Chapter 18.21
HOUSING OVERLAYS (HO-3, HO-4, HO-5, AND HO-6)
Sections:
18.21.020 Superimposed nature of housing overlays.
18.21.030 Permitted uses in housing overlays.
18.21.040 Prohibited uses in housing overlays.
18.21.050 Development standards for all housing overlays.
18.21.060 Building separation within a project.
18.21.070 Phasing of mixed use developments.
18.21.010 Housing overlays.
Gardena has few vacant or underutilized properties within the existing residential zones to accommodate residential growth without fundamentally changing residential land use policy. To accommodate residential demand, housing overlays are created that are placed over commercial- and industrial-zoned properties that are considered viable for housing development. The overlays provide for four density categories progressing from twelve to twenty units/acre to fifty-one to seventy units/acre. The overlays are designated HO-3 through HO-6 with HO-3 representing the overlay with the lowest density and HO-6 the highest density. (Ord. 1873 § 1, 2024; Ord. 1848 § 20, 2023; Ord. 1847 § 20, 2023)
18.21.020 Superimposed nature of housing overlays.
Land classified in the housing overlays shall also be classified in one or more underlying commercial or industrial zones. Property so classified shall be identified on the zoning map by both the underlying zone and the housing overlay. The regulations set forth in this chapter shall be in addition to those regulations in other chapters of this title. In the event of conflict between the provisions of the applicable housing overlay and the underlying zone, Chapter 18.42 (General Provisions), the provisions of the housing overlay shall prevail when residential uses are part of the development. If the housing overlay is silent on any development standard, the controlling development standards shall be in the following order: housing overlay; Chapter 18.42 (General Provisions); and then the underlying zone. (Ord. 1873 § 1, 2024; Ord. 1848 § 20, 2023; Ord. 1847 § 20, 2023)
18.21.030 Permitted uses in housing overlays.
The following uses shall be permitted in the housing overlays:
A. Residential developments and residential mixed use housing projects that comply with the residential design criteria of Section 18.42.190, subject to the density and development standards of the applicable overlay, and subject to the site plan review provisions of Chapter 18.44.
B. Mixed residential and commercial developments are permitted in commercial zones only. Industrial-residential mixed use is not permitted.
1. Commercial uses in mixed use developments are permitted, conditionally permitted, or prohibited in the same way they are permitted in the underlying zone. All conditions and limitations on the use within the underlying zone apply to the commercial portion of the development;
2. Residential portion of mixed use follows development standards of the applicable overlay.
C. Transitional and supportive housing are permitted subject only to those restrictions that apply to other residential dwellings of the same type within the overlay.
D. Commercial and industrial uses permitted in the underlying zone are subject to the provisions of the underlying zone only. (Ord. 1873 § 1, 2024; Ord. 1848 § 20, 2023; Ord. 1847 § 20, 2023)
18.21.040 Prohibited uses in housing overlays.
The following uses shall be explicitly prohibited in the housing overlays:
A. Home sharing rentals; and
B. Short-term rentals. (Ord. 1873 § 1, 2024; Ord. 1854 § 13, 2023; Ord. 1848 § 20, 2023; Ord. 1847 § 20, 2023)
18.21.050 Development standards for all housing overlays.
The property development and design standards set forth in this section shall apply to land and buildings within the HO-3, HO-4, HO-5, and HO-6 for a residential or mixed-use project. In the event of a conflict with standards or requirements within other chapters of this title, the provisions in this section shall prevail.
A. Lot Dimensions.
1. Minimum lot width at street frontage: fifty feet;
2. No minimum or maximum lot depth;
B. Minimum Lot Area.
1. In HO-3, HO-4, and HO-5: five thousand square feet;
2. In HO-6: one-half acre.
C. Yards. Minimum setbacks measured from property lines:
1. Front yard: ten feet;
2. Side yard:
a. Five feet for first two stories of a building;
b. Ten feet for corner lots (street-facing side only);
c. Ten feet for stories above the second floor.
3. Rear yard:
a. Fifteen feet if adjacent to R-1 or R-2 zoned property;
b. Five feet in all other circumstances.
4. Minimum distances between buildings on the same site: notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, the following shall apply:
|
Between residential, commercial, and mixed use |
10 feet |
|
Residential side to side |
10 feet |
|
Residential front to side |
15 feet |
|
Front to front with interior court |
20 feet |
|
Front to front with driveway between |
30 feet |
|
Residential to accessory structure |
6 feet |
D. Maximum Building Height.
1. In all housing overlays, forty feet for any portion of a structure that is within twenty feet of:
a. R-1 or R-2 zoned property; or
b. A property line abutting a collector or local street.
2. For the remaining portions of a structure, the maximum height is as follows:
a. HO-3:
i. Forty feet and three stories for residential only structures;
ii. Fifty-five feet and four stories for mixed-use structures with ground floor commercial.
b. HO-4:
i. Fifty-five feet and four stories for residential only structures;
ii. Sixty-five feet and five stories for mixed-use structures with ground floor commercial.
c. HO-5:
i. Sixty-five feet and five stories for residential only structures;
ii. Seventy-five feet and six stories for mixed-use structures with ground floor commercial.
d. HO-6:
i. Seventy-five feet and six stories for residential only structures;
ii. Eighty-five feet and seven stories for mixed-use structures with ground floor commercial.
3. An additional five feet of structural height without usable floor area is permitted for architectural projections in all overlay zones.
E. Density and Intensity. For developments involving residential alone or as part of a mixed-use project, the minimum and maximum residential densities are as follows:
|
|
Minimum Density (DU/Acre) |
Maximum Density (DU/Acre) |
|---|---|---|
|
HO-3 |
12 |
20 |
|
HO-4 |
21 |
30 |
|
HO-5 |
31 |
50 |
|
HO-6 |
51 |
70 |
F. Minimum Unit Size.
1. Four hundred square feet;
2. No minimum dwelling unit size shall be required for an affordable housing unit where the applicant enters into an affordable housing agreement with the city to be recorded against the property to ensure continued affordability of all moderate, low, and very low income rental units for at least fifty-five years or where the applicant enters into an equity sharing agreement for all for-sale affordable housing units upon the same terms and conditions as in Section 18.43.045(D);
G. Usable Open Space. A minimum of one hundred fifty square feet of outdoor usable common or private open space shall be provided per dwelling unit in accordance with the requirements of Section 18.42.065.
H. Off-Street Parking. The provisions of Chapter 18.40 shall apply, with the following exceptions or additions:
1. Minimum residential parking requirements:
a. Studio units: one parking space per unit;
b. One and two-bedroom units: one and one-half parking spaces per unit;
c. Units with more than two bedrooms: two parking spaces per unit.
d. Unless reduced or eliminated by applicable state law, units that are affordable to low, very low, or extremely low income households, senior housing, and special needs or supportive housing shall provide parking at the rates specified in Section 18.43.090(B).
2. Tandem and mechanical parking:
a. Residential parking may be satisfied by tandem spaces where parking is assigned to a single residential unit. Two-level mechanical vehicle lifts are to be treated as tandem and subject to the same restrictions. Unassigned parking and parking assigned to different units may not be tandem;
b. Mechanical or robotic parking structures that accommodate three or more vehicles are permitted subject to the development standards applicable to a residential structure;
3. Parking for residential units on lots less than 10,000 square feet shall be directly accessible to the street system via an alley, if available; otherwise as follows:
a. Local street, if available;
b. If no alley or local street is available, then a collector street;
c. If no alley, local or collector street is available, then an arterial;
4. Residential lots of ten thousand square feet or greater shall not provide direct vehicular access to an alley. Parking shall be directly accessible to the street system via a local street, if available; otherwise as follows:
a. If no local street is available, then a collector street;
b. If no local or collector street is available, then an arterial;
5. Parking for commercial and guest parking shall be directly accessible to the street system via an arterial, if available; otherwise as follows:
a. Collector street, if available;
b. If no arterial or collector streets are available, then a local street;
6. Guest parking spaces required:
a. One-quarter space per unit in all residential and mixed-use developments unless reduced or eliminated by applicable state law;
b. Guest spaces in a mixed-use project may not be tandem;
7. Shared parking between commercial and residential guest spaces is permitted in mixed-use developments as follows:
a. Only guest parking spaces that are directly accessible to both commercial customers and residential visitors may be used as shared parking. The percentages below are applied only to guest parking that meets this criterion. “Directly accessible,” as used here shall mean: (i) using the same curb cuts and driveways as the commercial parking; and (ii) not being separated from commercial or residential pedestrian entry points by a wall, fence, gate, berm, or other similar barrier;
b. Commercial space developed as office: seventy-five percent of the guest parking spaces may also be counted toward required commercial parking;
c. Commercial space developed as retail: fifty percent of the guest parking spaces may also be counted toward required commercial parking;
d. Commercial space developed as a restaurant: twenty percent of the guest parking spaces may also be counted toward required commercial parking;
e. Commercial space developed for any use other than those listed above shall be considered retail for the purpose of this calculation;
f. If more than one type of commercial use is developed within the commercial space, shared parking shall be determined by the use with the lowest sharing percentage. If circumstances indicate that a higher sharing percentage may be warranted, this may be allowed subject to the following:
i. The applicant pays for a shared parking study to be commissioned by the city which shows that the number of spaces being provided is sufficient for shared parking use; and
ii. A declaration of restrictions is recorded against the property which provides that there shall be no change in uses allowed without a subsequent parking study that verifies that the number of parking spaces provided is sufficient for shared parking use; and
iii. The applicant complies with any conditions required by the parking study to ensure there is sufficient parking;
iv. The planning commission shall approve shared parking under the process set forth in Chapter 18.44 for site plan review;
8. Bicycle Parking.
a. Long-term bicycle parking shall be provided at the rate of one space per every four residential units. Long-term spaces shall be covered, lockable enclosures with permanently anchored racks for bicycles, lockable bicycle rooms with permanently anchored racks, or lockable, permanently anchored bicycle lockers. This requirement shall not apply to any unit which has an enclosed two-car garage;
b. Short-term bicycle parking shall be provided at a rate of five percent of required visitor parking, with a minimum of one two-bike capacity rack. Such parking shall be by means of permanently anchored bicycle racks.
I. Signs. The provisions of Chapter 18.58 shall apply.
J. Storage Space. A minimum of eighty contiguous cubic feet of private secure storage space shall be provided for each dwelling unit with a minimum dimension of two feet in any direction. Bicycle lockers satisfy this requirement, but bedroom closets and kitchen and bathroom cabinets do not.
K. General provisions as set forth in the table found in Section 18.42.010. (Ord. 1873 § 1, 2024; Ord. 1848 § 20, 2023; Ord. 1847 § 20, 2023)
18.21.060 Building separation within a project.
A. Between a residential and commercial or mixed-use building: fifteen feet;
B. Between residential buildings: ten feet. (Ord. 1873 § 1, 2024; Ord. 1848 § 20, 2023; Ord. 1847 § 20, 2023)
18.21.070 Phasing of mixed-use developments.
New mixed-use projects shall include construction of both the residential and nonresidential parts concurrently. (Ord. 1873 § 1, 2024; Ord. 1848 § 20, 2023; Ord. 1847 § 20, 2023)