The RM-South Zone is designed to allow single, duplex, and multi-family residential development, and to preserve, insofar as possible, a village-like character in areas where predominantly multi-family development already exists and is interspersed with vacant land.

Property within the RM-South Zone shall be designated by ordinance to be depicted upon the City zone map.

The allowable uses in the RM-South Zone are:

A.

In conformity with density area and other development standards required by the RM-South Zone, and use that is allowed in the RM-East, RM-West or RM-Central Zones.

B.

A duplex with attached dwelling units, or with two unattached dwelling units where design constraints make attachment impractical.

C.

Multiple dwelling units.

D.

Boardinghouses and lodging houses.

E.

Licensed rest homes.

F.

Fraternity and sorority houses, except those where the chief activity is a service customarily carried on as a business.

G.

A Small Community Care Facility on each building site.

(Ord. No. 725; Ord. No. 758; Ord. No. 932, § 26, 10-2-2017; Ord. No. 1002, § 2, 12-18-2023)

Accessory uses that are lawful in the RM-East, RM-West or RM-Central Zones may be established in the RM-South Zone, including Accessory Dwelling Units in accordance with Chapter 30.91.

(Ord. No. 932, § 27, 10-2-2017; Ord. No. 1002, § 3, 12-18-2023)

Provided a conditional use permit for any such use has first been obtained and is in full force and effect, the following uses are allowable in the RM-South Zone:

A.

Large Family Day Care Facility, provided all of the following requirements are met:

1.

A fenced and screened play lot not less than 600 square feet in area on the lot or adjacent to the premises;

2.

Where the closest distance from any one large family day care facility to another large family day care facility shall be no less than 1,000 linear feet from the closest property lines on each site.

3.

Parking shall be provided on-site for the operator and employee(s).

4.

A circulation and parking plan shall be submitted for review and approval of the City of Del Mar Traffic Engineer and Planning and Community Development Director.

B.

Large Community Care Facility, provided all of the following requirements are met:

1.

Parking shall be provided on-site for the operators and employee(s) of the Facility in accordance with the provisions of the DMMC;

2.

A Circulation and Parking Plan shall be submitted for the review and written approval of the City of Del Mar Traffic Engineer and Director of Planning and Community Development; and

3.

The closest distance from any Large Community Care Facility to another Large Community Care Facility shall be no less than 300 linear feet, measured from the closest property lines of the sites on which such Facilities are located.

(Ord. No. 725; Ord. No. 758; Ord. No. 896)

See Chapter 30.80 for parking requirements.

All development in the RM-South Zone shall be subject to design review by the Design Review Board pursuant to the Municipal Code. In reviewing development in the RM-South Zone, the Design Review Board shall implement the following criteria in addition to the criteria contained in this Code:

A.

That all developments shall reflect imaginative design in keeping with the village-like character of Del Mar.

B.

That all developments shall maximize the amount of park-like, unobstructed, non-vehicular open space.

C.

That the design of any development, the landscaping, scale, height, length, width, bulk, coverage, and exterior appearance of any structures shall be in harmony with neighborhood character and with developments on nearby lots.

D.

That the shape and size of any developments, and especially any portion of any development which exceeds one story in height, shall minimize the blockage of views and direct sunlight from nearby lots and public rights-of-way.

E.

That identical building facades on adjacent parcels shall be avoided.

F.

The Design Review Board shall consider siting alternatives, building size and bulk constraints, landscaping requirements, and other design improvements as may be reasonably required to preserve and enhance the integrity, public use, enjoyment, and public visibility to and from public open spaces, the beach, and the beach bluffs.

A.

Density. Up to, but not exceeding 12.5 dwelling units per net acre.

B.

Lot Dimensions.

1.

Minimum lot size: 8,000 square feet.

2.

Minimum street frontage: 50 feet.

3.

Minimum lot width: 60 feet.

4.

Minimum lot depth: 100 feet.

C.

Construction Standards.

1.

Setbacks:

a.

Front yard: 20 feet.

b.

Rear yard: 20 feet.

c.

Interior side yard: Ten feet.

d.

Street side: Ten feet.

2.

Height: 26 feet.

3.

Floor area ratio: 35 percent.

4.

Maximum lot coverage: 50 percent.

(Ord. No. 898)

In the RM-South Zone, the interior side yard may be reduced to seven and one-half feet for single-family and duplex development.

A.

Where implementation of a development project would result in a net reduction in the number of dwelling units on a property, the project shall be conditioned for payment of the City of Del Mar's Housing Reduction Mitigation Fee, with payment made based upon the net reduction in dwelling units.

B.

The requirement for payment of a Housing Reduction Mitigation Fee(s) required in this Section shall not apply where: 1) a property is nonconforming in that it contains a number of dwelling units in excess of that allowed per the Density Development Standards of this Chapter; and 2) the development project's net reduction of dwelling units will bring the property into conformance with the Density Development Standard.

1.

The exemption for payment of a Housing Reduction Mitigation Fee(s) provided in this Subsection B. shall not apply where the number of dwelling units to be reduced exceeds the requirement to achieve conformance with the Density Development Standards. In such cases, payment of a Housing Reduction Mitigation Fee(s) shall be required, on a unit-for-unit basis, for each dwelling unit reduction in excess of the minimum required to achieve conformance with the Density Development Standards.

(Ord. No. 889)