Norco City Zoning Code

The mobile home shall be certified under the National Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standard Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C., Section 5401 et seq.) and shall bear a California insignia or Federal label as required by Section 18550 (b) of the Health and Safety Code.

The mobile home has not been altered in violation of applicable codes.

The mobile home is to be secured to a foundation system in compliance with all applicable building regulations, and Section 18551 of the Health and Safety Code.

The mobile home shall meet minimum floor area of the zone. Porches, garages, patios and similar features, whether attached or detached, shall not be included when calculating the minimum floor area.

The mobile home shall have a roof overhang of not less than 18 inches unless it is determined that it is not compatible to the neighborhood in which the mobile home is being located.

The mobile home shall have roofing material and siding material that is compatible with the neighborhood in which the mobile home is to be located.

The mobile home shall be used only as a single-family residential use and shall comply with all requirements of the zone in which it is located.

No mobile home shall be permitted on a lot that is within 800 feet of a lot that is on the same street containing a mobile home permitted by this same section.

Name and address of the applicant and all owners of the subject property, including evidence that all owners agree to the application.

Location or address legal description and zoning of property on which the mobile home is to be located.

A site plan of the entire property showing location of mobile home and all accessory buildings, including all dimensions and setbacks.

Certification that the mobile home complies with the National Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974.

Photographs that show the mobile home in sufficient detail with regard to siding material, roof overhang and roof materials.

Photographs that depict the type of structures, siding and roofing materials and roof overhang of structures in the neighborhood in which the mobile home is to be located.

Density. The number of dwelling units in any one senior citizen housing complex shall be compatible with existing and planned development in the area it is located in as determined by the Planning Commission.

Lot Size. The minimum lot size per project shall be 40,000 square feet.

Yard Spaces. Notwithstanding zone district requirements, the Planning Commission may reduce yard space requirements provided that such reduction will not adversely affect adjacent properties.

Parking On-site. Parking shall be provided at a ratio of not less than 0.75 parking spaces per dwelling unit. Two of these parking spaces shall be designated for the manager's unit. Not less than 10% of the total number of required parking spaces shall be designed and designated as handicapped spaces. Included within the total number of required parking spaces, one handicapped passenger loading space measuring at least 20 feet by 10 feet shall be designed and designated for every 25 dwelling units or for every 5,000 square feet of area designated for multi-tenancy use. The Planning Commission may require additional spaces if it is found that because of design, multi-tenancy rooms there could be additional tenants thereby increasing the parking demand.

Common Activity Areas. There shall be a ratio of at least 20 square feet of indoor and 30 square feet of outdoor common activity area for each unit or for every 200 square feet within rooms designated for multi-tenancy.

Dwelling Unit Size. Each dwelling unit shall have at least one bedroom and contain 400 square feet of habitable floor area, plus at least 100 square feet additional floor area for each additional bedroom.

Other. All other development requirements such as landscaping, trash enclosures, driveway locations, handicapped accessibility, shall be determined by the Planning Commission.

Minimum Tenant Age. The minimum age of any senior citizen that is a tenant of a senior housing project shall be fifty-five years. This age restriction shall not apply to a spouse or a legally appointed guardian of a senior tenant.

The site shall have a minimum net area of 40,000 square feet.

A dwelling, where used by a proprietor, manager, or custodian of the mini-warehouse, may be erected in conjunction with this use. However, said dwelling shall be an integral part of the mini-warehouse, and may not be a separate structure.

A minimum of four parking spaces outside the secured storage area shall be provided for office and visitor use and two additional spaces shall be located within a garage for use by the resident. Additional parking may be required if the intensity of the use warrants additional parking to reduce potential congestion.

Other site development requirements may be established by special conditions of approval.

Bulk storage of flammable, explosive, dangerous and/or hazardous materials;

Storage of matter or material which creates obnoxious dust, odor, or fumes.

Outside Storage: Outside storage may be permitted if determined to be compatible with adjacent land uses and is properly situated and screened from public view and adjacent land uses.

Accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units are permitted in all zones where single-family and multifamily residential uses are allowed subject to the issuance of a building permit. Any application for an accessory dwelling unit that meets the unit size standards and development standards of this section shall be approved ministerially by applying the standards herein and without a public hearing.

An application for an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit permit shall be made by the owner of the parcel on which the primary unit sits and shall be filed on a City-approved application form (a building permit application) and subject to the established fee set by City Council resolution, as it may be amended from time to time.

Applications for an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit shall conform to the requirements for, and shall obtain, a building permit consistent with the California Building Code.

The city shall notify an applicant for a building permit for an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit whether their application is complete or incomplete within 15 business days after the city received the application. If determined to be incomplete, the city shall provide the applicant with a list of incomplete items and a description of how the application can be made complete concurrently with the determination of incompleteness. The city shall have 15 business days to review any resubmittal and determine whether the identified deficiencies have been cured. The city shall not require an applicant to provide any item that was not included in the initial determination of incompleteness. If the city does not make a timely determination of completeness or incompleteness for an application or resubmitted application, the application or resubmitted application shall be deemed complete.

An application to create or serve an accessory dwelling unit or a junior accessory dwelling unit shall either be approved or denied within 60 days from the date the City receives a completed application if there is an existing single-family or multifamily dwelling on the lot. If the application to create or serve an accessory dwelling unit is submitted in conjunction with an application to create a new single-family or multifamily dwelling unit on the lot, the City may delay approving or denying the application for the accessory dwelling unit until the City approves or denies the application to create or serve the new single-family or multifamily dwelling, but the application to create or serve the accessory dwelling unit shall be considered without discretionary review or hearing. If the applicant requests a delay, the 60-day time period shall be tolled for the period of the agreed-upon delay. If the City has not approved or denied the completed application within 60 days, the application shall be deemed approved.

Denial of an ADU application shall be accompanied with a full set of comments listing the specific items that are defective or deficient. These comments shall also describe how the application can be remedied by the applicant. An application to create an ADU shall not be denied because corrections are needed to address nonconforming zoning conditions, building code violations, or unpermitted structures elsewhere on a lot that do not present a threat to public health and safety and are not affected by the construction of the ADU.

An applicant may appeal a determination that their application for a building permit for an ADU or JADU is incomplete, and/or may appeal the denial of a building permit for an ADU or JADU, to the planning commission. The applicant shall file a written notice of appeal stating the grounds therefor with the City Clerk within 10 days from the date of the determination that is the subject of the appeal accompanied with the appeal fee set by resolution of the City Council. A final written determination on the appeal shall be issued no later than 60 business days after receipt of the applicant's written appeal unless the applicant agrees in writing to an extension of time.

A demolition permit for a detached garage that is to be replaced with an ADU shall be reviewed with the ADU application and issued at the same time. The permit applicant shall not be required to provide a written notice or posted placard for the demolition of a detached garage that is to be replaced with an accessory dwelling unit, unless the property is located within an architecturally and historically significant historic district.

Maximum ADU Size. An attached or detached accessory dwelling unit shall not exceed 850 square feet of interior livable space for an ADU with up to one bedroom, or 1,000 square feet of interior livable space for an ADU with two or more bedrooms.

Setback and Lot Coverage Requirements.

Primary Dwelling. The lot upon which the accessory dwelling unit shall be allowed must contain a single-family or multifamily residence as an existing or proposed primary unit on the lot.

Separate Address. Detached accessory dwelling units shall be assigned an address separate from that of the primary dwelling unit.

Number of Accessory Dwelling Units per Lot.

Underlying Zoning. Except as otherwise provided in this section, accessory dwelling units shall comply with all development requirements for new single-family dwelling units as specified for the land use district in which they are located, except for minimum lot size.

Building Codes. All new accessory dwelling units must comply with California Building Code standards as adopted in Title 15. Fire sprinklers shall not be required for an ADU if they are not required for the primary residence. The construction of an accessory dwelling unit shall not trigger a requirement for fire sprinklers to be installed in the existing primary dwelling. Accessory dwelling units shall not be constructed on utility and flowage easements. Accessory dwelling units shall comply with local building code requirements that apply to detached dwellings, except that the construction of an accessory dwelling unit shall not constitute a Group R occupancy change under the local building code, as described in Section 310 of the California Building Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations), unless the building official makes a written finding based on substantial evidence in the record that the construction of the accessory dwelling unit could have a specific, adverse impact on public health and safety. Nothing in this subsection shall be interpreted to prevent a local agency or the City from changing the occupancy code of a space that was inhabitable space or was only permitted for nonresidential use and was subsequently converted for residential use pursuant to this section.

Parking. Parking for accessory dwelling units shall be as listed below:

Siting. A detached accessory dwelling unit may not be located within the area between front property line and the line parallel to, and touching, the back of the primary residence. This shall not apply to an existing accessory structure, or a structure constructed in the same location and to the same dimensions as an existing accessory structure, that is converted to an accessory dwelling unit or a portion of an accessory dwelling unit.

Exterior Entrance. For attached ADUs, the exterior entrance shall not be on the front of the primary dwelling, or on any street side of the primary dwelling if the primary dwelling also has exterior access on the street side. No exterior stairway to an attached ADU shall be located on the front of the primary dwelling, where feasible. No passageway shall be required in conjunction with the construction of an ADU.

Wall and/or Fence Requirement. A wall or fence meeting at least the minimum building code standards shall be constructed and maintained along that portion of a side or rear yard boundary where an accessory dwelling unit is closer than five feet to the boundary, subject to the issuance of a building permit as needed.

Windows. Windows are permitted along walls adjacent to the side or rear property lines in compliance with building code standards.

Height. The maximum height of an accessory dwelling unit shall be as follows:

Objective Design Criteria. All accessory dwelling units must comply with the following objective design requirements unless the proposed accessory dwelling unit is a conversion of an existing structure and no change to the exterior of the existing structure is proposed other than windows and doors.

Water and Sewer. An accessory dwelling unit shall not be considered a new residential unit for purposes of calculating connection fees or capacity fees for water and sewer services. Attached accessory dwelling units are not required to be metered separately from the primary dwelling for any City utility or other public utility unless being built concurrently with a new primary dwelling. Detached accessory dwelling units are required to be metered separately from the primary dwelling for water services. No new private wastewater disposal systems shall be permitted for accessory dwelling units. For accessory dwelling units proposed on lots with existing septic systems, the existing septic system shall be expanded to accommodate the accessory dwelling unit unless sewer service is available within 200 feet of the property line. Where sewer service is available within 200 feet of the property line, one sewer connection to serve both units shall be installed prior to the issuance of an occupancy permit for the accessory dwelling unit.

Variances. Notwithstanding Chapter 18.44, there shall be no variance or exemption granted from the requirements contained in this section.

Impact Fees. The accessory dwelling unit shall be assessed all applicable building permit and impact fees.

Open Space Animal-Keeping Area. To preserve the health, welfare and safety of large and small animals and agricultural lifestyle, the location of the accessory dwelling unit must preserve the recorded lot coverage and open space standards for a primary animal keeping area (PAKA) if the ADU is proposed on a lot with a recorded PAKA. For lots that do not have a recorded PAKA, the proposed location of the accessory dwelling unit must comply with the lot coverage and open space animal keeping area requirements of the zoning of the lot. To preserve the health, welfare and safety of the animals in case of an emergency, a minimum 12-foot-wide (or as required in the underlying zone, whichever is more) clear and unobstructed access shall be maintained to the required animal area or existing PAKA.

Exemptions.

Interior to Single-Family Dwelling. Junior accessory units must be constructed within the walls of an existing or proposed single-family residence. Enclosed uses within a residence, such as attached garages, are considered part of the existing or proposed single-family residence.

Maximum Size. A junior accessory dwelling unit shall not exceed 500 square feet in size.

Owner Occupancy. The owner of a parcel proposed for a junior accessory dwelling unit shall occupy as a primary residence either the primary dwelling unit or the junior accessory dwelling unit. Owner occupancy is not required if the owner is a governmental agency, land trust, or "housing organization" as that term is defined in Government Code Section 65589.5(k)(2), as that section may be amended from time to time, or if the junior accessory dwelling unit has separate sanitation facilities from the primary residence.

Sale Prohibited. A junior accessory dwelling unit shall not be sold independently of the primary dwelling on the parcel.

Short-Term Rentals. The junior accessory dwelling unit shall not be rented for periods of 30 days or less.

Access. A separate entrance from the main entrance to the proposed or existing single-family residence is required. If the junior accessory dwelling unit shares a bathroom with the primary dwelling, an interior entry to the primary dwelling's main living area shall also be required.

Kitchen Requirements. The junior accessory dwelling unit shall include an efficiency kitchen, including a food preparation counter and storage cabinets that are of reasonable size in relation to the size of the junior accessory dwelling unit.

Parking. No additional parking is required beyond that already required for the primary dwelling.

Fire Protection—Utility Service. For the purposes of any fire or life protection ordinance or regulation or for the purposes of providing service for water, sewer, or power, a junior accessory dwelling unit shall not be considered a separate or new dwelling unit, unless the junior accessory dwelling unit was constructed in conjunction with a new single-family dwelling. No separate connection between the junior accessory dwelling unit and the utility shall be required for a junior accessory dwelling unit, unless the junior accessory dwelling unit is being constructed in connection with a new single-family dwelling. Fire sprinklers shall not be required for a junior accessory dwelling unit if sprinklers are not required for the primary residence.

Fees. A junior accessory dwelling unit shall not be considered a new residential use for purposes of calculating connection fees or capacity charges for utilities, including water and sewer service, unless the unit was constructed with a new single-family dwelling. Junior accessory dwelling units shall be exempt from the payment of impact fees.

A homeowner applying for a permit for a previously unpermitted accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit constructed before January 1, 2020, shall not be required to pay impact fees or connection or capacity charges except when utility infrastructure is required to comply with California Health and Safety Code Section 17920.3 and when the fee is authorized by California Government Code Section 66324(e).

Upon receiving an application to permit a previously unpermitted accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit constructed before January 1, 2020, an inspector from the city may inspect the unit for compliance with health and safety standards and provide recommendations to comply with health and safety standards necessary to obtain a permit. If the inspector finds noncompliance with health and safety standards, the city shall not penalize the applicant for having the unpermitted accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit and shall approve necessary permits to correct noncompliance with health and safety standards.

Not less than 51 percent of all model lots within the model home sales complex shall have large animal keeping amenities and physical improvements. The model home sales complex shall be subject to the review and approval of the Planning Commission and City Council prior to any building permits being issued;

A minimum 15-foot side yard setback shall be provided on at least one side of the dwelling. This side yard setback shall be graded for vehicular access to the rear yard, shall be free and clear from the eave line to the property line, and shall have a vertical clearance of at least 16 feet;

The sales office may be located in a garage, trailer, or dwelling;

Approval shall be for a period not to exceed a two-year period, at which time the sales office use shall be terminated and the structure restored back to its original condition. Extensions may be granted by the Board for good cause shown in one-year increments not to exceed a total of four years or until 90 percent of the development is sold; whichever is less;

A cash deposit, letter of credit, or any security determined satisfactory to the City shall be submitted to the City of Norco, in an amount set by Council resolution, to ensure the restoration or removal of the structure;

The sales office is to be used only for transactions involving the sale, rent or lease of lots and/or structures within the tract in which the sales office is located, or contiguous tracts;

Failure to terminate sales office and restore structure or failure to apply for an extension on or before the expiration date will result in forfeiture of the cash deposit, a halt in further construction or inspection activity on the project site, and enforcement action to ensure restoration of structure;

Street improvements and temporary off-street parking at a rate of two spaces per model shall be completed to the satisfaction of the City Engineer and City Planner prior to commencement of sales activities or the display of model homes;

All fences proposed in conjunction with the model homes and sales office shall be located outside of the public right-of-way;

Flags, pennants, or other on-site advertising shall be regulated pursuant to the Site Regulation of the Municipal Code;

Use of signs shall require submission of a sign permit application for review and approval by the Planning Department prior to installation. (Ordinance 781, 2001).

New private (property) residential outdoor lighting mounted on freestanding poles; other than street lights. This section does not apply to commercial and industrial facilities, as more restrictive lighting regulations for those uses already exist, on a case-by-case basis via a project resolution, the California Energy Code, etc.;

Line voltage high output (greater than 2,000 lumens) lighting replacements, upgrades/modifications or additions to outdoor lighting. Exception: This section does not apply to low voltage landscape lighting or solar powered stand-alone devices;

Building-mounted lighting.

New agricultural worker housing shall not be located on land classified as "Prime" or "Statewide Importance" by the California Department of Conservation Important Farmland Inventory, unless no other feasible alternative location exists on site.

Agricultural worker housing shall not be located on areas utilized for active crop production on the parcel.

New agricultural worker housing shall be clustered together, if feasible, and sited near existing roads and other structures to reduce grading, landform alteration, the need for construction of new roads, and potential impacts to agricultural soils and operations.

New exterior lighting for agricultural worker housing shall be of a low profile and limited to security needs only (and incompliance with Section 18.30.48, Residential Lighting Standards); all exterior lights shall be directed downward and fully shielded from streets and any off-site residences.

Minimum Parcel Size. A farmworker housing complex is allowed on a parcel with a minimum parcel size of five acres.

Units in a farmworker housing complex may include studios, one, two or three bedrooms.

A farmworker housing complex shall be prohibited in any location designated as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.

Open Space Requirements. Recreational facilities and open space shall be provided for the benefit and recreational use of the residents in accordance with the following standards:

Farmworker group quarter facilities are a group of structures, or a single structure in the form of single room occupancy, dormitories, boarding houses, barracks or bunkhouses, consisting of either individual or shared facilities for the purpose of providing housing or services for farmworkers. These facilities are generally designed as a combination of sleeping rooms or bunk beds and may include a shared kitchen, mess hall and bathroom facility. This type of agricultural worker housing is designed for, and may only be occupied by, individual farmworkers and not their families; and may, but is not required to, be owned or managed by an entity or organization. Farmworker group quarters are subject to the following additional standards:

The agricultural employee housing will continuously be maintained in compliance with this section and all other applicable sections of the Norco Municipal Code; and

The applicant will obtain and maintain, for as long as the agricultural employee housing is operated, the appropriate permit(s) from HCD pursuant to the Employee Housing Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder;

The deed restriction shall not be amended, released, terminated, or removed from the property without the prior written consent of the City. In the event the agricultural employee housing use is terminated and/or structures are removed in accordance with this chapter and other applicable law as confirmed in writing by the Planning Director, the deed restriction that accompanies the development shall be released and removed from the property.

The agricultural employee housing will only be used as temporary employee housing; and

The applicant will obtain and maintain, for as long as the temporary employee housing is operated, the appropriate permit(s) from HCD pursuant to the Employee Housing Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.