§ 25-19. R-2 AND R-3 ZONES (MULTIPLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL).

The purpose of the R-2 and R-3 districts is to provide living areas within Firebaugh where development is consistent with the Firebaugh General Plan and is limited to medium- and highdensity concentrations of multifamily dwellings along with other uses suitable to the intent of the Zone, and where regulations are designed to promote the following:

• a. A suitable environment for family life, recognizing that a significant part of the multifamily population is adult, including senior citizens;

• b. Space for community facilities, including parks, schools, churches and other facilities that will complement the residential environment;

• c. Attractive and unique development projects that encompass well-designed buildings with ample landscape and off-street parking;

• d. The conservation of valuable resources ranging from water to energy; and

• e. Housing that is affordable to low- and moderate-income households and to households that have special housing needs.

• a. In order to adequately plan for multifamily development at various densities, the following subdistricts are established:

  1. R-2 (multifamily residential, one unit per 3,250 square feet of lot area); and

  2. R-3 (multifamily residential, one unit 1,500 square feet of lot area).

• b. The R-2 district is consistent with the "Medium-Density Residential" and the "High-Density Residential" residential designations in Land Use Element of the Firebaugh General Plan; the R- 3 district is consistent with the Element's "High-Density Residential" designation.

[Amended 12-19-2022 by Ord. No. 22-05]

The following uses are permitted in the R-2 and R-3 Zones, subject to development standards contained in this title.

• a. Single-family dwellings, duplexes and triplexes.

• b. Multifamily complexes.

• c. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADUs), subject to standards contained in Section 25-41.9 (Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADUs)).

• d. Employee housing, subject to the issuance of a permit by the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development as provided in California Health and Safety Code Sections 17021.5 and 17030. The permit shall be prominently displayed in the housing unit and shall be provided to any peace officer, City inspector or State inspector, upon demand.

• e. Emergency Shelter (R-3 Zone only).

• f. Single-room-occupancy units.

• g. Supportive housing.

• h. Transitional housing.

• i. Home occupations subject to the requirements detailed in § 25-41 , Special Uses.

• j. Small day-care homes.

• k. Mobile homes subject to design standards contained in § 25-15 , Single Family Residential.

• l. Licensed group care homes (six or fewer persons).

• m. Drainage basins.

• n. Water well sites.

• o. Utility facilities, including electrical substations, elevated pressure tanks, and communication equipment buildings, except for wireless telecommunications facilities.

• p. Model apartments and rental offices associated with the development of a multifamily development.

• q. Incidental and accessory structures and uses located on the same site as the permitted use including private garages and carports; storage buildings; garden structures, greenhouses; and recreation rooms, hobby shops and swimming pools.

• r. Temporary apartment rental office and signs consistent with § 25-47 , Signs.

• s. Enclosed temporary construction materials storage yards associated with the development of an apartment complex.

The following uses shall be permitted upon the granting of a use permit consistent with § 25-5 , Conditional Use Permits.

• a. Public and quasipublic uses of an educational or religious type including public and parochial elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools and colleges; nursery schools, nonprofit schools and colleges; churches and other religious institutions.

• b. Public and private charitable institutions, hospitals, convalescent homes, sanitariums, or rest homes for mental, drug or alcoholic cases.

• c. Public uses of an administrative, recreational, pubic service or cultural type including City, county, state or federal administrative centers and courts, libraries, museums, art galleries, police and fire stations and other public buildings, structures and facilities; public playgrounds, parks and community centers.

• d. Rest homes and nursing homes; boardinghouses and rooming houses.

• e. Emergency shelters.

• f. Bed-and-breakfast.

No multifamily uses may be established on any lot or site in this district until a site plan has been submitted and approved consistent with § 25-53 , Site Plan and Design Review.

• a. Unit density. The maximum unit densities for Firebaugh's multifamily residential districts are as follows:

Exhibit 19-1: Key Development Standards in the R-2/R-3 Zones

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• b. Lot frontage, depth and area.

  1. Lot frontage.

     • (a) The minimum lot frontage for newly established lots in the R-2 and R-3 zones are as follows:

• (b) Lots on culs-de-sac or curve-frontage lots must have a minimum width of 40 feet at the street right-of-way.

2. The minimum lot depth for newly-established lots in the R-2 and R-3 zones is 100 feet.

3. The minimum area of all newly-created lots for each of Firebaugh's multifamily residential districts are as follows:

• c. Building height. The maximum height of all structures shall be 25 feet (two stories); the maximum height of accessory structures shall be 12 feet.

• d. Lot coverage.

• e. Yard requirements. Yard requirements (building setbacks) for structures in the R-2 and R-3 zones shall be as follows:

Special requirements:

• (1) Detached accessory structures no taller than 12 feet may have a zero rear or side yard setback if set back behind the front yard setback, and behind the side yard setback on the street side yard of a corner lot.

• (2) Architectural features, including eaves, sills, chimneys, cornices, and bay windows may extend up to 30 inches into a required side yard.

• (3) No building shall be located closer than five feet to an alley.

• (4) Portable carports are prohibited between a dwelling and any street abutting the lot.

• (5) Garage/carport setback: A garage or carport that opens to a public street shall be set back a minimum of 20 feet from the back of sidewalk or property line, whichever distance is greater.

• f. Minimum distance between buildings on the same lot: The minimum distance between a structure used for human habitation and another structure (such as another dwelling, detached garage, carport, or storage shed, etc.) shall be 10 feet.

• g. Building orientation and porch requirements (also see Exhibit 19-3). Buildings on a site situated closest to public street(s) shall be oriented with ground floor units facing onto the street, with the front door opening onto a usable porch measuring at least eight feet wide and six feet deep.

Exhibit 19-3: Front Orientation and Porch Requirement

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Ground floor units along streets shall be oriented to face the street with the front door opening onto a usable porch.

• a. Front yards: Fences, walls and hedges in a required front yard setback area shall not exceed three feet in height, except that a fence or wall may be four feet in height if more than 50% of the top one-foot of the structure is see-through (such as wrought-iron).

• b. Rear and side yards: Fences, walls, and hedges in the area behind the required front yard setback shall not exceed seven feet in height.

• c. Fences on the street side yards of corner lots: Fences, walls and hedges within 10 feet of the property line along the street side yard of a corner lot shall not exceed three feet in height, except that a fence or wall may be four feet in height if more than 50% of the top one-foot of the structure is see-through (such as wrought-iron).

• d. Corner visibility triangle.

  1. Street intersection: No fencing higher than three feet shall be placed in the corner area of a lot formed by a triangle with its right angle at corner of the lot adjacent to the street intersection and right angle sides measuring 30 feet long.

  2. Driveway/street intersection: No fencing higher than three feet shall be placed in triangular areas situated where a driveway intersects a street. The affected area is defined as a triangle where the right angle corner is set at the point where the driveway intersects the property line, and the right angle sides measure 10 feet long.

• e. Materials such as razor wire and barbed wire are prohibited in residential zones (except for temporary construction yards associated with a development project).

• f. For nonresidential uses, the fencing standards of § 25-21 [C-1 Zone (Neighborhood Commercial)] shall apply.

Exhibit 19-4: Fencing Standards Shown on Typical Lots

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• a. For multifamily dwellings, a minimum of 1.5 parking stalls per dwelling shall be provided on-site. One stall per unit shall be covered with a carport or garage. All parking spaces, driveways and parking lots shall have a concrete or asphalt surface, consistent with the Firebaugh Improvement Standards. Parking lots shall be designed to preclude backing on vehicles onto public streets.

• b. Nonresidential uses in this district shall provide off-street parking consistent with § 25-45 , Auto and Bicycle Parking and Loading.

Signs shall be consistent with the requirements detailed in § 25-47 , Signs.

The following standards shall apply to all multifamily developments.

• a. The architectural design of multifamily developments to the best extent possible should be compatible with adjacent residential neighborhoods. Compatibility may involve the use of materials, color, scale, roof pitch, and other physical features that would assist in blending the new multifamily development with surrounding residential uses.

• b. The architectural design of multifamily developments that are not adjacent to or within existing residential neighborhood shall consider the following design standards:

  1. Long, unbroken building facades and box-like building forms are discouraged. Building facades should be varied by alternating building planes, building material, color and building heights (see Exhibit 19-4). Other approaches to providing attractive multifamily structures could involve alternating the patterns of window and door opening; the use of projections such as balconies, porches and awnings; and changing setbacks and softening the building facade with tree plantings.

  2. Setbacks should be varied with individual structures.

  3. The roof lines of multifamily structures should be altered to provide a varied horizontal view.

Exhibit 19-5: Preferred Site Planning Concepts for Multifamily Design

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4. There should only be a maximum of two adjacent multifamily units with identical wall and roofline planes.

5. It is important that door and window openings be articulated on the face of the multifamily structure. Articulation can include framing, insets or shutters for windows and insets, framing and color for doorways.

6. Materials used for multifamily developments should be durable and of low maintenance. Where possible, exterior siding should provide a distinctive appearance, such as lap siding, shingle siding, river rock, brick, or flagstone.

7. Stairways should be designed as an integral part of the overall multifamily development. Materials used on the building should be incorporated into the stairway design (see Exhibit 19-6). Stairways should not be a dominant exterior feature on the building and should be sited so that they are not visually prominent.

Exhibit 19-6: Stairways

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• c. Parking lots and carports or garages should be designed to blend in with the overall multifamily project.

  1. Long, unbroken rows of parking spaces are discouraged. Where possible, these rows should be broken by landscaped islands, buildings, or garages.

  2. Carports should contain design elements that make the structures visually interesting, such as gabled roofs or articulated support beams.

  3. Parking lots should be screened from adjacent properties with a seven-foot solid block wall that is softened with landscaping.

• d. Special design treatment should be given to the entryways and street corners of multifamily projects.

1. The street corners of multifamily projects should be enhanced visually with features like landscaping, walls, lighting, fountains, trellises, signage, public art, etc.

   2. Project entryways should be given special treatment such as stamped concrete driveways, metal gates with pilasters or landscaped medians.

• e. All common areas shall be provided with landscaping and an automated irrigation system. Landscaping shall be consistent with § 25-43 , Landscaping, Irrigation and Grading.

• f. All trash enclosures shall be surrounded by a six-foot solid block wall and a metal gate. An arbor should be constructed over the trash enclosure, to improve appearance. The exterior to the enclosure shall be landscaped.

• g. All roof-mounted mechanical equipment shall be screened from view.

• h. Where a multifamily development abuts a single-family use or a commercial use, a seven-foot solid block wall shall be constructed along the property line common to the two land uses.

• a. To the greatest extent possible, buildings should be designed with the greatest building length running east and west to take advantage of passive solar design opportunities (see Exhibit 197).

• b. All ground-mounted heating/cooling units shall be located on the east side of a building that fronts onto an east/west roadway, and on the north side of a building that fronts onto a north/south roadway (this locational feature will conserve energy).

• c. The landscaping plan for the multifamily complex should feature the planting of deciduous trees on the south and west sides of the residential complex (this locational design feature will conserve energy).

Exhibit 19-7: Energy Conservation

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• a. All residential projects that contain more than 2,500 square feet of landscaped area shall comply with the regulations contained in § 25-43 , Landscaping, Irrigation and Grading.

• b. Not more than 50% of the front yard landscaping shall be devoted to turf. Shrubs planted in the front yard shall be drought-tolerant species (These design features will conserve water).

• c. All front yard landscaping shall be provided with an automated irrigation system that employs water-conserving irrigation features.