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Chapter 2-16

Livermore Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-06 · Livermore

RL – LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT

Sections:

2-16-010 Purpose.

2-16-020 Uses permitted.

2-16-030 Conditional uses.

2-16-040 Minimum lot specifications and lot development regulations.

2-16-010 Purpose.

The purpose of the RL district is to provide areas for the location of low density residential dwellings of a single-family dwelling type, to stabilize and protect the residential characteristics of the district, and to promote and encourage a suitable environment for family life in urban homes with community services and facilities appurtenant thereto. In order to allow zoning to be in conformance with general plan densities and to provide a variety of lot sizes, dwelling types and values, as well as variety and flexibility in development, the RL district is divided into the RL-5-0, RL-5, RL-6, RL-6.5, RL-7, RL-7.5, RL-8.5, and RL-10 zoning districts. (Ord. 442 § 6.10)

2-16-020 Uses permitted.

The following uses are permitted in the RL district, subject to approval of a zoning use permit, design review as required under LPZC 5-05-110, and any other prerequisite permits, and conformance to all applicable regulations set forth in this section, in LPZC Part 3, and elsewhere in this code:

A. One single-family dwelling per lot; in addition to duplex and multiple-family dwellings legally in existence at the time of the adoption of Ordinance No. 442.

B. Rooming and/or boarding of not more than two persons.

C. Home occupations (LPZC 3-10-180).

D. Off-street parking lots related to any permitted use.

E. Nursery schools and day care centers as provided by LPZC 3-10-330.

F. Residential or community care facilities for six residents or less (LPZC 3-10-340).

G. Signs (Chapter 3-45 LPZC).

H. Subdivision office, sales office, equipment and material yard (LPZC 3-10-310).

I. Accessory uses and structures related to any permitted use, except those used for home occupations.

J. Secondary dwelling units as regulated by LPZC 3-10-020. (Ord. 1691 § 6, 2003; Ord. 1487, 1996; Ord. 1302, 1989; Ord. 1175, 1985; Ord. 442 § 6.20)

2-16-030 Conditional uses.

The following uses may be permitted subject to approval of a conditional use permit (Chapter 4-20 LPZC):

  • A. Public and quasi-public uses (LPZC 4-20-040).

  • B. Nursery and day care centers for seven or more children.

C. Residential or community care facilities for seven or more residents (LPZC 3-10-340).

  • D. Limited animal husbandry, public or private stables, corrals, and riding academies.

E. Bed and breakfast uses (LPZC 1-10-130). (Ord. 1691 § 7, 2003; Ord. 1175, 1985; Ord. 442 § 6.21)

2-16-040 Minimum lot specifications and lot development regulations.

A. Lots created in the RL districts shall have the following specifications and be developed in accordance with the following regulations:

Zoning
District
Maximum
Dwelling
Units
Permitted
Minimum Lot
Specifcations
Minimum Lot
Specifcations
Lot Development*
Regulations
Lot Development*
Regulations
Lot Development*
Regulations
Lot Development*
Regulations
Area (Sq. Ft.) Avg. Width Yards (Ft.)
Front Rear One Other
RL-5-0 1 5,000 50′ 20 5 10 5
RL-5 1 5,000 50′ 20 5 10 5
RL-6-0 1 6,000** 60′ 15 5 10 7
RL-6 1 6,000 60′ 20 5 10 7
RL-6.5 1 6,500 65′ 20 10 10 7
RL-7 1 7,000 70′ 20 10 10 7
RL-7.5 1 7,500 75′ 20 10 10 7
RL-8.5 1 8,500 80′ 20 10 10 10
RL-10 1 10,000 80′ 20 20 10 10
  • Subject to additional regulation.

** Lots of record less than 6,000 square feet in area at the time of adoption of Ordinance 1729 [July 12, 2004] shall be considered conforming.

B. Minimum Lot Street Frontage Width. Minimum lot street frontage width shall be 50 feet. A reduction in this width is subject to approval of a conditional use permit; provided, the following findings can be made:

  1. The reduction in lot street frontage width is necessary or desirable because of the topography or other physical features that prevent reasonable utilization of the undeveloped site.

  2. The amount of parking on the residential lots will be increased to replace the reduction of the onstreet parking.

  3. The reduction in lot street frontage width will not result in a significant reduction in the amount of landscaping visible from the public street.

C. Minimum Street Frontage Yard. Twenty feet, except as stated in subsection (D) of this section.

D. Minimum Street Frontage Yard, Corner Lot. One, 20 feet, one, 15 feet, except in no case shall a garage facing a street be set back less than 20 feet, except in the RL-6-0 district the garage shall be set back a minimum of 15 feet, provided there is a minimum distance of 20 feet between the garage and the inside edge of the public sidewalk.

E. Minimum Rear and Side Yards. Where a side or rear yard is contiguous to the right-of-way of a major street, such yard shall be 35 feet; when contiguous to the right-of-way of a freeway, or a major highway now existing or shown as an adopted route in the city’s general plan, or any railroad or rail transit line, the minimum rear or side yard shall be 50 feet.

F. Accessory buildings and structures shall conform to the regulations stated in LPZC 3-05-150.

G. Maximum Height Limit. The maximum height limit for a main building shall be 35 feet; the maximum height limit for an accessory building shall be 15 feet, except that an accessory building, where allowed

within any required setback area, shall not exceed a height of six feet at property line and may be increased in height one foot for each foot of setback to the maximum. The provisions of this section shall not be applicable to sites adjacent to freeways, which may be built to the maximum allowable height.

H. Maximum Site Coverage. Forty percent, except the RL-6-0 district shall have a maximum site coverage of 50 percent.

I. Off-Street Parking. Shall be provided for each use as stated in Chapter 3-20 LPZC.

J. Slope. Where the natural grade of a lot within the required front yard has an average slope, normal to the front lot line at every point along said line, of such a degree or percent of slope that it is not practical to provide a driveway with a grade of 12 percent or less to a private garage conforming to the requirements of this code, such garage may be located within such front yard, but not in any case closer than six feet to the property line, in which case one additional off-street parking space shall be provided.

K. Exceptions. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any lot of official record in the RL-5-0, RL5, RL-6, RL-6.5, and RL-7 districts, prior to May 8, 1968, may conform to the minimum side yard regulations as stated in subsections (K)(1) through (K)(4) of this section, and any lot of official record in all RL districts, prior to March 12, 1970, provided such lot was included in an approved tentative map or preliminary map approved by a PUD permit prior to September 13, 1967, need not conform to subsection (E) of this section.

  1. Minimum Side Yards – RL-5-0 and RL-5 Districts. Five feet.

  2. Minimum Side Yards – RL-6 Districts. One, seven feet, and one, five feet.

  3. Minimum Side Yards – RL-6.5 Districts. One, 10 feet, and one, five feet.

  4. Minimum Side Yards – RL-7 Districts. One, 10 feet, and one, six feet.

L. Street Trees. In the RL-6-0 district, a building permit for the construction of any new residential building or an addition in front of an existing building shall not be issued unless the applicant agrees to plant street trees within the right-of-way adjacent to the property upon which the proposed project is located, in accordance with the adopted street tree plan for the particular street and the specifications of the city engineer. (Ord. 1729 § 1, 2004; Ord. 1312, 1989; Ord. 442 §§ 6.30 – 6.54)

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Contents — Livermore Zoning Code
Livermore Zoning Code
  1. Chapter 1-05 — ADOPTION, PURPOSE, AND APPLICATION OF ZONING CODE
  2. Chapter 1-05
  3. Chapter 1-10 — DEFINITIONS
  4. Chapter 1-10 — DEFINITIONS
  5. Chapter 2-01 — ESTABLISHMENT AND DESIGNATION OF ZONING DISTRICTS
  6. Chapter 2-01 — ESTABLISHMENT AND DESIGNATION OF ZONING DISTRICTS
  7. Chapter 2-04 — ZONING DISTRICT MAPS
  8. Chapter 2-04 — ZONING DISTRICT MAPS
  9. Chapter 2-07 — OS – OPEN SPACE DISTRICT
  10. Chapter 2-07
  11. Chapter 2-10 — RS – SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
  12. Chapter 2-10 — RS – SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
  13. Chapter 2-13 — R-R – RURAL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
  14. Chapter 2-13
  15. Chapter 2-16 — RL – LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
  16. Chapter 2-16
  17. Chapter 2-19 — RM – MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
  18. Chapter 2-19
  19. Chapter 2-22 — RH – RESIDENTIAL HIGH DISTRICT
  20. Chapter 2-22
  21. Chapter 2-25 — RG – SUBURBAN MULTIPLE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
  22. Chapter 2-25
  23. Chapter 2-28 — R2 – DUPLEX DISTRICT
  24. Chapter 2-28
  25. Chapter 2-31 — CS – COMMERCIAL SERVICE DISTRICT
  26. Chapter 2-31
  27. Chapter 2-34 — CHS – HIGHWAY SERVICE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
  28. Chapter 2-34
  29. Chapter 2-37 — CN – NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
  30. Chapter 2-37 — CN – NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
  31. Chapter 2-40 — CB – CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
  32. Chapter 2-40
  33. Chapter 2-43 — DSP – DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN DISTRICT
  34. Chapter 2-43
  35. Chapter 2-46 — OCA – OUTER CORE AREA DISTRICT (Repealed by Ord…
  36. Chapter 2-46 — OCA – OUTER CORE AREA DISTRICT
  37. Chapter 2-49 — CG – GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
  38. Chapter 2-49
  39. Chapter 2-52 — CO – COMMERCIAL OFFICE DISTRICT
  40. Chapter 2-52
  41. Chapter 2-55 — NM – NEIGHBORHOOD MIXED USE DISTRICT
  42. Chapter 2-55
  43. Chapter 2-58 — I-1 – RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT
  44. Chapter 2-58
  45. Chapter 2-61 — I-2 – LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
  46. Chapter 2-61
  47. Chapter 2-64 — I-3 – HEAVY INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
  48. Chapter 2-64
  49. Chapter 2-67 — E – EDUCATION AND INSTITUTIONS DISTRICT
  50. Chapter 2-67
  51. Chapter 2-70 — CP – PROFESSIONAL OFFICE DISTRICT
  52. Chapter 2-70
  53. Chapter 2-73 — COMBINING DISTRICTS
  54. Chapter 2-73 — COMBINING DISTRICTS
  55. Chapter 2-76 — PD – PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT
  56. Chapter 2-76
  57. Chapter 2-79 — PD-AG – PLANNED DEVELOPMENT/ AGRICULTURE DISTRICT
  58. Chapter 2-79
  59. Chapter 2-82 — PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT – SOUTH LIVERMORE …
  60. Chapter 2-82 — PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT – SOUTH LIVERMORE …
  61. Chapter 2-85 — SOUTH LIVERMORE VALLEY – AGRICULTURAL (SLV-AG)
  62. Chapter 2-85 — SOUTH LIVERMORE VALLEY – AGRICULTURAL (SLV-AG)
  63. Chapter 3-05 — GENERAL PROVISIONS
  64. Chapter 3-05 — GENERAL PROVISIONS
  65. Chapter 3 — ‑10 SPECIAL PROVISIONS
  66. Chapter 3-10 — SPECIAL PROVISIONS
  67. Chapter 3 — ‑15 MOBILE HOME PARKS
  68. Chapter 3-15 — MOBILE HOME PARKS
  69. Chapter 3 — ‑20 OFF‑STREET PARKING
  70. Chapter 3-20 — OFF-STREET PARKING
  71. Chapter 3-25 — OUTDOOR DINING AND MERCHANT DISPLAY USES – DOWN…
  72. Chapter 3-25 — OUTDOOR DINING AND MERCHANT DISPLAY USES – DOWN…
  73. Chapter 3-30 — HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
  74. Chapter 3-30 — HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
  75. Chapter 3-35 — OFF-SITE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES
  76. Chapter 3-35
  77. Chapter 3-40 — OUTDOOR STORAGE AND OUTDOOR SALES DISPLAYS
  78. Chapter 3-40 — OUTDOOR STORAGE AND OUTDOOR SALES DISPLAYS
  79. Chapter 3-45 — SIGNS
  80. Chapter 3-45 — SIGNS
  81. Chapter 3-50 — RECREATION AND CULTURAL FACILITIES
  82. Chapter 3-50 — RECREATION AND CULTURAL FACILITIES
  83. Chapter 3-60 — SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING CONTAINER ENCLOSURES
  84. Chapter 3-60 — SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING CONTAINER ENCLOSURES
  85. Chapter 4-05 — ZONING USE PERMITS
  86. Chapter 4-05 — ZONING USE PERMITS
  87. Chapter 4-10 — SITE PLAN APPROVAL
  88. Chapter 4-10
  89. Chapter 4-15 — VARIANCE PERMITS
  90. Chapter 4-15 — VARIANCE PERMITS
  91. Chapter 4-20 — CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS
  92. Chapter 4-20 — CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS
  93. Chapter 4-25 — DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS
  94. Chapter 4-25 — DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS
  95. Chapter 5-05 — RESPONSIBILITY AND PROCEDURES
  96. Chapter 5-05 — RESPONSIBILITY AND PROCEDURES
  97. Chapter 5-10 — PERFORMANCE STANDARDS APPROVAL
  98. Chapter 5-10 — PERFORMANCE STANDARDS APPROVAL
  99. Chapter 5-15 — APPEAL
  100. Chapter 5-15 — APPEAL
  101. Chapter 5-20 — AMENDMENT
  102. Chapter 5-20 — AMENDMENT
  103. Chapter 6-05 — INTERPRETATION
  104. Chapter 6-05 — INTERPRETATION
  105. Chapter 6-10 — ENFORCEMENT
  106. Chapter 6-10 — ENFORCEMENT
  107. Chapter 6-15 — PENALTIES
  108. Chapter 6-15 — PENALTIES

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