Earlier editions: 2026-07
Title 13 — Planning, Zoning and Development›Chapter V — DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Costa Mesa Municipal Code Art. 7 Institutional and Recreational, Institutional and Recreational School…
Costa Mesa Municipal Code · 2026-10 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · Costa Mesa
Cite as: Costa Mesa Municipal Code Article 7 · Text as of 2026-10-04
§ 13-64. Purpose.¶
This article is intended to provide development standards for both publicly and privately owned land which provide recreation, open space, health, public service, educational, and housing opportunities.
(Ord. No. 97-11, § 2, 5-5-97; Ord. No. 16-09, § 6, 10-4-16)
§ 13-65. Special district requirements.¶
(a) Uses incidental to the main function of the development may be permitted upon approval by the planning commission through the adoption or amendment of the master plan.
(b) In the I&R-S zones, site plans shall meet the requirements of all State agencies having jurisdiction over the design, construction and operation of public and private school facilities.
(c) In the I&R-MLT zone any future development of the site may include residential due to the unique nature of the site. Any single family residential development to occur on the site must follow the R1 residential development standards.
(d) The I&R-MLT zone contains residential dwelling unit caps for single family and multi-family: For single family residential the cap is 250 units and for multiple family residential the cap is 332 units.
(Ord. No. 97-11, § 2, 5-5-97; Ord. No. 16-09, § 6, 10-4-16)
§ 13-66. Development standards.¶
TABLE 13-66 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR I&R, I&R-S AND I&R-MLT ZONES
| DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS | I&R and I&R-S | I&R-MLT |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum lot area | Six thousand square feet | Six thousand square feet |
| Minimum lot width | Sixty feet | Sixty feet |
| Maximum floor area ratio | Refer to Chapter V, Article 8, floor area ratios | Refer to Chapter V, Article 8, floor area ratios |
| Maximum building height | Four stories south of the I-405 Freeway except that special purpose housing (e.g., affordable, elderly and student housing) may be granted additional building height. | Building heights for all uses must conform to I&R standards; single family residential must conform to the R1 building height standards. |
| SETBACKS FOR MAIN BUILDINGS AND ACCESSORY BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES (Minimum distances given, unless otherwise noted. All setbacks from streets are measured from the ultimate property line shown on the Master Plan of Highways.) | ||
| Front | Twenty feet | Twenty feet |
| Side or rear, abutting a secondary, primary or major street | Twenty feet | Twenty feet |
| Side or rear, abutting all other streets | Ten feet | Ten feet |
| Interior lot line | Five feet. Additional setback may be required by the planning commission if deemed necessary to protect adjacent land uses. | Five feet. Additional setback may be required by the planning commission if deemed necessary to protect adjacent land uses. |
| PARKING (See Chapter VI) | PARKING (See Chapter VI) | PARKING (See Chapter VI) |
| LANDSCAPING (See Chapter VII) | LANDSCAPING (See Chapter VII) | LANDSCAPING (See Chapter VII) |
| SIGNS (See Chapter VIII) | SIGNS (See Chapter VIII) | SIGNS (See Chapter VIII) |
| ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS | ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS | ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS |
| Master plan | Required | Required |
| Uses conducted underroof | All uses permitted shall be conducted underroof. Exception: Uses which are incidental to and an integral part of the use conducted underroof may be conducted onsite in the open, pursuant to the approval of a minor conditional use permit. | All uses permitted shall be conducted underroof. Exception: Uses which are incidental to and an integral part of the use conducted underroof may be conducted onsite in the open, pursuant to the approval of a minor conditional use permit or if the portion of the site is developed as a park. |
| Single family residential—Minimum lot size | Residential development not permitted | Six thousand square feet |
| Single family residential—Maximum density | Residential development not permitted | Six dwelling units per acre |
| Minimum and maximum percent of site used for single family residential | Residential development not permitted | Fifty percent |
| Minimum and maximum percent of site | Not applicable | Twenty-five percent developed for parks. |
| Multi-family residential—Maximum density | Residential development not permitted | Forty dwelling units per acre |
| Minimum percent share of multi-family units for affordable housing. Shall comply with chapter 9, Article 4, density bonuses and other incentives. | Residential development not permitted | Twenty percent |
(Ord. No. 97-11, § 2, 5-5-97; Ord. No. 16-09, § 6, 10-4-16)
Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.
Ask AI about this code