The Hillside District is intended to provide for limited uses of hillside areas which are consistent with the City's General Plan. The mix of permitted uses, the intensity of uses, and the distribution of uses are to be based largely on natural environmental factors and accessibility to necessary facilities and services. The hillside areas must be kept in a natural state to the greatest extent feasible in order to protect the public health, safety and general welfare, and minimize the hazards identified in the Public Safety and Noise Element of the General Plan and to advance the goals and policies of the Open Space, Parkland and Conservation Element of the General Plan. Slope density regulations which correlate intensity of development to the steepness of terrain will be used to minimize grading, removal of vegetation, land instability, and fire hazards. Clustering of residential units will be encouraged. Transfer of development credits will also be used as a means of limiting residential development to areas designated on the General Plan.
(08-05)
A. 
The following uses and development shall be permitted in the H District:
1. 
In areas shown as Hillside Residential Overlay on the General Plan Land Use Plan, in areas within 500 feet of Webb Canyon Road or 300 feet of Base Line Road, the following uses and development are permitted provided proposed building sites and project accessibility meet the requirements of this chapter:
a. 
One single-family dwelling unit per lot for occupancy by no more than one household.
b. 
Accessory buildings and structures located on the same lot as a single-family dwelling unit subject to the development standards of this chapter and all other applicable provisions of this title.
c. 
One accessory dwelling unit per lot subject to the development standards of this chapter and requirements of Chapter 16.333 entitled Accessory Second Units.
d. 
Home occupations, subject to approval pursuant to Chapter 16.327.
e. 
The growing of crops and fruits when accessory to and subordinate to a residential use.
f. 
The keeping of animals as pets and not for commercial purposes, subject to Title 6 of this Code.
2. 
Low intensity uses such as watershed, pasture, trails, and scientific study requiring no more than minor structures or minor terrain modification.
3. 
Public parks and open spaces.
B. 
The following uses and developments may be permitted in the H District with a conditional use permit:
1. 
The keeping of large animals for commercial purposes and the keeping of large animals for noncommercial purposes in excess of that number permitted by Title 6 of the Claremont Municipal Code.
2. 
The growing of crops and fruits.
3. 
Organized equestrian riding, training and boarding.
4. 
Limited commercial recreation uses suitable to open space areas.
5. 
Other uses listed in Chapter 16.303, as permitted in any district with a conditional use permit subject to these uses being consistent with the intent of the Hillside District and the City's General Plan.
C. 
No building, structure or land shall be used, and no building or structure shall be erected, altered or enlarged except in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(08-05; 14-04)
The following requirements shall apply to all land and structures in the Hillside District:
A. 
Residential Density
1. 
Maximum residential density for a specific parcel shall not exceed the density limits set out in paragraph 2 of this subsection. The Planning Commission may, for reasons related only to the applicant's parcel, require a density less than the maximum otherwise permitted upon a finding that the reduced maximum is necessary to implement specific policies in the General Plan.
In the case of Residential Unit Developments or residential developments utilizing transfer of development credits, the overall maximum density in a cluster area shall be 0.5 acres per dwelling unit.
2. 
All Hillside District classifications are combined with a Slope-Density standard denoted as SD-l, SD-2, or SD-3. These Slope-Density standards establish different densities based on accessibility and location within the City. The Slope-Density standards are set forth on Tables 1, 2 and 3 of this section.
Column One, Gross Area per Dwelling Unit, shall be used for Residential Unit Developments, and Column Two, Minimum Lot Area per Dwelling Unit, shall be used in all other cases. Gross Residential Area is the total area devoted exclusively to the use of the residents plus all trail easements, road rights-of-way and any open spaces meeting the requirements of Section 16.010.030, Transfer of Development Credits. Net residential area is the total area devoted exclusively to the use of the residents. Where lands are in excess of 50% slope, such lands shall be assigned a slope of 50% for purposes of determining the average slope of the parcel.
3. 
Average slope shall be calculated by the following formula:
S
=
IL (0.00229)
A
where
S = Average natural ground slope of the total project area in percent
I = The contour interval in feet. (For parcels 20 acres or larger, the maximum contour interval shall be 40 feet. For parcels of less than 20 acres, contours shall meet the standards of Title 17 of this Code, unless the Director of Community Development finds a larger contour interval will provide reasonable accuracy for purposes of determining the average slope of the parcel under consideration.)
L = the total length of all contour lines within the total project, in feet.
A = the gross area of the project, in acres.
0.00229 = a constant used to convert square feet into acres x 100%
or
1 acre
x
100%
43,560 sq. ft.
The calculated average natural slope shall be rounded to the nearest whole number.
B. 
Property Development Standards
1. 
The following standards govern unless modified as part of a Residential Unit Development, Specific Plan, or Architectural Commission review:
 
SD-1
SD-2
SD-3
Minimum lot size
See Tables 1, 2, 3 – Slope Density Standards
Minimum lot width
150 ft.
200 ft.
250 ft.
Minimum lot depth
150 ft.
200 ft.
250 ft.
Minimum front yard setback
20 ft.
20 ft.
20 ft.
Minimum rear yard setback
10 ft.
10 ft.
10 ft.
Minimum street side yard setback
20 ft.
20 ft.
20 ft.
Minimum interior side yard setback
10 ft.
10 ft.
10 ft.
Maximum height
25 ft.
25 ft.
25 ft.
Required parking
2 spaces per dwelling unit*
*
When any accessory building is located less than six feet from a main residential building, the floor area of such accessory building shall be included in the floor area calculation of the main residential building. The accessory building shall still be subject to all accessory building standards.
2. 
Required parking need not be covered but must be screen from any public right-of-way.
3. 
For exceptions and explanatory descriptions, for standards of accessory structures, fences, walls, and signs, and for off-site improvements and dedication requirements, see Chapters 16.133 through 16.139. All standards applicable to single-family residential districts apply to the property in the H (Hillside) District, excepting if modified as part of a specific plan or planned unit development.
TABLE 1
SLOPE DENSITY STANDARDS SD-1*
(Density Range of 1 acre per dwelling unit to 20 acres per dwelling unit)
Slope Category in Percent
Gross Area Per Dwelling Unit in Acres
Min. Lot Area per Dwelling Unit in Acres
Slope Category in Percent
Gross Area per Dwelling Unit in Acres
Min. Lot Area per Dwelling Unit in Acres
 
(1)
(2)
 
(1)
(2)
0
1.00
.92
25
1.90
1.75
1
1.02
.94
26
1.98
1.82
2
1.04
.95
27
2.05
1.89
3
1.06
.97
28
2.14
1.97
4
1.08
.99
29
2.23
2.05
5
1.10
1.02
30
2.33
2.15
6
1.13
1.04
31
2.43
2.24
7
1.15
1.06
32
2.55
2.35
8
1.18
1.08
33
2.68
2.48
9
1.21
1.11
34
2.82
2.61
10
1.23
1.13
35
2.99
2.75
11
1.26
1.16
36
3.16
2.93
12
1.30
1.19
37
3.37
3.12
13
1.33
1.22
38
3.60
3.33
14
1.36
1.25
39
3.86
3.58
15
1.40
1.29
40
4.17
3.87
16
1.44
1.32
41
4.52
4.20
17
1.48
1.36
42
4.95
4.61
18
1.52
1.40
43
5.46
5.09
19
1.56
1.44
44
6.10
5.70
20
1.61
1.48
45
6.90
6.46
21
1.67
1.53
46
7.94
7.46
22
1.72
1.58
47
9.35
8.83
23
1.78
1.64
48
11.36
10.81
24
1.84
1.69
49
14.49
13.94
 
 
 
50 & Over
20.00
19.61
* The values in this table are derived from the equations:
(1)
Gross Area Per Dwelling Unit in Acres
1
1.0 – 0.019S
(2)
Minimum Lot Area per Dwelling Unit in Acres
1
1.089 – 0.02076S
Where S is the average natural ground slope in percent.
TABLE 2
SLOPE DENSITY STANDARDS SD-2*
(Density Range of 2 acres per dwelling unit to 20 acres per dwelling unit)
Slope Category in Percent
Gross Area Per Dwelling Unit in Acres
Min. Lot Area per Dwelling Unit in Acres
Slope Category in Percent
Gross Area per Dwelling Unit in Acres
Min. Lot Area per Dwelling Unit in Acres
 
(1)
(2)
 
(1)
(2)
0
2.00
1.85
25
3.64
3.38
1
2.04
1.89
26
3.76
3.50
2
2.07
1.92
27
3.89
3.62
3
2.11
1.96
28
4.03
3.76
4
2.16
2.00
29
4.18
3.90
5
2.20
2.04
30
4.35
4.06
6
2.24
2.08
31
4.52
4.22
7
2.29
2.12
32
4.72
4.40
8
2.34
2.17
33
4.92
4.60
9
2.39
2.21
34
5.15
4.82
10
2.44
2.26
35
5.41
5.06
11
2.49
2.31
36
5.68
5.32
12
2.55
2.37
37
5.99
5.61
13
2.61
2.42
38
6.33
5.94
14
2.67
2.48
39
6.71
6.31
15
2.74
2.54
40
7.14
6.72
16
2.81
2.61
41
7.63
7.19
17
2.88
2.68
42
8.20
7.74
18
2.96
2.75
43
8.85
8.37
19
3.04
2.82
44
9.62
9.12
20
3.13
2.90
45
10.53
10.01
21
3.22
2.99
46
11.63
11.10
22
3.31
3.08
47
12.99
12.45
23
3.41
3.17
48
14.71
14.17
24
3.52
3.28
49
16.95
16.45
 
 
 
50 & Over
20.00
19.61
* The values in this table are derived from the equations:
(1)
Gross Area Per Dwelling Unit in Acres
1
0.5 – 0.009S
(2)
Minimum Lot Area per Dwelling Unit in Acres
1
0.54 – 0.00978S
Where S is the average natural ground slope in percent.
TABLE 3
SLOPE DENSITY STANDARDS SD-3*
(Density Range of 5 acres per dwelling unit to 20 acres per dwelling unit)
Slope Category in Percent
Gross Area Per Dwelling Unit in Acres
Min. Lot Area per Dwelling Unit in Acres
Slope Category in Percent
Gross Area per Dwelling Unit in Acres
Min. Lot Area per Dwelling Unit in Acres
 
(1)
(2)
 
(1)
(2)
0
5.00
4.59
25
8.00
7.43
1
5.08
4.66
26
8.20
7.62
2
5.15
4.73
27
8.40
7.82
3
5.24
4.81
28
8.62
8.03
4
5.32
4.89
29
8.85
8.25
5
5.41
4.97
30
9.09
8.49
6
5.49
5.05
31
9.35
8.74
7
5.59
5.14
32
9.62
9.00
8
5.68
5.23
33
9.90
9.28
9
5.78
5.32
34
10.20
9.57
10
5.88
5.42
35
10.53
9.89
11
5.99
5.52
36
10.87
10.23
12
6.10
5.62
37
11.23
10.59
13
6.21
5.73
38
11.63
10.98
14
6.33
5.84
39
12.05
11.40
15
6.45
5.96
40
12.50
11.84
16
6.58
6.08
41
12.99
12.33
17
6.71
6.20
42
13.51
12.87
18
6.85
6.33
43
14.08
13.44
19
6.99
6.47
44
14.71
14.08
20
7.14
6.61
45
15.34
14.77
21
7.30
6.76
46
16.13
15.54
22
7.46
6.92
47
16.95
16.39
23
7.63
7.08
48
17.46
17.34
24
7.81
7.25
49
18.87
18.40
 
 
 
50 & Over
20.00
19.61
* The values in this table are derived from the equations:
(1)
Gross Area Per Dwelling Unit in Acres
1
0.2 – 0.003S
(2)
Minimum Lot Area per Dwelling Unit in Acres
1
0.218 – 0.00334S
Where S is the average natural ground slope in percent.
C. 
New Developments
Any division of land into five or more lots, or any proposal which would allow the construction of five or more dwelling units, shall be permitted only in conjunction with this title.
D. 
General Design Criteria
All new development shall be subject to architectural review pursuant to Chapter 16.300 of this title. In addition to the review criteria denoted in Chapter 16.300, the following criteria apply to new development:
1. 
Plans for hillside developments shall conform to the provisions of the General Plan and any specific plans adopted for the hillside area.
2. 
There shall be flexibility in the siting of dwelling units so as to best fit the natural terrain, minimize spoilage of the land and maintain the level of quality of the surrounding area.
3. 
Outstanding natural features, such as the highest crest of the hill range, canyons, natural rock out-croppings, particularly desirable vegetation, and natural water courses, and areas particularly abundant in wildlife, shall be preserved.
4. 
The introduction and conservation of plant material shall be required to protect slopes from slippage or soil erosion and to minimize the visual effects of any grading or construction on hillside areas, including the preservation of prominent trees.
5. 
Buildings shall be designed to accommodate sloping sites and minimize the amount of grading required. The use of innovative building techniques to best blend buildings into the terrain is encouraged.
6. 
Streets shall follow the natural contour lines wherever possible to minimize the amount of grading required, and street improvements and lighting shall harmonize with the natural character of the hillsides.
7. 
Any view corridors or scenic vistas from adjacent development shall be preserved to the maximum extent possible.
8. 
The proposed development shall not be in conflict with the goals and policies of the Los Angeles County Fire Department or the Los Angeles County Flood Control District unless there is a finding by the Planning Commission that said goals and policies are not consistent with other adopted goals and policies of the City of Claremont.
E. 
Fire Protection Standards
For fire protection standards, see the Fire Code and Building Code of the City of Claremont. Placement of buildings shall be such that required brush clearance may be performed within the limits of the development of which such buildings are a part. The entire foothills area shall be considered to be Fire Zone Four.
F. 
Grading
The following standards shall apply to the grading of land and shall be in addition to the Grading Standards contained in the Building Code.
1. 
No excavation or fill exceeding three feet vertical height and no cut or fill slopes in excess of three feet vertical height shall be created without the prior approval of the Director of Community Development, or the Planning Commission when such grading is in conjunction with a residential unit development. The Director's decision may be appealed to the Planning Commission. The Director, and the Planning Commission on appeal or in reviewing grading plans for residential unit developments, shall find the following criteria are met by the grading plans:
a. 
The extent of grading indicated is necessary for the use of property to the extent of the uses permitted by the Zoning Ordinance.
b. 
The proposed grading will have no adverse environmental effect on surrounding property or the permitted use thereof.
c. 
The proposed grading plan, when compared to possible alternative plans which would serve the same function, will result in the most natural appearance and greatest preservation of natural terrain and water courses possible.
d. 
The landscape plans indicate sufficient permanent, fire-resistant plantings, preferably native, with adequate root systems to protect slopes from erosion and slippage, and to minimize the visual effects of grading and construction.
e. 
The irrigation plans indicate a full-coverage system, adequate to permanently sustain the slope plantings.
2. 
No cut or fill slopes shall be created which exceed 30 feet vertical height, or 400 feet in horizontal length (except that slopes required for public streets may exceed 400 feet in length); except that the Planning Commission may permit slopes exceeding these dimensions where the slopes will be the result of earth contouring which the Commission finds will result in a natural appearance and will not create geological or erosion hazards.
3. 
All cut and fill slopes shall be contoured to present a natural appearance and shall be blended in with the natural grade, per a plan approved by the Director of Community Development or the Planning Commission when such grading is in conjunction with a residential unit development.
G. 
Other Requirements
1. 
All applications for subdivisions of land or proposed residential developments shall be accompanied by sufficient information as determined appropriate by the City to demonstrate compliance with the provisions of this chapter and the General Plan. The General Plan describes goals and policies to preserve natural open space, protect limited natural habitats and watershed areas, minimize natural hazards including fire and earthquake induced landslides, and promote fiscal stability of the City; and it shall be incumbent on applicants to perform those studies as deemed necessary by the City to address all potential environmental, safety, and economic issues related to the development of the applicant's property.
2. 
Open space easements shall be dedicated to the City covering such lands shown as Hillside (non-Hillside Residential Overlay) space as the City may require to implement the General Plan, said easements to be dedicated during final map recordation or during Architectural Commission review.
(08-05; 12-01; 14-04)
A. 
Purpose
To provide a procedure whereby development credits may be transferred from parcels in the Hillside District to other parcels in the Hillside District with areas shown for housing clusters on the General Plan, and, furthermore, to stipulate conditions for ownership and use of non-Hillside Residential Overlay space.
B. 
Definitions
1. 
Donor Parcel – Parcel from which development credits are transferred.
2. 
Receiver Parcel – Parcel to which development credits are transferred.
3. 
Development Credit – A development credit is a potential entitlement to construct one dwelling on land within the area designated Hillside Residential Overlay in the General Plan, which may only be exercised when the development credit has been transferred pursuant to the provisions of this chapter from a donor to a receiver parcel and other applicable requirements are fulfilled.
C. 
Applicability
The transfer of development credits may be authorized when the following conditions are met:
1. 
Both the donor and receiver parcels are in the Hillside District; and
2. 
The Planning Commission finds that the receiver parcel has sufficient area with the General Plan designation of Hillside Residential Overlay to accommodate the development credits determined for the receiver through slope-density standards plus the development credits to be transferred, and the entire development meets all applicable codes and General Plan policies.
D. 
Procedure
The transfer of development credits shall be authorized as part of a Residential Unit Development pursuant to a conditional use permit. A conditional use permit application shall contain as the subject property both the donor and receiver parcels.
E. 
Provisions Governing Donor Parcel
1. 
When development credits are transferred, all such credits are thereafter extinguished with regard to the donor parcel. Excess development credits of that donor parcel which are not initially transferred to a receiver parcel may be subsequently transferred to another receiver parcel in accordance with the provisions of this section.
2. 
The number of development credits which may be transferred shall not exceed the number of dwelling units determined for the donor parcel through applying established slope-density standards.
3. 
The fee title to the donor parcel may, upon approval of the City, be retained by the owner of the donor parcel, be transferred to the receiver parcel, be transferred to a quasi-public agency or private institution or body, or be transferred to a public body. Approval by the City must be based on findings that the option is consistent with the General Plan and provides for the long-term maintenance of the property as open space.
4. 
The donor parcel, after development credits have been extinguished, shall be kept essentially in a natural condition. However, the City may, pursuant to a conditional use permit, authorize the following uses if it deems they are compatible with maintaining the natural condition of the property and are consistent with the General Plan:
a. 
Watershed, pasture, trails, scientific study.
b. 
The growing of crops and fruits.
c. 
Low intensity recreation.
d. 
Other uses of similar nature.
e. 
Such accessory uses as are necessary to support uses (a) through (d) above.
5. 
Lands from which development credits have been transferred shall have such easements dedicated to the City or other agreements entered into running with the land which will ensure that such lands remain as open space in perpetuity.
6. 
A parcel from which development credits have been transferred shall not be considered as "common open space" pursuant to this title, unless such parcel is transferred in fee to the receiver parcel.
F. 
Provisions Governing Receiver Parcel
The maximum number of dwelling units permitted on a parcel receiving development credits shall not exceed the sum total determined by applying the established slope-density standard to the receiving parcel and adding the number of development credits transferred.
(08-05; 14-04)