Article 4 — R-1 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT

(Added by O-228; Amended by O-316; O-612; O-791; O-1962; O-2008; O-2009; O-2329; O-2330; O-3283)

(Amended by O-3453; O-3535; O-3815; O-3863; O-3864)

No building, structure, improvement or premises shall be used, and no building, structure or improvement shall be erected, constructed, established, altered or enlarged, which is designed, arranged or intended to be occupied or used for any purpose other than the following:

a) Single family residence, together with the accessory buildings customary to such use and located on the same lot or parcel of land, including:

1. Private garage with a capacity not to exceed one thousand (1,000) square feet;

2. Child’s playhouse;

• 3. Buildings for the housing of domestic animals, such animals not to exceed two (2) full grown cats and two (2) full grown dogs in number;
• 4. Lath or greenhouse, not operated commercially;
• 5. Tool house or workshop, not operated commercially.

b) Flower and vegetable gardens, orchards, the raising of tree crops, berry or bush crops, for the purpose of propagation and culture, including wholesaling of the crops raised upon the premises; provided, no signs, displays or stands are used in conjunction therewith.

c) Commercial radio and television antennae, towers and transmitters and auxiliary equipment where located on property owned by the United States, the State, the City, the Torrance Unified School District or other public agency and for which a use permit has been granted in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 5.

d) Home occupation in a residential unit.

• e) Small family day care home.

f) Large family day care home subject to approval of a large family day care permit.

g) Child day care centers as a conditionally permitted use in conjunction with churches and schools only and subject to the provisions of Article 3 of Chapter 5, Conditional Use Permits.

h) A maximum of one (1) accessory dwelling unit or one (1) junior accessory dwelling unit, or combination thereof, shall be permitted on a R-1 zoned property, or other residentially zoned property, improved with a single-family dwelling, subject to the provisions of this Chapter, and Article 2 (General Provisions) of Chapter 2 of this Division.

(Amended by O-2664; O-2665; O-3254; O-3283)

a) Except as provided in Section 91.41.7, the maximum building height of a single-story dwelling shall be eighteen (18) feet measured from the lowest portion of the building which is above ground, but not including any berm or raised planter, to the topmost portion of the roof, exclusive of chimneys or vents.

b) Except as provided in Sections 91.41.7 and 91.4.11, the maximum height of a two-story dwelling shall be twenty-seven (27) feet measured from the lowest portion of the building which is above ground, but not including any berm or raised planter, to the topmost portion of the roof exclusive of chimneys or vents.

c) The height limitation shall apply to any building or structure for which a building permit is issued on or after October 10, 1989.

d) Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 22 of Chapter 2 of this Division 9, any building or structure for which a building permit was issued prior to October 10, 1989 may be rebuilt to its original height in the event it is damaged to an extent that the expense of such restoration exceeds fifty (50) percent of the replacement cost of the building or structure at the time the damage occurred; provided, that no new or enlarged portion shall be added to such restored building or structure either as a part of said restoration, or in addition to any such restoration which exceeds the original height.

e) Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 22 of Chapter 2 of this Division 9, any building or structure for which a building permit was issued prior to October 10, 1989 may be repaired, altered or enlarged; provided, that any such repair, alteration or enlargement shall comply with the provisions of this section.

f) Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 22 of Chapter 2 of this Division 9, any building or structure for which a precise plan or height waiver has been approved and which has been damaged to an extent that the expense of such restoration exceeds fifty (50) percent of the replacement cost of the building or structure at the time the damage occurred, may be rebuilt or repaired to the height permitted by said precise plan or height waiver.

(Amended by O-1229; O-2329; O-2330; O-2747; O-3266; O-3283; O-3356)

a) Except as provided in Section 92.29.31, the minimum lot area shall be one (1) recorded lot or parcel of land not less than six thousand (6,000) square feet in area. Each lot shall be not less than eighty (80) feet in depth. Each interior lot shall have a minimum width of fifty (50) feet. Each exterior lot shall have a minimum width of sixty (60) feet. The width of any lot fronting on a cul-de-sac or on the radius of a curve shall be measured at the building setback line.

b) In the case of flag lot subdivisions, no portion of the required access easement shall be counted in calculating the minimum area of any lot.

(Amended by O-2329; O-2330; O-2437; O-3283; O-3291; O-3356)

A front yard shall be provided with a depth of twenty (20) feet, provided however that:

a) Where a portion of a building is set back more than the required twenty (20) feet, an equal amount of the building may project nearer to the front property line, provided that no portion of a building shall be closer than fifteen (15) feet from the front property line, and in no case shall garages which face the street be set back less than twenty (20) feet, thereby creating an average front yard setback.

b) For purposes of calculating the average setback:

• 1. The area comprising the required side yards on either side of the lot shall be excluded;
• 2. The average setback shall be measured at the front building line of the main building provided that:

A) In the case where a portion of the building is set back more than twenty-five (25) feet from the front property line, and in open areas enclosed on not more than two (2) sides, there shall be presumed to be a building line not exceeding a depth of twenty-five (25) feet; and

B) In the case of a two (2) story dwelling, in which the first and second floors are not an equal distance from the front property line, that portion of the dwelling which is closest to the front property line shall be used as the building line.

c) In the case of a flag lot subdivision, the front yard shall be calculated as in a) and b) above, but its orientation shall be determined as follows:

• 1. The front yard setback of any lot having full width frontage on a public street shall be measured from the line separating the lot from the street;
• 2. The front yard of the lot furthest from the public street, shall be oriented in the same direction as that of the front lot; and

3. In subdivisions which have three (3) or more lots, the front yard of the middle lot(s) shall be oriented toward either the public street or the access easement. In the latter instance, the front yard setback shall be measured from the interior edge of the access easement.

(Amended by O-2437; O-3283; O-3319; O-3356)

Side yard setbacks shall equal ten (10) percent of the width of the lot except:

a) Interior side yards shall be provided as follows:

• 1. No setback shall be required to exceed five (5) feet nor be less than three (3) feet.

2. Provided, however, that construction may be permitted in any required interior side yard subject to the City and Building Codes and meeting the following conditions:

A) That the distance between buildings on any two (2) adjacent lots shall not be less than ten (10) percent of the combined widths of the lots.

B) That the consent of the adjacent property owner shall be recorded as provided in Section 92.6.1

3. Provided further, however, that if a two-story dwelling is constructed, or in the event an existing dwelling is to be remodeled in such a manner that it falls within the definition provided in Section 231.1.2 of this Code, then each side yard setback shall be ten (10) percent of the width of the lot, but in no event less than three (3) feet.

b) Exterior side yards shall be not less than ten (10) feet in width.

c) In the case of a flag lot, the side yard setback shall be measured from the side property line unless there is an access easement located along one or both sides, in which case the side yard setback shall be measured from the interior edge of the access easement.

(Amended by O-1852; O-2329; O-2330; O-3283; O-3291; O-3319; O-3356)

Rear yard setbacks shall be provided as follows:

a) A rear yard shall be provided with an average depth of fifteen (15) feet for a single-story dwelling; provided, however, that no portion of such single-story dwelling shall be built closer than ten (10) feet from the rear property line.

b) A rear yard shall be provided with an average depth of twenty (20) feet for a two-story dwelling; provided, however, that no portion of such two-story dwelling shall be built closer than fifteen (15) feet from the rear property line.

c) In the event a single-story dwelling is remodeled in such a manner that a second story is added to the dwelling or any portion thereof, the rear yard setback requirement shall be met in one of the following ways:

1. If the remodeling will not result in the dwelling being subject to the definition found in Section 231.1.2 of this Code, the average twenty (20) foot setback shall be accomplished in regard to the second story only, as provided in subsection b) of this Section;

2. If the remodeling will result in the dwelling being subject to the definition found in Section 231.1.2 of this Code, then any portion of the existing building located within the area necessary to provide the required twenty (20) feet average setback shall be removed.

d) For purposes of calculating the average setback:

• 1. The area comprising the side yards on either side of the lot parcel shall be excluded;
• 2. The average setback shall be measured at the rear building line of the main building, provided that:

A) In the case where a portion of the building is set back more than twenty (20) feet from the rear property line for a one (1) story dwelling, and twenty-five (25) feet for a two (2) story dwelling, and in open areas enclosed on not more than two (2) sides, there shall be presumed to be a building line not exceeding a depth of twenty (20) feet for a one (1) story dwelling and twenty-five (25) feet for a two (2) story dwelling; and

B) In the case of a two (2) story dwelling, in which the first and second floors are not an equal distance from the rear property line, that portion of the dwelling which is closest to the rear property line shall be used as the building line, except as provided in Section 91.4.6.(c)(1) of this Code.

e) In the case of a flag lot, the rear yard shall be calculated as in a), b), c) and d) above, but for the lot farthest from the public street, the rear yard shall be oriented in the same direction as the front lot.

(Amended by O-1229; O-3283)

No dwelling shall be less than six (6) feet from any accessory building or garage unless such structures are attached by a solid roof at least six (6) feet in width.

(Amended by O-1229; O-3283; O-3291; O-3319)

In addition to those development standards set forth in Section 92.5.6 the following development standards shall also apply in the R-1 zone:

a) No accessory building shall exceed fourteen (14) feet in height;

b) No accessory building shall provide living quarters;

c) A detached accessory building, located on the rear one-quarter (1/4) of the property may be one (1) foot from the rear property line and one (1) foot from one (1) interior side property line only if the wall adjacent thereto is one (1) hour wall with no openings therein; the side yard setback on the other side shall be no less than ten (10) percent of the width of the rear property line, but in no case less than three (3) feet;

d) If all setbacks can be met, an accessory building of at least four hundred (400) square feet may be built on any lot or parcel of land, and in addition, any such accessory building may contain an additional area equal to one quarter (1/4) the size of the required rear yard area, provided that no accessory building may exceed seven hundred (700) square feet in area, and provided further that the entire size of any such accessory building shall be counted as part of the Floor Area Ratio for the lot or parcel of land.

(Added by O-2329; O-2330; Amended by O-2437; O-2664; O-2665; O-2747; O-3283; O-3319; O-3356)

The total land area covered by structures, excluding covered patios open on two (2) sides, shall not exceed the following:

a) For a single-story dwelling, fifty percent (50%) of the lot area;

b) For a two-story dwelling, forty percent (40%) of the lot area; provided, however, that if a single-story dwelling, occupying more than forty percent (40%) of the lot area is to be remodeled or enlarged by adding a second story, and the remodeling or enlargement does not cause the dwelling to fall within the definition found in Section 231.1.2 of this Code, the dwelling may occupy the existing percentage of lot area; providing, that lot area/coverage does not exceed fifty percent (50%).

c) In the case of a flag lot, the lot coverage shall be the same as provided in a) and b) above, but for purposes of calculating the gross square foot area of the lot, no portion of required access easement shall be included.

(Added by O-2329; 2330; Amended by O-2437; O-2664; O-2665; O-2747; O-3283)

Open space shall constitute not less than one-third (1/3) of the total lot area in one or more areas having minimum dimensions of ten (10) feet by fifteen (15) feet. Open space shall be defined as yards unobstructed from ground to sky, except as provided in Article 5, Chapter 2, Division 9, and excepting covered patios enclosed on not more than two (2) sides.

(Added by O-3269; O-3283; O-3356)

a) Except as provided in this section, no single-family dwelling shall be built, and no single-family dwelling shall be enlarged, modified or remodeled in any way which will result in the dwelling exceeding a floor area to lot area ratio (F.A.R.) of .6 to 1.

b) In calculating the F.A.R., the methods provided in Section 91.2.82 shall be followed, and the area of any garage shall be included.

c) In the case of a flag lot, the lot area to be used in the F.A.R. calculation shall include only the buildable lot area, but not including the access easement.