4.3.1 PERMITTED USES[21]
Belmont Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-07 · Belmont
(a) Single family residences meeting R-1B development standards, in which not more than two paying guests may be lodged and/or furnished meals.
(b) Accessory dwelling units in compliance with Section 24.[22]
(c) Two family dwellings or duplex structures.
(d) Accessory buildings, structures and uses located on sites zoned for single family or duplex dwellings and for which the use is clearly related to the on-site single family or duplex dwelling, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Garages and carports.
- Garden structures.
- Greenhouses.
- Storage buildings.
- Recreation rooms.
- Hobby shops provided that no noisy or otherwise objectionable machinery or equipment is used and provided that no sales are made therefrom.
- Private swimming pools.
(e) Home occupations as defined in Section 2.68.
(f) Residential care facilities that serve seven or more persons.
(g) Residential care facilities, small that serve six or fewer persons.
(h) Temporary subdivision sales offices in accordance with the provisions of Section 9 of this Ordinance.
(i) Temporary buildings or trailers used during construction on the site, for a period not to exceed the duration of such construction.
21 Amended by Ord. 2025-1192, §33, 12/9/2025; Amended by Ord. 2020-1148, §9, 6/23/2020
22 Amended by Ord. 2017-1118, §11, 5/23/2017
City of Belmont Zoning Ordinance
4-11
(j)
(k) Signs as regulated in Section 4.2.8 herein.
4.3.2 CONDITIONAL USES - The following uses shall be permitted only when authorized by a Conditional Use Permit:[23]
- (a) Those uses permitted in any R-1 District with a Conditional Use Permit and as regulated therein.
4.3.3 SITE AREA, DIMENSION AND DENSITY LIMITATIONS
(a) SITE AREA - The minimum site area shall be 6000 square feet.
(b) SITE WIDTH - The minimum average width of a lot shall be 60 feet.
(c) SITE FRONTAGE - All lots shall maintain a minimum street frontage of not less than 30 feet.
(d) FLOOR AREA RATIO - The floor area ratios of buildings and structures shall not exceed 0.6.
(e) HEIGHT - Single-Family Districts) - The height of the principal building may not exceed two stories or 35 feet. Except as provided in Section 24, the height of other structures may not exceed 15 feet.[24]
(f) NUMBER - Not more than one building designed or used as a two family dwelling (duplex), or a single family dwelling and an accessory dwelling unit, as defined herein, shall occupy a lot.[25]
4.3.4 YARD REQUIREMENTS - Except as provided in Section 24, the yard requirements set forth in Sections 4.2.4, 4.2.5 and 4.2.6 for R-1C district apply to R-2 districts.[26]
4.3.5 OFF-STREET AUTOMOBILE PARKING - Off-street automobile parking space shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Section 8 and 24, as applicable.[27]
4.3.6 SIGNS - The regulations set forth in Section 4.2.8 herein for R-1 Districts shall apply in R-2 Districts.
4.3.7 FENCES, WALLS AND HEDGES - The regulations set forth in Section 4.2.9 herein for R-1 Districts shall apply in R-2 Districts.
4.3.8 DESIGN REVIEW[28] - All new construction and exterior modifications are subject to design review under Section 13A.
23 Amended by Ord. 2018-1131, §7, 4/24/2018
24 Amended by Ord.1118, 5/23/17
25 Added by Ord. 831, 10/11/90; Amended by Ord. 999, 5/27/04; Ord. 2017-1118, §12, 5/23/2017
26 Added by Ord. 831, 10/11/90; Amended by Ord. 999, 5/27/04; Ord. 2017-1118, §13, 5/23/2017
27 Added by Ord. 831, 10/11/90; Amended by Ord. 999, 5/27/04; Ord. 2017-1118, §14, 5/23/2017
28 Added by Ord. 2020-1148, §10, 6/23/2020
City of Belmont Zoning Ordinance
4-12
4.4 REGULATIONS FOR MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS - R-3, (GARDEN APARTMENTS) - The regulations in this Section shall apply to all land in the R-3 Districts and shall be subject to all the general provisions and regulations of this Ordinance.
4.4.1 PERMITTED USES[29]
(a) Any use permitted in the R-2 Residential Districts. New dwelling unit construction on vacant R-3 project sites must contain the minimum density permitted in the district, inclusive of Accessory Dwelling Units that can be constructed without approval of a Variance to a development standard.
(b) Multi-family dwellings.
(c) Permanent supportive housing.
(d) Transitional and supportive housing.
(e) Farmworker housing.
(f) Single-family row dwellings.
(g) Accessory uses which are necessary to multi-family dwellings and single-family row dwellings.
(h) Accessory Dwelling Units
4.4.2 CONDITIONAL USES[30] - The following uses shall be permitted only when authorized by a Conditional Use Permit:
(a) Those uses permitted in any R-1 or R-2 Districts with a Conditional Use Permit and as regulated therein.
(b) Homes for the ambulatory aged and retirement homes.
(c) Hospital or sanitarium.
4.4.3 SITE AREA, DIMENSION AND DENSITY LIMITATIONS[31]
(a) LOT AREA
- Every building hereafter erected or structurally altered as a multiple family dwelling, apartment or row dwelling structure containing more than two dwelling units in the R 3 Districts shall provide a lot area per dwelling unit of not less than 1,950 square feet plus 250 square feet for each bedroom in such unit, and no such use shall be established on a site less than 6,000 square feet in area, provided however that:
29 Amended by Ord. 2025-1192, §34, 12/9/2025; Amended by Ord. 2020-1148, §11, 6/23/2020
30 Amended by Ord. 2018-1131, §8, 4/24/2018; Added by Ord. 831, 10/11/90; amended by Ord. 999, 5/27/04; Amended by Ord. 2020-1148, §12, 6/23/2020
31 Amended by Ord. 2025-1192, §35, 12/9/2025; Amended by Ord. 502, 2/22/73; Amended by Ord. 850, 10/24/91; Amended by Ord. 2020-1148, §13, 6/23/2020
City of Belmont Zoning Ordinance
4-13
Where a building site is of such size as to provide an excess area over and above the minimum required area of 1,950 square feet per dwelling unit, one additional dwelling unit, not including a bedroom, may be constructed or structurally altered, provided the excess lot area is 1,000 square feet or more.
(b) LOT AREA - CONDITIONAL USE - The minimum area and dimension of site for Conditional Uses which constitute the principal use of the property shall be prescribed by the Commission at the time a Conditional Use is authorized, but in no case shall any such site be less than 10,000 square feet in area, or less than 75 feet in average width.
(c) FLOOR AREA RATIO - The floor area ratio of buildings and structures on a building site in this District shall not exceed 0.85.
(d) HEIGHT LIMITATION - No multi-family structure in any R-3 District shall have a height in excess of two stories designed for living purposes or 35 feet, provided that in the case of structures having frontage on the down slope side of a street the maximum height and number of stories may be measured from top of curb at mid-point of frontage of said lot.
4.4.4 YARD AREAS - No building shall be erected or enlarged unless the following yards are provided and maintained in connection with such building, structure or enlargement, except as provided for in Section 24.[32 ]
(a) FRONT YARD - The minimum depth of front yard shall be 15 feet provided, however, that a greater depth may be required as prescribed in Section 9.7.4.
(b) SIDE YARD
(1) For one and two story multiple-family dwellings there shall be provided and maintained a side yard of not less than six feet on each side of the principal building. For multiple-family dwelling structures of more than two stories in height, the side yard adjacent thereto shall be increased two feet in width for each additional story or fraction thereof above two stories, but in no case shall a side yard of more than 25 feet be required.
(2) For one and two story multiple-family dwellings on corner lots, there shall be maintained a minimum side yard of not less than 15 feet on the side adjacent to the street which intersects that street upon which the building maintains frontage, and in the case of a reversed corner lot, there shall be maintained a setback from the side street of not less than 50% of the front yard required on the lots in the rear of such corner lots but such setback need not exceed 10 feet. No accessory building on said reversed corner lot shall project beyond the front yard required on the adjacent lot to the rear, nor be located nearer than six feet to the side lot line of said adjacent lots. For multiple- family dwelling structures of more than two stories in height, the minimum required side yards shall be increased two feet in width for each additional story or fraction thereof, but in no case shall a side yard of more than 25 feet be required.
(3) On a site improved with a non-residential building, exclusive of residential accessory buildings, there shall be a side yard of not less than 10 feet on each side of the
32 Amended by Ord. 2017-1118, §15, 5/23/2017; Amended by Ord. 481, 5/8/72; Amended by Ord. 2020-1148, §14, 6/23/2020
City of Belmont Zoning Ordinance
4-14
principal structure. Additional side yard area may be required as a part of the conditions of a Conditional Use Permit.
(c) REAR YARD - The minimum rear yard shall be not less than 15 feet, for habitable portions of a principal building, and not less than 10 feet for all non-habitable structures or portions of the principal building. For buildings more than three stories in height the minimum rear yard shall be increase two feet for each additional story or fraction thereof, but in no case shall a rear yard of more than 25 feet be required. All required rear yards shall be unobstructed from ground level to the sky, except as otherwise provided in this Section.
4.4.5 OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS
(a) Not less than 300 square feet of open lot area, exclusive of any required vehicular driveways, shall be provided for each dwelling unit on the ground floor and at least 150 square feet of open lot area, exclusive of any required vehicular driveways, shall be provided for each dwelling unit above the first floor.
(b) The required open lot area for each ground floor dwelling unit shall be contiguous thereto, and shall have an average width of not less than 10 feet and an average length of not less than 20 feet. Such open lot area may include the required minimum yard areas set forth in this Section. Open roof decks, balconies, lanais or other open structural areas made a part of the building and improved for outdoor living, may be used to satisfy the open lot area requirements for each dwelling unit above the first floor, provided such open roof decks, balconies, lanais or other open structural areas contain a usable floor area of not less than 150 square feet for each dwelling unit.
(c) The proposed improvement of all required open lot area (garden patios) or roof decks, balconies, lanais or other structural areas intended for outdoor living shall be shown on plans submitted with applications for building permits, and upon the approval of such plans shall be considered a required part of the site and structure improvements.
4.4.6 DESIGN REVIEW[33] . All new construction and exterior modifications are subject to design review under Section 13.
4.4.7 OFF-STREET PARKING - Off-street automobile parking space shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Section 8 and 24, as applicable.[34 ]
4.5 REGULATIONS FOR MEDIUM DENSITY MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS - R-4 - The regulations in this Section shall apply to all land in the R-4 Districts and shall be subject to all the general provisions and regulations of this Ordinance.
Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.
Ask AI about this code▸ Contents — Belmont Zoning Code
- 4.3.1 PERMITTED USES[21]
- 4.5.1 PERMITED USES[35]
- 4.7.10 HRO-1 ZONING DISTRICT STANDARDS
- 4.7.12 HRO-3 ZONING DISTRICT STANDARDS[66]
- 5.5.1 PERMITTED USES
- 5.6.1 PERMITTED USES
- 5.7.2 CONDITIONAL USES[75]
- 5.7.3 SITE AREA, DIMENSION AND COVERAGE LIMITATIONS
- 6.2.2 PERMITTED USES
- 8.2.3.11 Landscaping for Parking Structures .
- 8.2.4 LOCATION OF REQUIRED SPACES
- 8.3.5 ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE.
- 8.4 BICYCLE PARKING
- 8.5 LOADING REQUIREMENTS
- 8.2.3.11 Landscaping for Parking Structures .
- 8.2.4 LOCATION OF REQUIRED SPACES
- 8.3.5 ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE.
- 8.4 BICYCLE PARKING
- 8.5.7 LOCATION.
- 9.6.3 ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS TO NON-CONFORMING STRUCTURES[9]
- 10.4.4 Fees.
- 10.5 ENTITLEMENT REVIEW
- 10.7.5 Conditions of Approval .
- 10.8.2 Application Requirements .
- 10.8.3 Approval Authority .
- 10.10 DISCONTINUANCE OF USE PERMIT, VARIANCE, OR NONCONFORMING…
- 10.11.2 Reviewing body .
- 10.11.4 Notice of Appeal
- 10.11.5 Consideration of Appeal
- 12.12 ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS OF AMENDMENTS TO DETAILED DEVEL…
- 13.2.2 REQUEST FOR DESIGN REVIEW
- 13.3.1 PROJECT REQUIREMENTS[2]
- 13.4 REVIEW PROCEDURE
- 13.5 STANDARDS FOR APPROVAL
- 13.6.1 BUILDING DESIGN
- 19.1 JUSTIFICATION
- 19.4 LOCATIONAL AND SITE STANDARDS
- 19.5 NOTICE/ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- 21.3 S-2 EMERGENCY SHELTER COMBINING DISTRICT
- 21.4.1 Cannabis Uses
- 21.4.2 S-3 Cannabis Retail and Distribution Overlay District
- 23.3 EXEMPT AND PROHIBITED SIGNS
- 23.5.2 Changeable Copy .
- 23.5.5 Materials and Mounting Requirement
- 23.5.7 Non-Conforming Signs
- 23.6.3 Additional Sign Allowances for Nonresidential Propertie…
- 23.7.3 Standards for Detached Single Family, Duplex Units, and…
- 23.7.4 Additional Allowance for Master Unit of Multi-family an…
- 23.8 STANDARDS FOR SPECIFIC SIGN TYPES
- 23.11.5 Interpretations and Appeals
- 26.4 APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.
- 26.5 DENSITY BONUS.
- 26.6 INCENTIVES.