The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the unique needs of special housing for senior citizens in a manner compatible with existing and future developments in surrounding areas and in compliance with the General Plan.

No person may construct or maintain any building or structure or use on any lot included within an established S-C-H Overlay Zone unless:

As a condition of approval for any senior housing development pursuant to this chapter, the property owner or owners must enter into a covenant, running with the land that the development is for senior citizen housing use only for a minimum period of 55 years. The covenant must set forth the limitations on occupancy, residency, or use on the basis of age. The covenant must specify the periodic period that the property owner or homeowners association, as applicable, submit a semi-annual report to the City confirming requirements of this section. Falsification of any reports is subject to penalties as prescribed by law. The covenant must be submitted to the City for review and approval by the City Attorney and be recorded in the office of the County Recorder before the City issues building permits for the development.

All senior housing developments within an S-C-H Overlay Zone must contain a minimum of 35 senior citizen dwelling units and comply with the following standards as set out in Table 21.16(A) below.

Trash area requirements must be the same as in Chapter 21.08. For upper levels of multi-story senior housing developments, a trash chute(s) must be conveniently provided to serve all occupants on the upper levels.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this title, and for purposes of this chapter only, "open space" means an area not more than 10% in grade which is on the building site of a lot and/or within the rear yard, interior side yard or the building, and is maintained for landscaping, community gardens, swimming pools, recreation rooms, and other inside and outside living or recreational uses, excepting wherefrom areas used for off-street parking and driveways. Inside areas dedicated for open space shall not exceed one-third of the total required area. Common open space shall have a minimum dimension of 15 feet when the abutting rear yard or interior side yard is included. No encroachments shall be permitted below a height of eight feet.

The minimum floor area per unit is equal to that required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The maximum floor area for a senior housing development unit is 900 square feet.

All outdoor lighting must be located and shielded to prevent the direct spillage of light or glare onto adjacent lots and streets. Areas of open parking and all exterior pathways must be illuminated to provide an average lighting level of not less than two foot-candles. All parking garage structures, gate entry points for vehicles and pedestrians, and building entrances must be illuminated to provide an average lighting level of not less than five foot-candles, and a minimum level of not less than two foot-candles per light fixture.

Security related systems, including, without limitation, individual unit alarms, security type mailboxes, and surveillance cameras in common areas such as entrance lobbies, parking areas, and at security gates must be installed in accordance with Police Department direction.