Chapter 8.72 — C1/WMP District (NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL/WEST MENLO PARK)

The following regulations shall apply within those areas in West Menlo Park which are zoned C-1/WMP.

(Section 6254 - Adopted by Interim Ordinance No. 3840 - June 30, 1998)

(Section 6254 - Adopted by Ordinance No. 3842 - August 4, 1998)

(Section 6254 - Amended by Ordinance No. 3900 - April 20, 1999)

1. Provide commercial areas intended primarily for the location of trades and services to serve the needs of neighboring residential areas.

2. Protect the viability of the surrounding residential areas by regulating commercial development and land uses.

3. Emphasize neighborhood commercial uses, but allow appropriate complementary land uses.

4. Preserve the scale of existing commercial development in the district.

5. Control use, size, location, and design of structures to create an attractive and pedestrian/bicycle-oriented neighborhood commercial district.

6. Protect the functional and economic viability of neighborhood commercial areas by restricting incompatible land uses.

7. Support and strengthen the local economy by providing trade and employment opportunities.

8. Encourage uses that minimize traffic impacts.

9. Implement the policies of the San Mateo County General Plan.

1. Community Centers

   • Facilities used by local citizens for civic activities, performances, presentations or other purposes.

2. Establishment

A discreet place of business, including any division or department associated with that business operating under the same predominant name. A building may include one or multiple establishments.

3. Financial Institutions

Establishments accepting deposits and providing services relating to the exchange, protection or lending of money including, but not limited to, banks, savings and loan institutions, or credit unions.

4.

Food and Beverage Stores

Commercial establishments engaged in the retail sale primarily of various packaged foods and beverages for home preparation and consumption including, but not limited to, grocery stores, liquor and candy stores, bakeries and delicatessens.

5. Food Establishments Specializing in Carry-Out or Delivery Service

Commercial establishments engaged in the provision of prepared food to the general public primarily for consumption elsewhere, but may include limited indoor or outdoor seating.

6. Ground Floor Dependent Administrative, Professional, and Business Offices (2.06.10)

Establishments providing management, administrative, professional or consulting services including, but not limited to, travel agent, insurance agent, income tax preparer, real estate agent, and notary public. These establishments typically see clients on an unannounced or drop-in basis, benefit from a product or service display in the store frontage, and require ground floor visibility in commercial districts.

7. Home Occupations (1.05.10)

Vocations conducted in a dwelling by a resident which are accessory uses incidental to the principal residential use of the dwelling.

8. Indoor Retail Sales, Rental or Repair Establishments

Commercial establishments which serve the general public that are engaged in the sale, rental and/or repair of goods, merchandise and equipment with all storage of such items within a fully enclosed, covered building.

9. Libraries (5.03.10)

Facilities used for storage, exhibition and lending of various media including, but not limited to, books, periodicals, documents, audio and video tapes and visual art.

10. Limited Keeping of Pets

The raising or maintaining of domestic birds or animals that are customarily kept as pets for amusement or companionship, excluding exotic animals, horses, livestock and poultry, and subject to the following limitations: (a) no more than two (2) dogs and two (2) cats, nor more than four (4) animals total of any type shall be kept per two-family dwelling unit, multiple-family dwelling unit, or lawfully permitted and occupied second unit or farm labor housing unit; or (b) per business establishment in commercial or industrial zoning districts.

11. Medical and Dental Offices

Establishments providing consultation, diagnosis, therapeutic, preventative or corrective personal treatment services by licensed doctors, dentists and similar practitioners of medical and healing arts for humans, and which may include medical and dental laboratories and associated prescription pharmacies.

12. Motor Vehicle Fuel Sales

Commercial establishments primarily engaged in the sale of gasoline or other combustive fuels to the general public, often on a self-service basis.

13. Multiple-Family Dwellings-Mixed Use)

Single or multiple dwelling units, located above the first floor of the main building on the parcel. The floor area of the dwelling units shall not exceed the floor area of the ground floor.

(Sections 6254.2, 6254.3 – Amended by Ordinance No. 4621 – June 26, 2012)

All new development must meet the following minimum standards:

1. Minimum Parcel Area and Width. The minimum parcel area shall be 5,000 sq. ft. and the minimum average parcel width shall be fifty (50) feet.

2. Minimum Building Setbacks. Except as otherwise indicated in this section, the minimum building setbacks shall be:

Front Setback Side Setback Rear Setback 32 feet 0 feet 0 feet

When the side portion of a commercial zoned parcel abuts a residential zoned parcel, the side setback shall be ten (10) feet. When the rear portion of a commercial zoned parcel abuts a residential zoned parcel, the rear setback shall be twenty (20) feet.

3. Maximum Building Coverage. Maximum building coverage shall be seventy percent (70%) and shall include all: (1) buildings, (2) accessory buildings, and (3) structures such as patios, decks, balconies, and other similar uses which are eighteen (18) inches or more above the ground.

4. Maximum Building Floor Area. The maximum building floor area shall be seventy percent (70%) of the parcel area (0.7 FAR) and shall include the total floor area of all stories of all buildings and accessory buildings on a parcel. Maximum building floor area specifically includes: (1) the floor area of all stories, as measured from the outside face of all exterior walls, and (2) all other areas covered by a waterproof roof which extends six (6) or more feet from exterior walls, over the area of all decks, porches, and balconies. Parking areas shall be excluded from total building floor area.

5. Maximum Building Height. The maximum building height shall be two (2) stories not to exceed thirty (30) feet, except as described below.

Height shall be measured as the vertical distance from any point on the finished grade to the topmost point of the building immediately above.

Chimneys, pipes, mechanical equipment, antennae, and other similar structures may extend beyond thirty (30) feet to a maximum of thirty-seven (37) feet as required for safety or efficient operation.

Architectural features on buildings located on corner parcels, such as cupolas and turrets, may extend beyond thirty (30) feet to a maximum of thirty-seven (37) feet as determined by the Director of Planning and Building.

6. Location of Non-Ground Floor Dependent Offices. All Non-Ground Floor Dependent Administrative, Professional or Business Offices and any Medical or Dental Offices that exceed 1,200 sq. ft. floor area, shall be located above the first floor. In addition, Medical or Dental Offices located on the first floor shall be limited to one establishment per building.

Notwithstanding the requirements above, any non-ground floor dependent office located on the ground floor as of the effective date of this ordinance may be replaced by another non-ground floor dependent office, providing that the pre-existing floor area is not increased.

7. Location of Residential Dwelling Units. Dwelling units shall be located above the first floor, and the floor area of the dwelling units shall not exceed the floor area of the ground floor.

8. Building Entrances. All buildings must provide at least one building entrance facing the street. In addition, buildings abutting a parking lot in the rear with ten (10) spaces or more shall provide a building entrance that faces such parking lot.

9. Drive-Through Facilities. No establishment may provide drive-through facilities, i.e., facilities designated to serve customers while seated in a motor vehicle.

10. Signs

• a. Prohibited Signs. The following signs shall be prohibited:

  • (1) Any sign that, because of its location, construction, colors, or operating characteristics, can be confused with a traffic control device or emergency vehicle.

  • (2) Signs having animated, moving, rotating, inflatable, or flashing parts.

  • (3) Signs emitting intense and focused beams of light, including beacons.

  • (4) Off-premises signs.

  • (5) Abandoned signs.

  • (6) Billboards. Existing billboards shall be considered legal non-conforming uses upon adoption of this ordinance, and shall be subject to the provisions of the Non-Conforming Uses Chapter of the Zoning Regulations. Relocation of billboards, due to street widening or other right-of-way improvements, shall be subject to the provisions of the State of California Business and Professions Code (Section 5412).

• b. Maximum Number of Signs

  • (1) Maximum Number of Signs on a Parcel. The maximum number of signs allowed on a parcel is one (1) sign per parcel, or one (1) sign per each 200 feet of parcel street frontage, or one (1) sign per use, whichever is greatest, unless more signs are permitted by the maximum number of signs per establishment.

  • (2) Maximum Number of Signs per Establishment. The maximum number of signs per establishment shall be one (1) sign per street fronting that establishment. When an establishment has a building entrance facing a rear parking area, an additional sign per establishment visible from that parking area may be displayed, providing that such sign is not visible from any residential zoned parcel, to the satisfaction of the tp.

• c. Maximum Total Sign Display Area. The maximum display area for the signs on a building shall be the sum of subsections (1), (2) and (3) below:

  • (1) The maximum display area for the sum of all signs facing a building’s only street frontage, or facing the widest street in the case of a building with two or more street frontages, shall be as determined in

Table 1.0 below. If streets are the same width, the Director of Planning and Building shall select the street with the higher traffic volume as the building’s widest street frontage.

• (2) The maximum display area for the sum of all signs facing the street with the lesser traffic volume (or narrow street frontage) shall be one-half (0.5) of the area determined in Table 1.0 above.

• (3) The maximum display area for the sum of all signs facing a building’s rear parking area shall be onehalf (0.5) of the area determined in Table 1.0 above.

Maximum sign display area calculated for one side of a building may not be transferred to another side of that building. The provisions of this section apply to the building, and not to individual establishments within the building.

• d. Maximum Sign Height. The maximum height of signs on a parcel is as follows:

  • (1) Attached signs shall not exceed the height of the building or structure to which the sign is attached and shall not extend above the eave or roofline, whichever is lower.

  • (2) Freestanding signs shall not exceed fifteen (15) feet.

• e. Sign Projection. Attached signs shall not project more than four (4) feet from the building or structure to which the sign is attached. Attached or freestanding signs shall not project beyond any parcel boundary except signs may project into the public right-of-way subject to the approval of an encroachment permit by the Director of Public Works.

• f. Sign Design. The design of signs on the parcel shall reflect the architectural design of the building or structure with which the sign is associated, and incorporate unifying colors, materials, and features.

11. Parking. All development shall provide parking in accordance with the requirements of Zoning Regulations Chapter 3. In addition to these requirements, bicycle parking spaces shall be provided at a rate of one (1) locker, rack, or other device to secure and park bicycles for every ten (10) vehicle spaces required, but in no case less than one (1) bicycle parking space per parcel.

12. Landscaping. All developed parcels shall be landscaped with trees or bushes, shrubbery, etc. At minimum, landscaping shall consist of fifty (50) square feet of ground cover or one fifteen (15) gallon size tree for every thirty (30) feet of street fronting the parcel. As an alternative to tree planting, a maximum fifty percent (50%) of the number of trees required can be substituted by the planting of bushes, providing that fifty (50) square feet of bush ground cover is planted for each tree required. A landscape plan shall be submitted to the satisfaction of the Director of Planning and Building.

When the determination of the number of trees results in a fractional number, any fraction of one-half or greater shall be rounded up to the next whole number. Any fraction less than one-half shall be disregarded.

13. Pedestrian Connections. Parcels that border other C-1/WMP zoned parcels shall provide a pedestrian access pathway that provides a functional link to the property line of the bordering parcel or parcels. Pedestrian access pathways shall be located as close as possible to the building on each parcel and connect with a corresponding pedestrian pathway on an adjacent property. Pedestrian pathways shall be a minimum of five (5) feet in width, and, when necessary, shall feature ramps that conform to the California Disabled Accessibility Guidebook.

14. Screening

• a. Refuse, waste removal, and outdoor service/storage areas, where allowed, shall be screened with a six (6) foot solid wall or opaque fence/gate when visible from a public way or residentially zoned parcel.

  • b. A minimum six (6), not to exceed eight (8), foot masonry wall shall be erected along the entire common property line where a commercial use abuts a residentially zoned parcel. Other fencing along property lines shall be of opaque materials when visible from a public way or residentially zoned parcel and shall not include barbed wire.

  • c. Mechanical equipment (e.g., air conditioning, heating, compressor, generator, venting units) or other utility hardware on roof, ground, or buildings shall be screened with opaque materials compatible with the building, when visible from a public way or residentially zoned parcel.

15. Accessory Structures. Any accessory structure shall be sited to minimize visual obtrusiveness, and to the extent feasible, blend with the primary use on the property.

(Sections 6254.3, 6254.4 - Amended by Ordinance No. 3925 - October 19, 1999)

No use may be conducted in a manner which, in the determination of the Director of Planning and Building, does not meet the performance standards below. Measurement, observation, or other means of determination shall be made at the limits of the property, unless otherwise specified.

1. Noise. No use will be permitted which exceeds the following sound levels more than thirty (30) minutes in any hour:

2. Odor. No use will be permitted which emits an odor or air pollutant, detectable without instruments, beyond the boundaries of the C-1/WMP District.

3. Vibration. No use will be permitted which causes vibration perceptible without instruments on adjoining property, except for temporary construction operations.

4. Lighting. All exterior and interior lighting shall be designed and located so that direct rays and glare are confined to the premises.

5. Trash and Debris. All trash, boxes, or similar debris shall be picked up daily and stored in refuse containers that are screened from public view.

6. Loitering. All loitering during business hours shall be controlled, to the extent possible.

7. On-Site Activities. All uses, activities or operations shall be conducted entirely on the property, except that retail and food service activities may occur beyond the parcel, subject to use permit approval as described in Section 8.72.040.

8. Compliance with Applicable Law. All uses shall comply with applicable County, State and federal laws.