Mendocino County Municipal Code Ch. 20.436 Vas—visitor Accommodations and Services Combining District

The VAS Combining District is intended to allow visitor accommodations and services to be developed on selected sites designated by the asterisk (*) symbol on the land use plan maps of the Coastal Element of the General Plan and Coastal Zoning Maps. Additional sites for visitor accommodations outside of Commercial and Rural Village land use designations shall be the subject of a Local Coastal Program amendment. A single-family residence may be developed in conjunction with or prior to the establishment of visitor accommodations and services if the site/parcel is not preempted for VAS facilities by such action. Preemption analysis will be performed prior to approval of a development permit pursuant to Chapter 20.532.

(Ord. No. 3785 (part), adopted 1991)

The following visitor accommodations and services use types are permitted where the corresponding symbol (*1, *2, *3, *4, *5) is found on the Land Use Plan maps and Coastal Zoning Maps (See Chapter 20.332).

(A) Coastal Residential Use Types.

Family Residential: Single-family.

(B) Visitor Accommodations and Services Use Types.

Bed and Breakfast Accommodation—*1;

Inn—*1;

Hotel—*2;

Inn—*2;

Motel—*2;

Campground—*3;

Hostel—*3;

Organized Camp—*3;

Recreational Vehicle Campground—*3;

Visitor-Oriented Eating and Drinking Establishments—*4;

Visitor-Oriented Retail Sales—*4;

Resort—*5.

(Ord. No. 3785 (part), adopted 1991)

The following use types may be permitted in the Visitor Accommodations and Services Combining District with a coastal development use permit:

(A) Coastal Residential Use Types.

Employee Caretaker Housing.

(B) Visitor Accommodations and Services Use Types.

(1) The following Visitor Accommodations and Services Use Types may be permitted where the corresponding symbol (*1C, *2C, *3C, *4C, *5C) is found on the Land Use Plan Maps and Coastal Zoning Maps:

Bed and Breakfast Accommodation—*1C;

Inn—*1C;

Hotel—*2C;

Inn—*2C;

Motel—*2C;

Campground—*3C;

Hostel—*3C;

Organized Camp—*3C;

Recreational Vehicle Campground—*3C;

Visitor-Oriented Eating and Drinking Establishments—*4C;

Visitor-Oriented Retail Sales—*4C;

Resort—*5C.

(2) The following Visitor Accommodations and Services Use Types may be permitted as an accessory use with *1, *2, *3 or *5 uses:

Visitor-Oriented Eating and Drinking Establishments—*4;

Visitor-Oriented Retail Sales—*4.

(3) The following Coastal Commercial Use Types may be permitted as an accessory use with *5 uses:

Commercial Recreation: Outdoor Sports and Recreation.

(Ord. No. 3785 (part), adopted 1991)

Within the VAS Combining District, site development regulations of the base zone shall apply.

(Ord. No. 3785 (part), adopted 1991)

(A) No development more intense than a single family residence shall be allowed on a parcel within the VAS Combining District prior to the parcel being developed with a Coastal Visitor Accommodations and Services Use Type. A residence will be allowed only if it is sited in such a location and manner that a Coastal Visitor Accommodations and Services Use Type may still be placed upon the site.

(B) Approval of visitor accommodation and service facilities shall be based upon the suitability of the site to accommodate the use(s) proposed, including water availability, septic disposal capability, environmental constraints, the number of visitor serving uses existing or approved in the immediate vicinity and in the planning area, and consistency with all other regulations of this Division.

(C) Approval of new visitor accommodation and service facilities or expansion of existing visitor accommodation and service facilities shall minimize encroachment on resource lands. The development of new visitor facilities in the Resort category shall not be allowed on resource lands in the AG, FL, TP, or RL Districts.

(D) Employee housing, other than Employee Caretaker Housing, may be allowed only with a Resort—*5 designation, consistent with all other regulations of this Division including density/intensity of the base zoning district.

(E) Visitor accommodations and services on parcels adjoining the shoreline as identified on the public access maps shall provide public access to the blufftop and/or the shoreline. The access, to be required as a condition of permit approval or other methods as described in Chapter 20.528, shall be available to the public at large as well as to guests. In the event that the use is changed to a use other than visitor accommodations or services, an irrevocable offer to dedicate an easement for public access shall be made available to a public entity for acceptance and management. If the accessway is reopened, it shall remain available to the public free of entrance charge.

(F) Where a site contains a single-family residence and a visitor accommodation and service facility, the conversion of a single-family residence to a vacation home rental shall be considered an addition or expansion of unit(s) to the visitor accommodation and service facility. The conversion may be allowed with a coastal development permit, provided that the conversion meets the allowable density of the visitor accommodation and service facility and all other provisions of this Division.

(G) If a resort is proposed to be developed on more than one (1) legal lot, it shall be developed on contiguous lots held under one (1) ownership and will be considered one (1) lot for all purposes under the Coastal Element and this Division. Property developed with a resort shall not be allowed to be divided and/or sold from the remainder of the property unless all resort uses on the property are discontinued or a Local Coastal Program amendment and/or new use permits are processed and approved for the continuation of any visitor serving uses.

(1) For the purposes of this section, the term "contiguous" includes properties separated only by road easement(s), rights-of-way or public land provided such separation does not exceed three hundred (300) feet.

(H) Expansion and development of visitor serving facilities, including restaurants, shall be compatible with the character of their surroundings. A site plan, grading plan, landscaping plan, and outdoor lighting plan shall be submitted and shall illustrate the following.

(1) Building materials shall be natural, such as wood or stone, and shall utilize primarily earth-tone colors.

(2) Proposed tree removal and grading shall be shown on the site development plans but shall be minimized to that which is necessary for accommodation of the main and accessory structures. Where there are alternatives to development which minimize tree removal and/or grading, the development proposal shall be modified as necessary such as in location, siting, size, design, and bulk, in order to incorporate the alternative.

(3) The design and scale of individual proposed structures shall be subordinate to surrounding landforms.

(Ord. No. 3785 (part), adopted 1991)

One dwelling unit per parcel until a visitor use is established. Thereafter, as provided in the base zone. Densities for the following categories shall be based upon environmental constraints and conformance with all regulations of this Division with density not to exceed those limits listed below:

(A) Maximum visitor unit density per category as noted below:

(1) Inns.

(a) Inn—*1 or *1C: 10 guest rooms or suites.

Note: A bed and breakfast accommodation is limited to four (4) guest rooms or suites. Dining facilities for pests shall not exceed three (3) chairs per guest room or suite.

(b) Inn—*2 or *2C: 20 guest rooms or suites. Dining facilities for guests shall not exceed three (3) chairs per guest room or suite.

(2) Hotel—*2 or *2C: 20 guest rooms or suites. Dining facilities for guests shall not exceed three (3) chairs per guest room or suite.

(3) Motel—*2 or *2C: 20 guest rooms or suites.

(4) Campground—*3 or *3C: Ten (10) campsites per acre.

(5) Hostel—*3 or *3C: Thirty (30) pests.

(6) Recreational Vehicle Campground—*3 or *3C: Ten (10) spaces per acre.

(7) Visitor-Oriented Eating and Drinking Establishment—*4 or *4C: When developed as an accessory use to visitor accommodation services to provide regular meals to members of the public other than transient occupants of the facility, the total seating capacity shall not exceed three (3) chairs per guest room or suite pursuant to subsection (A)(1) and subsection (A)(2), above, plus one (1) additional chair for every two (2) guest rooms or suites.

(8) Visitor-Oriented Retail Sales—*4 or *4C When developed as an accessory use to visitor accommodation services, the gross floor area shall not exceed twenty (20) percent of the gross floor area of the visitor accommodation on the site but in no case shall exceed six-hundred forty (640) square feet maximum.

(9) Resort—*5 or *5C: The maximum visitor unit density for a Resort *5 or *5C shall be based on environmental constraints (i.e., site specific conditions such as traffic, water, sewerage) and conformance with all regulations of this Division with the density not to exceed three (3) guest rooms or suites per acre up to twenty (20) acres; two (2) guest rooms or suites per acre for each additional acre up to fifteen (15) acres. Total not to exceed ninety (90) guest rooms or suites.

(B) Densities for the following categories shall be based upon environmental constraints and conformance with all regulations of this Division, including the regulations for the base zoning district:

(1) Organized Camp—*3 or *3C Maximum of ten (10) campsites per acre.

(2) Visitor-Oriented Eating and Drinking Establishments—*4 or *4C: When developed as the only use on the site and not accessory to any visitor accommodation or service facility.

(3) Visitor-Oriented Retail Sales—*4 or *4C When developed as the only use on the site and not accessory to any visitor accommodation or service facility.

(Ord. No. 3785 (part), adopted 1991)