpose.

The purpose of a residential one-family (R-l) district is to stabilize and protect the residential characteristics of the district and to promote and encourage a suitable environment for family life. The R-1 district is intended for single-family homes and services appurtenant thereto.
(Ord. 296 § 8.1)

§ 40.03.020 Permitted uses.

The principal uses of land in an R-1 district are as follows:
(a) 
Single-family dwellings with five or fewer bedrooms.
(b) 
Agriculture, except the raising of animals or fowl for commercial purposes, or the sale of any products at retail on the premises.
(c) 
Family and group day care homes as defined in Section 40.26.270.
(d) 
Group care homes with six or fewer clients.
(e) 
Supportive housing.
(f) 
Transitional housing.
(Ord. 296 § 8.2; Ord. 316 § 3; Ord. 1198 § 1; Ord. 1357 § 5; Ord. 1787 § 2; Ord. 2276 § 3, 2007; Ord. 2413 § 2, 2013; Ord. 2677, 11/4/2025)

§ 40.03.030 Accessory uses.

The following accessory uses are permitted in an R-1 district:
(a) 
Deleted by Ord. 2119.
(b) 
Home occupation, subject to the provisions of Sections 40.01.010 and 40.26.150.
(c) 
Swimming pools, subject to the provisions of Section 40.26.350.
(d) 
Signs, subject to the regulations of Section 40.26.020.
(e) 
Other accessory uses and accessory buildings customarily appurtenant to a permitted use, subject to requirements of Section 40.26.010.
(f) 
Accessory dwelling units meeting the requirements of Section 40.26.450 (ministerial accessory dwelling units).
(Ord. 296 § 8.3; Ord. 875 § 3; Ord. 1357 § 6; Ord. 1419 § 3; Ord. 2119 § 1, 2003; Ord. 2126 § 5, 2003; Ord. 2553 § 3, 2019)

§ 40.03.040 Conditional uses permitted with a conditional use permit (CUP).

The following conditional uses may be permitted in an R-1 district subject to the granting of a conditional use permit (CUP):
(a) 
Public and semipublic buildings and uses of the recreational, educational, religious, cultural or public service type, including public utility, but not including corporation yards, storage or repair yards, warehouses and similar uses.
(b) 
Hospitals, churches or other religious or eleemosynary institutions, subject to the provisions of Section 40.26.160.
(c) 
Temporary tract offices, subject to the provisions of Section 40.26.360.
(d) 
Nursery schools and day care centers, subject to the provisions of Section 40.26.270.
(e) 
Group care homes with more than six clients, subject to the provisions of Section 40.26.135.
(f) 
Residential dwellings with more than five bedrooms in the unit subject to the requirements of Section 40.26.255.
(g) 
Residential dwellings with more than five bathrooms in the unit subject to the requirements of Section 40.26.256. Individual bathrooms shall not consist of more than one toilet fixture per bathroom with the exception of a bidet, and shall not contain more than two sinks, a shower, a bathtub or combination thereof.
(Ord. 296 § 8.4; Ord. 396 § 1; Ord. 527 § 1; Ord. 1214 § 1; Ord. 1357 § 7; Ord. 1719 § 2; Ord. 1786 § 2; Ord. 1787 § 3; Ord. 1802 § 4; Ord. 2034 §§ 4, 5, 2000; Ord. 2113 § 1, 2003; Ord. 2119 § 1, 2003; Ord. 2126 § 4, 2003; Ord. 2276 § 4, 2007; Ord. 2359 § 10, 2010; Ord. 2445 §§ 3, 5, 2015; Ord. 2604 § 2, 2021; Ord. 2633 § 2, 2022)

§ 40.03.045 Conditional uses permitted with an administrative use permit (AUP).

The following conditional uses may be permitted in an R-1 district subject to the granting of an administrative use permit (AUP):
(a) 
Non-ministerial accessory dwelling unit. Accessory dwelling units that are not permitted pursuant to Section 40.26.450 (Ministerial accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units) shall be permitted subject to the granting of an administrative use permit and shall be known as non-ministerial accessory dwelling units. Non-ministerial accessory dwelling units shall comply with all of the requirements of Section 40.26.460.
(b) 
Guest houses. Guest houses are conditionally allowable accessory structures, subject to the granting of an administrative use permit (AUP). Guest houses shall comply with all of the requirements of Section 40.26.470.
(Ord. 2445 § 5, 2015; Ord. 2553 § 3, 2019; Ord. 2572 § 4, 2020; Ord. 2602 § 8, 2021)

§ 40.03.050 Height regulations.

No principal building shall exceed two stories or thirty feet in height. No accessory building shall exceed one story or fifteen feet in height, except as provided in Section 40.27.030.
(Ord. 296 § 8.5; Ord. 1786 § 1)

§ 40.03.060 Area, lot width, yard and open space requirements.

The following minimum requirements shall be observed, except where increased for conditional uses or as provided in Sections 40.27.040 through 40.27.080:
(a) 
Lot area.
(1) 
Zone R-1-15, fifteen thousand square feet.
(2) 
Zone R-1-8, eight thousand four hundred square feet.
(3) 
Zone R-1-6, seven thousand square feet corner lot; six thousand square feet interior lot.
(b) 
Lot width.
(1) 
Zone R-1-15, eighty feet.
(2) 
Zone R-1-8, seventy feet.
(3) 
Zone R-1-6, sixty-five feet corner lot; fifty-five feet interior lot.
(c) 
Usable open space.
(1) 
Zone R-1-8, twenty percent lot area.
(2) 
Zone R-1-6, twenty percent lot area.
(d) 
Lot coverage.
(1) 
Not in excess of forty percent.
(e) 
Side yards.
(1) 
Zone R-1-15: street side yard, fifteen feet; interior side yard, eight feet; total both sides, twenty feet. If principal building is two stories or over (or any portion of a single-story building over twenty feet in height as measured to the exterior), that portion must meet the following minimum setbacks: one side, ten feet; total both sides, twenty-four feet, except for projections as permitted by Section 40.27.060.
(2) 
Zones R-1-6 and R-1-8: street side yard, fifteen feet; interior side yard, five feet; side yards of three feet may be allowed if a tentative development plan showing twelve feet between future buildings is submitted by the subdivider and approved by the director. Total side yard, twelve feet, except for projections as permitted by Section 40.27.060. If the principal building is two stories or over (or any portion of a single-story building over twenty feet in height), that portion must meet the following minimum side setbacks: one side, ten feet; street side yard, fifteen feet. For those properties with a street side yard located along a street for which a corridor plan was accepted by the city council at a public hearing, the minimum street side yard setback shall be ten feet. The accepted corridor plan must have specific language relating to reduced setbacks for those properties fronting the corridor street.
(f) 
Front yard.
(1) 
Zone R-1-15, twenty-five feet, except as provided in Section 40.27.060.
(2) 
Zone R-1-8, twenty feet, except as provided in Section 40.27.050 and projections as permitted by Section 40.27.060.
(3) 
Zone R-1-6, twenty feet, except as provided in Section 40.27.050 and projections permitted by Section 40.27.060. For those properties with a front yard facing a street for which a corridor plan was accepted by the city council at a public hearing, the minimum front yard setback shall be ten feet. The accepted corridor plan must have specific language relating to reduced setbacks for those properties fronting the corridor street. Garage setbacks shall conform to the requirements of Section 40.27.050 of this Code.
(g) 
Rear yard.
(1) 
Zones R-1-6, R-1-8, R-1-15, twenty feet, except for any portion of a building over one story (or any portion of a single-story building over twenty feet in height as measured to the exterior), that portion must meet the following minimum setback: twenty-five feet.
(2) 
The rear yard setback for corner lots in the R-1 district may be five feet, only if there is an unimproved area in the rear yard equal to the following computations:
(A) 
Single-story principal buildings in R-1-6 and R-1-8 districts: lot width multiplied by twenty;
(B) 
Two or more story principal buildings in R-1-6 and R-1-8 districts: lot width multiplied by twenty-five;
(C) 
Single-story principal buildings in the R-1-15 district: lot width multiplied by twenty-five; and
(D) 
Two or more story principal buildings in the R-1-15 district: lot width multiplied by thirty.
(E) 
No dimension shall be less than twenty feet in making these computations.
(h) 
Floor area ratio (FAR).
(1) 
Up to forty percent plus up to five hundred square feet for garage or carport.
(2) 
In excess of forty percent plus up to five hundred square feet for garage or carport with approval of a discretionary design review application pursuant to Article 40.31.
(i) 
Attic conversions.
(1) 
For the purpose of setback determination, a converted attic space shall have the same setbacks as the story directly below it in all residential districts.
(2) 
No exterior changes to the existing roofline of the structure shall be allowed except for the provision of egress windows or doors in compliance with Uniform Building Code (UBC). Any dormers or similar structures provided to comply with the UBC required egress windows, shall not exceed the minimum size necessary to obtain the required egress.
(3) 
No attic conversion shall be allowed if one of the following occurs:
(A) 
The maximum stories allowed in the district have been achieved;
(B) 
The number of stories that can be built on a lot are restricted (usually, restricted to one-story building).
(4) 
If no restrictions apply and the maximum stories allowed in the district have not been achieved, a building permit only would be required for the attic conversion.
(Ord. 296 § 8.6; Ord. 317 § 1; Ord. 329 § 1; Ord. 364 § 1; Ord. 469 § 1; Ord. 487 § 1; Ord. 524 § 1; Ord. 595 § 1; Ord. 637 § 1; Ord. 1109 § 1; Ord. 1768 § 3, 1994; Ord. 1817 §§ 1, 2; Ord. 2110 §§ 1, 2, 2003; Ord. 2390 § 2, 2012; Ord. 2677, 11/4/2025)

§ 40.03.070 Special conditions.

Site plan and architectural approval by the director or designee shall be required for all uses, unless specified otherwise in Section 40.31.040.
(Ord. 296 § 8.7; Ord. 1419 § 4; Ord. 1627 § 4; Ord. 2390 § 2, 2012; Ord. 2677, 11/4/2025)