22.44.132 Rowland Heights
Community Standards District.
A. Intent and
Purpose.
The Rowland Heights Community Standards District is established to implement the
Rowland Heights Community Plan, adopted by the Board of Supervisors on September
1, 1981, and to address the needs of residential property owners who are unable
to comply with the restrictions contained in Section 22.20.025 in the keeping or
parking of recreational vehicles on their lots, due to the prevailing size,
shape, topography, and development of residential lots in the area. The Rowland
Heights Community Standards District is established to (1) ensure that new
development retains the residential character of the area; (2) impose
development standards and review processes to ensure that commercial
development, signs in commercial areas, landscaping, and setbacks, are
appropriate for the community and are implemented to protect the community's
health, safety, and welfare; and (3) allow for the keeping and parking of
recreational vehicles on residentially and agriculturally zoned lots in a manner
that protects the health, safety, and general welfare of the entire community.
B. Description of District.
The boundaries of the District are coterminous with the boundaries of the
Rowland Heights Community Plan. The District boundary extends from the City of
Industry on the north to Orange County on the south; the City of Diamond Bar
forms the eastern boundary, while the western boundaries consist of Hacienda
Heights and the City of La Habra Heights. The Pomona Freeway, Brea Canyon Road,
Fullerton Road south of Pathfinder Road, Colima Road west of Stoner Creek Road,
and the Schabarum Regional Park conform to the approximate boundaries of the
District. The map of the District follows this section.
C. Community-Wide Development Standards.
All properties shall be neatly maintained, and yard areas that are
visible from the street shall be free of debris, trash, lumber, overgrown or
dead vegetation, broken or discarded furniture, and household equipment such as
refrigerators, stoves, and freezers.
D. Zone-Specific Development Standards.
1. Zones A-1, A-2, R-1, and R-A.
a. Front yard landscaping. A minimum of 50
percent of the required front yard area shall
contain landscaping consisting of
grass, shrubs, trees, and other similar plant materials.
Paved or all-gravel surfaces may not
be included as part of the required landscaped area.
b. Trash containers and dumpsters stored in the front or side
yard areas shall be screened
from view from streets, walkways, and
adjacent residences.
2. Zone C-1.
a. Signs. Except as herein modified, all new signs
shall conform to Part 10 of Chapter 22.52.
i. Roof signs shall
be prohibited.
ii. Freestanding Signs.
(A)
Freestanding signs shall be permitted on any lot or parcel of land for each
street
frontage having a continuous distance of 100 feet or more.
(B) The
maximum height of a freestanding sign shall be 20 feet.
(C) The total
sign area of a freestanding sign shall not exceed 40 square feet per sign
face plus one-fourth square foot of sign area for each one foot of street or
highway
frontage in excess of 100 feet.
(D)
Freestanding signs shall not be located in nor extend above any public
right-of-way,
including sidewalk areas.
(E)
Freestanding business signs shall also be subject to the provisions of
subsection
D.2.a.iii.(B), below, related to business signs.
iii. Business signs.
(A)
Wall business signs shall be limited to one square foot for each linear foot of
building frontage.
(B) To
facilitate the identification or location of the premises in cases of emergency
and
for other public health, safety, and welfare purposes, business signs readable
from a
public right-of-way or parking area open to the general public shall include the
following information on the sign: Street address and name of the business,
using
Roman alphabet characters and Arabic numerals, in digits which are readable from
the right-of-way or parking area.
iv. Awning signs. The total area of
awning signs shall not exceed 25 percent of the exterior
surface
of each awning for the ground floor and 15 percent of the exterior surface of
each
awning for the second floor level.
v. Sign programs for commercial
centers consisting of three or more businesses.
(A) The owner
or operator of a commercial center consisting of three or more businesses
shall submit a sign program to the director to coordinate business signage
within the
commercial center. For existing commercial centers that meet this threshold, the
sign
program shall be submitted and approved no later than January 1, 2006.
Notwithstanding the deadline in the preceding sentence, no new business sign
shall be
installed in any commercial center that meets this threshold until the required
sign
program has been approved by the director.
(B) The sign
program shall require new business signs to comply, where applicable, with
subsections D.2.a and D.3.b, and shall establish standards for sign location,
style, size,
color, font, materials, and any other applicable sign feature, so that all new
business
signs in the commercial center will be compatible with each other.
(C) All new
signs shall conform to the specifications set forth in the approved sign
program.
b. Setbacks. The minimum setback(s) from highways or streets
for new structures and additions
to structures shall be as follows: for lots
or parcels of land located along Fullerton Road,
Colima Road, Nogales Street, Fairway Drive,
and Brea Canyon Cut-Off Road, 20 feet from
the property line adjoining that respective
highway or street; for lots or parcels of land
located along any other highway or street,
15 feet from the property line adjoining that
respective highway or street. The first 10
feet of the setback area measured from the
highway or street shall be landscaped in
the manner described in subsection D.2.c, below.
c. General Landscaping. Lots or parcels of land greater than
30,000 square feet shall have a
minimum landscaping of 10 percent of the
net lot area; all other lots or parcels of land shall
have a minimum landscaping of 15 percent of
the net lot area. The landscaping shall consist
of 24-inch and 36-inch box trees, 5 and
15 gallon-size shrubs, and ground cover, and shall
be maintained with regular pruning,
weeding, fertilizing, litter removal, and replacement
of plants when necessary. Incidental
walkways, if needed, may be developed in the
landscaped area. Where applicable,
landscaping shall be:
i. Placed around the base of a structure in
the area between the structure and the parking
area;
ii.Used to screen trash enclosures, parking
areas, storage areas, loading areas, and public
utilities from public
view, to the extent that the landscaping does not prevent access
thereto; and
iii.Used to create a buffer with a minimum width
and height of three feet between parking
areas and public
rights-of-way.
d. Parking Lot Landscaping. Except for rooftop or interior
parking, an existing or proposed
parking lot with 20 or more parking spaces
shall have a minimum of five percent of the
gross area of the parking lot landscaped.
This landscaping shall be counted toward the
general landscaping requirement set forth
in subsection D.2.c. The landscaping shall be
spread throughout the parking lot to
maximize its
aesthetic effect and the parking lot's
compatibility with adjoining uses. Where appropriate,
all areas of the parking lot not used for
vehicle parking, vehicle maneuvering, or pedestrian
movement or activity, shall be landscaped.
e. Buffers. New structures and additions to structures
less than or equal to a total of 15 feet
in height, on lots or parcels of land
adjoining a residential zone, shall have a minimum
setback of three feet from the property
line adjoining the residential zone. Any such
structures or additions to structures over
15 feet in height shall add a minimum setback
of one foot for each additional foot of the
structure's height over 15 feet, applicable to
those portions of the structure exceeding
15 feet.
f. Lot Coverage. Except as otherwise provided in this
subsection f, all new structures and additions
to existing structures, when considered
along with any existing structures, shall have a maximum
cumulative 40 percent coverage of the net
area of the lot or parcel of land. An upper floor
overhang used solely for circulation, such
as a walkway, shall be exempt from the lot coverage
calculation, provided it has a maximum
width of five feet. On lots or parcels of land less than or
equal to 30,000 square feet in net area,
new restaurants are prohibited in existing or new
structures if the cumulative lot coverage
for such existing and/or new structures exceeds 33
percent.
g. Architectural Features. For lots or parcels of land that
adjoin a street or residentially zoned
property, at least 25 percent of each
structure's façade that faces such street or residentially
zoned property shall consist of materials
or designs that are distinguishable from the rest of
that façade. Examples of such materials or
designs include recessed windows, balconies, offset
planes, or similar architectural accents.
Long, unbroken façades are prohibited.
h. Deceleration/Acceleration Lane. For lots or parcels
of land that have at least 600 feet of
continuous street frontage on a
single street, a dedicated deceleration/acceleration lane shall
be installed and shall be subject to
the dedication, design, and improvement requirements of the
county department of public works
i. Corner Properties
i. Corner Cut-off. For purposes
of maintaining safe visibility, the front corner area of any corner
or reverse
corner lot or parcel of land shall be kept free of any tree, fence, shrub, or
other
physical
obstruction higher than 42 inches above grade. The restricted front corner area
shall
be triangular
in shape and shall be measured as follows: two sides of the triangle shall each
be
30 feet in
length, measured from the point formed by the intersection of the front and
exterior
side property
lines; the third side shall be formed by a straight line connecting the two
above
mentioned points.
ii. Zero Lot Line. All new structures
and additions to structures shall, whenever practical, have a
zero setback
from the rear and interior side property lines when such property lines adjoin a
commercially
zoned property.
j. Parking for Take-Out Eating Establishments.
Notwithstanding subsection A.2 of Section 22.52.1110,
a new establishment selling food for
off-site consumption only, with no seating or other area for
on-site consumption, shall provide parking
pursuant to subsection A.1 of Section 22.52.1110, except
that each such establishment shall have a
minimum of ten automobile parking spaces.
k. Discretionary Director's Review for New Restaurants. New
restaurants or additions to an existing
restaurant, where the new floor area of the
restaurant use is greater than 2,500 square feet, shall
be subject to a director's review pursuant to
Part 12 of Chapter 22.56. For purposes of the preceding
sentence, a change of use from a non-restaurant
to a restaurant shall be considered a new restaurant.
In addition to the provisions described in Part
12 of Chapter 22.56, the following shall also apply to
these uses:
i. Application materials.
The application shall include the following:
(A) A
list, certified by affidavit or statement under penalty of perjury, of the names
and
addresses of all persons who are shown on the latest available assessment roll
of the county
of Los Angeles as owners of the subject property and as owning property within a
distance
of 500 feet from the exterior boundaries of the subject property;
(B) Two
sets of completed mailing labels for the above-stated owners;
(C) A
map drawn to a scale specified by the director indicating where all such
ownerships are
located; and
(D) A
filing fee, as set forth in Section 22.60.100, equal to that required for a site
plan review
for commercial and industrial projects over 20,000 square feet in size, plus any
related
environmental review fee as required by Section 12.04.020 of Title 12.
ii. The discretionary
director's review shall be subject to the California Environmental Quality
Act and an environmental review for the proposed use shall be undertaken.
iii. Notification that an
application has been filed. The director shall send notice of a request for
a
discretionary director's review pursuant to this subsection D.2.k to all persons
shown on the
list described in subsection D.2.k.i(A), and to all other persons whose property
could, in the
director's judgment, be affected by the project, including but not limited to,
homeowners
associations and civic organizations in the Rowland Heights community. The
notice shall
describe the project and indicate that written comments for consideration may be
submitted to
the director within 15 days of receipt of such notice.
iv. Director's decision.
The director, in acting upon an application pursuant to this subsection
D.2.k, shall approve, approve with conditions, or deny the proposed use based on
the principles
and standards described in Section 22.56.1690.B. Conditions may be imposed to
mitigate any
impacts of the proposed use on traffic congestion or to mitigate other adverse
effects of the
proposed use on neighboring properties.
v. Notification of
decision. Notwithstanding Section 22.56.1730, notice of the director's decision
shall be sent not only to the applicant, but also to those persons who submitted
written comments
concerning the application, and to all other persons requesting notification,
including, but not
limited to, homeowners associations and civic organizations in the Rowland
Heights community.
The notice of decision shall be sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, or
any other means
deemed appropriate by the director.
vi. Rights of appeal.
Notwithstanding Section 22.56.1750, any person dissatisfied with the action
of the director may file an appeal with the commission within 15 days of receipt
of the notice
of decision by the applicant; any person dissatisfied with the action of the
commission may file
an appeal with the board of supervisors within eight days of receipt of the
notice of decision by
the applicant. The filing requirements, procedures, and effective dates for the
appeal shall be
governed by Sections 22.60.220 through 22.60.260. The notice of decision on any
appeal shall
be mailed in the same manner and to the same persons as described in subsection
D.2.k.v.
vii. Calls for review.
Decisions by the director pursuant to this subsection D.2.k may be called for
review by the commission pursuant to Sections 22.60.220, 22.60.230, and
22.60.240; decisions
of the commission on the call for review may be called for review by the board
of supervisors
pursuant to these same Sections, as well as Section 22.60.250. The notice of
decision on any
call for review shall be mailed in the same manner and to the same persons as
described in
subsection D.2.k.v.
viii. Effective Dates.
(A) Notwithstanding Section 22.56.1750, the decision of the director shall
become effective
15 days after the applicant's receipt of the notice of decision, unless such
decision is
appealed or called for review pursuant to subsection D.2.k.vi or vii.
(B) The decision of the commission shall become effective eight days after the
applicant's
receipt of the notice of decision, unless such decision is called for review by
or appealed
to the board of supervisors prior to that date.
(C) The decision of the board of supervisors shall become effective on the date
of the board's
action.
3. Zone C-2.
a. The standards and review provisions
prescribed for Zone C-1, as contained in subsection D.2,
shall apply to Zone
C-2 except the maximum sign area of freestanding signs set forth in
subsection
D.2.a.ii(C).
b. Freestanding Signs. The total
sign area of a new freestanding sign shall not exceed 80 square
feet per sign face plus
three-fourth square foot of sign area for each one foot of street or
highway frontage in
excess of 100 feet.
4. Zone C-3.
a. The standards and review provisions
prescribed for Zone C-2, as contained in subsection D.3,
shall apply to Zone
C-3.
b. Structure Height. A structure
shall not exceed a height of 45 feet above grade, excluding
chimneys and
rooftop antennas.
c. Limitation on Stories. Structures
on lots or parcels of land with frontage on Colima Road
shall be subject to the
following limitation regarding stories: new structures located within
300 feet of Colima Road
shall contain a maximum of two stories; new structures, and existing
structures that currently
have no more than two stories, located more than 300 feet from
Colima Road may contain a
maximum of three stories provided that the third story shall be
for office use only.
5. Zones M-1 and M-1½.
In Zones M-1 and M-1½, any use that is
otherwise authorized in Zone C-3, as described in
Part 5 of Chapter 22.28, shall be subject
to the standards and review provisions prescribed
for Zone C-3, as contained in subsection
D.4.
6. Minor Variations.
a. The director may permit minor
variations from the following standards:
i. The
maximum height of freestanding signs set forth in subsection D.2.a.ii(B);
ii. The maximum
sign area of freestanding signs set forth in subsections D.2.a.ii(C) and D.3.b;
iii. The limit on wall
business signs set forth insubsection D.2.a.iii(A);
iv. The maximum area for
awning signs set forth in subsection D.2.a.iv; and
v. The parking lot
landscaping requirements set forth in subsection D.2.d as they apply to
existing parking lots as of the effective date of this subsection.
b. Burden of Proof. To be
granted a minor variation, the applicant shall show, to the satisfaction
of the
director:
i. That the
application of these standards would result in practical difficulties or
unnecessary
hardships inconsistent with the goals of the Rowland Heights Community Plan;
ii. That there are
exceptional circumstances or conditions applicable to the subject property
or to the intended development of the property that do not generally apply to
other
properties within the District; and
iii. That granting the
requested minor variation will not be materially detrimental to properties
or improvements in the area or contrary to the goals of the Rowland Heights
Community Plan.
c. Procedure. The procedure
for filing a request for a minor variation shall be the same as for a
yard modification
as provided in Section 22.48.180.
i. All property
owners within 200 feet of the subject property shall be notified in writing of
the requested minor variation not less than 20 days prior to the date the
director takes
action on the request.
d. A minor variation shall
not deviate more than 25 percent from the applicable development
standards identified in subsection D.6.a.
7. Variance required. Modification of the standards set
forth in subsections D.2.b, D.2.c, and
D.2.e through D.2.j shall require a
variance pursuant to Part 2 of Chapter 22.56.
8. Recreational Vehicle Parking -- Residential and Agricultural
Zones.
a. Definition. As used in this
subsection D8, "recreational vehicle" means a camper, camp trailer,
travel
trailer, house car, motor home, trailer bus, trailer coach, or similar vehicle,
with or
without
motive power, designed for human habitation for recreational or emergency
occupancy.
A
recreational vehicle includes a boat, other watercraft, snowmobile, off-road
vehicle that
cannot
legally be driven on public streets, and other similar types of vehicles. A
trailer, whether
open or
enclosed, used to carry or tow property such as animals, boats or other
watercraft,
snowmobiles,
off-road vehicles, racecars, or other similar vehicles is also a recreational
vehicle.
Where a
recreational vehicle is on or attached to such a trailer, they shall together be
considered
one recreational vehicle. A recreational vehicle shall not include a pickup
truck used
for
transportation to which a camper shell has been attached.
b. A recreational vehicle may be
kept, stored, parked, maintained, or otherwise permitted on a lot
or parcel of
land in Zones A-1, A-2, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-A, and RPD subject to the
following
restrictions:
i. A
recreational vehicle shall not be kept, stored, parked, maintained, or otherwise
permitted
within five feet of the front lot line or corner side lot line;
ii. No portion of a
recreational vehicle exceeding 36 inches in height shall be kept, stored,
parked, maintained, or otherwise permitted within 10 feet of the front lot line
or corner side
lot line;
iii. No more than one
recreational vehicle may be kept, stored, parked, maintained, or otherwise
permitted in the front yard, corner side yard, or any additional area situated
between the
corner side yard and the rear lot line;
iv. No recreational
vehicle shall be kept, stored, parked, maintained, or otherwise permitted in
a manner that prevents access to any required covered parking on the same lot or
parcel of
land;
v. A recreational
vehicle may be kept, stored, parked, maintained, or otherwise permitted only
on premises owned or occupied by the owner of the vehicle;
vi. No disabled or
otherwise nonfunctional recreational vehicle shall be kept, stored, parked,
maintained, or otherwise permitted in the front yard or corner side yard;
vii. A recreational vehicle
shall be kept, stored, parked, maintained, or otherwise permitted so
as to maintain unobstructed line-of-sight for pedestrians and motorists using
the public
right-of-way; and
viii. A recreational vehicle shall be kept,
stored, parked, maintained, or otherwise permitted so
as not to constitute a health or safety hazard.
c. A yard modification may be filed with the
director pursuant to Section 22.48.180 to authorize
the parking or storing of
a recreational vehicle within 10 feet of the front lot line or corner
side lot line; provided,
however, that under no circumstances shall a recreational vehicle be
parked closer than five
feet from the front or corner side lot lines. An application for a yard
modification under this
subsection shall be supported by evidence substantiating that the
requested modification is
necessary due to topographic features or other conditions in that
compliance with the
10-foot setback line would create an unnecessary hardship or unreasonable
regulation or where it is
obviously impractical to require compliance with the setback line. The
director may approve a
yard modification if the director finds that parking or storing a
recreational vehicle at
the proposed location will not compromise pedestrian or motorist
line-of-sight or other
applicable safety standards as determined by the director, and that
the applicant has
substantiated to the satisfaction of the director that, due to topographic
features or other
conditions, compliance with the 10-foot setback line would create an
unnecessary hardship or
unreasonable regulation or where it is obviously impractical to
require compliance with
the setback line.
E. Area-specific Development Standards (Reserved).
F. Public Information.
A monthly report or reports shall be generated by the department listing all
permit and plot plan applications received by the department for the Rowland
Heights area. The report(s) shall list the type of application received, a brief
description of the project, the name of the property owner and/or applicant, and
the address of the proposed project. The report(s) shall be distributed on a
periodic basis in a manner and frequency determined by the director to all
community groups that request a copy, and to such other groups or persons who,
in the director's judgment, would be appropriate to receive the report(s).
Before determining how often to distribute the report(s) to a particular group
or person, the director shall consult with and take into account the preference
of that group or person on this matter.
G. Nonconforming Structures.
Structures nonconforming due to the standards contained in this Community
Standards District may be continuously maintained subject to all applicable
provisions set forth in Part 10 of Chapter 22.56. (Ord. 2004-0061 § 1, 2004; Ord.
2002-0075 §§ 1—2, 2002; Ord. 2001-0110 § 2, 2001)