Escondido City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 65
OLD ESCONDIDO NEIGHBORHOOD
§ 33-1370 Purpose.
It is the purpose and intent of the Old Escondido Neighborhood historic district to:
(a)
Preserve the single-family residential character of the neighborhood;
(b)
Preserve the historic/cultural resources of the neighborhood;
(c)
Emphasize orientation towards pedestrian activities in the area;
(d)
Discourage nonresidential uses.
(Ord. No. 91-58, § 1, 12-18-91)
§ 33-1371 Boundaries.
The boundaries of Old Escondido Neighborhood are Fifth Avenue on the north, Chestnut Street on the east, Thirteenth Avenue on the south and South Escondido Boulevard on the west, excluding properties fronting on Escondido Boulevard, and including north side of Fifth Avenue from Juniper to Date. For more detailed boundaries see map below.
 |
(Ord. No. 91-58, § 1, 12-18-91)
§ 33-1372 Permitted principal uses and structures.
The following principal uses and structures are permitted in the Old Escondido Neighborhood:
Use No. | Use Title |
|---|---|
1111 | Single-family dwellings, detached, including licensed residential care facilities for six or fewer persons |
6815 | Small family day care centers as defined in section 33-8 of this code. |
(Ord. No. 91-58, § 1, 12-18-91; Ord. No. 2004-21, § 6, 11-17-04; Ord. No. 2021-10, § 6, 10-27-21)
§ 33-1373 Permitted accessory uses and structures.
Accessory uses and structures are permitted in the Old Escondido Neighborhood, provided they are incidental to, and do not substantially alter the character of the permitted principal use or structure (i.e., garage, storage, shed, etc.). Accessory uses and structures are permitted according to section 33-95 (R-1 zone) of this zoning code.
(Ord. No. 91-58, § 1, 12-18-91; Ord. No. 2016-15, § 4, 10-26-16; Ord. No. 2017-06, § 8, 8-16-17; Ord. 2025-01, 5/7/2025)
§ 33-1374 Conditional uses.
(a)
The following uses are permitted anywhere within the neighborhood/district if a conditional use permit has first been issued and subject to the terms thereof.
Use No. | Use Title |
|---|---|
1400 | Mobilehome parks conforming to the provisions of this article |
1591 | Bed and breakfast facilities, conforming to Article 32 (except no signs shall be allowed, no variance to parking requirements granted and size shall be limited to four rooms with no exception) |
4710 | Communications (excluding 4718—offices, 4712—relay towers, microwave or others) |
4753 | Satellite dish antennas pursuant to Article 34 of this chapter |
4833 | Water storage as part of a utility water system (uncovered) |
6810 | Nursery, primary and secondary education (use of existing buildings only) |
6910 | Religious activities |
6941 | Social clubs |
6942 | Fraternal associations and lodges |
6944 | Youth organizations subject to criteria of section 33-1105 |
6952 | Civic associations |
(b)
The following conditional uses are permitted in existing buildings within the Old Escondido Neighborhood on the south side of Fifth Avenue between South Escondido Boulevard and Juniper.
Use No. | Use Title |
|---|---|
6520 | Legal services |
6530 | Engineering, architectural and planning services |
6591 | Accounting, auditing, bookkeeping services, income tax services, notary public |
6592 | Interior decorating consulting services |
6611 | Building contractors (includes residential, commercial, and industrial) with no storage of vehicles, equipment, or materials |
(c)
No new structures shall be permitted for any conditional uses. All signs shall conform to section 33-1379 of this article. Any use or structure permitted or conditionally permitted by this zone and involving hazardous materials is subject to the conditional use permit requirements of Article 30 of this chapter.
(d)
The zoning administrator or planning commission shall evaluate all conditional use permits against the criteria set forth in Article 61 of this chapter. In addition, those conditional use permits pursuant to section 33-1374(b) shall be subject to the following:
(1)
Hours of operation shall be from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
(2)
Adaptive reuse shall conform to design guidelines for historic resources. Every project for adaptive reuse will be subject to design review to assess appropriateness of the proposed use and any proposed changes in relation to the area, the building, and the site.
(3)
Parking for employees shall be provided on site at a ratio of one parking space per 300 square feet of the office area. Curbside parking with a two hour limit shall be provided for customer parking. The city will provide parking stickers for residents.
(4)
Noise and lighting standards shall be the same as for residential areas.
(Ord. No. 91-58, § 1, 12-18-91; Ord. No. 92-42, § 10, 11-4-92; Ord. No. 2004-21, § 9, 11-17-04; Ord. No. 2016-15, § 4, 10-26-16; Ord. No. 2019-10, § 7, 8-21-19; Ord. No. 2021-10, § 6, 10-27-21)
§ 33-1375 Prohibited uses and structures.
All industrial, office, commercial, agricultural and multifamily uses not specifically listed in this article are prohibited.
(Ord. No. 91-58, § 1, 12-18-91)
§ 33-1376 Property development standards.
(a)
Properties shall be developed in accordance with the single-family residential (R-1) zone of Article 6 of this zoning code, except as specifically mentioned in this article.
(b)
All new construction and all external modifications and changes to structures and sites within the Old Escondido Neighborhood shall conform to design guidelines for homeowners of historic resources.
(c)
Lot dimensions for newly created parcels may vary from the underlying zone standard in order to facilitate the relocation of a historic single-family residence, provided the lot maintains the minimum square footage established for the zone and the relocated residence meets all other criteria established by the city to the satisfaction of the director of community development.
(Ord. No. 91-58, § 1, 12-18-91; Ord. No. 2005-10R, § 4, 7-13-05; Ord. No. 2018-07R, § 7, 4-18-18; Ord. No. 2018-20, § 7, 11-28-18)
§ 33-1377 Off-street parking.
Off-street parking shall conform with Article 39 of this zoning code.
(Ord. No. 91-58, § 1, 12-18-91)
§ 33-1378 Noise and lighting.
Noise and lighting standards will be the same as for residential areas.
(Ord. No. 91-58, § 1, 12-18-91)
§ 33-1379 Signs.
Signs within the Old Escondido Neighborhood shall conform to the following provisions:
(a)
Wall signs or name plates shall not exceed eight and one-half (8.5) inches by 14 inches size, and shall display only the name and address of the business or occupant, except as specified in this subsection:
(1)
On the south side of Fifth Avenue between Escondido Boulevard and Juniper Street, signs shall not exceed 120 square inches in area and shall display only the name and address of the business or occupant.
(b)
Wall signs shall be attached to the building or to an arm attached to the building. One sign shall be permitted for each residence or business located within a structure.
(c)
No illumination of wall signs or window signs shall be allowed.
(d)
Freestanding signs. Subject to planning staff review and approval, one freestanding sign per parcel may be permitted within the adaptive reuse area subject to the following standards:
(1)
The sign shall not exceed eight square feet in area and five feet in height.
(2)
The sign shall display only the name, address and/or logo of the business or occupant.
(3)
No internal illumination shall be allowed. Indirect external illumination may be allowed between the hours of sunrise and 11:00 p.m.
(e)
Sign design, colors, materials and typeface shall be coordinated with the building style, material, size, color, and shall be in keeping with the historical context of the Old Escondido Neighborhood.
(f)
Churches are exempt from the sign restrictions of this section, but shall conform to the standards of Article 66.
(Ord. No. 91-58, § 1, 12-18-91; Ord. No. 92-47, § 6, 11-18-92; Ord. No. 2000-01, § 4, 1-19-00; Ord. No. 2011-19R, § 5, 1-11-12)
§ 33-1380 Review.
Exterior changes to structures or sites within the Old Escondido Neighborhood will be subject to the design guidelines for homeowners of historic resources and the receipt of a certificate of appropriateness as prescribed in section 33-798. Any project involving the removal or relocation of mature or protected tree, or sensitive biological species or habitat, is also subject to the regulations of sections 33-1068 through 33-1069.
(Ord. No. 2000-23, § 6, 9-13-00)
§ 33-1381 Appeal.
Staff review decisions may be appealed to the planning commission. Planning commission decisions may be appealed to city council pursuant to section 33-1303 of this zoning code.
(Ord. No. 2024-05, 5/8/2024)