Reedley Municipal Code Ch. 11.20 Urban Lot Splits

This Chapter provides requirements for the subdivision of land considered as urban lot splits as specified in Government Code Section 66411.7 by:

A. Establishing objective standards and regulations to govern the review and approval of urban lot splits;

B. Establishing a ministerial process to approve an urban lot split in accordance with Government Code Section 66411.7; and

C. Promoting the development of small ownership or rental housing units designed to meet the housing needs of individuals and families, particularly those of low and moderate incomes. (Ord. 2024-002, 9-20-2024)

The provisions of this Chapter shall apply within any single-unit residential dwelling zoning district or any planned development zone district where single-unit residential dwelling uses are allowed. This Chapter shall not apply in the following situations:

A. Projects located on parcels that are included on the State Historic Resources Inventory, as defined in Public Resources Code Section 5020.1, or within a site that is designated or listed as a City or County landmark or historic property or district pursuant to a city or county ordinance.

B. Projects located on any parcel described in Government Code Sections 65913.4(a)(6)(B) through (K), as may be amended.

C. Projects involving the demolition or alteration of any of the following:

1. Housing that is subject to a recorded covenant, ordinance, or law that restricts rents to levels affordable to persons and families of moderate, low, or very low income.

2. Housing that is subject to any form of rent or price control through a public entity's valid exercise of its police power.

3. Housing that has been occupied by a rental tenant at any time within the last three years.

D. Projects located on parcels which an owner of residential real property has exercised the owner's rights under Chapter 12.75 (commencing with Section 7060) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the California Government Code to withdraw accommodations from rent or lease within the last fifteen (15) years.

E. Any parcel previously subdivided through prior exercise of an urban lot split as provided for under this Chapter.

F. Any parcel proposing to be subdivided that is adjacent to another parcel where either the owner of the parcel proposing to be subdivided or any person acting in concert with said owner has previously subdivided that adjacent parcel using the provisions in this Chapter. (Ord. 2024-002, 9-20-2024)

A Zone Clearance in compliance with Chapter 10.88 (Zone Clearance) shall be required for all proposed urban lot splits and approved ministerially without discretionary review. (Ord. 2024-002, 9-20-2024)

An urban lot split application shall be submitted to the Community Development Director in the format and number of copies specified by the Director. The application shall contain all the information, documents, and diagrams specified for the application by the Director, unless the Director waives any of the requirements. The application shall be accompanied by the fee established by the Master Fee Schedule. (Ord. 2024-002, 9-20-2024)

A. Notwithstanding any other requirement under this Chapter, the City shall ministerially review and approve applications for an urban lot split, without public hearings or discretionary review, subject only to the requirements of this Chapter.

B. The parcel map shall be filed with the City Engineer for their examination for conformance to this Division and the Map Act. (Ord. 2024-002, 9-20-2024)

All property development standards for an urban lot split shall comply with all applicable State laws and the following standards:

A. Parcels shall not be smaller than forty percent (40%) of the lot area of the original parcel.

B. Each parcel shall have a minimum net area of one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet.

C. Parcels shall have a minimum width of thirty feet (30') .

D. Parcels shall have a minimum depth of forty feet (40') .

E. Each parcel shall provide for direct vehicular access to and have a minimum frontage of thirty feet (30') on the public right-of-way.

F. Public utility, service and/or access easements shall be provided within the subdivision where required for public utility purposes, in accordance with this Chapter.

G. Notwithstanding the requirements of this Chapter or the Code, dedications of rights-of-way or the construction of off-site improvements for the parcels being created shall not be required.

H. The design and layout of parcel improvements shall conform to the engineering standards and to such objective standards as approved by the City Engineer per Chapter 12 (Subdivision Design and Improvements) that are in effect at the time of the parcel map application submittal.

I. Prior to, or at the time of the recordation of the final map, the property owner shall execute a deed restriction that shall be recorded with the Fresno County Recorder's Office, stating the following:

1. That the applicant intends to occupy the primary dwelling unit or a unit qualified under applicable State law as their principal residence for a minimum of three years from the date of the approval of the subdivision. This requirement shall not apply if the applicant is a community land trust, or a qualified nonprofit corporation as provided in the California Revenue and Taxation Code Sections 402.1 and 214.15.

2. That a rental of any dwelling unit created pursuant to this Chapter be for a term longer than thirty (30) days.

3. That the uses allowed on a lot created by this section shall be limited to residential uses.

4. That a maximum of two (2) dwelling units of any kind (including primary units and ADUs/JADUs) shall be permitted on a lot created through an urban lot split.

5. That parcels resulting from the urban lot split were created using the provisions of this Chapter and Government Code Section 66411.7, and that no further subdivision of the parcels is permitted.

J. The parcel map created pursuant to an urban lot split shall contain a note on the map indicating that parcels resulting from the urban lot split were created using the provisions of this Chapter and Government Code Section 66411.7, and that no further subdivision of the parcels is permitted.

K. The proposed urban lot split shall comply with all other applicable objective requirements of this Title and the Subdivision Map Act Section 66410 et seq., except as otherwise provided for in this Chapter. In the event of a conflict between the requirements of this Chapter and the requirements contained elsewhere in this Code, the provisions of this Chapter shall apply to the review and approval of urban lot splits. (Ord. 2024-002, 9-20-2024)

Final action of a parcel map for an urban lot split shall comply with the standards and procedures established in Chapter 10.88 (Zone Clearance). (Ord. 2024-002, 9-20-2024)