20.54 — H-O DISTRICTS — HISTORIC OVERLAY DISTRICTS

The Planning Commission:

A. On its own initiative or upon application of any person (whether the owner of the property
or not) and payment of the fee established by resolution of the City Council, the Planning
Commission shall hold public hearings and make recommendations to the City Council on
the creation of H-O Historic Overlay Districts.

B. May establish and maintain a list of structures and other landmarks deserving official
recognition although not designated as Historic Overlay Districts, and take appropriate
measures which, although not constituting mandatory regulations, will encourage the
continued preservation of such structures or landmarks.

C. May, upon request of the property owner, advise with respect to any proposed work not
requiring a City permit within an H-O Overlay District. Such work may include, but is not
limited to, painting and repainting of exterior surfaces, roofing, fencing, landscaping,
glazing and installation of lighting fixtures. Such advice, although not mandatory, shall be
designed to preserve the historic characteristics of the property.

§ 20.54.030. H-O District regulations.

A. All applications for construction, alteration, demolition or sign permits within any H-O
Historic Overlay District shall be subject to Design Review as provided in Chapter 20.66
of this title, if such permit involves the construction of any new structure, the demolition of
any existing structure, exterior alterations or any interior alterations which would affect the
exterior of any structure. In addition to other matters set forth in this title, the United States
Secretary of the Interior's "Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating
Historic Buildings," GPO 937-843, with its latest revisions, subject to such considerations
as may be appropriate for local Mill Valley conditions, shall be utilized as guidelines in
exercising Design Review.

B. The Zoning Administrator may approve any application referred to in subsection A of this
section, or may suspend the action of all City departments on such application for a period
not to exceed 180 days. The City Council may extend the suspension for an additional
period not to exceed 180 days, if such extension is made not more than 90 days and not less
than 30 days prior to the expiration of the original 180-day period. During such suspension,
the Zoning Administrator shall consult with civic groups such as the Mill Valley Historical
Society, historic preservation organizations, public agencies, and interested citizens and
shall make recommendations to the City Council for acquisition of the property by public
or private bodies or agencies, explore the possibility of moving one or more structures, and
take any other reasonable measures necessary to further the purposes of this chapter. If, at
the expiration of the suspension period, the City has not taken such action as will legally
preclude the issuance of the permit applied for, then the application shall be processed.

C. If the applicant presents facts clearly demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Zoning
Administrator that failure to approve the application will work immediate and substantial
hardship because of the conditions peculiar to a particular structure or other feature of the
property, and such hardship has not been created by an act of the owner in anticipation of
action under this chapter, the Zoning Administrator may approve such application even
though it does not meet the standards set forth herein. Personal, family or financing
difficulties, loss of prospective profits and neighboring violations are not justifiable
hardships.

D. None of the provisions of this chapter shall prevent any reasonable measures of
construction, alteration or demolition necessary to correct any condition which has been
declared unsafe or dangerous by the City and where the proposed corrective measures have
been declared necessary by the City.

E. The owner, lessee and any other person in actual charge or possession of any property within an H-O Historic Overlay District shall keep in good repair all exterior portions of any structure on such property and all interior portions, the maintenance of which may be necessary to prevent deterioration of any exterior portion. Building permit fees for such maintenance and repair shall be waived.

F. The Building/Zoning Code Inspector may apply the provisions of regular building
standards and building regulations adopted pursuant to California Health and Safety Code
Section 18958, or any combination of regular and alternative building standards and
building regulations, in permitting repairs, alterations, and additions necessary for the
preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, moving or continued use of an historical building
or structure.
(Ord. 972, December 15, 1980; Ord. 1123 § 5, August 2, 1993)

CHAPTER 20.55
C-F DISTRICTS—COMMUNITY FACILITIES DISTRICTS

The following regulations shall apply with respect to each parcel of land in all C-F districts. (Ord. 971, October 6, 1980)

All uses, excluding those uses prohibited in Section 20.55.025 of this chapter, seeking to locate in a C-F district must secure a conditional use permit. A public school use is permitted without the issuance of a conditional use permit.

In addition to the guidelines set forth in Chapter 20.64 of this title, relative to conditional use
permits, the Planning Commission shall review each application for a use permit utilizing the
following factors:

A. Noise generation.

B. Traffic generation of employees and clients and availability of parking spaces.

C. Safety in relation to existing school activities.

D. Generation, storage or use of any noxious, flammable or hazardous substance.

E. Hours of operation.

F. Storage of materials.
(Ord. 971; Ord. 974, April 6, 1981)

The following uses are prohibited in any C-F district:

A. Retail commercial or industrial uses.

B. Uses involving the medical care or treatment of animals or humans.

C. Laboratories or manufacturers of acid, explosives or corrosives.

D. Banks, mortgage companies, real estate companies, or savings and loan offices.

E. Residential uses, including motels and bed-patient medical facilities, except as related to
child day care centers and school related accommodations for teachers or custodial staff.

F. Bakeries, bottling works, canning or packing plants, restaurants, and food distributing
stations.

G. Automobile assembly or repair, electric welding, electroplating, machine shops, plumbing
shops, stone cutting, paint mixing, dying or cleaning work.

H. All other uses which, in the opinion of the Planning Commission are similarly
objectionable by reason of odor, dust, smoke, gas, noise, traffic or vibration, or would
impose a hazard to health and property in the neighborhood.

(Ord. 971; Ord. 974, April 6, 1981)

All new or exteriorly modified structures located in a C-F district, excluding maintenance and repair of such structures, shall be subject to Design Review procedures as set forth in Chapter 20.66 of this title. (Ord. 971, October 6, 1980)

C-F districts shall be limited to lands owned by public school districts and presently occupied by structures originally designed and intended for public school use. Leased space in a C-F district for non-school related uses shall not exceed 50% of the usable classroom space of the school buildings. If a parcel zoned C-F is sold by the school district, or if a school use on the site is terminated for any reason, the property shall require rezoning prior to any development approval. (Ord. 971; Ord. 974, April 6, 1981)

CHAPTER 20.56

O-A DISTRICTS—OPEN AREA DISTRICTS

The following regulations shall apply with respect to each parcel of land in all O-A districts.

The following uses are permitted:

A. Public parks, playgrounds and recreation areas.

B. Crop farming, truck gardening and grazing.

C. Golf courses, country clubs, forest preserves, wildlife reserves, equestrian and hiking areas.

D. Accessory structures.
(Ord. 975 § 3, April 20, 1981)

The following uses are permitted after the securing of a conditional use permit:

A. Public or private schools.

B. Public or civic buildings.

C. Private recreational uses.

D. Necessary residential accommodations for teachers or custodial staff.

E. Residences clearly accessory to the primary use of property for agricultural purposes.

F. Stable and riding academies.

G. Public utility or public service uses.

H. Wireless telecommunications facilities as further outlined in Chapter 20.73.
(Ord. 1304 § 1, September 6, 2018)

Any other use of land is prohibited (including commercial woodcutting or logging).

All plans shall be subject to the design review procedures of Chapter 20.66 of this title.

O-A districts shall be limited to lands of a public agency such as county, school district, municipal corporation or political subdivision of the State of California, lands encumbered with a public easement or other right of public use, and private lands for which the owner has requested O-A classification.