Article 12.7 — SPECIAL NEEDS HOUSING OVERLAY ZONE

The purpose of this article is to encourage the construction of housing for persons with special needs in compliance with state law. Such housing shall be allowed in certain areas of the city to locate such housing close to amenities and services appropriate for the intended residents.

(Ord. 12-O-2633, eff. 11-23-2012; amd. Ord. 24-O-2904, eff. 1-3-2025)

The special needs housing overlay zone shall apply in the R-4 zone to those sites that satisfy all of the following criteria:

• A. The project site is located in an area with four- or five- story height limits; and

• B. The project site is located adjacent to commercially zoned areas; and

• C. The project site is separated from adjacent commercial areas by an alley; and

• D. The project site is located on a street greater than thirty feet (30') in width. (Ord. 12-O-2633, eff. 11-23-2012; amd. Ord. 24-O-2904, eff. 1-3-2025)

Except as otherwise stated in this chapter, development within the special needs housing overlay zone shall be subject to the development standards provided in article 12.8 of this chapter. Emergency shelters shall only be subject to the development standards in section 10-3-1275 of this chapter.

(Ord. 12-O-2633, eff. 11-23-2012; amd. Ord. 24-O-2904, eff. 1-3-2025)

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no lot, premises, building or portion thereof in the special needs housing overlay zone shall be erected, constructed, built, altered, enlarged, built upon, used, or occupied except for the following purposes:

• A. Uses permitted in the applicable underlying zone.

• B. Emergency shelters subject to the standards provided in this article. (Ord. 12-O-2633, eff. 11-23-2012)

The following uses shall be permitted in the special needs housing overlay zone only if authorized by a conditional use permit issued pursuant to the provisions of article 38 of this chapter:

Multiple-family congregate housing for the elderly or disabled pursuant to article 12.8 of this chapter. Single room occupancy housing (SRO) subject to the standards provided in this article.

• (Ord. 12-O-2633, eff. 11-23-2012; amd. Ord. 24-O-2904, eff. 1-3-2025)

Emergency shelters shall be allowed as a permitted use in the special needs housing overlay zone provided that the following development and operational standards are met:

• A. Maximum Occupancy: The maximum number of occupants to be served nightly shall not exceed fifty (50).

• B. Location: A minimum distance of three hundred feet (300') shall be maintained from any other emergency shelter.

• C. Length of Stay: The maximum stay at the facility shall not exceed ninety (90) days in a three hundred sixty five (365) day period.

D. Intake and Waiting Areas: On site client waiting and intake areas shall be located inside the building and shall be screened from public and private property. If an indoor waiting and intake area cannot be constructed on the site, an exterior waiting area is allowed and shall contain a minimum of ten (10) square feet per bed provided at the facility; shall be in a location not adjacent to the public right-of-way; and shall be visibly separated from public view by a minimum six foot (6') tall visual screening complying with all other requirements of the municipal code.

• E. Onsite Management:

1. A minimum of one employee per each fifteen (15) beds, in addition to security personnel, shall be on duty and remain on site during operational hours whenever clients are on the site.

2. Security personnel shall be provided during operational hours whenever clients are on the site and when people are waiting outside the facility.

F. Lighting: Exterior lighting shall be provided for the entire outdoor area of the site consistent with the provisions of section 5-6-1101 of this code and subsection 10-3-2730.2 D of this chapter. Exterior lighting shall be stationary, directed away from adjacent properties and public rights of way, and be of an intensity compatible with the neighborhood and the regulations in this code.

G. Required Parking: A minimum of one parking space for each staff person, based on the maximum number of staff members present concurrently on the site at one time, unless the otherwise applicable parking requirement of the zone is less than such requirement.

H. The operator of the facility shall provide, at the city's request, an annual report of the use of the facility and determination of compliance with the city's development standards for the use.

(Ord. 12-O-2633, eff. 11-23-2012; amd. Ord. 24-O-2904, eff. 1-3-2025)

In addition to the requirements of article 38 of this chapter, single room occupancy housing shall be subject to the following standards:

A. Unit Size And Occupancy: The minimum size of a unit shall be one hundred fifty (150) square feet and the maximum size shall be three hundred seventy five (375) square feet which may include bathroom and/or kitchen facilities.

B. Common Area: A minimum of ten (10) square feet for each unit shall be provided for a common area. All common areas shall be within the structure. Dining rooms, meeting rooms, recreational rooms, or other similar areas approved by the city shall be considered common areas. Shared bathrooms and kitchens shall not be considered as common areas.

C. Management: A single room occupancy management plan shall be submitted to, reviewed, approved, and enforced by the director of community development. The management plan shall be approved before issuance of a certificate of occupancy. The management plan shall be comprehensive and contain management policies and operations, rental procedures and rates, maintenance plans, residency and guest rules and procedures, security procedures, and staffing needs, including job descriptions. A twenty four (24) hour resident manager shall be provided for any single room occupancy use with twelve (12) or more units.

D. Parking: A minimum of 0.5 on site parking spaces shall be provided per unit, plus one guest space for every five (5) units.

E. Kitchen Facilities: Each unit shall be provided a kitchen sink with a garbage disposal, serviced with hot and cold water, and a countertop measuring a minimum of eighteen inches (18") wide by twenty four inches (24") deep. If each individual unit is not provided with a minimum of a refrigerator and a microwave oven, a complete kitchen facility available for residents shall be provided on each floor of the structure.

F. Bathroom Facilities: For each unit a private toilet in an enclosed compartment with a door shall be provided. This compartment shall be a minimum of fifteen (15) square feet. If private bathing facilities are not provided for each unit, shared shower or bathtub facilities shall be provided at a ratio of one for every seven (7) units or fraction thereof. The shared shower or bathtub facility shall be on the same floor as the units it is intended to serve and shall be accessible from a common area or hallway. Each shared shower or bathtub facility shall be provided with an interior lockable door. (Ord. 12-O-2633, eff. 11-23-2012)

A. Supportive housing shall be approved ministerially in non-residential zones upon meeting all of the following criteria:

1. Units within the development are subject to a recorded affordability restriction for 55 years.

2. One hundred percent of the units, excluding the manager unit(s), within the development shall be dedicated to lower income households and are receiving public funding to ensure affordability of the housing to lower income Californians.

3. At least 25 percent of the units in the development or 12 units, whichever is greater, shall be restricted to residents in supportive housing who meet criteria of the target population. If the development consists of fewer than 12 units, then 100 percent of the units, excluding manager unit(s), in the development shall be restricted to residents in supportive housing.

4. Non-residential floor area shall be used for on-site supportive services in the following amounts:

5. For a development with 20 or fewer total units, at least 90 square feet shall be provided for onsite supportive services.

6. For a development with more than 20 units, at least 3 percent of the total nonresidential floor area shall be provided for onsite supportive services that are limited to tenant use, including, but not limited to, community rooms, case management offices, computer rooms, and community kitchens.

7. The developer replaces any dwelling units on the site of the supportive housing development in the manner required by Government Code Section 65915(c)(3) to ensure that any change to the occupancy of the supportive housing units is made in a manner that minimizes tenant disruption and only upon the vacancy of any supportive housing units.

8. Units within the development, excluding manager unit(s), include at least one bathroom and a kitchen or other cooking facilities, including, at minimum, a stovetop, a sink, and a refrigerator.

• B. Supportive housing located in multifamily or mixed use zones shall comply with all restrictions and objective development standards applicable to the underlying zone.

C. Operational standards: all supportive housing projects shall be requirement to submit a plan for providing supportive services, which shall include the following at a minimum: Documentation that supportive services will be provided on-site.

1. The name of the proposed entities that will provide supportive services.

2. The proposed funding sources for the services provided.

3. Proposed staffing levels.

D. No minimum parking requirements shall be required for the units occupied by supportive housing residents for projects located within one-half mile of a public transit stop.

(Ord. 24-O-2904, eff. 1-3-2025)

A. A zoning clearance issued by the Director of Community Development shall be required for the establishment of a large community residential care facility and shall be issued ministerially upon verifying that all of the following criteria have been satisfied:

1. The proposed facility shall submit an operational and management plan with the following information:

• a. Name of the applicant and operator;

• b. License and permit history of the applicant, including if the applicant is currently operating a similar use in

the city or another city, county, or state under license, and/or if applicant has had such license and/or permit revoked or suspended, and the reason therefore;

c. A list of addresses of all facilities similar to that for which a permit is requested in the State of California that are owned or operated by the applicant within the past five (5) years and whether such facilities have been found by state or local authorities to be operating in violation of state or local law;

• d. Maximum number of persons per bedroom;

• e. Maximum number of occupants;

• f. Typical length of stay;

• g. Any rules of conduct applicable to occupants;

• h. Parking provided for the facility;

• i. Hours of operation;

• j. Services provided;

• k. Current license information;

• l. Phone number or other contact information;

• m. The names of all persons and entities with an ownership or leasehold interest in the facility, or who will

participate in operation of the facility; and

• n. Proximity to any other state licensed facilities in the city.

2. The proposed facility shall comply with the following operational standards:

• a. A maximum of two residents per bedroom plus one additional resident shall be permitted.

• b. No staff, clients, guests or any other users of the facility may smoke in an area from which second hand

smoke may be detected on any parcel other than the parcel upon which the facility is located.

c. Management or representatives of the operator must be available to be contacted by the City on a 24-hour, 7- day per week basis.

• d. The facility shall comply with all operational requirements in section 10-3-1956 of this chapter.

e. The facility may only conduct intake or discharge services in which new residents are accepted for stay at the facility or existing residents are permitted to leave, between the hours of 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily. (Ord. 24-O-2904, eff. 1-3-2025)