RAS3 RESIDENTIAL/ACCESSORY SERVICES ZONE PURPOSE STATEMENT.
LA Planning and Zoning Code § 12.10.5
in effect(Added by Ord. No. 174,999, Eff. 1/15/03.)
The purpose of this zone is to provide a mechanism to increase housing opportunities, enhance neighborhoods, and revitalize older commercial corridors. The RAS3 Zone is intended to provide a tool to accommodate projected population growth in mixed use and residential projects that is compatible with existing residential neighborhoods.
The following regulations shall apply in the RAS3 Residential/Accessory Services Zone:
A. Use. No building, structure or land shall be used and no building or structure shall be erected, structurally altered, enlarged, or maintained, except for the following uses:
1. Any use permitted in the “R3” Multiple Dwelling Zone.
2. The following uses when located on the ground floor of any residential building permitted in the “R3” Multiple Dwelling Zone when conducted in accordance with the limitations specified in Subsection B., below:
(a) Bakery goods shop;
(b) Bank;
(c) Barber shop or beauty parlor;
(d) Book or stationery store;
(e) Childcare facility;
(f) Clothes cleaning agency or pressing establishment (excluding chemical processing);
(g) Clothing store;
(h) Clubs or lodges, bridge clubs, fraternal or religious associations;
(i) Community facilities as defined in Section 13.09 B.3.;
(j) Recreation centers owned and operated by governmental agencies;
(k) Confectionery stores;
(l) Counseling and referral facilities;
(m) Custom dressmaking or millinery stores;
(n) Drug stores or pharmacies;
(o) Dry goods or notions stores;
(p) Florist or gift shops;
(q) Grocery, fruit, or vegetable stores;
(r) Hardware or electric appliance stores (no repairs on premises);
(s) Jewelry stores;
(t) Joint Live/work quarters;
(u) Meat markets or delicatessens;
(v) Offices, business or professional;
(w) Photographer;
(x) Property management office;
(y) Restaurants, tea rooms or cafes (excluding dancing or entertainment and excluding restaurants with drive-through services);
(z) Schools;
(aa) Shoe stores or shoe repair stores;
(bb) Laundries or cleaning establishments or a self-service type, using only automatic machines with non- flammable cleaning fluid;
(cc) Other uses similar to the above list, when determined as provided for in Section 12.21 A.2.;
(dd) Uses (not involving open storage) customarily incident to any of the above- named uses and accessory buildings (including storage garages) when located on the same lot. Automobile parking space required in connection with permitted uses as provided for in Section 12.21 A.4.;
(ee) Facilities for the development of software (including the reproduction of software and data) and other computer and media-related projects and services, not including hardware.
3. Uses permitted in a “Supplemental Use District” when created pursuant to the provisions of Article 3 of this chapter.
B. Restrictions and Limitations.
1. All merchandise shall be new and shall be sold at retail only.
2. All activities are conducted wholly within an enclosed building, except that restaurants may have Outdoor Dining Areas. (Amended by Ord. No. 188,073, Eff. 1/31/24.)
3. All products produced, whether primary or incidental, are sold on the premises, and not more than five persons are engaged in the production or in servicing of materials.
4. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 12.21 A.7., each tenant space may only have one exterior wall sign or projecting sign, not exceeding 20 feet square feet in area, provided the sign does not extend more than two feet beyond the wall of the building, and does not project above the floor of the story immediately above the ground floor. Signs shall not be internally illuminated.
5. Prior approval in accordance with the provisions of Section 12.24.1 shall be required for any lot designated as Public, Quasi-Public, Public/Quasi-Public Use, other Public, or Open Space on the land use map of the applicable community or district plan; any lot shown on the map as having existing lakes, waterways, reservoirs, debris basins, or similar facilities; any lot shown on the map as the location of a freeway right-of-way; and any property annexed to the City of Los Angeles where a plan amendment was not adopted as part of the annexation proceedings.
C. Area. No building or structure nor the enlargement of any building or structure shall be erected or maintained unless the following yards and lot areas are provided and maintained in connection with the building, structure or enlargement.
1. Front Yard. There shall be a front yard of not less than five feet in depth, except that where the adjoining building on each side maintains a front yard of less than five feet in depth, the required front yard shall be the average of the front yards of the existing building or buildings.
2. Side Yard. Not required for the ground floor portion of buildings, when the ground floor is used exclusively for commercial purposes. For all portions of buildings erected and used for residential purposes, there shall be side yards of not less than five feet in width along the residential potion of the perimeter of the building.
3. Rear Yard. There shall be a rear yard of not less than 15 feet in depth when the subject property is located adjacent to property zoned RD or more restrictive, otherwise there shall be a rear yard of not less than five feet in depth.
4. Lot Area. Every lot shall have a minimum width of 50 feet and a minimum area of 5,000 square feet. The minimum lot area per dwelling unit shall be 800 square feet of lot area for each dwelling unit.
Provided, that where a lot has a width of less than 50 feet or an area of less than 5,000 square feet and was held under separate ownership or was of record as of September 23, 1956, and the lot was created in conformance with the Subdivision Map Act, the lot may be occupied by any use permitted in this section, except for those uses explicitly requiring more than 5,000 square feet of lot area, and the lot area per dwelling unit shall be not less than 800 square feet. In no case, however, shall more than two dwelling units be permitted where a lot has an area of less than 4,000 square feet.
The minimum lot area per guest room shall be 200 square feet.
Exceptions to area regulations are provided for in Section 12.22 C.
5. Loading Space. A loading space shall be provided in accordance with Section 12.21 C.6. for any building that contains a commercial use on the ground floor.
6. Minimum Density. A minimum density of one Dwelling Unit or Guest Room, inclusive of Accessory Dwelling Units, for every 2,000 square feet of lot area is required for every Housing Development Project on lots meeting the minimum width and lot area requirements for the zone, prior to any subdivision, except when Section 12.22 C.28. applies. The minimum density calculation shall be rounded up to the nearest unit to ensure the minimum density standard is met. If the minimum lot area per Dwelling Unit or Guest Room for the zone does not allow for construction of the required minimum density, the minimum density shall not apply. (Added by Ord. No. 188,479, Eff. 2/11/25, Oper. 2/11/25.)
Source: amlegal_browserURL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/sanfrancisco/latest/sfplanning/Fetched: 6/28/2026
Source: amlegal_browserURL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles/latest/lapz/Fetched: 7/25/2026