Earlier editions: 2026-09
Chapter 106 — ZONING›Article II — BASE AND OVERLAY ZONES
San Fernando Municipal Code § 106-43 Density and massing development standards
San Fernando Municipal Code · 2026-10 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · San Fernando
Cite as: San Fernando Municipal Code § 106-43 · Text as of 2026-10-04
Sec. 106-41. - Purpose.¶
The purpose of the Residential Zones (R) are to implement and provide appropriate regulations for general plan classifications of "Low Density Residential," "Medium Density Residential," and "High Density Residential."
Additional purposes of each [of the] residential zones are as follows:
(1) R-1 Single-Family Residential Zone. The R-1 single-family residential zone is intended to provide for the development, protection and stability of single-family detached dwellings within relatively low density residential neighborhoods of the city.
(2) R-2 Medium Multiple-Family Zone. The R-2 medium multiple-family zone is intended to provide an area for medium density residential development within the city.
(3) R-3 High Multiple-Family Zone. The R-3 high multiple-family zone is intended to provide an area for high density residential development within the city.
(Ord. No. 1732, § 3(Exh. A), 5-5-2025)
Sec. 106-42. - Use regulations.¶
Table 106-42 prescribes the proposed land use regulations for residential zones subject to issuance of a building permit, business license or other required permit(s):
"P" designates permitted uses.
"C" designates uses that are permitted after review and approval of a Conditional Use Permit.
"(#)" numbers in parentheses refer to specific limitations listed at the end of the table.
"-" designates uses that are not permitted.
TABLE 106-42: USE REGULATIONS - RESIDENTIAL ZONES
| District | R-1 | R-2 | R-3 | Additional Regulations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Use Classifications | Residential Use Classifications | Residential Use Classifications | Residential Use Classifications | Residential Use Classifications |
| Single-Unit Dwelling | P | C (4) | C (4) | |
| Two-Unit Urban Residential Development | P | - | - | Article IV, Division 20 - Two-Unit Urban Residential Development |
| Duplex | - | P | P | |
| Triplex | - | P | P | |
| Fourplex | - | P | P | |
| Apartment | - | P | P | |
| Condominium | - | P | P | Article IV, Division 17 - Residential Townhouse/ |
| Community Care Facilities, Small | P | P | P | |
| Community Care Facilities, Large | C | C | C | |
| Small Family Day-care Home (8 children or less) | P | P | P | |
| Large Family Day-care Home (9 to 14 children) | P | P | P | Article IV, Division 11 - Large Family Day Care Home Permit |
| Employee Housing - Small | P | P | P | |
| Employee Housing - Large | P | P | P | |
| Supportive Housing | P | P | P | |
| Transitional Housing | P | P | P | |
| Low Barrier Navigation Center | - | P | P | |
| Manufactured Home | P | P | P | |
| Manufactured Home Park | - | C | C | |
| Boardinghouse | - | - | C | |
| Accessory Dwelling Unit | P | P | P | Article IV, Division 1 - Accessory Dwelling Units |
| Public and Semi-Public Use Classifications | ||||
| Parks, picnic areas and playgrounds, public | P (1) | P (1) | P (1) | |
| Parks, picnic areas and playgrounds, private | - | - | - | |
| Grange halls, community centers, meeting halls | P (1) | P (1) | P (1) | |
| Church, temple, or other place of religious worship or spiritual assembly | C | C | C | |
| Schools, public or private | C | C | C | |
| Nursery school | - | - | C | |
| Hospitals or sanitariums | C | C | C | |
| Museums or libraries | - | - | C | |
| Electric distribution substation or pumping station | - | C | C | |
| Water well or water reservoir | - | C | C | |
| Water treatment facilities | - | - | - | |
| Non-residential off-street automobile parking lot | - | - | C | |
| Other Applicable Type | Other Applicable Type | Other Applicable Type | Other Applicable Type | Other Applicable Type |
| Accessory Structure (e.g., Garage, Carport, Workroom, Storage Shed, Recreation Room, Cabana) | P (2) | P (2) | P (2) | |
| Private noncommercial greenhouses, horticulture collections, flower gardens, vegetable gardens and fruit trees. | P | P | P | |
| Home Occupations | P | P | P | Article IV, Division 10 - Home Occupations |
| Temporary Tract Sales Offices | P (3) | P (3) | P (3) | Article V, Division 5 - Temporary Use Permit and Special Event Permit |
| Temporary Contractors' Equipment Offices and Storage | P (3) | P (3) | P (3) | Article V, Division 5 - Temporary Use Permit and Special Event Permit |
| Specific Limitations: | Specific Limitations: | Specific Limitations: | Specific Limitations: | Specific Limitations: |
| (1) Subject to the approval of the Director. | ||||
| (2) No bathroom, kitchen plumbing or fixtures or cooking facilities shall be permitted in conjunction with accessory buildings. A garage, workroom, storage shed, and recreation room shall not be divided into smaller size rooms and shall be maintained as a single open building. | ||||
| (3) Subject to approval by the Director for a period not to exceed one year with two one-year extensions available, if requested for good cause. | ||||
| (4) Density only allows 1 unit on the parcel. |
(Ord. No. 1732, § 3(Exh. A), 5-5-2025)
Sec. 106-43. - Density and massing development standards.¶
Tables 106-43.1 through 106.43.2 prescribe the development standards for the residential zones.
TABLE 106-43.1: LOT AND DENSITY STANDARDS - RESIDENTIAL ZONES
| District | R-1 | R-2 | R-3 | Additional Regulations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Lot Size (sq. ft.) | 7,500 | 7,500 | 7,500 | |
| Maximum Residential Density | 1 per lot | 1 per 2,562 square feet of lot area | 1 per 1,013 square feet of lot area | Article IV, Division 20 - Two-Unit Urban Residential Development. Density shall comply with General Plan land use designation. |
| Minimum Lot Width (ft.) | Minimum Lot Width (ft.) | Minimum Lot Width (ft.) | Minimum Lot Width (ft.) | Minimum Lot Width (ft.) |
| General Standard | 50 | 50 | 50 | |
| Corner Lot | 55 | 55 | 55 | |
| Minimum Lot Depth (ft.) | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
| Specific Limitations: | Specific Limitations: | Specific Limitations: | Specific Limitations: | Specific Limitations: |
TABLE 106-43.2: BUILDING FORM AND LOCATION STANDARDS - RESIDENTIAL ZONES
| District | R-1 | R-2 | R-3 | Additional Regulations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Height (ft.) | 35 | 35 | 45 | |
| Minimum Setbacks (ft.) from ultimate street right-of-way | Minimum Setbacks (ft.) from ultimate street right-of-way | Minimum Setbacks (ft.) from ultimate street right-of-way | Minimum Setbacks (ft.) from ultimate street right-of-way | See sections 106-188 and 106-189 for additional requirements on setbacks |
| Front | 20 (1) (2) | 20 (1) (2) | 20 (1) (2) | See sections 106-188 and 106-189 for additional requirements on setbacks |
| Rear | 20 | 20 | 20 | See sections 106-188 and 106-189 for additional requirements on setbacks |
| Side | 5 | 5 | 5 | See sections 106-188 and 106-189 for additional requirements on setbacks |
| Minimum Setbacks (ft.) from property line not abutting street | Minimum Setbacks (ft.) from property line not abutting street | Minimum Setbacks (ft.) from property line not abutting street | Minimum Setbacks (ft.) from property line not abutting street | See sections 106-188 and 106-189 for additional requirements on setbacks |
| Side | 5 | 5 | 5 | See sections 106-188 and 106-189 for additional requirements on setbacks |
| Rear | 15 | 15 | 15 | See sections 106-188 and 106-189 for additional requirements on setbacks |
| Minimum Setbacks (ft.) from property line abutting on alley | Minimum Setbacks (ft.) from property line abutting on alley | Minimum Setbacks (ft.) from property line abutting on alley | Minimum Setbacks (ft.) from property line abutting on alley | See sections 106-188 and 106-189 for additional requirements on setbacks |
| Front | - | - | - | See sections 106-188 and 106-189 for additional requirements on setbacks |
| Rear | 20 | 20 | 20 | See sections 106-188 and 106-189 for additional requirements on setbacks |
| Side | 5 | 5 | 5 | See sections 106-188 and 106-189 for additional requirements on setbacks |
| Minimum Setbacks for Garage/ |
20 | 20 | 20 | See sections 106-188 and 106-189 for additional requirements on setbacks |
| Minimum Space between Buildings | 6 | 6 | 6 | |
| Maximum Lot Coverage (% of Lot) | 50 (3) | 40 (4) | 40 (4) | |
| Specific Limitations: | Specific Limitations: | Specific Limitations: | Specific Limitations: | Specific Limitations: |
| (1) Where 70% or more front setback depth of existing buildings along a block frontage is greater than the minimum required setback distance, a vacant lot situated along the block frontage shall have a front setback depth which is the average setback depth of existing buildings along the block frontage. | ||||
| (2) Shorter frontage abutting either street of a corner lot shall constitute the front of the lot. Where a corner lot has equal frontage abutting both streets, the owner has the choice of which frontage constitutes the front of the lot. | ||||
| (3) Accessory buildings may not occupy more than 50 percent of the required rear yard area. | ||||
| (4) Accessory buildings may not occupy more than 30 percent of the required rear yard area. |
(Ord. No. 1732, § 3(Exh. A), 5-5-2025)
Sec. 106-44. - Residential zoned property development standards.¶
(a) Residential accessory structures. Residential accessory structures shall be constructed in accordance with section 106-45.
(b) Building colors and materials. Exterior structure colors and materials shall be reviewed in conjunction with a request for any type of discretionary review as required by this Code or as a result of any determination of non-conforming status. Exterior building elevation plans and color samples indicating proposed color schemes shall be provided as required by the director. Approval authority for colors on the exterior of all building shall be by the director or commission, as applicable.
(c) Common area (recreation area). On each lot developed with more than four units there shall be a common area of no less than 1,000 square feet or 100 square per unit, whichever is greater. The minimum dimension for such an area shall be 25 feet.
(d) Internal circulation. A residential dwelling shall have continuous internal access through the unit. Bedrooms shall be accessed by a hallway or common area only. A room identified as a den, study or the like shall be considered a bedroom unless it is constructed in a manner that 50 percent or more of one wall is open to an adjacent room or hallway.
(e) Recreational vehicles. No recreational vehicles shall be permitted within the required front setback area for a period of time exceeding 72 hours.
(f) Storage facilities. Each dwelling unit in a multiple-family dwelling shall have at least 100 cubic feet of enclosed storage space.
(g) Trash areas. Trash areas shall be provided in accordance with division 8 of article III and in a form approved by the director.
(h) Usable open space (balconies, patios). On each lot developed with more than four units, there shall be, in addition to other required yards and spaces, usable open space equal to 150 square feet per unit. Such space shall have a minimum dimension often feet.
(i) Utilities. All utilities shall be underground.
(j) Landscaping. Landscaping shall be provided in accordance with division 4 of article III.
(k) Walls and fences. A six-foot wall shall be constructed where an R-2 or R-3 property abuts an R-1 zoned property and other treatment as approved by the director. Also see division 7 of article III pertaining to walls and fences.
(Ord. No. 1732, § 3(Exh. A), 5-5-2025)
Sec. 106-45. - Residential accessory structures.¶
Accessory buildings and structures such as a garage, workroom, storage shed, recreation room or cabana are permitted on the same lot as the principal residential use and shall be incidental to, and not alter, the residential character of the site. A covenant may be required to be executed and recorded to ensure the accessory use and structure is identified and maintained consistent with the city's approval.
(1) All accessory structures. The following regulations apply to all accessory structures:
a. With the exception of an attached or detached garage, an accessory structure shall not be located in front of the main building or directly between the main building and the street.
b. The total square footage of all non-parking-related accessory structures on a lot shall, other than an accessory dwelling unit, not exceed the lesser of these three quantities:
Five hundred square feet,
Fifty percent of the ground floor of the main building, or
Fifty percent of the rear yard area.
c. Two story accessory residential structures, at a maximum of 26 feet high, will not be permitted unless only one store is the accessory residential structure and the other story is a garage and/or an accessory dwelling unit; and the second story satisfies the same setback requirements that would be applicable to a primary dwelling unit in the applicable zoning district, unless the second story is an accessory dwelling unit only.
d. An exterior entrance to the second story of an accessory residential structure shall not project into any required minimum setback and shall be located to either face the primary dwelling unit and/or the side and/or rear property line that it is furthest away from.
e. An accessory structure smaller than 250 square feet may be constructed of metal or similar material as approved by the planning division.
f. All accessory structures shall be maintained in good condition. Any structure considered to be in disrepair, as determined by the director of community development, shall be repaired, replaced or removed from the site.
g. An accessory structure shall be maintained as a single open building and not be divided into smaller size rooms and shall.
h. Bathrooms, kitchen plumbing or fixtures or cooking facilities within accessory buildings or accessory structures are prohibited.
(2) Detached accessory structures. The following regulations apply to detached accessory structures:
a. Detached accessory structures shall be located at least six feet from the main building. A breezeway may span the space between the two structures.
b. Detached accessory structures shall be located at least three feet from any property line.
(Ord. No. 1732, § 3(Exh. A), 5-5-2025)
Secs. 106-46—106-70. - Reserved.¶
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