Article 12

• 12.1 Purpose: To establish areas for high density residential development while allowing for a wide range of living accommodations from duplex units to townhouses to apartment buildings. The following regulations shall apply in all “R3” districts and all multi-family dwellings and multi-family dwelling groups shall be subject to development review as set forth in Article 56 . (Ord. No. 1897, 12/7/1989)

• 12.2 Applicability: This district shall be primarily intended for areas of the county served by public water and sewer. (Ord. No. 1749, 7/7/1988)

• 12.3 Performance standards: All uses permitted within this district shall be subject to the performance standards set forth in Article 41.

• (a) Duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes or apartment buildings; multi-family dwelling groups.

• (b) Multi-family residential developments, including those with twenty (20) or more dwelling units, shall be permitted by right or ministerially as specified in other subsections of this Article, and without the requirement of a minor use permit, subject to compliance with all objective development standards of this Article and the standards in Section 19.20, Article 19, Chapter 21 of the Lake County Code . (c)s .

• (c) Those uses permitted in the “R3” district with a zoning permit in Table A, Article 27.

• (d) Notwithstanding other provisions of this Article, residential development qualifying as an Affordable Housing Project that may be expedited. For the purpose of this section, a “Qualifying Project” is a project which meets all of the criteria as provided in California Government Code §65913.4.

• (e) Housing projects with at least 20% of units affordable to lower income households shall be permitted by right if they have been previously identified in the Housing Element as potential affordable housing sites for at least two update cycles, or if they are located in a High Density zone.

• (f)

• Supportive Housing, as defined in Article 68 of this Chapter.

• (a) Uses permitted in Section 12.4 when not in compliance with the performance standards set forth in Article 41.

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• (b) Uses which are minor additions or alterations to existing uses or structures permitted by Section 12.6, limited to an increase of twenty (20) percent of the use area or gross floor area of the structure(s).

• (c) REPEALED. (Ord. No. 3158, 2/3/2026)

• (d) Those uses permitted in the “R3” district with a minor use permit in Table B, Article 27.

• (a) Uses permitted in Sections 12.4 and 12.5 when not in compliance with the performance standards set forth in Article 41.

• (b) Dwelling groups such as townhouses, time shares and condominiums, but not including single-family residences and mobile homes.

• (c)

  • Mobilehome parks subject to the requirements of Article 43.

• (d) Those uses permitted in the “R3” district with a major use permit in Table B, Article 27.

• (a) Public water and sewer: 10,000 square feet.

• (b) Well and public sewer; or public water and septic system: 20,000 square feet.

• (c) Well and septic system: 40,000 square feet.

• (a) Interior lot: 80 feet.

• (b) Corner lot: 100 feet.

• (a) One story dwelling: 40 percent.

• (b) Two story dwelling: 35 percent.

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(c) Three story dwelling: 30 percent.

• (a) Front yard: Twenty (20) feet from lot line, or forty-five (45) feet from centerline of roadway, whichever is greater. Yards abutting streets are front yards.

• (b) Rear yard: Twenty (20) feet from lot line.

• (c) Side yard: Five (5) feet from lot line for a one story structure, and an additional five (5) feet for every story above one for a duplex or a multi-family dwelling, measured from the wall of the portion of the structure that exceeds one story. (Ord. No. 2128, 1/14/1993)

• (d) Accessory uses: The above yards shall apply.

• (a) Principal structure: Forty-five (45) feet; and height limit may be increased subject to first obtaining a major use permit in each case.

• (b) Accessory structure: Twenty (20) feet. (Ord. No. 1749, 7/7/1988)

• (a) For multifamily and other dwelling groups, the placement of main buildings shall conform to the following building separation standards:

  1. When two (2) or more building fronts face each other or are arranged around an open court, they shall be separated from each other a minimum of thirty (30) feet, plus five (5) feet for each additional story of each building in excess of one (1) story. Driveways shall not be located within said building separation.

  2. For a building which faces the rear or side of another building, they shall be separated from each other a minimum of twenty (20) feet, plus five (5) feet for each additional story of such building in excess of one (1) story.

  3. When the rear of the building faces the rear or side of another building, they shall be separated from each other a minimum of fifteen (15) feet, plus two and one-half (2-1/2) feet for each additional story of each building in excess of one (1) story.

  4. When the building’s side faces the side of another, they shall be separated from each other a minimum of ten (10) feet, plus two and one-half (2-1/2) feet for each additional story of each building in excess of one (1) story.

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No entries shall be permitted between buildings placed side by side, unless an additional ten (10) feet of building separation is provided.

• (b) All apartment units shall have a minimum private open space or balcony area of one hundred (100) square feet per unit and a minimum depth of seven (7) feet, with direct access to each unit. (Ord. No. 2128, 1/14/1993)

For residential developments of more than seven (7) dwelling units, a landscaped, unified and usable open recreational and leisure area totaling at least three hundred (300) square feet for each dwelling unit shall be required in addition to that landscaping generally required of all developments in Article 41, Section 41.9. Said areas shall be conveniently located and readily accessible to each dwelling unit. (Ord. No. 2128, 1/14/1993)

• (c) The following areas shall not be considered as contributing to required recreational and leisure areas:

  1. Any required front, or side yard.

  2. Any area used for parking or vehicular circulation.

• 12.19 Parking: The following minimum parking requirements shall apply except as provided in Article 46.

  • (a) Residential use:

    1. Two (2) spaces per dwelling unit or one (1) space per bedroom whichever is less. ( Ord. No. 2305 10/19/1995; Ord. No. 3021, 12/16/2014)

    2. One-half (1/2) uncovered guest parking space for each dwelling unit.

    3. Fractions shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number when applicable.

    4. Detached and attached garages, shops and carports, and storage sheds exceeding 199 square feet, shall be subject to the design standards of Section 10.20 (d), (e), (g) & (h). (Ord. No. 2618, 2/27/2003)

  • (b) Design:

    1. Typically, parking areas should be arranged so as to prevent through traffic to other parking areas. (Ord. No. 1749, 7/7/1988)

2. Uncovered parking areas shall be screened from the street and adjacent residences to a height of at least three (3) feet with hedges, dense plantings, or walls.

   3. Parking areas shall be landscaped as provided in Section 41.9.

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• 12.20 Signs: As provided in Article 45.

• All duplexes shall meet the minimum residential construction standards of the “R1” district, Section 10.20. (Ord. No. 2172, 8/12/1993)

• 12.22 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS EXCEPTIONS: FOR EXCEPTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS OF THIS ARTICLE, SEE ARTICLE 42. (Ord. No. 1749, 7/7/1988)

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