§ 92.01

Five single-family residential zones (R-1-AH, R-1-A, R-1-B, R-1-C, R-1-D) have been established to provide a variety of low-density housing types and neighborhoods. Development standards are designed to provide protection and enhancement of the natural and urban setting consistent with the goals of the general plan.

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City of Palm Springs, CA

PALM SPRINGS CODE

§ 92.01.00

§ 92.01.01

• (Ord. 1294, 1988)

• A. Uses Permitted.

Buildings, structures and land shall be used and buildings and structures shall hereafter be erected, altered or enlarged only for the following uses. All uses shall be subject to the standards in Section 92.01.03.

1. Permanent single-family dwellings;

2. Accessory buildings and uses customarily incident to the permitted uses when located on the same lot therewith. It is unlawful to construct, erect or locate any accessory building without a permitted main building;

3. Accessory dwelling units, subject to the requirements of Section 93.23.14;

4. Home occupations subject to the provisions of Chapter 5.22 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code;

5. Day care, small or large;

6. Keeping of horses in the R-1-AH zone only, in connection with the residential use of the property, subject to the following conditions:

   • a. The lot area is not less than one acre,

   • b. The lot is not more than three-quarters (3/4) of a mile from a bridle trail existing or proposed on the general plan,

   • c. There shall be not more than one horse for each 1/2 acre of lot area; however, not more than four horses shall be kept on any one lot,

   • d. No stable, barn, pen or corral shall be within 100 feet of any lot line abutting a street, nor within 50 feet of any property not within the R-1-AH zone, nor within 25 feet of any other property within the R-1-AH zone, nor within 50 feet of any dwelling or other building used for human habitation on the same or any adjacent lot;

7. Manufactured housing on permanent foundations as allowed in Section 65852.3 of the California Governmental Code and Section 18551 of the California Health and Safety Code; provided, the following criteria are met. In cases where one or more of these criteria cannot be met, such housing shall be subject to approval of the planning director pursuant to the provisions of Section 94.04.00, Architectural review:

   • a. Roofing materials shall comply with the Uniform Building Code and Uniform Building Code Standards as adopted by the city of Palm Springs and shall be limited to those customarily utilized in the desert,

   • b. Siding materials shall comply with the Uniform Building Code and Uniform Building Code Standards as adopted by the city of Palm Springs and shall be limited to those customarily utilized in the desert,

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City of Palm Springs, CA

ZONING REGULATIONS

§ 92.01.01

§ 92.01.01

• c. The unit shall not be greater than 10 years of age at the time it is placed on the lot,

• d. The design of the residence shall be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.

• B.

• Similar Uses Permitted by Commission Determination.

The commission may, by resolution or record, permit any other uses which it may determine to be similar to those listed above and not more obnoxious or detrimental to other uses permitted in the zone or to the public health, safety and welfare, as provided in Section 94.01.00. All uses shall be subject to the standards in Section 92.01.03.

• C.

  • Uses Permitted by Land Use Permit.

1. Childcare centers, provided the subject site is located on a major or secondary thoroughfare;

   2. Model homes and related sales offices;

   3. Temporary on-site sales trailer in conjunction with the sale of subdivision lots, provided:

      • a. The total subdivision shall occupy at least 10 acres,

      • b. The trailer shall not be more than one year old at the time it is placed and shall be maintained in good order,

      • c. The final map shall be recorded prior to the placement of the trailer,

      • d. The trailer shall be located within the subdivision and not closer than 25 feet from any property line,

      • e. The yard between the trailer and any street shall be adequately landscaped and maintained, and

      • f. The trailer shall be removed at such time 90% of the lots are sold or a model home is constructed but, in any case, no later than 18 months from the time the trailer is installed.

• D. Uses Permitted by Conditional Use Permit.

The following uses may be permitted subject to approval of a conditional use permit, as provided in Section 94.02.00:

1. Type 3 accessory dwelling units, subject to the provisions of Section 93.23.14;

2. Agriculture flower and vegetable gardening, nurseries and greenhouses, in all R-1 zones, except R-1-D; provided:

   • a. It is for the purpose of propagating and cultivating only,

   • b. No business shall be carried on upon the premises, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, and

   • c. No obnoxious fertilizer shall be stored on the premises;

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City of Palm Springs, CA § 92.01.01

PALM SPRINGS CODE

§ 92.01.02

3. Churches; provided, the site is located on a major or secondary thoroughfare;

4. Private schools; provided, the site is located on a major or secondary thoroughfare;

5. Public parks and recreational areas at locations indicated on the general plan;

6. Public schools at locations indicated on the general plan;

7. Recreational facilities such as country clubs, golf courses, riding clubs, with incidental limited commercial uses which are commonly associated and directly related to the recreational facility;

8. In order to encourage a more creative approach in the development of land and to allow for more usable open space areas, large scale residential developments may be permitted on sites of not less than four and one-half (4 1/2) acres of land. The land shall be developed as an integrated unit, conforming to density and all other property development standards except that lot area, lot dimensions and yards may be modified to allow "cluster" and "row" housing: provided, the overall development equals the general quality of development in this zone.

   • a. Density is determined by net area.

   • b. Adequate guarantee must be provided to insure permanent retention of "open space";

9. The following uses may be allowed by conditional use permit on parcels which are located within the "N" noise impact and nonsuit covenant combining zone and also have frontage along a major thoroughfare as indicated by the general plan. The design of the facility and the required parking (per Section 93.06.00) shall be compatible with the surrounding residential area, no outdoor storage may be allowed, and identification shall be limited to a single, nonilluminated, sign which shall be no greater than six square feet in size, and shall face the major thoroughfare.

   • a. Offices (executive, administrative, professional and clerical), excluding those of building trade contractors,

   • b. Private clubs,

   • c. Artist studios, including on-premises galleries,

   • d. Catering,

e. Community center building. (Ord. 1347, 1990; Ord. 1366, 1991; Ord. 1418, 1992; Ord. 1553, 1998; Ord. 1875 § 3, 2015; Ord. 1981 § 4, 2019; Ord. 1984 §§ 17, 18, 2019; Ord. 2020 §§ 7, 8, 2020; Ord. 2063 §§ 4—6, 2022; Ord. 2076, 1/12/2023)

All uses and structures not permitted in Section 92.01.01 are deemed to be specifically prohibited. The following classifications of uses shall not be permitted in these zones by commission determination:

• A. Commercial uses;

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City of Palm Springs, CA

ZONING REGULATIONS

§ 92.01.02

§ 92.01.03

• B. Industrial uses;

• C. Temporary parking areas;

• D. Mobilehome parks.

• (Ord. 1294, 1988; Ord. 1366, 1991; Ord. 1553, 1998)

The following property development standards shall apply to all land and buildings in the R-1 zones, except that any lot created in compliance with applicable laws and ordinances in effect at the time of is creation may be used as a building site.

All lots hereafter created shall comply with the following minimum standards and lots now held under separate ownerships or of record shall not be reduced below these standards.

• A. Minimum Lot Standards.

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----- Start of picture text -----
R-1-AH R-1-A R-1-B R-1-C R-1-D R-1-E
1. Lot area
(in square feet) 20,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 7,500 5,000
(fairway lots only) - - - 12,500 - -
2. Minimum width (in feet):
Interior lots 130 130 120 100 75 50
Corner lots:
a. Siding local/ collector street 140 140 130 110 82 55
b. Reverse 140 140 130 110 92 55
c. Siding major thoroughfare 165 165 150 140 117 NP1
d. Siding secondary thoroughfare 155 155 140 130 107 65
e. Cul-de-sac/curve lots (average 130 130 120 100 75 50
widths)
3. Minimum depth (in feet):
Backing on:
a. Interior lot/Local/Collector 120 120 120 100 100 90
street
b. Major thoroughfare/State hwy. 160 160 160 140 140 100
c. Secondary thoroughfare 150 150 150 130 130 100
d. Fairway 120 120 120 100 100 90
Facing on:
a. Major thoroughfare 145 145 145 125 125 NP1
b. Secondary thoroughfare 135 135 135 115 115 100
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City of Palm Springs, CA

PALM SPRINGS CODE

§ 92.01.03

§ 92.01.03

1 Not permitted.

B. Yards and Building Standards.

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----- Start of picture text -----
R-1-AH R-1-A R-1-B R-1-C R-1-D R-1-E
1. Front yards:
a. Local/Collector street 25 25 25 25 25 15
b. Major thoroughfare 50 50 50 50 50 NP1
c. Secondary thoroughfare 25 25 25 25 25 20
d. Service road 25 25 25 25 25 15
e. Curve lot/Cul-de-sac 20 20 20 20 20 15
f. Special conditions (See Section
93.01.00)
2. Side yards:
a. Interior 10 10 10 10 7.5 6
b. Corner
(1) Local/Collector street 20 20 20 20 15 15
(2) Reverse on local street 25 25 25 25 25 15
(3) Major thoroughfare 50 50 50 50 50 NP1
(4) Secondary thoroughfare 25 25 25 25 25 25
(5) Service road 25 25 25 25 25 15
(6) Special conditions (See
Section 93.01.00)
3. Rear yards:
a. Backing on interior lot/local/ 15 15 15 15 15 15
collector street
b. Backing on major thoroughfare 25 25 25 25 25 25
c. Backing on secondary 25 25 25 25 25 25
thoroughfare
d. Backing on fairway 20 20 20 20 20 15
e. Special conditions (See Section
93.01.00)
4. Lot coverage (max.) 35% 35% 35% 35% 35% 45%
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City of Palm Springs, CA

ZONING REGULATIONS

§ 92.01.03

§ 92.01.03

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----- Start of picture text -----
R-1-AH R-1-A R-1-B R-1-C R-1-D R-1-E
5. Building Envelope. Buildings shall
not exceed one story and 12 feet in
height at the minimum setback. From
the minimum setback, the height may
be allowed to increase along a plane
which has a slope of 4:12, until a
building height of 18 feet is attained.
Gable ends, dormers, shed roof eaves,
butterfly or folded-plate roofs, and
front entrance treatments, not
exceeding 15 feet in height, may
encroach past the building envelope
limits. These regulations may be
modified by the Architectural Review
Committee for hillside lots pursuant to
Section 94.06.01.
6. Garages/Carports. Garages shall be
located not less than 25 feet from the
property line abutting the street from
which such garage has vehicular
access or 25 feet from the opposite
side of the alley from which such
garage has vehicular access. In the
R-1-E zone, garages shall be located
not less than 20 feet from the front
and side front property lines. Garages
may be detached from the main
building in the R-1-A, R-1-AH and
hillside areas only.
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1 Not permitted.

• C. Yard Exceptions.

  1. Front Yards.

     • a. Lots substandard in depth by 10% or greater than the zone requirement facing on a major or secondary thoroughfare shall have a front yard of not less than 25 feet.

       • i. The front 15 feet of such yard shall be landscaped and maintained. The rear portion of such front yard may be used for accessory nondwelling structures and uses; provided:

         • (A) A wall or solid fence not more than six feet in height or solid screen landscaping is installed not less than 15 feet from the front property line or future highway line;

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City of Palm Springs, CA

PALM SPRINGS CODE

§ 92.01.03

§ 92.01.03

• (B) No accessory structures within such rear portion shall have a height greater than 10 feet;

• (C) No accessory structure within such rear portion shall be less than 10 feet from such wall, fence or screen landscaping unless the height of such structure is less than the height of such wall, fence or screen landscaping;

• (D) No structure shall be permitted in any corner cutback area.

• b. Key lots shall have a front yard not less than the front yard for the adjoining interior lot. When the front yard on the adjoining interior lot is less than prescribed by this Zoning Code, the key lot front yard may be the same but shall in no case be less than 15 feet.

• c. Partially Built-up Blocks.

Where lots comprising 50% or more of the block frontage are developed with a front yard lesser than that prescribed in this Zoning Code, the average of such existing front yards shall establish the front yard for the remaining lots in the block frontage; provided, a front yard determined in this manner shall be not less than 15 feet. Existing front yards greater than 40 feet shall be computed as 40 feet in computing the average.

• d. Neighborhood Unit Plans.

Where the entire block frontage is designed and developed as a unit, the front yard requirements may be varied by not more than five feet in either direction; provided that, the average front yard for the entire block frontage is not less than that required in the zone.

2. Side Yards.

   • a. Lots substandard in width 10% or greater than the zone requirement shall have a side yard on each side of not less than 10% of the width of the lot, but in no case shall such yard be less than five feet in width.

   • b. Corner lots substandard in width 10 feet or greater than the zone requirement shall have a side yard on the street or thoroughfare side of not less than 20% of the width of the lot but in no case shall such yard be less than 15 feet in width for R-1-A, R-1-AH, R-1-B, R-1-C, R-1-D, and R-1-E zones respectively.

   • c. Corner or reversed corner lots siding on major or a secondary thoroughfare shall have a side yard of not less than 25 feet. Such side yard may be used for accessory nondwelling structures and uses; provided:

     • i. A wall or solid fence not more than six feet in height or solid screen landscaping is installed on future highway line;

     • ii. No accessory structures within such side yard shall have a height greater than 10 feet; 15 feet in R-1-AH and R-1-A zones;

     • iii. No accessory structure within such side yard shall be less than 10 feet or 15 feet in R-1-A and R-1-AH zones from such wall, fence or screen

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City of Palm Springs, CA § 92.01.03

ZONING REGULATIONS

§ 92.01.03

landscaping unless the height of such structure is less than the height of such wall;

• iv. No structure shall be permitted in any corner cutback area.

3. Rear Yards.

   • a. Lots substandard in depth by 10% or greater than the zone requirement backing on a state highway or major or secondary thoroughfare shall have a rear yard of not less than 25 feet. Such rear yard may be used for accessory nondwelling structures and uses; provided:

     • i. A wall or solid fence not more than six feet in height or solid screen landscaping is installed on the future highway line;

     • ii. No accessory structures within such rear yard shall have a height greater than 10 feet;

     • iii. No accessory structure within such rear yard shall be less than 10 feet from such wall, fence or screen landscaping unless the height of such structure is less than the height of said wall, fence or screen landscaping;

     • iv. No structure shall be permitted in any corner setback area.

• b. Garage or Carport Structures (R-1-E Zone only). Garage or carport structures may be located within the rear yard setback area where the structure takes direct access from an alleyway at the rear of the lot, or takes access from a driveway extending along the side property line to the rear of the lot. The garage or carport structure shall be located a minimum of five feet from the rear property line, and shall conform to the minimum side yard setback. The garage or carport structure may be located at the side property line when approved as part of a zero-lot line development under section (E)(12).

• D. Exceptions—Lot Coverage (R-1-E Zone only).

  1. Covered Porches. Non-habitable covered porches, which are open on at least one side, may be excluded from lot coverage requirements in accordance with the definition listed in Section 91.00.10. Non-habitable covered porches shall be subject to all setback requirements.

  2. Increased Lot Coverage. The maximum lot coverage in the R-1-E zone may be increased to 50% under either of the following conditions:

     • a. An accessory dwelling unit is permitted and constructed in conformance to the requirements of Section 93.23.14; and/or

     • b. A garage or carport structure is constructed at the rear of the lot in the rear yard setback area in conformance to the requirements of subsection (3)(b).

• E. General Provisions.

  1. See Section 92.01.03(B)(7).

  2. Hillside Lots.

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City of Palm Springs, CA § 92.01.03

PALM SPRINGS CODE

§ 92.01.03

Hillside lot front yards and building heights may be modified by the Director as provided in Section 94.06.01.

• Exceptions.

For exceptions (Permitted projections into required yards), the provisions of Section 93.01.00(F) shall apply.

• Distance Between Buildings.

• a. For structures relating to the keeping of horses, the provisions of Section 92.21.01(D)(5) shall apply.

• b. Minimum distance between buildings, accessory or main, shall be six feet unless such buildings have a common wall.

• c. Buildings, accessory or main, over 12 feet in height shall be separated by a minimum distance of 10 feet unless such buildings have a common wall.

• Walls, Fences and Landscaping.

• a. The provisions of Section 93.02.00 shall apply, except that walls and fences, not exceeding six feet in height, may be installed not less than 15 feet from the front property line (or future right-of-way line) on parcels which have frontage on major thoroughfares as indicated by the general plan.

• b. Front and side front yards required under subsection (B) of this Section shall be developed and maintained with a majority (51) of decorative landscape materials, unless a vehicle turnaround is required to avoid traffic hazards on an adjacent street in the opinion of the City Engineer, in which case a minimum of 25% decorative landscape material is required. The remainder of said front yard may be used for off-street parking, walkways, and other non-pervious surfaces as necessary to provide improved access from the adjacent right-of-way to the residence.

6. Access.

The provisions of Section 93.05.00 shall apply.

7. Off-Street Parking.

Parking is permitted only where improved per Section 93.06.00 and in areas designed specifically for that use, unless otherwise approved by the planning commission or the Director. Such areas shall be located no closer than five feet to any property line adjacent to a street.

8. Off-Street Loading.

The provisions of Section 93.07.00 shall apply.

9. Signs.

The provisions of Section 93.20.00 shall apply.

10. Antennas.

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City of Palm Springs, CA § 92.01.03

ZONING REGULATIONS

§ 92.01.03

The provisions of Section 93.08.00 shall apply.

11. Yard Lighting.

Any nonincandescent light source shall not be visible from off the property and shall be so arranged to reflect light away from adjoining properties and streets.

12. Zero-Lot Line Development.

• a. Districts where permitted. Zero-lot line development may be permitted in the R-1-E zoning district.

• b. Permitted Development Types. Zero-lot line developments may include the following configurations:

  • i. The structure is situated on a parcel so that one or more portions of the structure is located on the side property line;

  • ii. The structure is situated on a parcel so that one or more portions of the structure is located on the side property line and attached to the dwelling unit on the abutting parcel; or

  • iii. Side yard setback for the structure is reduced, and an exclusive use easement is provided on the abutting parcel.

• c. Development Standards.

  • i. Lot size. The minimum lot size shall comply with the requirements for the R-1-E zone.

  • ii. Lot coverage. The lot coverage shall comply with the requirements for the R-1-E zone.

  • iii. Setbacks. Front and rear yard setbacks shall comply with the requirements for the R-1-E zone. Side yard setbacks may be reduced along one property line, provided the opposite side yard setback is increased by the corresponding setback reduction; in no case shall the aggregate side yard setbacks be less than 12 feet. Accessory buildings and structures shall conform to the setbacks established for the primary dwelling unit. This setback reduction shall not apply to side yard setbacks adjacent to parcels that are not part of the zero lot-line development.

  • iv. Height limitation. The maximum building height shall comply with the requirements for the R-1-E zone.

• v. Mechanical equipment. Mechanical equipment may be permitted in side yard areas, subject to the requirements of Section 93.01.00.

  • d. Application Procedures. Zero-lot line developments shall be processed and reviewed via a Tentative Map application. The map shall identify the zero-lot line configuration on each parcel, the setbacks for each parcel, and the area for any exclusive use easement.

• (Ord. 1366, 1991; Ord. 1418, 1992; Ord. 1553, 1998; Ord. 1979 §§ 2—6, 2019; Ord. 1984 § 19; Ord. 2020 §§ 9—11, 2020; Ord. 2031 § 35, 2020; Ord. 2041 §§ 4, 5, 2021; Ord. 2063 §§

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City of Palm Springs, CA

PALM SPRINGS CODE

§ 92.01.03

§ 92.02.01

9,10, 2022; Ord. 2088, 11/9/2023)

All properties shall be subject to property maintenance standards established in Section 93.19.00. (Ord. 1294, 1988)