Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code § 17.04.010 Purpose

The purpose of the Multiple-Family Residential Districts (RM) is to provide for residential structures on lots containing one or more dwelling units at various densities which are consistent with the general plan of the city, and to provide for other uses that are associated and compatible with the residential uses.

(Code 1981, § 17.04.010; Ord. No. 320, § 7(part), 1997; Ord. No. 78(part), 1975)

Only the following uses and developments may be conducted or constructed:

A. Single-family and multiple-family residential and associated accessory structures, including accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units allowed pursuant to chapter 17.10 (Accessory Dwelling Unit and Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit Development Standards), for the residential use and occupancy of not more than one family per dwelling unit and related recreational and community facilities for the use of the residents of the development. All new multiple-family developments may be permitted only with the approval of a residential planned development permit pursuant to chapter 17.74 (Residential Planned Development Permit);

B. Private outdoor recreational facilities, such as tennis courts, swimming pools and basketball courts, which are incidental to the residential use of the property;

C. Large family day care, if a large family day care permit is first obtained, pursuant to section 17.76.070 (Large family day care home permit);

D. Home occupations pursuant to chapter 17.08 (Home Occupations);

E. The keeping of animals customarily referred to as household pets and small domestic animals for noncommercial purposes;

F. Temporary special uses and developments, if a special use permit is first obtained, pursuant to chapter 17.62 (Special Use Permits);

G. Commercial filming or photography, if a city film permit is first obtained, pursuant to chapter 9.16 (Still Photography, Motion Picture and Television Productions) of this municipal code; and

H. Garage sales, provided that no more than four sales, each occurring on one calendar day, are held on the same property within a calendar year and that the merchandise for sale, with the exception of neighbors combining items for sale at one property, is the personal property of the resident of the property where the sale is being conducted and is not acquired or consigned for the purpose of resale.

I. Other uses as provided in any applicable overlay or special districts.

(Code 1981, § 17.04.020; Ord. No. 78(part), 1975; Ord. No. 175, §§ 9, 10, 1983; Ord. No. 194, § 6, 1985; Ord. No. 320, § 7(part), 1997; Ord. No. 535, § 4, 4-17-2012; Ord. No. 628, § 8, 10-15-2019; Ord. No. 640, § 7, 1-19-2021)

Only the following uses and developments may be conducted or constructed with approval of a conditional use permit pursuant to chapter 17.60 (Conditional Use Permits):

A. Condominium, stock cooperative and similar developments where the structure and/or lot is divided for sale, or where exclusive use of a unit is granted to an individual upon purchase of stock;

B. Minor commercial uses, provided that such commercial uses are clearly incidental and auxiliary to the development, and are designed for the sole use of the residents of the development;

C. Mobilehome parks, with the following provisions;

1. Mobilehome parks shall be a minimum area of ten acres;

2. The lot area per mobilehome or mobilehome space shall not be less than 4,000 square feet;

3. Mobilehomes shall conform to setback and open space area standards for the district in which they are located;

4. There shall be a distance of not less than 15 feet between mobilehomes;

5. Mobilehome parks shall provide a minimum of two, non-tandem parking spaces per mobilehome site;

6. One storage space shall be provided for recreational vehicles per every five mobilehome sites. Such storage space shall not be tandem to the parking spaces required in section 17.04.030(C)(5) of this chapter;

D. Residential care facilities involving seven or more patients;

E. The growing of crops and/or fruits on more than one acre or for commercial purposes;

F. Bed and breakfast inns;

G. Commercial antennas and satellite antennas, pursuant to section 17.76.020 (Antennas);

H. Golf courses, driving ranges and related ancillary uses;

I. Government facilities;

J. Public utility structures;

K. Outdoor active recreational uses and facilities;

L. Supportive housing and transitional housing; and

M. Such other uses as the director deems to be similar and no more intensive. Such a determination may be appealed to the planning commission and the planning commission's decision may be appealed to the city council pursuant to section 17.80.050 (Appeal to planning commission). If a proposed use or development is located in the coastal specific plan district, the city's final decision regarding such other use may be appealed to the California Coastal Commission for a determination that the uses are similar and compatible with the local coastal program.

(Code 1981, § 17.04.030; Ord. No. 78(part) 1975; Ord. No. 115, § 7 (1), 1979; Ord. No. 320, § 7(part), 1997; Ord. No. 518, § 10, 4-5-2011)

The following development standards, including the standards contained in table 04-A: Residential Development Standards, shall apply to all land and structures in the RM districts. For exceptions and explanatory description of these standards; for standards of fences, walls and signs; and for off-site improvement and dedication requirements, see articles VI (Use and Development Standards) and VIII (Development Application and Review) of this title. The number which follows an "RM" designation indicates the maximum number of units which may be allowed per acre in that district.

A. The following minimum distances between exterior walls on buildings used for residential occupancy on the same lot in an RM district shall apply:

1. Where there are wall openings (windows and/or doors) on adjacent walls of two buildings or wings of the same building which result in opposite walls into a space, such buildings or wings of a building shall be separated by a distance of not less than 30 feet;

2. Where there are no wall openings or wall openings only on one adjacent wall of a building or wing, such buildings or wings of a building shall be separated by a distance of not less than ten feet;

3. Where adjacent buildings or wings exceed 30 feet in height, the space between such buildings or wings shall be increased by 2½ feet for each ten feet in height;

4. Eaves and other projections from the exterior wall shall not exceed one-third of the height of the exterior wall; however, in no case may two eaves or other projections be closer than ten feet.

B. State development standards for persons with disabilities shall apply to all multiple-family residential uses in RM districts.

C. For additional development standards for all multiple-family residential structures, see chapter 17.06 (Attached Unit Development Standards).

D. Private open space. As part of the open space area required, all of the units shall have an appurtenant private patio, deck, balcony, atrium or solarium with a minimum area of 150 square feet, except that one bedroom unit shall have a minimum of 130 square feet of private open space. Such space shall have a configuration that would allow a horizontal rectangle of 100 square feet in area, and no side shall be less than seven feet in length. Such space shall have at least one electrical outlet. Such space may count for up to 30 percent of the required open space area.

E. Private storage space. Each unit shall have at least 400 cubic feet of enclosed, weather-proofed and lockable storage space for the sole use of the unit resident, in addition to customary storage space within the unit.

F. Condominiums, stock cooperatives and similar developments. In addition to the other standards of this chapter, the following standards shall apply:

1. With the exception of accessory dwelling units approved pursuant to chapter 17.10 (Accessory Dwelling Unit and Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit Development Standards), there shall be no more than one unit in any vertical configuration, unless the planning commission and/or city council finds that such a configuration is consistent with the city's adopted housing element of the general plan.

2. A condominium, stock cooperative or similar development conversion proposal, which does not comply with all of the precise development standards in this chapter, may be approved where the planning commission and/or city council finds that there are unusual circumstances regarding the development's location, site or configuration; that the project is in substantial compliance with the development standards; and that there are mitigating features incorporated in the project, which tend to further the expressed intent and purposes of this chapter. Recognizing that the conversion of existing multiple-residential structures to condominium, stock cooperative or similar development usage presents unique problems with respect to the requirements of this section, the planning commission and/or city council is empowered to vary any and all requirements contained in this chapter, with regard to a particular conversion proposal, upon a finding that the creation of the proposed condominium, stock cooperative or similar development will not have the potential to contravene the intent and purposes of this chapter. Project characteristics of critical importance in determining whether or not a proposed conversion has that potential include the age of the structure and the degree to which the proposal varies from the required standards for the following: parking, sound transmission characteristics, private open space and storage spaces. The planning commission and/or city council is also empowered to impose conditions on its approval of the conditional use permit, which would require that specified modifications, designed to bring a structure more nearly into compliance with the condominium, stock cooperative and similar development standards contained in this section, be made to the structure proposed for conversion.

Table 04-A. Multiple-Family Residential Development Standards

For exceptions and explanatory descriptions of these standards; for standards of fences, walls, hedges and signs; and for off-site improvement and dedication requirements, see articles VI and VII of this title.

The number which follows an RM designation indicates the maximum number of units which may be allowed per acre in that district.

1 For description, clarification and exceptions, see chapter 17.48 (Lots, Setbacks, Open Space Area and Building Height).

2 For parking area development standards, see chapter 17.50 (Nonresidential Parking and Loading Standards). Any under-building parking structures must be completely enclosed or have openings screened from the public right-of-way and other affected views. In all RM districts, 25 percent of the required parking shall be provided as guest parking in addition to the standard parking requirements.

(Code 1981, § 17.04.040; Ord. No. 78(part), 1975; Ord. No. 115, § 7 (2), 1979; Ord. No. 320, § 7(part), 1997; Ord. No. 628, §§ 7, 8, 10-15-2019; Ord. No. 640, § 10, 1-19-2021)

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A. No person shall operate a short-term rental in a multifamily residential zoning district.

B. No responsible party shall post, publish, circulate, broadcast or maintain any advertisement of a short-term rental prohibited in any of the city's multifamily residential zoning districts.

(Code 1981, § 17.04.050; Ord. No. 592U, § 5, 12-20-2016; Ord. No. 593, § 5, 1-17-2017)