Article I — R4-D DISTRICT— MULTIPLE FAMILY DWELLINGS FOR DOWNTOWN (MEDIUM HIGH DENSITY) — San Mateo Zoning Code

27.28.010 PERMITTED USES. ¶

Use of buildings or land shall be limited to uses permitted in R1, R2, R3, or R4 Districts.

27.28.012 SPECIAL USES. ¶

Unless otherwise provided, the following uses may be permitted subject to approval of a special use permit by the Planning Commission.

(a) Special uses permitted in the R1, R2, R3, and R4 district.

(b) Projects with at least fifty (50) dwelling units incorporating: retail bakeries, barber/beauty shops, drug stores, retail dry cleaning/laundry/launderette establishments, a food store or similar convenience goods or personal service uses subject to the following standards:

(1) Any non-residential use shall occupy only the ground floor of a residential building;

(2) The maximum floor area of all non-residential uses in the project shall not exceed five (5) percent of the building's total floor area or twenty (20) percent of the building's ground floor area, whichever is less.

(3) All required parking for non-residential uses shall be permitted only in the rear yards, or in a parking structure which conforms to all building height, bulk and setback requirements; and

(4) All non-residential uses shall front on a primary peripheral street as indicated on the Downtown Transportation Plan Map in the Downtown Specific Plan.

27.28.014 OFF-STREET PARKING. ¶

Off-street parking facilities shall be provided as required in Chapter 27.64 subject to the following design standards:

(a) Vehicular access shall not be allowed from any primary peripheral streets unless no other access is available;

(b) All open at-grade parking stalls shall be covered with a deck, or trellis, and may be allowed in rear yards only where the maximum rear yard dimension does not abut a street.

(c) The area between the perimeter of any at-grade parking facilities and a parcel's boundary lines shall be landscaped as defined in Section 27.04.267 with a minimum depth of six (6) feet, or a minimum depth of three (3) feet if the landscaping is protected from vehicle intrusion by a low decorative wall and/or bollards not exceeding three (3) feet in height, or a combination of the two alternatives.

27.28.016 MINIMUM DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS. ¶

Every dwelling hereafter erected or structurally altered to create one or more additional dwelling units shall meet the following minimum development standards:

Minimum Parcel Area1	Minimum Parcel Width(Lineal Feet)	Minimum Parcel Area/DU (Square Feet)
4,4002	40	2,2002
5,000	50	2,500
8,000	65	2,000
10,000	80	1,000
12,000	100	900
15,000	100	870

Table Notes

1 A larger minimum lot for special uses may be required by the Planning Commission on a finding that the minimum lot does not adequately accommodate the proposed special uses.

2 Only applies to parcels that lie northeasterly of El Camino Real and have been recorded prior to March 3, 1947.

27.28.018 MAXIMUM COVERAGE OF PARCELS.

Maximum parcel coverage shall not exceed forty-five (45) percent of the parcel area. The remainder of the parcel shall be landscaped except where parking and access ways are permitted.

27.28.020 MAXIMUM FLOOR AREA RATIO. ¶

The maximum floor area ratio in this district is 3.0.

27.28.022 YARD AREAS GENERALLY. ¶

(a) Buildings shall not be erected or enlarged unless the required yard areas are provided and maintained in connection with such building, structure or enlargement. The yards required by this chapter may be combined in various ways with an approved Planned Unit Development to preserve and enhance the existing site elements (including sunlight, protection of existing heritage trees, creeks, waterways, historical or architecturally important sites, or structures, and archaeological sites). Yard combinations shall be considered by the City as a part of the planning application review.

(b) For one family and two family dwellings the regulations of the R1-B district shall apply.

27.28.023 BUILDING HEIGHT AND SPECIAL YARD REQUIREMENTS—DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN GATEWAY AREA. ¶

(1) Properties within the Gateway area as defined in the Downtown Specific Plan shall conform with the following building height and yard requirements: interior side yard and rear yard setbacks shall conform with sections 27.28.026 and 27.22.028:

Property Street Frontage	Yard Requirement	Building Height Standard	Additional Yard Requirement
Third Avenue	Building shall be set back a minimum of 20 feet from the Third Avenue property line for at least 60% of the building frontage.	No additional building height standard beyond conformance with maximum building height as designated in the Downtown Specific Plan.	None
Other Gateway Streets	Buildings shall be set back a minimum of 15 feet to a maximum of 20 feet from the street property line for at least 60% of the building frontage.	Building height at the setback line shall be a maximum of 25 feet.	Portions of the building over 25 feet in height shall be setback a minimum of 8 feet behind the front building facade as established in conformance with the "yard requirement" column.

(2) Properties outside the Gateway area shall comply with the yard requirements of 27.28.024 through 27.28.028.

27.28.024 FRONT YARDS. ¶

Front yards of not less than twenty (20) feet shall be provided and maintained.

(Ord. No. 1986-14 § 1.)

Cross References

Section 27.28.023(2)

27.28.026 SIDE YARDS. ¶

Side yards of not less than fifteen (15) feet shall be provided and maintained.

(Ord. No. 1986-14 § 1.)

Cross References

Section 27.28.023(1)

27.28.028 REAR YARDS. ¶

Rear yards of not less than twenty-five (25) feet, or twenty-five (25) percent of the parcel's depth, whichever is greater, up to a maximum of forty (40) feet shall be provided and maintained.

(Ord. No. 1986-14 § 1.)

Cross References

Section 27.28.023(2)

27.28.030 LANDSCAPING. ¶

At least twenty-five (25) percent of the required rear yard shall be landscaped and planted as defined in Section 27.04.267 for usable open space only (exclusive of parking areas, driveways or accessory facilities) and maintained in common.

27.28.032 USABLE OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS. ¶

(a) The open space requirements of this district are in addition to open space requirements resulting from the approval and filing of a subdivision map, or open space required of a planned unit development in accord with the City's general plan or any required off-street parking areas or driveways. Open space required by this section is intended to be for the use and enjoyment of the residents of the development.

(b) Each dwelling unit shall be provided with the following:

(1) Not less than 100 square feet per dwelling unit of private usable open space directly accessible to each unit provided that no single creditable private usable open space shall be less than eighty (80) square feet or have a dimension of less than eight (8) feet in each direction, or

(2) 150 percent of the private usable open space requirement in common usable open spaces provided that no single creditable common usable open space shall be less than 400 square feet with a dimension not less than twenty (20) feet in each direction, or

(3) A proportional combination of both of the above.

27.28.034 DWELLING STANDARDS. ¶

Section 27.22.110 in the R3 district shall apply.

27.28.036 CONFORMANCE WITH GATEWAY DESIGN STANDARDS. ¶

All building additions and new buildings within the Gateway area as defined in the Downtown Specific Plan shall conform with the Gateway Design Guidelines.

ARTICLE II R-5D DISTRICT—MULTIPLE-FAMILY DWELLINGS FOR DOWNTOWN (HIGH DENSITY)

27.28.040 PERMITTED USES. ¶

Use of buildings, or land shall be limited to the uses permitted in R1, R2, R3, R4, R4-D, or R5 Districts.

27.28.042 SPECIAL USES. ¶

(1) Special uses allowed in R1, R2, R3, R4, R4-D, or R5 Districts.

27.28.044 OFF-STREET PARKING. ¶

Off-street parking facilities shall be provided as required in Chapter 27.64 subject to the design standards in Chapter 27.25 in the R4-D district.

27.28.046 MINIMUM DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS. ¶

Every dwelling hereafter erected or structurally altered to create one or more additional dwelling units shall meet following minimum development standards:

Minimum Parcel Area1	Minimum Parcel Width (Lineal Feet)	Minimum Parcel Area/DU (Square Feet)
4,4002	40	2,200
5,000	50	2,500
8,000	65	2,000
10,000	80	1,000
15,000	100	870

Table Notes

1 A larger minimum lot for special uses may be required by the Planning Commission on a finding that the minimum lot does not adequately accommodate the proposed special uses.

2 Only applies to parcels that lie northeasterly of El Camino Real and have been recorded prior to March 3, 1947.

27.28.048 MAXIMUM COVERAGE OF PARCELS. ¶

There is no maximum coverage of parcels in this district.

27.28.050 MAXIMUM FLOOR AREA RATIO. ¶

The maximum floor area ratio in this district is 3.0.

27.28.052 YARD AREAS GENERALLY. ¶

(a) Buildings shall not be constructed or enlarged unless the required yard areas are provided and maintained in connection with such building, structure or enlargement. Yards required by this chapter may be combined in various ways through a planned unit development to preserve and enhance the existing site elements (including sunlight, protection of existing heritage trees, creeks, waterways, historical or architecturally important sites, or structures, and archaeological sites). Yard combinations shall be considered by the City as part of the planning application review.

(b) For one family and two family dwellings the regulations of the R1-B district shall apply.

27.28.053 BUILDING HEIGHT AND SPECIAL YARD REQUIREMENTS—DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN GATEWAY AREA. ¶

Property Street Frontage	Yard Requirement	Building Height Standard	Additional Yard Requirement
Third and Fourth Avenues	Buildings shall be set back a minimum of 15 feet to a maximum of 20 feet from the Third and Fourth Avenue property lines for at least 60% of the building frontage.	Building height at the setback line shall be a minimum of 20 feet to a maximum of 30 feet.	Portions of the building over 30 feet in height shall be setback a minimum of 8 feet behind the front building facade as established in conformance with the "yard requirement" column.
Other Gateway Streets	Buildings shall be set back a minimum of 15 feet to a maximum of 20 feet from the street property line for at least 60% of the building frontage.	Building height at the setback line shall be a maximum of 25 feet.	Portions of the building over 25 feet in height shall be setback a minimum of 8 feet behind the front building facade as established in conformance with the "yard requirement" column.

27.28.054 CONFORMANCE WITH GATEWAY DESIGN STANDARDS. ¶

All building additions and new buildings within the Gateway area as defined in the Downtown Specific Plan shall conform with the Gateway Design Guidelines.

27.28.056 SIDE YARDS. ¶

Side yards of not less than fifteen (15) feet shall be provided and maintained.

(Ord. No. 1992-2 § 9; Ord. No. 1986-14 § 1.)

Cross References Section 27.28.053(1)

27.28.058 REAR YARDS. ¶

Rear yards of not less than twenty-five (25) feet shall be provided and maintained.

27.28.060 LANDSCAPING. ¶

At least twenty (20) percent of the required rear yard shall be landscaped and planted as defined in Section 27.04.267 for usable open space only (exclusive of parking areas, driveways, or accessory facilities) and maintained in common.

27.28.062 USABLE OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS. ¶

(a) The open space requirements of this district are in addition to open space requirements resulting from the approval and filing of a subdivision map, or open space as imposed on a planned development in accord with the City's general plan or any required off-street parking areas or driveways. Open space required by this section is intended to be for the use and enjoyment of the residents of the development.

(b) Each dwelling unit shall be provided with the following:

(1) Not less than eighty (80) square feet per dwelling unit of private usable open space directly accessible to each unit provided that no single creditable private usable open space shall be less than seventy-five (75) square feet or have a dimension of at least six (6) feet in each direction, or

(2) 150 percent of the private usable open space requirement in common usable open spaces provided that no creditable common usable open space shall be less than 300 square feet with a dimension not less than fifteen (15) feet in each direction, or

(3) A proportional combination of both of the above.

(Ord. No. 1986-14 § 1.)

Cross References

Section 27.29.114

27.28.064 DWELLING STANDARDS. ¶

Section 27.22.110 in the R3 district shall apply.