Santa Ana Municipal Code § 41-358 Procedure

PD (planned development) suffixes are specifically subject to the regulations contained in this division.

(Code 1952, § 9230.170; Ord. No. NS-455, § 1, 6-20-60; Ord. No. NS-745, § 1, 8-3-64)

The R1 (single-family residence) district way be modified at the time the zoning is first established or by amendment by adding to the district designation PD, which shall make no alteration to the uses permitted under the regular district classification except as listed in section 41-354. Said designation is intended to provide for residential developments on large sites characterized by a physical environment commensurate with such contemporary site planning principles as:

(1) Building integrated around open and recreational areas which are reserved for pedestrian use and serve as unifying elements.

(2) The separation of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

(3) The placement of buildings in such a way as to create a variety of open areas or subareas, thereby eliminating corridor or barrackslike arrangements of buildings.

(4) Recreational-leisure space sufficient to accommodate the needs of all the occupants.

(5) The location and design of all buildings, structures, and open spaces in such a manner as to create a balanced and harmonious composition as a whole and in the relations of its several parts and features to each other.

(6) The development of land in an efficient and orderly manner consistent with the established quality of the community.

Further, said PD suffix is intended to allow innovations in subdivision design intended to foster greater land utilization while increasing the desirability of each project developed under the PD suffix.

(Code 1952, § 9230.171; Ord. No. NS-455, § 1, 6-20-60; Ord. No. NS-745, § 1, 8-3-64)

The following accessory uses are permitted only where they are integrated with and clearly incidental to a primary permitted use and where the sole purpose is to provide convenience to residents of the development rather than the general public:

(1) Swimming pools.

(2) Recreational buildings, structures, and areas.

(3) Private parks.

(4) Other normal accessory uses constituting an integral part of said planned development.

(Code 1952, § 9230.172; Ord. No. NS-455, § 1, 6-20-60; Ord. No. NS-745, § 1, 8-3-64)

Any development of property within a PD modified district classification shall necessitate the filing of a conditional use permit. Said conditional use permit shall be approved, conditionally approved, or denied. No building permit shall be issued unless said conditional use permit is approved or conditionally approved. All development shall be in compliance with all conditions of approval prior to the issuance of a utility release by the building department.

(Code 1952, § 9230.173; Ord. No. NS-455, § 1, 6-20-60; Ord. No. NS-745, § 1, 8-3-64)

There shall be not less than six thousand (6,000) square feet of land area per dwelling unit within a planned development, exclusive of primary streets shown on the streets and highways clement of the general plan of community development or amendment thereto.

(Code 1952, § 9230.174; Ord. No. NS-455, § 1, 6-20-60; Ord. No. NS-745, § 1, 8-3-64)

Unless otherwise indicated in the conditions of approval of the approved conditional use permit for a planned development as set forth in section 41-355, the following standards shall be complied with. Said standards are necessary in order to assure adequate levels of light, air, and density of development, to maintain and enhance the locally recognized values of community appearance, to promote functional compatibility of uses, and to promote the safe and efficient circulation and separation of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. These standards are found to be inherent characteristics of planned developments and further found to be necessary for the preservation of the community health, safety, and general welfare:

(a) Site area and dimension. The development site area shall be not less than three (3) acres and of such shape as to provide for interior vehicular circulation, central recreational-leisure area, efficient and orderly non-monotonous arrangement of buildings to achieve the living environment intended by this section.

(b) Buildings and structural height limitations. None, except as set forth in the R1 district regulations.

(c) Recreational-leisure areas. The following provisions are made for recreational and leisure facilities. These standards are found to be the minimum necessary to afford residences of such developments a desirable living environment consistent with the established quality of residential areas throughout the community:

(1) Each planned development shall reserve and maintain a unified, usable open area or areas, exclusive of private patios, balconies and areas used primarily for pedestrian accessways, driveways, parking areas, garages and carports, equal to at least twelve hundred (1,200) square feet per each proposed dwelling unit. The purpose of such area is to provide for the recreational and leisure time activities of the residences. Said area or areas may include swimming pools, putting greens, court games and any other recreational-leisure facilities necessary to meet the requirements of the residences and their guests.

(2) Each dwelling unit shall have an enclosed patio at least six hundred (600) square feet in area, of which the least dimension shall be fifteen (15) feet.

(3) Recreational-leisure space shall be conveniently located and readily accessible to the users of such areas.

(d) Minimum floor area of dwelling units. There shall be not less than one thousand (1,000) square feet of floor area per dwelling unit, excluding garages and patios.

(e) Building setback requirements. The following building setbacks shall be provided in planned developments:

(1) Wherever a site abuts a primary street there shall be provided a landscaped building setback area of twenty (20) feet. Staggered building setbacks may be provided. However, in no case shall the building setback be less than fifteen (15) feet and provided that for every foot of building frontage less than twenty (20) feet from the property line there shall be provided an equal amount of building frontage correspondingly greater than twenty (20) feet from the property line.

(2) Along all site boundary lines not abutting a major, primary or secondary highway or local street or private vehicular accessway, there shall be a landscaped setback area of not less than ten (10) feet.

(3) No buildings, structures, or vehicular parking shall be permitted within a required landscaped building setback area.

(4) All required setback areas, with the exception of access drives and walks, shall be landscaped with lawn, trees, shrubs, or other plant materials and shall be permanently maintained in a neat and orderly manner as a condition to use. Fountains, ponds, sculpture, planters, and decorative screen-type walls, thirty (30) inches or less in height, where an integral part of a landscaping scheme comprised primarily of plant materials, are permitted.

(f) Vehicular access. The design and location of vehicular accessways shall be subject to the following provisions:

(1) All planned developments shall be served by public dedicated rights-of-way sufficient to provide adequate access, egress and circulation of pedestrian and vehicular traffic in conformance with city standards.

(2) Private vehicular accessways may be permitted for planned developments on sites less than four (4) acres in size as of record on September 3, 1964, and where it is found that said accessways provide safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian traffic consistent with city standards. Where private vehicular accessways are permitted they shall conform to the following minimum standards:

(i) The minimum private vehicular accessway that shall be provided for any planned development shall be thirty (30) feet wide.

(ii) Private vehicular accessways with planned parallel parking on both sides shall be a minimum of thirty-six (36) feet wide.

(iii) Curbs, gutters and parkways shall be provided along both sides of the above private vehicular accessways.

(3) All vehicular accessways shall be so located as to provide for the separation of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

(4) Appropriate street trees shall be provided along all parkways subject to the approval of the superintendent of parks.

(g) Off-street parking requirements. The following parking requirements shall be met for all planned developments:

(1) A minimum of two (2) covered spaces per single-family dwelling unit. The location of parking facilities shall be properly integrated with the dwelling units to be served and shall provide the occupants easy and convenient access to such spaces. Said facilities shall be properly screened from adjacent properties and from adjacent living and recreational-leisure areas.

(2) A minimum of one-half (½) guest parking space per single-family dwelling unit, conveniently located.

(h) Walls. In recognition of the unique and self-containing characteristics of planned development all such developments shall be enclosed by a solid masonry wall, redwood or cedar fence or combinations thereof, not less than six (6) feet in height, erected along and immediately adjacent to the property line abutting adjacent properties, except where a holding strip is permitted for the purpose of providing for the logical development of adjacent properties.

(i) Standard refuse storage areas. Each trash and refuse storage area shall be screened from view of the residents of the property and neighboring properties by a solid masonry wall at least six (6) feet in height and shall be maintained for health and sanitation purposes.

(j) Street dedications and improvements required. Anticipating that changes will occur in the local neighborhoods and the city generally due to the increase in vehicular traffic, increase in pedestrian traffic, increased noise, and other activities associated with the city's development and growth, the following dedications and improvements are deemed to be necessary to prevent congestion and other hazards related to the intensified use of the land and necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, and general welfare. These requirements shall be met or complied with before any building shall be finally approved and accepted for use and occupancy:

(1) All required public streets and alleys, both local and primary, which abut the subject property shall be dedicated to the city.

(2) All street, highway, and alley improvements shall be installed and in good repair, or street improvement plans shall be required to be prepared to city standards and said improvements constructed. A faithful performance bond in a form approved by the city attorney and in an amount to be determined by the city engineer may be posted to guarantee the construction of the streets, which may include but not necessarily be limited to excavation, curbs, pavement, gutters, sidewalks, drainage facilities, or any other engineering requirements.

(3) Necessary fire protection facilities shall be provided for in accordance with the requirements of the fire chief of the city.

(4) The director of building safety and housing shall not grant final release of occupancy to any structure constructed upon any property covered by this ordinance until the city engineer has certified to the compliance of the conditions set forth in (1) and (2) above; and the fire chief has certified to the compliance of the conditions set forth in (3) above.

(Code 1952, § 9230.175; Ord. No. NS-455, § 1, 6-20-60 ; Ord. No. NS-745, § 1, 8-3-64)

(a) The applicant for approval of a planned development shall be the owner, all of the owners of the site acting jointly, or an authorized agent.

(b) Each prospective applicant is encouraged to confer with the planning department in connection with the preparation of a plan for a planned development prior to the submission of the conditional use permit application to the planning commission. The chief purpose of such a preapplication conference is to benefit the prospective applicant by providing information and clarification of requirements before such prospective applicant incurs any substantial expense in the preparation of plans.

(c) (1) Planned development proposed for division for sale into two (2) or more separately owned parcels shall require the filing of a subdivision map in accordance with the subdivision regulations (chapter 34 of this Code).

(2) When a planned development is divided for sale or lease through the subdivision of said development, the minimum lot area, lot frontage and/or lot depth for subdivision purpose may be less than that required in the subdivision regulations. Such exceptions to the district regulations may be permitted where:

(i) The individual units or groups of units and their patios are described as an individual lot in such a subdivision.

(ii) All remaining areas are in common ownership, held in trust, or otherwise for the benefit of those persons residing in the planned development.

(3) Prior to filing of a final subdivision map the following provisions shall be complied with:

(i) Adequate and permanent ingress and access easement from a street to each dwelling unit shall be provided. The conveyance of such easements shall be approved as to form and content by the city attorney.

(ii) Each recorded lot on which a residential unit can be placed shall have not less than thirty (30) feet of frontage on a common open space lot or parcel.

(iii) Those lots or parcels which are to be utilized for common purposes shall be designated as "not a buildable lot or parcel" and shall be continuously and permanently maintained for the exclusive use and benefit of the occupants in the subdivisions. The manner in which this is to be accomplished shall be a part of the map and submitted in writing and be subject to approval by the city attorney.

(iv) Those lots apparently designed for garage or parking space requirements for each buildable lot shall be designated with the same numeral as the building lot, with the addition of a letter. Such parking facilities shall be continuously maintained and reserved for parking. The manner in which this is to be accomplished shall be a part of the map, and submitted in writing and be subject to approval by the city attorney.

(Code 1952, §§ 9230, 9230.176; Ord. No. NS-455, § 1, 6-20-60; Ord. No. NS-745, § 1, 8-3-64)