Definitions
San Diego Municipal Code § 159.0110
in effect§159.0110 Definitions
It is the purpose of Section 159.0110 to provide clear and concise definitions of those words, terms, and phrases which apply specifically to the La Jolla Planned District. The definitions in Land Development Code Section 113.0103 apply unless there is a conflict with the definitions in the La Jolla Planned District. Where a conflict exists the definitions in the La Jolla Planned District prevail.
(a) Accessory Uses - Any accessory use is intended to serve only the occupants of a principal permitted use on the premises and not the general public (see Section 159.0305).
(b) Auto Oriented Establishment - Auto oriented establishments are auto repair shops, automobile parts store, enclosed automobile sales, gasoline stations, car washes, and any other retail use or service which provides goods and services for automobile sales and maintenance, excluding outdoor car sales lots.
(c) Basement - That portion of a building which is partly below and partly above finished grade but located so that vertical distance from grade to the floor below is less than the vertical distance from grade to ceiling.
(d) Cellar - That portion of a building which is wholly or partly below grade and located so that the vertical distance from grade to floor is equal to, or greater than, the vertical distance from grade to ceiling.
(e) Community Character - The particular combination of community resources which are associated with the community and collectively establish the sense of time, place and uniqueness associated with La Jolla.
(f) Community Resource -Community resources are visual, cultural, archaeological, architectural, and historical focal points within a community they may be man-made or natural.
(g) Department Store - An establishment which is exclusively used for the retail sale of different products and merchandise types where the entire premises are used by a single tenant.
(h) Drive-thru Facility - Any facility requiring a vehicular crossing of a public sidewalk for the purposes of entering the premises, and performing a business transaction from the vehicle. Examples of drive-thru facilities are service stations, bank drive-thrus, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru restaurants, drive-thru cleaners, and other similar businesses, but excluding parking lots.
(i) Building Street Facade - The face or faces of the building nearest the street or streets.
(j) Existing Cultural Use Within Zone 6 Any of the cultural institutions, or any portion thereof, within Zone 6 as shown on that certain Map Drawing No. C-690.1, on file in the office of the City Clerk. These cultural institutions are: 1) the La Jolla Recreation Center, 2) the La Jolla Woman's Club, 3) the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, 4) the Bishop's School, 5) St. James-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, and 6) the La Jolla Presbyterian Church.
(k) Fast Food Restaurants - A restaurant business which sells primarily prepackaged-precooked food or packaged food cooked on the premises, and provides minimal seating areas on the premises. Food sold by this restaurant is typically eaten outside the premises. This definition would not include confectionery-type uses such as a candy store.
(l) Floor Area Ratio - The numerical value obtained by dividing the gross floor area of a building or buildings on the premises by the total parcel area of the premises on which such building or buildings are located.
(m) Ground Floor - The floor level nearest to street grade. Where two floor levels are equidistant from street grade, the lower floor shall be designated as the ground floor.
(n) Height - Notwithstanding the definition of height in Land Development Code Section 113.0103, the term height means the vertical distance between any point on any structure and the preexisting grade or finished grade, whichever is lower, directly below it. (See Appendix B.)
(o) Heritage Structure - A heritage structure means any building or structure which is found by the City of San Diego Historical Resources Board to be worthy of preservation.
(p) In-lieu Fees - The fees paid as an alternative to providing the required improvement on site. The "in-lieu fee" may be equivalent to the full cost, or percent of cost, of providing the improvement on site.
(q) Landscaped Areas - Landscaped areas on private property shall be defined as those unroofed areas open to the sky which include hardscape (paved pedestrian areas, fountains, sculptural elements), and vegetation.
(r) Mall- A narrow pedestrian landscaped area on private property, unroofed and open to the sky and developed through the building or between two buildings, linking a street to an alley or to streets (see Appendix B).
(s) Maximum Base Density - The maximum building floor area ratio allowable, by right, on each lot.
(t) Maximum Bonus Density - The maximum building floor area ratio allowable under special circumstances, in order to provide development incentives for certain land uses that are highly desirable in the community.
(u) Minor Addition or Enlargement - Any building expansion that does not exceed 30 percent of the gross floor area of the existing building or 3,000 gross square feet, whichever is less.
(v) Mixed Use - Any project that includes two or more land use categories.
(w) Office - An enterprise, organization or component thereof engaged in business, professional, or administrative activities including but not limited to corporate headquarters; governmental agencies; professional services such as physicians, attorneys, architects, and accountants; banks and financial institutions such as saving and loans; insurance firms, brokerage firms, and investment companies; real estate offices; and advertising agencies.
(x) Parking Structure (Above Ground) - Any structure located at or above grade and used primarily for off-street parking purposes. This definition also includes ground level parking areas covered by a structure, and above ground roof parking area.
(y) Patio - A pedestrian area on private property, open to the sky and surrounded on at least three sides by a building (see Appendix B).
z) Plaza - A landscaped space on private property, unroofed and open to the sky and an adjoining public right-of-way (street/sidewalk). A plaza is open to all types of pedestrian activity permitted in the adjacent sidewalk area (see Appendix B).
(aa) Rehabilitation - Rehabilitation is defined as the process of returning a property to a state of utility, through repair or alteration, which makes possible an efficient contemporary use while preserving those portions and features of the property which are significant to its historic, architectural, and cultural values. Under rehabilitation, every reasonable effort shall be made to provide compatible use for a property which requires minimal alteration of the building, structure, or site and its environment. The distinguishing original qualities or character of a building structure, or the site and its environment shall not be destroyed. The removal or alteration of any historic material or distinctive architectural features should be avoided.
(bb) Retail Establishment - A retail enterprise, organization or component thereof engaged in the dispensing of consumer goods and/or services to the general public, including restaurants, and consisting of one or more of those businesses listed in Appendix A.
(cc) Small Lot - Any lot which is 6,000 square feet, or less, in area.
(dd) Subarea - A portion of the territory within the boundaries of a zone. A subarea will contain specific regulations and requirements which supersede certain regulations of the zone.
(ee) Visual Access Corridor (Private Property) - Any portion of a property located between a public right-of-way and a natural scenic vista which is unroofed, and open to the sky and maintained free of all visual obstructions.
(ff) Zone - A portion of the territory within the boundaries of the La Jolla Planned District within which certain regulations and requirements apply under the provisions of the Planned District Regulations, as designated on Map C-690.2, Document No. OO-16312, on file in the office of the City Clerk.
(“Definitions” added 3-27-2007 by O-19595 N.S.; effective 4-26-2007.)
Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter15/Ch15Art09Division01.pdf#page=4Fetched: 10/28/2026