Chapter 8.340 — YARDS: GENERAL PROVISIONS AND EXCEPTIONS

San Mateo County, California, Code of Ordinances Title 8 – Zoning & Development Code

For the purpose of computing front yard dimensions the measurement shall be taken from the nearest point of the front wall of the building to the street line; provided, however, that if an Official Plan Line has been established for the street, then the measurement shall be taken from the nearest point of the front wall of the building to such Official Plan Line; except that the certain architectural features hereinafter enumerated shall not be considered in making such measurements:

• (a) Cornices, canopies, eaves, chimneys, or any other architectural features may extend into said front, side, or rear yard, a distance not exceeding two (2) feet, provided that no such architectural feature shall extend to within two (2) feet of any side or rear lot line.

• (b) Fire escapes may extend into said front, side or rear yard a distance not exceeding four (4) feet.

• (c) A stairway, landing place or uncovered porch may extend into said front yards a distance not exceeding six (6) feet, and into said side or rear yard a distance not exceeding three (3) feet and providing that:

  1. Such landing place or uncovered porch shall have its floor no higher than the entrance floor of the building.

  2. A railing no higher than 42 inches may be placed around such landing place or uncovered porch.

  3. Such stairway, landing place or porch is unroofed and unenclosed above and below.

  4. Such stairway, landing place or uncovered porch shall not reduce the effective side yard clearance to a distance less than three (3) feet.

(Prior code Section 6406, Para. (c) 2; Amd. Ord. 2319 – 06/10/1975)

• A. In any “R” District where twenty-five (25) percent or more of the lots in any block and located in the same district, exclusive of the frontage along the side of a corner lot, has been improved with buildings at the time of the passage of this Part, and the front yards on such lots vary in depth to an extent not greater than six (6) feet, then the required front yard depth for such district shall be disregarded in such block and in lieu thereof the front yard required on each lot in said block shall be of a depth not less than the average depth of the front yards on the lots on which are located such existing buildings, to a maximum of fifty (50) feet.

• B. In any “R” District where a lot is situated between two lots, each of which has a main building located within twenty-five (25) feet of the side lines of the lot in question and such buildings are located nearer the street line than the depth of the front yard required for the district in which they are situated, the

San Mateo County, California, Code of Ordinances Title 8 – Zoning & Development Code

front yard depth required for such lot shall be not less than the average of the depths of front yards of said existing buildings.

The Planning Commission, may by Use Permit issued in accordance with Chapter 8.280 of Title 8, grant a reduction of the front yard setback to not less than 5 feet upon an application including not less than five contiguous lots, provided that at least one uncovered off-street parking space is provided in addition to each off-street parking space required by Section 8.344 of this Development Code for each lot having a setback of less than 20 feet.

(Prior code Section 6407.1 - Added by Ordinance No. 1483 - October 10, 1961) (Prior code Section 6407.1 - Amended by Ordinance No. 1585 - May 7, 1963)

In any district on any corner lot, the side yard on the street side of such corner lot shall be not less than fifty percent (50%) of the minimum front yard required on the contiguous lot to the rear.

In the event that a dwelling is so located on a lot that the front or rear thereof faces any side lot line, such dwelling shall be not less than ten (10) feet from such lot line.

• A. In any district wherein there are located two or more dwellings on one lot, there shall be provided free access from the street to any detached dwelling by means of a permanent unobstructed passageway having a width of not less than fifteen (15) feet.

• B. In any district in which two or more dwellings are permitted on one lot, no dwelling shall be located closer than fifteen (15) feet to any other dwelling or main building on the lot, provided however, that this distance shall be increased by two (2) feet for each story by which either building exceeds two (2) stories.

No building shall be so located on a lot that the rear of said building faces a street line.

(Prior code Sections 6408.1, 6408.2, 6408.3, 6408.4, 6408.5; Ord.1483, 10/10/1961)

San Mateo County, California, Code of Ordinances Title 8 – Zoning & Development Code

In case an accessory building is attached to the main building, it shall be made structurally a part thereof, and shall comply in all respects with the requirements of this Part applicable to the main building, except as herein otherwise provided; an accessory building, unless attached to the main building, shall not be closer than five (5) feet to the main building.

In any residentially zoned district, a one-story detached accessory building may be constructed if the building coverage does not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the rear yard area, does not exceed 1,000 square feet in floor area, has a plate height that does not exceed then (10) feet, and is not within three (3) feet of a property line. The maximum building height shall be nineteen (19) feet outside West Menlo Park, and fourteen (14) feet in West Menlo Park. In West Menlo Park only, the area above the horizontal plate of an accessory building shall be accessible only from within the building, and roof dormers are prohibited. Building height shall be calculated in accordance with zoning district regulations. A use permit may be granted in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 8.280 and upon finding of unusual circumstance, for detached accessory buildings that (outside Menlo Park) do not conform with the provisions of this Section, or (in West Menlo Park) do not conform with the height provisions of this Section.

Table 1 - Detached Accessory Building Standards

• A. Detached accessory buildings shall conform to the following additional regulations as to their location upon the parcel.

  1. Where the slope of the front half of the lot is greater than one (1) foot rise or fall in a distance of seven (7) feet from the established street elevation at the property line, or where the elevation of the lot at the street line is five (5) feet or more above or below the established street elevation, a garage or carport, attached or detached, may be built to the front lot line. Such garage shall hold the side yard setbacks required for the main building and a maximum height specified for such carports and garages by the district, or when not specified by the district, a maximum height of 28 feet.

  2. In the case of an interior lot abutting upon one (1) street, no detached accessory building shall be erected or altered so as to encroach upon the front half of such lot.

San Mateo County, California, Code of Ordinances Title 8 – Zoning & Development Code

3. (In the case of an interior lot abutting upon two or more streets, no accessory building shall be erected or altered so as to encroach upon the fourth (1/4) of the lot nearest either street.

4. In the case of a reversed corner lot, no accessory building shall be erected or altered so as to encroach on the area between such street and lines drawn approximately parallel to such streets, respectively, in such a manner that each of such lines divides the lot into two (2) equal areas.

5. In the case of other corner lots, no accessory building shall be erected or altered so as to be closer to any street side lot line than a distance equal to the width of a side yard required for this lot.

6. No detached accessory building shall be closer to the side lot line of the front one-half (1/2) of any adjacent lot than one-half (1/2) the width of the side yard required for such adjacent lot; provided, however, that no accessory building shall be less than five (5) feet from such side lot line.

7. Notwithstanding any requirements in this article, the foregoing rules shall not require any detached accessory building to be more than seventy-five (75) feet from any street line bounding the lot.

(Prior code Section 6410 ; Amd. Ord. 1815, 02/21/1967) (Prior code Section 6410 ; Amd. Ord. 3536, 01/25/1994) (Prior code Section 6410; Amd. Ord. 3323, 04/29/1991) (Prior code Section 6411; Amd. Ord. 3323, 04/29/1991)