Chapter 24.410 — YARD REGULATIONS

Sections:

• 24.410.010 Chapter description.

• 24.410.020 General conditions.

• 24.410.030 Permitted projections into required yards for residential uses only.

• 24.410.040 Open yard spaces between dwelling units in separate buildings.

• 24.410.050 Permitted fences, walls or dense landscaping for nonresidential uses.

This chapter sets forth regulations for front, side, and rear yards within the city in order to assure light, air, privacy, adequate access to residential lots, and open areas appropriate to the use, location, and impact of structures. These regulations shall be in addition to required setbacks, and required yard standards derived therefrom, established for each zone. (Code 1971, § 15.610.010)

A. Yard regulations set forth in this chapter shall apply to all lots, and buildings and other structures thereon, unless otherwise speciYed in this zoning ordinance.

B. No required yard area, required landscaped area, or other required open space area shall be deemed to provide a yard area, landscaped area, or other open space area required for any adjoining lot or building site.

C. No fence, wall, structure, or landscaping shall be erected, planted or maintained within 20 feet of an intersection of public rights-of-way in a manner that is determined by the director to interfere with pedestrian or vehicular tra[c visibility. (Code 1971, § 15.610.020; Ord. No. 2021-017, § 40, 12-13-21)

Projections into required yards shall only be allowed for buildings and lots used exclusively for residential purposes, and only to the extent permitted in this section as follows:

• A. Belt courses, sills, canopies, awnings, buttresses, prefabricated “greenhouse” windows that do not result in an increase in Zoor area, or other similar architectural features may extend or project into a required side yard no

The San Buenaventura Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2026-005, passed February 17, 2026.

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closer than three feet to any side property line and may extend or project into a required front yard or required rear yard not more than three feet; provided, that:

1. No bay windows may extend or project into any required yard area; and

2. No extensions or projections into required front, rear, or side yard areas of any of the architectural features described in this subsection A are allowed in the R-1-B or R-2-B zone.

B. Eaves or cornices may project or extend into a required front yard or required rear yard not more than three feet. Eaves or cornices may extend or project into a required side yard no closer than three feet to any side lot line; provided, that no such extensions or projection of eaves or cornices into required side yards are allowed in the R-1-B or R-2-B zone.

C. Open and unenclosed stairways or balconies, not covered by a roof or canopy, may extend or project into any required rear yard not more than four feet, or may extend or project into a required front yard not more than two and one-half feet; provided, that no such extensions or projections into required front or rear yards are allowed in the R-1-B or R-2-B zone; and further provided, that no such extensions or projections are allowed into required side yard areas in any zone. No stairway or balcony that is enclosed, or that is covered by a roof or canopy, may extend or project into any required yard area in any zone. If an openwork type railing of more than three and onehalf feet in height, or any enclosed railing, is installed or constructed on any such stairway or balcony, such stairway or balcony shall be deemed to be enclosed for purposes of this subsection C.

ne. No stairway or balcony that is enclosed, or that is covered by a roof or canopy, may extend or project into any required yard area in any zone. If an openwork type railing of more than three and onehalf feet in height, or any enclosed railing, is installed or constructed on any such stairway or balcony, such stairway or balcony shall be deemed to be enclosed for purposes of this subsection C.

D. Open and unenclosed porches, platforms, or landing places that are not covered by a roof or canopy, and that do not extend above the level of the Yrst Zoor of the building, may extend or project into any required front or required rear yard not more than six feet, and may extend or project into a required side yard not more than three feet; provided, that no such extensions or projections are allowed into any required front, rear, or side yard areas in the R-1-B or R-2-B zone. No porch, platform, or landing place that is enclosed, or that is covered by a roof or canopy, may extend or project into any required yard area in any zone. If an openwork type railing of more than three and one-half feet in height, or any enclosed railing, is installed or constructed on any such porch, platform, or landing place, such porch, platform, or landing place shall be deemed to be enclosed for purposes of this subsection D.

E. Fire escapes may extend or project into any required front or required rear yard not more than six feet, or may extend or project into any required side yard not closer than three feet to any side lot line; provided, that no such extension or projection of Yre escapes is allowed into any required yard area in the R-1-B or R-2-B zone.

F. Chimneys may extend or project into a required front, side, or rear yard not more than 24 inches; provided, that any chimney extending or projecting into a required side yard shall not be closer than three feet to any side lot line.

G. Hot water heater enclosures may extend or project into a required front, side, or rear yard not more than 30 inches; provided, that any hot water heater enclosure extending or projecting into a required side yard shall not be closer than three feet to any side lot line.

The San Buenaventura Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2026-005, passed February 17, 2026.

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H. Unless otherwise provided in this zoning ordinance, no fence or wall, or dense landscaping that serves as a fence or wall, shall be located or maintained:

1. On a front property line or anywhere within a required front yard, unless such fence, wall, or dense landscaping is three and one-half feet or less in height; or

2. On the rear property line or anywhere within the required rear yard, unless such fence, wall, or dense landscaping is six feet or less in height; or

3. On a side property line or anywhere within a required side yard, unless such fence, wall, or dense landscaping is six feet or less in height; provided, that in any instance where such fence, wall, or dense landscaping, or portion thereof, is located or maintained on a side property line, or anywhere within a required side yard, on the street side of a reverse corner lot used by a residential use type, no such fence, wall, or dense landscaping, or portion thereof, shall exceed three and one-half feet in height for a distance of a minimum of 35 feet back towards the rear of the lot from the back of the curb at the corner radius.

I. Notwithstanding Section 24.405.060 or subsection H of this section, no fence or wall shall be located or maintained on a rear property line or anywhere within the required rear yard, or on a side property line or anywhere within the required side yard, in any instance where the height of such fence or wall, as measured from the lowest Ynished grade directly adjacent to the fence or wall to the highest point of such fence or wall, exceeds 10 feet, unless a minor variance is Yrst approved therefor in accordance with Chapter 24.535.

J. None of the structures, or architectural features or other portions thereof, described in subsections A through I of this section shall be located or maintained in a manner that precludes unobstructed access at all times around and about a primary building. Gates or open areas of at least two and one-half feet in width shall be provided for such required access. (Code 1971, § 15.610.030)

Where a dwelling unit is on the same lot as, but not attached to, another dwelling unit, an open yard space extending upward from areas of the site between any such unattached dwelling units, and of a minimum width equal to the sum of the areas of the required side setbacks for that lot, shall be left between such unattached dwelling units. No structural or architectural feature other than eaves or cornices shall be allowed to project into that required open yard space. (Code 1971, § 15.610.040)

Fences, walls or dense landscaping a maximum of six feet in height may be located on a property line or within a required front, side, or rear yard of a site used exclusively for nonresidential purposes except as follows:

The San Buenaventura Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2026-005, passed February 17, 2026.

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A. If the regulations for a zoning district require a front yard setback, no fence, wall or dense landscaping exceeding three and one-half feet in height may be located on the front lot line or anywhere within the required front yard;

B. If a lot is a corner lot, no fence, wall or dense landscaping exceeding three and one-half feet in height may be located within 10 feet of the point where the front lot line and street side lot line intersect; and

C. All uses within the Recycling Services: Scrap Operations use type shall provide a fence, wall or dense landscaping pursuant to Section 24.485.020(C). (Code 1971, § 15.610.050)