Encinitas Municipal Code § 6.2 Agricultural Zone ("ag" Zone)

6.2.1 DESCRIPTION OF AGRICULTURAL ZONES¶

Four separate areas within the Specific Plan Area are within the Encinitas Ranch Agricultural Zone; 68.0 acres within the East Saxony Planning Area, 26.3 acres within the South Mesa Planning Area, 10 acres within the North Mesa Planning Area and 9.0 acres within the Sidonia East Planning Area. The Agricultural Zone provisions below have been written broadly in order to encourage the continued agricultural use of portions of the Specific Plan Area and to provide a favorable setting in which to continue agricultural operations.

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6.2.2 USES PERMITTED¶

A. Permitted Uses. Subject to the provisions of Sections 6.2.2F and G below, the following uses shall be permitted in any area designated as an Agricultural Zone within the Encinitas Ranch Specific Plan.

Agricultural facilities, such as, greenhouses, tissue labs, related production and office facilities, and related marketing/distribution facilities (excluding retail sales).
Agriculture, arboriculture, and floriculture operations.
Agricultural support services when associated with on-site primary agricultural uses and provided that such uses are located with access to a Circulation Element Road.
Biotechnical and biogenetic uses and research operations when associated with on-site primary agricultural uses and provided that such uses are located with access to a Circulation Element Road.
Botanical garden.
Cannabis - Commercial Cultivation. 4
Cannabis - Product Manufacturing. 4
Future farmers, 4-H, or similar projects.6-6
Horticultural services.
Industrial Hemp. 4
Nurseries, horticultural (wholesale).
Orchard and tree crops (including Christmas trees).
Parking lots, only for permitted uses.
Qualified employee housing (six or fewer employees). 1
Qualified employee housing (seven or more employees). 2
Recreation trails and paths, paved or unpaved.
Recycling of organic agricultural waste products and by-products for use within the Specific Plan Area.
Residential Care, Limited (6 or fewer)
Roadside sales of agricultural products. Operation of a stand, not to exceed an area of 500 square feet, for the display and sale of agricultural products. Said stand to be located not nearer than 15 feet to any street or highway, provided the roadside stand is not located within the Landscape Development Zone.
Signs, not to exceed 32 square feet in area per side or eight feet in height, advertising only the sale of the services or the products produced on the premises. Said signs may be double-sided and shall be stationary, unlighted, and contain no flashing or blinking objects or banners. There shall be a limit of one sign per use, provided that two signs per use are permitted if the use is accessible from two or more Circulation Element Roads. These two signs must be parallel to each other if located along the same road, and cannot be perpendicular to one another if located within 50 yard of one another.
Single dwelling unit.
Supportive Housing 3
Transitional Housing 3
Water reservoir.

Notes:

1	Shall be deemed a single-family residence and subject to all municipal codes, regulations and other standards generally applicable to other residential dwellings of the same type in the same zone.
2	Permitted as an accessory use in conjunction with an approved agricultural use. See EMC Section 30.48.040R for requirements.
3	Supportive and Transitional Housing are residential uses and are subject to only those restrictions that apply to other residential uses of the same type in the same zone.
4	See Chapter 9.25 of the Municipal Code for specific provisions on cannabis and hemp-related uses.

B. Major Use Permit. The following uses are permitted provided a Major Use Permit is approved pursuant to the Municipal Code.

Agricultural biotechnical and biogenetic uses and agricultural research operations when intended as primary uses.
Agricultural support services when intended as a primary use.
Recycling of organic agricultural waste products and by-products for use outside the Specific Plan Area.

C. Minor Use Permit. Each of the following uses are permitted provided a Minor Use Permit is approved pursuant to the Municipal Code.

Nurseries, horticultural (retail) – covered or uncovered.
Roadside sales of agricultural products. Operation of a stand, greater than 500 square feet but not exceeding an area of 1,500 square feet, for the display and sale, by the occupant of the premises, of agricultural products. Said stand to be located not nearer than 15 feet to any street or highway, provided the roadside stand is not located within the Landscape Development Zone.

D. Permitted Accessory Uses. Any use that is not specifically listed in Subsections A, B, and C, above, may be considered a permitted accessory use provided that the Director of Community Development finds that the proposed accessory use is substantially the same in character as those listed in the designated subsections. Accessory uses are necessarily and customarily associated with, and are appropriate, incidental, and subordinate to the primary use(s). Such a use is subject to the permit process which governs the category in which it falls.

E. Animal Regulations. The keeping of large domesticated animals and/or wild or undomesticated animals shall be subject to the requirements of Chapter 30.55, Animal Regulations, of Title 30, Zoning, of the City of Encinitas Code.

F. Prohibited Uses. The following uses are prohibited within any Agricultural Zone within the Encinitas Ranch Specific Plan Area:

Animal waste processor.
Feed lot, cattle ranch or dairy farm.
Incineration of agricultural materials when not associated with on-site primary agricultural uses.
Pig farm.
Poultry farm.
Activities involving the commercial agriculture use of animals similar in nature or character to any of the foregoing (provided, incidental activities such as Future Farmers, 4-H, or similar projects and other activities accessory or ancillary to otherwise permitted agricultural activities shall be permitted).

G. Limitations in Agriculturally Zoned Areas. Except with respect to greenhouses and other crop protection structures, the provisions set forth below shall apply to the agriculturally zoned area within the Specific Plan Area. Said provisions are in addition to all other provisions within this Specific Plan applicable to the Agricultural Zone.

Lighting, parking and other similar facilities shall be oriented to minimize impacts on adjacent residential areas to the extent reasonably feasible and consistent with agricultural operations.
When adjacent to residentially zoned areas and public streets, the fifty-foot setback (see Zone Standards Table in Section 6.2.3B) shall be increased by two feet for every foot building height exceeds 35 feet.
No field crops shall be allowed within fifty feet from the western boundary of the Sidonia East Planning Area, north of Leucadia Boulevard.
Concurrent with any new development (not including remodels, repairs and maintenance) adjacent to Sidonia Street the property owner shall screen the new development by installing drought tolerant landscaping 25 feet in width, provided the emergency access point to Sidonia Street shall not be landscaped. The 25 feet of landscaping shall be measured from the existing edge of pavement as of the date of adoption of this Specific Plan (approximately 28 feet). A 5 foot fence shall be located at the eastern edge of the 25 foot landscaped area. The property owner may elect to install an additional fence that is visually open up to 5 feet in height on the property line for the purpose of securing the property. Any trail located within the 25 foot landscaped area shall be located within the public right-of-way. Drought tolerant landscaping along Sidonia Street shall be maintained by the property owner. When new development is located adjacent to Leucadia Boulevard and Quail Gardens Drive, the property owner shall install a 5 foot fence at the edge of the Landscape Development Zone.

H. Design Review. All new buildings, new landscaping or new construction within the agricultural Zone shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 23.08 of the City of Encinitas Municipal Code, Design Review, excluding new buildings, new landscaping or new construction meeting the criteria described in 1 or 2:

New buildings, new landscaping or new construction for agricultural uses permitted by right with structures (a) located a minimum of 100 feet from the western boundary of the Sidonia East Planning Area or any public street, and (b) not exceeding a height of 35 feet.
Greenhouses and related facilities not exceeding a height of 35 feet.

I. Performance Standards. The performance standards of the Municipal Code (Chapter 30.40) shall apply. Concurrent with new development (not including remodels, repairs and maintenance), roof or ground-mounted mechanical equipment, outdoor storage, and parking shall be screened from public streets through the use of structure design, structure/operation locations, existing fencing, existing landscaping or the provision of new landscaping/fencing. All lighting shall be directed on-site.

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6.2.3 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS¶

A. Building Height Limits: Non-residential agricultural structures shall be limited to 35 feet and residential structures shall be subject to the provisions of City of Encinitas Municipal Code Section 30.16.01B7. The 35 foot limit for non-residential agricultural structures may be increased up to 45 feet to accommodate greenhouse gables, extreme roof pitch and two story centralized warehouse/office areas for storage, automated equipment or other similar needs requiring extraordinary interior ceiling clearance, provided the aggregate footprint of all structures exceeding 35 feet in height may not exceed 10% of the aggregate footprint of all structures (including greenhouses) located on the parcel in which the structures exceeding 35 feet are located.

B. Specific Agricultural Zone Standards:

1. Specific Agricultural Zone Standards—Agricultural Uses (3)	AG Zone	AG Zone
1. Specific Agricultural Zone Standards—Agricultural Uses (3)	Greenhouse and Other Crop Protection Structures	All Other Agriculture Buildings
Maximum Percentage of Net Area Covered with Buildings/Structures	No requirement	No requirement
Minimum Lot Area (1)	10 AC	10 AC
Minimum Lot Width	No requirement	No requirement
Minimum Lot Depth	No requirement	No requirement
Front Yard Setback	No requirement	No requirement
Street Side Yard Setback	No requirement	No requirement
Interior Side Yard Setback	No requirement	No requirement
Rear Yard Setback	No requirement	No requirement
Minimum Setback for any Structure Adjacent to Public Streets and Residentially Zoned Areas	25 FT	50FT
Maximum Encroachments into Yards (2)	4 FT for all yards	4 FT for all yards
Minimum Distance Between Buildings	No requirement	No requirement
Minimum Setback for Any Building from Offsite, Non-residential zones	10 FT	10 FT

Notes:

(1)	May be reduced to allow qualified employee housing and to isolate areas in which development is restricted. This may also be reduced to 5 acres in the Sidonia East Planning Area to accommodate "agrihood" development.
(2)	Includes encroachments by chimneys, fireplaces, steps, stairs, eaves, porches, balconies, decks, bay windows, planters, and similar architectural features.
(3)	Setbacks shall apply in the Agricultural Zone regardless of the status of a Williamson Act contract.

2. Specific Agricultural Zone Standards — Residential Uses	AG Zone
Maximum Percentage of Net Area Covered with Buildings/Structures	No requirement
Minimum Lot Area (1)	10 AC
Minimum Lot Width	No requirement
Minimum Lot Depth	No requirement
Front Yard Setback	25 FT
Street Side Yard Setback	20 FT
Interior Side Yard Setback	15 FT
Rear Yard Setback	25 FT
Maximum Encroachments into Yards (2)	4 FT for all yards
Accessory Building Encroachments into Yards	No encroachment permitted into front or streetside yards; 10 FT encroachment permitted into interior side and rear yards.
Minimum Distance Between Buildings	10 FT

Notes:

(1)	May be reduced to allow qualified employee housing and to isolate areas in which development is restricted. This may also be reduced to 5 acres in the Sidonia East Planning Area to accommodate "agrihood" development.
(2)	Includes encroachments by chimneys, fireplaces, steps, stairs, eaves, porches, balconies, decks, bay windows, planters, and similar architectural features.

C. Maximum Net Housing Density: One single family detached dwelling unit per 10 acres. Qualified employee housing may be developed in all agricultural zones in conjunction with an existing or proposed agricultural use pursuant to Encinitas Municipal Code 30.48.040(R). Allowable density, lot size, and building setbacks for qualified employee housing shall be determined at the Minor Use Permit stage.

List added 3/18/98 (Reso. 98-17); list amended 8/23/95 (Reso. 95-91), 3/18/98 (Reso. 98-17), 11/27/19 (Ord. 2019-14), and 8/11/21 (Ord. 2021-04); paragraph added 3/18/98 (Reso. 98-17); paragraph amended 3/18/98 (Reso. 98-17); (Ord. 2019-04)

Exceptions & meaning →