This chapter establishes site planning, development standard, property maintenance, and property use regulations applicable to all properties in the city. This chapter also sets forth special land use regulations and development standards that apply to specified uses that are permitted in several zones.

   The regulations contained in this chapter are established to enhance the appearance of the community; to provide measurable standards of appropriate, acceptable, and functional site design; to deter blighting and nuisance conditions; to minimize hazards to the public; and to protect private investments made in private property.

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04)

   (A)   Safe, adequate, and legal access required.

      (1)   Every development site must be provided, to the satisfaction of the City Engineer, with safe and adequate vehicle and pedestrian access that minimizes traffic hazards to vehicles and pedestrians.

      (2)   Every development site must have legal access to a public street in the form of either direct parcel frontage on such a street, permanent access via a public or private easement, or access via a recorded reciprocal access agreement. Shared driveways are not permitted.

    (B)   Circulation. Every development project must provide safe and adequate internal vehicle and pedestrian circulation that, to the maximum extent feasible based on specific development site physical characteristics, separates pedestrian circulation from vehicular circulation, incorporates defensible space design considerations, and complements the internal circulation and public access provided on any adjacent development sites. Where feasible, parking lots must connect. Future vehicle and pedestrian connections must also be provided.

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04)

   Wherever a boundary wall is required by this Title 16 to separate abutting land uses, such wall must be constructed of materials complementary in style, color, and form to the structure or structures on the same development site as the wall. Through the design review, conditional use permit, or similar project review process, conditions may be placed on the permit approval requiring additional wall treatment, including, but not limited to, landscaping, wall placement and wall height.

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04)

   Building height must be measured as set forth in § 16.05.030 ("B" Definitions) of this Title 16.

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04)

   The intent of the clear-sight triangle area is to ensure visibility for operators of motor vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians on intersecting roadways. Within a clear-sight triangle area, nothing may be placed, planted, erected, or allowed to grow that extends above 36 inches in height, measured from the adjacent street, alley, or sidewalk grade (Figure 40-1). However, pole signs with a sign face that is at least eight feet above grade may be placed within a clear-sight triangle area.

Clear-Sight Triangle Area

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04)

   All development projects must include on-site drainage and storm water control improvements which, to the satisfaction of the City Engineer, safely and adequately convey runoff to public drainage control and storm drain facilities, avoid impact on adjacent properties, and meet applicable National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System requirements.

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04)

   All mechanical and electrical equipment, including ducting and piping, whether located at ground level or on a rooftop, must be screened from view. Such screening must be compatible with and complementary to the architectural style and detail of the structure that they serve and must be located in a position satisfactory to the Fire Marshal and the Planning Director, or their designees.

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04)

   Except as otherwise provided by this Code, the outdoor display of goods and materials for sale, lease, or rent, except for automobiles, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and similar vehicles, is not permitted unless associated with a special event for which a Temporary Use Permit has been granted pursuant the provisions of Chapter 16.228 of this Title 16.

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04; Am. Ord. 1201, passed 2-17-09)

   (A)   All properties in the city must be maintained in a manner which avoids potentially adverse health, safety, and aesthetic conditions, and which is consistent with any property maintenance regulations adopted by the city.

   (B)   At a minimum, the following property maintenance standards apply:

      (1)   Abandoned and inoperable automobiles; recreational vehicles; camper shells; or boats must not be kept on an unscreened driveway of private property for more than seven days.

      (2)   Debris, rubbish, and trash, including but not limited to discarded furniture, appliances, boxes, toys, building materials, etc., must not be visible from public rights-of-way for more than three days.

      (3)   All structures and walls must be maintained free of graffiti.

      (4)   Structurally unsafe buildings, including but not limited to those with known fire hazards; faulty weather protection broken roofs; windows and doors; partially constructed structures when construction has ceased; unoccupied buildings that are left open; hazardous fences or walls; abandoned signs; and damaged buildings must be demolished, removed, or fenced to prevent public access.

      (5)   Clotheslines are not allowed in front yards, nor may fences, walls, doors or windows be used as clotheslines.

      (6)   Erosion, subsidence, and surface water problems within a property must be abated.

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04)

   (A)   Front yard parking time limit. No recreational vehicle, or any trailer used for towing or parking such vehicle, is permitted to be parked in any front yard, including any driveway or portion of a driveway within a front yard, in any zone district for a time period exceeding 48 hours.

   (B)   Size and number limit of vehicles in residential zone districts. Parking of recreational vehicles is permitted in the side and rear yards of lots in residential zone districts, subject to the following restrictions:

      (1)   A maximum of one recreational vehicle is permitted on a residential property; and

      (2)   The vehicle does not exceed a height of 96 inches or a length of 32 feet; and

      (3)   The vehicle is set back a minimum of 20 feet from the front property line and three feet from the side and rear property lines.

   (C)   Recreational vehicle storage. Recreational vehicle storage in any nonresidential zone district must be permitted only in approved storage facilities. Screening must be provided in accordance with the provisions of § 16.46.130 of this Title 16.

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04)

   (A)   Facilities required. The design of any new, substantially remodeled, or expanded multi-family residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional building or structure must provide for solid waste storage facilities and enclosures that will accommodate anticipated solid waste collection needs, will allow for efficient and safe waste removal, and will accommodate collection and removal of recyclable materials.

   (B)   Site development standards.

      (1)   Solid waste storage areas must be located where they do not interfere with the traffic patterns of persons or vehicles.

      (2)   Solid waste storage areas must be located where they are readily accessible to collection personnel at all times.

      (3)   Solid waste storage enclosures for residential developments must be located where they are screened from view from public streets and highways.

      (4)   Solid waste storage areas must be provided on a level surface so that storage containers remain at rest without auxiliary restraining devices.

   (C)   Solid waste storage area enclosures.

      (1)   All commercial and industrial developments and all apartment or condominium developments of three or more dwelling units per lot or building site must provide enclosures for refuse containers built to city standards.

      (2)   The exterior architectural treatment and color of waste storage areas must be compatible with the main building treatment.

      (3)   All business and property owners are responsible for policing trash and debris generated from their property.

      (4)   Solid waste storage areas must not be allowed within the front 20 feet of a property, nor in the side ten feet on the street side of a corner lot.

      (5)   All solid waste enclosures must have an opaque gate with a closable latch.

      (6)   Each solid waste enclosure must be constructed to have the minimum dimensions of 12 feet wide, eight feet deep and five feet high, and must include a roof in accordance with Ventura County Storm Water Urban Impact Mitigation Plan (SQUIMP) requirements. The city may require a larger enclosure as needed to accommodate solid waste collection and recyclable materials containers. The configuration of the enclosure may be varied to accommodate the design of the site and number of containers over the minimum needed.

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04)

   When a lot has less than the minimum required area, width, or depth stipulated for the zone district in which it is located, and provided such lot was of record as a legal lot on the effective date of any ordinance establishing minimum lot area, width, or depth, such lot must be considered to meet the applicable minimum lot area, width, or depth requirements for that zone district.

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04)

   (A)   Subdivisions must be designed without through lots, if possible.

   (B)   On a through lot, either lot line adjacent to the public right-of-way may be designated as the front lot line.

   (C)   In such cases, the minimum rear yard setback must equal the average setback of primary structures on the adjoining lots. Where such adjoining lots are undeveloped, the minimum rear yard setback must conform to the front yard setback for the zone district in which the property is located.

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04)

   Architectural and structural features on a building are permitted to project into a required setback as set forth in Table 40-1, but in all cases must be at least three feet from any property line.

 

 

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04)

   (A)   All required yards and setback areas must be unobstructed from the ground to the sky except for landscaping, walkways, required driveway and similar features.

   (B)   No parcel or development site may be divided or reduced in area or dimension in any manner that causes a required yard area to be reduced below the minimum standard for the zone district in which the parcel or development site is located.

   (C)   When a common lot line separating two or more contiguous lots is covered by a building or buildings, or when such lots are used as a single development site, such lots constitute a single development site, and the yard setbacks required by this Title 16 will not apply to the common lot line.

(Ord. 1100, passed 7-6-04)

   This section sets forth requirements for permitting of solar energy systems installed on roofs.

      (1)   Rooftop energy systems may be installed upon issuance of an administrative permit in compliance with Chapter 16.238.

      (2)   Applications for rooftop energy systems may be submitted electronically, and an electronic signature shall be accepted in lieu of a wet signature.

      (3)   A complete application meeting the requirements of the city’s approved streamlined solar permitting checklist shall be approved in accordance with Chapter 16.40 upon successful completion of an inspection by the Director or his or her designee. No more than one inspection shall be required except where the system fails an initial inspection or a separate fire safety inspection is required.

      (4)   Notwithstanding § 16.238.07, review of an application for an administrative permit for a rooftop energy system shall be limited to a determination of whether the system meets all health and safety requirements of federal and state law, and local standards and regulations necessary to ensure that the proposed system will not have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health or safety.

      (5)   Notwithstanding subparagraph (4) above, a conditional use permit shall be required where the Director finds, based on substantial evidence, that the solar energy system could have specific, adverse impact on public health and safety. If the Director finds that a conditional use permit is required, such permit shall not be denied unless the Director makes written findings based on substantial evidence in the record that the proposed system would have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health and safety and there is no feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid that impact.

      (6)   Any conditions imposed on a permit to install a rooftop energy system shall be designed to mitigate specific, adverse impacts upon the public health and safety at the lowest cost possible.

(Ord. 1257, passed 10-19-15)