The purpose of this chapter is to regulate the conversion of existing multiple-family residential buildings into condominiums, community apartments or stock cooperatives, and mobile home parks into mobile home subdivisions, cooperatives or condominiums, in order to provide for the housing needs of all economic segments of the community by:

For the purpose of this chapter, terms used in this chapter are defined as follows:

No person, firm, partnership or other entity shall convert a multiple-family residential building into condominiums, community apartments, or a stock cooperative or a mobile home park into a mobile home subdivision, cooperative or condominiums without first having received conditional use permit approval and final tract map or parcel map approval from the city. No application for approval of a tentative tract map or parcel map for a conversion shall be deemed filed until the applicant has received a conditional use permit.

A request for a conditional use permit to convert a multiple-family residential building into condominiums, community apartments or a stock cooperative or a mobile home park into a mobile home subdivision, cooperative or condominiums shall be processed in accordance with Chapter 18.108 of this title. The application for a conditional use permit for a conversion shall contain, in addition to the information required by Section 18.108.060, such additional filing requirements as are set forth on forms provided by the city.

A notice of intent to convert shall be delivered to each tenant's housing unit or mobile home site by certified mail not later than five days after an application for conditional use permit has been filed with the department of planning. Evidence of delivery shall be submitted by the applicant no later than five days prior to the date on which the application is set for public hearing. The form for the notice of intent to convert shall be as approved by the planning department and shall contain not less than the following:

No tenant of a multiple-family residential building or of a mobile home park who is handicapped and the head of household or who is over the age of sixty-two and head of household shall be required to move by reason of the conversion during the first six months after the date of conversion, in order that such tenant has adequate time in which to obtain comparable replacement housing. No tenant of a mobile home park who is the owner-occupant of a mobile home shall be required to move by reason of the conversion during the first year after the effective date of the conversion, in order that such tenant shall have adequate time in which to obtain a comparable replacement space to which to move the mobile home. If within the year period, the mobile home cannot be relocated to another mobile home park within a ten-mile radius of the city boundaries, the applicant shall be required to purchase the mobile home at the fair market value, determined by an independent appraiser with mobile home appraisal expertise.

After an application for a conditional use permit has been filed, any new tenants shall be notified in writing of the intent to convert the multiple-family residential building or mobile home park prior to leasing or renting any unit or space, but new tenants shall not be entitled to moving expenses pursuant to Section 18.92.070.

The applicant shall provide all tenants with current rental information in the form of a semi-monthly bulletin listing available units, if the conversion is of a multiple-family residential building, or spaces, if the conversion is of a mobile home park, in the city and the area within a five-mile radius of the city boundaries that are comparable in size and monthly rent, except that for the conversion of a mobile home park, the applicant shall list available spaces within a ten-mile radius of the city boundaries. The provision of such bulletins shall begin within two weeks after approval of the application for the conditional use permit becomes final. The information to be contained in the bulletin shall include the following:

All multiple-family residential buildings or mobile home parks sought to be converted shall be, on the date of conversion, in compliance with this title for the construction of planned residential unit developments or new mobile home parks, as applicable, and other federal, state or local requirements, as applicable.

The enclosed living or habitable area of each unit in a multiple-family residential building to be converted shall be not less than six hundred square feet, and the area for each mobile home site in a mobile home park to be converted shall be not less than three thousand five hundred square feet, unless the planning commission determines at the time of approval of the application for the conditional use permit that other project amenities compensate for the minimum required enclosed living area or site area. Compensating amenities include, but are not limited to, the following:

The consumption of gas and electricity within each unit or on each site shall be separately metered so that the owner of the unit or site can be separately billed for utilities. Each unit or site shall have access to its own meters and to its own panel for all electrical circuits that serve the unit or site, and such access shall not require entry through another unit or site.

In converted multiple-family residential buildings, a laundry area shall be provided in each unit, or if common laundry areas are provided, such facilities shall consist of not less than one automatic washer and dryer for each ten units or fraction thereof.

In converted multiple-family residential buildings, wall and floor-ceiling assemblies shall conform to Title 35 of the Uniform Building Code, or its successor. Permanent mechanical equipment, including domestic appliances, that is determined by the planning director and building official to be a potential source of vibration or noise shall be mounted, isolated from the floor and ceiling or otherwise installed in a manner approved by the planning director and building official to lessen the transmission of vibration and noise. Floor covering shall only be replaced by another floor covering that provides not less than the required insulation.

The applicant shall make provisions for the dedication of land or easements for street widening, public access or other public purpose in connection with the project where necessary and in accordance with established, planned improvements.

In converted multiple-family residential buildings, each unit shall be provided with approved detectors of products of combustion other than heat conforming to the latest Uniform Building Code standards, mounted on the ceiling or wall at a point centrally located in the corridor or area giving access to rooms used for sleeping purposes. For each conversion, whether of a multiple-family residential building or of a mobile home park, all on-site fire hydrants, fire alarm systems, portable fire extinguishers and other fire protective appliances shall be retained and maintained in an operable condition at all times by the homeowners' association and shall be so delineated in the covenants, conditions and restrictions.

The applicant for the conversion of a multiple-family residential building shall provide written certification to the buyer(s) of each unit on the initial sale after conversion that any dishwasher, garbage disposal, stove, refrigerator, hot water tank, air conditioner or heating system that is provided is in working condition as of the close of escrow. The applicant for the conversion of a mobile home park shall provide written certification to the buyer(s) of each site on the initial sale after conversion that any hook-ups that are provided are in working condition as of the close of escrow. At such time as the homeowners' association takes over management of the project, the applicant shall provide written certification to the association that any pool and pool equipment and any appliance and mechanical equipment to be owned in common by the association is in working condition.

The planning commission may grant a conditional use permit for the conversion of an existing multiple-family residential building into condominiums, community apartments, or a stock cooperative or an existing mobile home park into a mobile home subdivision, cooperative or condominiums if the planning commission finds, in addition to those findings set forth in Section 18.108.030 of this title, the following: