Woodside Municipal Code § 153.205 Lot Area

(1) Every building in which a principal use is conducted shall be located upon a legal lot of record.

(2) No lot shall be reduced in any manner below the minimum area required for subdivision prescribed for the district in which the lot is located, unless a lot area variance is granted in accordance with Section 153.940 of this chapter or the Planning Commission waives the lot size requirement, pursuant to division (D)(1) of this section.

(3) Table D sets forth the basic lot area and width requirements required for subdivision which apply to all zoning districts. Such basic regulations are further defined and supplemented by the additional requirements and exceptions set forth in this section.

TABLE D: Lot Area Requirements

(1) Pursuant to the definition of lot area in Section 153.005, for the purposes of this chapter, "lot area" shall mean the total area measured in a horizontal plane within the lot lines bounding the lot, excluding the following:

(a) Easements for road rights-of-way which are not for the exclusive use of the lot on which located;

(b) Any portion of an individual access strip in excess of five percent of the lot area required in the district; and

(c) Public utility or drainage easements when not located adjacent to property lines.

(1) If a particular lot, regardless of the lot area, falls within the following exemptions, the owner of the lot or the owner's successor in title or interest may use the lot as a building site for a use permitted in the zoning district in which such lot is located provided all other applicable regulations for the zoning district and all other local regulations are complied with:

(a) Any lot or parcel which was created and was established in full compliance with the zoning and subdivision regulations in force at the time such lot or parcel was created, except those nonconforming lots which are subject to the merger provisions of Section 152.130 et seq.; and

(b) Any lot specifically excepted by the subdivision provisions.

(1) The Planning Commission, upon reaching a finding that land under consideration for division contains unique visual, biological, cultural, or other physical characteristics, may waive the lot size required for subdivision or locational requirements in order to preserve one or more of such amenities. In no case shall the Planning Commission approve more building sites or lots than the applicant would be entitled to under the strict application of all of the applicable zoning and subdivision requirements, and in no case shall the Planning Commission approve individual lot sizes smaller than 50 percent but not less than three-fourths of an acre of the required minimum lot area required for subdivision (excluding the slope-density requirements) within the zone district. The Planning Commission may require that such preserved-environmental features be placed within protective open space or conservation easements or other ownership arrangements. The lot area may be modified by the slope-density standards pursuant to Section 153.414 of this chapter. The number of permitted building lots may also be modified by the findings of the environmental review process and the requirements of the subdivision provisions.

(Ord. 2017-589, effective 8-24-17; Am. Ord. 2020-604, § 2(Exh. A), effective 2-27-20)