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Title 17 — BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION

Petaluma Municipal Code Ch. 2 DeZnitions

Petaluma Municipal Code · 2026-09 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · Petaluma

Cite as: Petaluma Municipal Code Chapter 2 · Text as of 2026-10-04

Section R202, General DeZnitions, is amended to amend and add the following:

JUNIOR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT. [HCD] A unit that is no more than 500 square feet in size and

contained entirely within an existing single-family structure. A junior accessory dwelling unit may include

separate sanitation facilities, or may share sanitation facilities with the existing structure. (See

Government Code Section 65852.22.)

KITCHEN. That portion in a residential dwelling unit that is a room or area used for cooking, food storage

and preparation and washing dishes, including associated counter tops and cabinets, refrigerator, stove,

ovens and [oor area.

Substantial Remodel. Any repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, alteration, addition or other

improvement of a building or structure that is any of the following:

(1) An existing building or structure not classiZed as Group R-3 occupancy that undergoes any addition of

[oor area that is equal to or exceeds 10 percent of the existing gross [oor area of the building or

structure.

(2) An existing building or structure classiZed as a Group R-3 occupancy that undergoes any addition of

[oor area that is equal to or exceeds 50 percent of the existing gross [oor area of the building or

structure.

(3) An existing building or structure that undergoes any combination of repair, reconstruction,

rehabilitation, alteration, addition or other improvement to [oor area of the building or structure that is

equal to or exceeds 50 percent of the existing gross [oor area of the building or structure.

(4) If in the determination of the Building O\cial a building or structure has sustained substantial

damage, as deZned by Section 202 of the California Building Code as amended hereby, any combination

of repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, alteration, addition or other improvement are considered

substantial improvement regardless of the actual work performed.

The Code O\cial shall aggregate any combination of repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, alteration,

addition, or other improvements to a building or structure within a three (3) year period, and if the

combined a]ected gross [oor area of the building or structure is equal to or exceeds 50% of gross [oor

area of the building or structure, the aggregated work shall constitute substantial improvement and the

building shall be subject to the Zre sprinkler requirement.

Nuisance Alarm. An unwarranted alarm caused by mechanical failure, malfunction, improper

installation or lack of proper maintenance, system servicing testing, construction activities, ordinary

household activities, false alarm, other cause when no such danger exists, or an alarm activated by a

cause that cannot be determined.

Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area. A geographical area identiZed by the City of Petaluma as a “Fire

Hazard Severity Zone” in accordance with the Public Resources Code, Sections 4201 through 4204, and

Government Code, Sections 51175 through 51189, or other areas designated by the enforcing agency to

be at a signiZcant risk from wildZres, as designated on the map titled Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area,

dated January 28, 2009. The o\cial map is also located electronically on the following website:

https://cityofpetaluma.org/documents/wildland-urban-interface-map/. A map of such areas is

maintained in the o\ce of the Petaluma Fire Prevention bureau.

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