§ 93.01

• A. Yards shall be measured perpendicular to the property line or from a future street or highway line as shown on the general plan or setback ordinance.

• B. Yard provisions shall apply to both main and accessory structures.

• C. No required yard or other open space around an existing building or any building hereafter erected shall be considered as providing a yard or other open space for any other building

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City of Palm Springs, CA § 93.01.00

GENERAL CONDITIONS

§ 93.01.00

on an adjoining lot or building site.

• D. The planning commission may require greater yard standards than those required by individual zone districts for lots which abut scenic corridors.

• E. Garage Doors, Doors and Gates.

Garage doors, doors, gates or other similar means of access shall not, when open or being opened, project beyond any lot line.

• F. Permitted Projections into Required Yards.

  1. Open work fences, hedges, landscape architectural features, including patios, open air grills and similar features, or guard railings for safety protection around depressed ramps may be located in any front, side or rear yards pursuant to Section 93.02.00.

  2. Fire escapes may extend or project into any yard not more than four feet, provided; however, that the yard shall not be reduced to less than three feet in clear width.

  3. a. Cornices, canopies, eaves, shed-roof eaves, belt courses, sills, balconies, unenclosed stairways, chimneys, wind walls and other similar architectural features may extend or project into a required front yard or into a courtyard not more than four feet, and may extend into a required side or rear yard not more than four inches for each one foot of width of such required side or rear yard.

     • b. Pedestrian entry features which encompass an area no greater than 60 square feet, and do not provide usable interior space, may extend or project into a required front yard not more than eight feet.

  4. Uncovered porches, platforms or landing places which do not extend above the level of the first floor of the building may extend into any front yard a distance of not more than five feet, and such features may not extend into a court more than 20% of the width of such court and in no case more than five feet, and may extend into any side or rear yard not more than two feet. An openwork railing may be installed or constructed on any such porch, platform or landing place; provided, it does not exceed 30 inches in height.

  5. Marquees, porte-cocheres or other similar features, may extend to the street property line in residential zones (except for the R-1 and R-G-A zones) and to eight feet from the ultimate curb line in commercial zones. Such features shall be located not less than 12 feet from any interior side or rear property line and not less than 30 feet from the intersection or extended intersection of property lines at a street corner. Columns supporting such features shall be located not less than five feet from any property line, except where no yard is required in the zone; columns shall not be located within any public right-of-way. Marquees shall not be less than eight feet in height.

  6. Swimming Pools.

     • a. No swimming pool equipment pit shall be located closer than two feet from any property line nor within any public utility easement. In no case shall any access opening to the equipment pit be closer than five feet to any property line. Swimming pool equipment installed at grade shall be subject to the locational requirements in subsection (G) below.

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City of Palm Springs, CA

PALM SPRINGS CODE

§ 93.01.00

§ 93.01.01

• b. No swimming pool shall have its water perimeter closer than five feet from any front property line, or closer than three feet from any side or rear property line. Swimming pools and any associated formwork shall not be located within any public utility easement.

7. Flag poles and poles supporting basketball hoops, and other similar equipment, not to exceed the height limit allowed in the subject zone may be allowed in any front yard, set back 10 feet from the property line, unless otherwise approved by the planning commission.

8. One temporary portable storage facility, not to exceed seven feet in height and 100 square feet in area, may be allowed in any side or rear yard of a single-family residential lot. Such storage facility may encroach into a required side or rear yard; provided, an access path of at least five feet in width is provided; and provided, such storage facility is screened from adjacent properties by a solid wall or fence or by landscaping with a height of six feet.

9. Guard houses or access control buildings may be allowed in the front yard, if approved by the planning commission.

10. Signs, permitted subject to Section 93.20.00, may project into any yard.

• G. Mechanical Equipment in Residential Yards.

  1. For any building erected in residential zones, no water heaters, heating, ventilating, air conditioning equipment or ducts, miscellaneous motors or pumps shall be installed above ground in any side or rear yard area, except as provided for below.

2. Mechanical equipment which is adequately enclosed so as to prevent noise impacts to adjacent lots beyond the limits imposed by Chapter 11.74 of the Municipal Code may encroach into a required side or rear yard; provided, an access path of at least five feet in width is provided; said equipment and necessary screening shall not exceed six feet in height.

   3. Mechanical equipment may extend into a required front yard for a distance not greater than five feet if screened from public view by a masonry wall not greater than five feet in height. Swimming pool/spa equipment may be located in a required front yard if screened from public view by a masonry wall not less than five feet in height. Such walls are subject to the provisions of Section 93.02.00.

(Ord. 1294, 1988; Ord. 1366, 1991; Ord. 1553, 1998; Ord. 2020 § 43, 2020; Ord. 2041 § 27, 2021)

This section is intended to provide for the regulation of noncommercial sport courts, including, but not limited to, those used for tennis, pickleball, basketball and volleyball within residential zones of the city.

• A. Courts may be allowed, subject to the following conditions:

  1. Single-Family Zones.

     • a. No courts shall be allowed within any yard or setback area.

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City of Palm Springs, CA § 93.01.01

GENERAL CONDITIONS

§ 93.01.01

• b. A six-foot-high solid masonry wall shall be installed on the property line between the court and adjacent property. Landscape, which screens the court fence, shall be installed within the setback area.

• c. The height of any court fence shall not exceed 10 feet above the court surface.

• d. The surface level of the court shall be established at the lowest elevation of the natural terrain or lower.

• e. Plans and minor architectural approval application, including plot plan, grading plan, landscape plan, shall be submitted to the department for approval pursuant to Section 94.04.00. Courts located in hillside areas, as defined in Section 93.13.00, shall be reviewed by the planning commission. For all other locations, the director may approve proposed courts.

• f. Night lighting of courts may be allowed under conditional use permit approval by the planning commission in accordance with Section 94.02.00; and provided, the above-listed conditions (subsections (A)(1)(a) through (A)(1)(e) of this section) have been met. In addition, the following development standards shall be complied with:

  • i. The height of the proposed light fixtures shall not exceed 12 feet at the setback line. A maximum of five light standards (fixtures) shall be permitted on each side of the court. The light fixture height shall be measured from natural grade.

  • ii. The light beam shall not extend off the subject property. Lighting levels, measured at the property line, shall not be increased more than one footcandle above the ambient light level.

  • iii. Lighting shall not be greater than 400 watts per fixture.

2. All Other Zones, Including Multifamily Residential.

   • a. No courts shall be allowed within any yard or setback area.

   • b. No more than 30 percent of the requirement for usable landscaped open space and outdoor living and recreation shall be devoted to tennis court development.

   • c. A six-foot-high solid masonry wall shall be installed on the property line between the tennis court and adjacent property. Landscape, which screens the court fence, shall be installed within the setback area.

   • d. The height of any court fence shall not exceed 10 feet above the court surface.

   • e. The surface level of the court shall be established at the lowest elevation of the natural terrain or lower.

• f. Any proposed or existing development proposing courts shall require architectural approval of the total site by the planning commission pursuant to Section 94.04.00. Plans, including plot plan, grading plan, landscape plan, lighting diagram, light specification, neighboring, property diagram, and application, shall be submitted to the department. Where an existing development is proposing to add a court(s), a minor architectural approval

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City of Palm Springs, CA § 93.01.01

PALM SPRINGS CODE

§ 93.02.00

application shall be filed.

• g. Night lighting fixtures of courts must maintain a 60-foot setback from property lines. In addition, the following development standards shall be complied with:

  • i. The height of the proposed light fixtures shall not exceed 18 feet. The light fixture height shall be measured from natural grade.

  • ii. The light beam shall not extend off the subject property. Lighting levels, measured at the property line shall not be increased more than one footcandle above the ambient light level.

  • iii. Lighting shall not be greater than 1,000 watts per fixture.

• B. In cases where one or more of the above conditions (except subsection (A)(1)(f) of this section which will be applied in all cases) cannot be met, courts may be allowed under conditional use permit approved by the planning commission in accordance with Section 94.02.00.

• (Ord. 2088, 11/9/2023)

• A. Tahquitz Canyon Way Setback.

  1. The building setback lines, between Sunrise Way and El Cielo Road, shall be 75 feet from the center line of construction of Tahquitz Canyon Way.

  2. The building setback line, between Indian Canyon Drive and a point 226 feet to the east of Indian Canyon Drive, shall be 55 feet from the centerline of construction. The remaining portion of Tahquitz Canyon Way shall have required building setbacks as provided in the C-1AA zone district.

• B. East Palm Canyon Drive Setback (Between Sunrise Way and Golf Club Drive).

  1. The building setback line on the north and south sides of the street shall be 125 feet from centerline of East Palm Canyon Drive between Sunrise Way and Golf Club Drive.

  2. Swimming pools and garden walls may be allowed within the required setback; parking facilities shall not be permitted. For automobile dealerships, the setback for parking facilities shall be 60 feet from the centerline of East Palm Canyon Drive, or 10 feet from the front property line, whichever is greater. Accessory pool or mechanical equipment may also be permitted within the required setback, if screened from public view.

• (Ord. 1294, 1988; Ord. 1500, 1995; Ord. 1695 § 4, 2006)