20.12.040 - Yards.
A. Yards Generally. More than one principal building may be located on a lot in the following instances, however, the provision of these exceptions shall not be construed to allow any building to be constructed outside the buildable area of the lot:
1. Institutional buildings;
2. Public or semipublic buildings;
3. Multifamily dwellings or groups of single-family attached buildings;
4. Commercial or industrial buildings;
5. Homes for the elderly.
B. Front yard regulations may be modified as follows:
1. Where the frontage of a parcel of land is divided among districts with different front yards, the deepest front yard requirement shall apply to the entire frontage;
2. Where forty percent or more of the lot frontage is occupied by two or more buildings, then the required front yard for a new structure is established in the following manner, except that a front yard in excess of district regulations shall not be required:
a. Where the building farthermost from the street provides a front yard not more than ten feet deeper than the building closest to the street, then the front yard for the frontage is and remains an average of the then existing front yards.
b. Where subsection a does not apply and a lot is within one hundred feet of a building on each side, then the front yard is a line drawn from the closest front corners of these two adjacent buildings.
c. Where neither subsection a or b apply and the lot is within one hundred feet of an existing building on one side only, then the front yard is the same as that of the existing adjacent building.
d. The above calculations shall only apply to those buildings providing the required rear yard;
3. Gasoline and diesel or other fueling pump and pump islands may occupy required yards; provided, however, that they are not less than twelve feet from all lot lines. A freestanding canopy with support columns centered on the pump or pump island may encroach up to fifteen feet into the required front yard; provided, that it shall not extend closer than two feet to any lot line;
4. On a dwelling or apartment site an unenclosed porch, carport or entranceway patio with a wall up to six feet high, each not more than one hundred fifty square feet in floor area may extend not more than ten feet into a required front yard. Chimney backs, bay windows, eaves and cornices may extend not more than thirty inches into the required front yard except that cornices and eaves of the main building may extend not more than four feet into the front yard;
5. For apartment houses and other nonresidential structures only, a canopy or other sunshade over a walkway shall be permitted in the front yard or any yard abutting a street, even if wholly supported by attachment to the main structure, providing such canopy or sunshade is not otherwise enclosed. Columns or tiedown struts, if used, shall not be greater than three inches in diameter, and shall not be spaced closer than six feet apart on either side of the walkway. The canopy or sunshade may extend to within two feet of the property line.
D. Right-of-Way Dedication Requirements. Whenever a new nonresidential building is erected or an existing residential building converted to a nonresidential use, no building or occupancy permit is to be issued until a determination is made by the traffic engineer as to the need for dedication of additional right-of-way in accordance with state law. If it is determined that additional right-of-way is needed, such shall be dedicated to public use prior to issuance of any building or occupancy permit.
E. Side and rear yard regulations may be modified as follows:
1. For residential buildings existing on or before August 1, 1979, carports may extend up to three feet into a required side yard, but only when screened by a masonry wall not less than five feet in height erected along the lot line. Carports that extend into the required side yard shall not be enclosed;
2. Sills, eaves, belt courses, wing-walls at heights above six feet, window air conditioning units, chimney backs, bay windows, cornices and ornamental features may project a distance not to exceed twenty-four inches into a required side yard, and thirty inches into a required rear yard;
3. Open fire escapes, fireproof outside stairways and balconies opening from fire towers, and the ordinary projections of chimneys and flues into a rear yard may project into a required yard for a distance of not more than three and one-half feet, when placed so as to not obstruct light and ventilation;
4. Open, unenclosed porches that do not exceed one hundred eighty square feet in area may extend twelve feet into a required rear yard;
5. Terraces which do not extend above the ground level and that do not exceed one hundred fifty square feet of floor area, with a wall up to six feet in height may project five feet into a required yard, provided these projections be located at least two feet from the adjacent lot line;
6. Where an industrial tract abuts railroad property containing a spur track on the rear or side property line, a railroad loading dock, or the building itself, may extend to the property line for the purpose of receiving service from the railroad spur track;
7. In the R-1, R-2 or R-2A districts where a residential property abuts a dedicated public right-of-way, other than a street right-of-way, owned by the city, the building may extend into the side yard to within five feet of the property line.
F. Side street yard regulations may be modified as follows:
1. For residential buildings existing on or before August 1, 1979, carports may extend to five feet into a required side street yard. Carports that extend into the required side street yard shall not be enclosed;
2. Sills, eaves, belt courses, wing-walls at heights above six feet, window air conditioning units, chimney backs, bay windows, cornices and ornamental features may project a distance not to exceed twenty-four inches into a required side street yard;
3. Accessory structures may extend up to five feet into a required side street yard.
(Ord. 16653 § 2 (part), 2007)
