Article 34

• 34.1 Purpose: To protect and enhance views of scenic areas from the County’s scenic highways and roadways for the benefit of local residential and resort development, the motoring public, and the recreation based economy of the County. The following regulations shall apply in all “SC” districts and all uses except single-family residential structures shall be subject to development review as set forth in Article 56.

• 34.2 Applicability: The following features should be considered when applying the “SC” district:

  • (a) Views predominantly possessing two (2) or more of the following characteristics: (Ord. No. 1749, 7/7/1988)

    1. Varied topographic features including uniquely shaped rocks, dominant hills, mountains or canyons.

    2. Vegetative features including significant stands of trees, colorful variety of wildflowers or plants.

    3. Water features including views of Clear Lake, creeks or streams, waterfalls.

    4. Pastoral features such as farms, pasture, vineyards or orchards.

    5. Historical buildings or districts which characterize period architecture or are indicative of past lifestyles.

    6. Provide convenient visual access from a state highway, county roadway, bikeway or trail.

    7. Allow features to remain in view of the traveling public for a reasonable length of time for lasting views or impressions.

  • (b) The “SC” combining district shall not be applied to commercial or industrial districts established by this Chapter.

• (a) Uses permitted in the base zoning district or any combining district except the following: (Ord. No. 1749, 7/7/1988)

  1. Off-premises outdoor advertising signs and displays, excepting information panels and category signs as provided in Article 45.

  2. Sanitary landfills.

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3. Slaughterhouses, cattle and hog feed lots.

4. Unscreened outdoor storage; except supplies, products or equipment incidental to a ranch or farm.

5. Uses predominantly utilizing outdoor storage.

6. Mobile commercial coaches, trailer coaches, and mobile homes not meeting the residential construction standards of Section 10.20. When this Article is combined with the Mobile Home combining district, provisions of this Subsection shall take precedence over the Mobile Home combining district. (Ord. No. 1749, 7/7/1988)

7. Any other use which is determined to be of similar character to other prohibited uses or to be in conflict with the intent of this district. (Ord. No. 1749, 7/7/1988)

8. Repealed (Ord. No. 2536, 08/31/2000; Ord. No. 2554, 02/13/2001)

9. The following agricultural uses when located within the Scenic Combining District adjacent to a State Highway (Ord. No. 2536, 8/31/2000) :

   • i. Agricultural processing such as fruit dehydrators, packing plants, canneries, polishing and packaging plants;

   • ii. Greenhouse, hothouses and incidental structures;

   • iii. Commercial dairies;

   • iv. Large and small animal veterinary clinics; and

   • v. Commercial wood yards.

10. Major Wireless Communication Facilities (Ord. No. 2594, 07/25/2002)

• 34.4 Uses permitted, when located within the Scenic Combing District adjacent to County Roads, subject to first obtaining a Major Use Permit in each case: (Ord. No. 2536, 08/31/2000)

  - i. Commercial dairies; 
  
  - ii. Agricultural processing such as fruit dehydrators, packing, sheds not exceeding a use area of five thousand (5,000) square feet, including an incidental retail sales area of up to five hundred (500) square feet for products processed on the premises;
  

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• iii. Greenhouses, hothouses and incidental structures not exceeding a use area of five thousand (5,000) square feet; and

• iv. Large and small animal veterinary clinics. (Ord. No. 2536, 08/31/2000)

• 34.11 Performance standards: The following performance standards shall apply to all land and structures in the “SC” district abutting a scenic highway or roadway as identified in the Lake County General Plan. The minimum standard shall be the development standards of the base zoning district, or the performance standards set forth in this Article, whichever is more restrictive. Exception: All agricultural uses and accessory uses including crop and tree farming, livestock grazing, animal husbandry, apiaries and aviaries are exempt from the regulations of this section, except those agricultural uses requiring a minor or major use permit in the base zoning district.

  • (a) For single-family residential structures, mobile homes which shall be constructed according to the residential construction standards of Section 10.20 of the “R1” district:

    1. Minimum average lot width:

       • i. Interior lot: Seventy (70) feet.

       • ii. Corner lot: Ninety (90) feet.

    2. Minimum yards:

       • i. Front yard: Thirty (30) feet from lot line; or fifty-five (55) feet from centerline of roadway, whichever is greater if said yard fronts on the roadway identified by the “SC” district, but in no case less than the base district. Yards abutting streets are front yards.

       • ii. Side yard: Five (5) feet.

       • iii. Accessory uses: The above yards shall apply.

       • iv. Substandard sized lots: For existing legal lots of record less than seventy (70) feet in width or one hundred (100) feet in depth, yards required in this Article may be reduced by the Planning Director to those of the base zoning district if hardship findings can be made due to physical and design constraints of the property.

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  - v. The yard requirements of this Section may be reduced by the Planning Director to those of the base zoning district if the proposed structure will not detract from any scenic view. 

3. Maximum building height:

   • i. Within sixty (60) feet or less of any front lot line: eighteen (18) feet.

   • ii. Between sixty (60) feet to one hundred (100) feet of any front lot line: Twenty-two (22) feet.

   • iii. Between one hundred (100) feet to one hundred twenty-five (125) feet of any front lot line: Thirty (30) feet.

   • iv. Beyond one hundred twenty-five (125) feet of any front lot line thirty-five (35) feet.

   • v. Accessory structures: Fifteen (15) feet.

   • vi. Wind energy conversion systems (WECS): As provided for in Table A or by use permit in Table B.

4. Maximum lot coverage:

   • i. One story dwelling: Forty (40) percent.

   • ii. Two story dwelling: Thirty (30) percent.

• (b) For all other uses and districts not provided for in Subsection (a) above:

  1. Minimum average lot width:

     • i. Interior lot: One hundred (100) feet.

     • ii. Corner lot: One hundred twenty (120) feet. Yards abutting streets are front yards.

  2. Minimum yards:

     • i. Front yard: Thirty (30) feet from lot line; or fifty-five (55) feet from centerline of roadway, whichever is greater.

• ii. Side yard: Fifteen (15) feet.

  3. Use of yard areas:

     • i. Driveways, sidewalks.

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• ii. Parking and loading areas: In all districts, driveways, sidewalks, loading areas and parking areas shall be surfaced with either concrete, oil seal coat, or an approved asphaltic surface unless through the development review process adequate conditions can be implemented using an approved all weather surface for sensitive and recharge areas.

• iii. Outdoor storage: Outdoor storage shall not be allowed in any required front or side yard area and storage in any area shall be screened adequately from other properties.

• iv. Operations: No operations or repair work of a commercial or industrial nature shall be conducted outside of a completely enclosed building.

• v. Landscaping: Landscaping shall be required as a part of the development review in all developments other than singlefamily.

4. Maximum building height:

   • i. Within sixty (60) feet or less of any front lot line: Twenty (20) feet.

   • ii. Between sixty (60) feet to one hundred (100) feet of any front lot line: Twenty-five (25) feet.

   • iii. Between one hundred feet (100) to one hundred twenty-five (125) feet of any front lot line: Thirty (30) feet.

   • iv. Beyond one hundred twenty-five (125) feet of any front lot line: Thirty-five (35) feet.

   • v. Accessory structures: Fifteen (15) feet.

   • vi. Wind energy conversion systems (WECS): As provided for in Table A or by use permit in Table B.

5. Maximum lot coverage:

   • i. All structures: Forty-five (45) percent.

6. Signs: As provided in Article 45 with the following exceptions:

   • i. Signs shall conform to the maximum building height limits of this Article.

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  - ii. Information panels and category signs are permitted. 

  - iii. Appurtenant signs shall be non-illuminated; or illuminated only during hours of business or operation. 

7. Parking: All parking area perimeters shall be landscaped and screened to a height of three (3) feet with landscaped berms or plantings.

• (c) General standards: The following standards shall apply in all districts and to all uses with which the “SC” is combined:

  1. Siting: Structures should be sited and where feasible, distribution lines undergrounded to minimize obstruction of views of significant natural features, such as Clear Lake, Blue Lakes, Lake Pillsbury, Boggs Lake, Anderson Marsh State Park, Cobb Mountain, Mt. St. Helena and Mt. Konocti.

  2. Alterations to natural or artificial land contours shall be limited as follows:

     • i. No major ridgelines shall be altered unless approved by the Zoning Administrator or Planning Commission.

     • ii. Access roads shall be located to keep grading to a minimum and dust shall be controlled at all times.

• iii. Any contour altered by grading shall be restored by means of land sculpturing and a cover of topsoil in such a manner as to minimize runoff and erosion, prevent ponding of water, and shall be planted with plant materials native or well adapted to the area, and approved by the Zoning Administrator or Planning Commission so as to require minimum care and be compatible with existing ground cover.

  - iv. Alterations of stream beds or destruction of adjacent vegetation may be permitted only by approval of the Zoning Administrator or Planning Commission and only for protection of streambanks, reduction of erosion, elimination of traffic hazards or the preservation of the natural scenic quality of stream courses, vegetation, and wildlife habitat. 
  

  3. Utilities:

     • i. All extensions or relocations of utility distribution and service lines shall be placed underground in accordance with the utility rules of the California Public Utilities Commission. The Planning Director may waive undergrounding when information is furnished to enable a finding that such undergrounding is

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unreasonable because of environmental impacts, terrain, soil conditions, geological problems, length of undergrounding or type of development; or unnecessary because of screening vegetation or topography.

ii. The siting of transmission lines shall avoid interfering with the scenic views to the greatest extent possible, taking into account the design and size of transmission towers in the landscape. The utility companies shall coordinate in the planning stage with the Planning Department on the location or relocation of all transmission lines that would be less than one-half (1/2) mile from the Scenic combining district boundaries. All high voltage transmission towers, and lines 115 k.v. and above, proposed by a local agency shall require a major use permit.

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