For the purposes of this chapter, unless otherwise apparent from the context, certain words and phrases used in this chapter are defined as set forth in this article.
(§ 1, Ord. 305. eff. October 3, 1986)
means a subordinate use or subordinate structure customarily incident to and located on the same lot or parcel with the primary use.
means and includes animal husbandry, livestock farming, flower growing, crop and tree farming, and viticulture.
as applied to a building or structure, means a change or rearrangement in the structural parts or in the existing facilities, or an enlargement, whether by extending on a side or by increasing in height, or the moving from one location or position to another.
means any device used to transmit and/or receive electromagnetic waves, with the exception that antennas that are a part of a wireless telecommunications facility, as defined under Article 13 of Chapter 1, Title 10 of this Code, that are designed to radiate or receive radio frequency signals or electromagnetic waves for the provision of services, shall be excluded from, and not be governed under, this chapter and article but shall be governed under Article 13 of Chapter 1, Title 10 of this Code.
"Gross area" means the total area included within the boundaries of any parcel or lot of land, which boundaries are specified in the deed to the property.
"Net area" means the gross area of any parcel or lot of land, less panhandles and all public and private easements for vehicular access within the parcel or lot, excluding easements primarily for emergency access. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of determining lot unit factor (LUF), net area shall only exclude the paved portions of panhandles and the paved portions of all public and private easements for vehicular access.
of a lot or parcel shall be defined by the formula:
S | = | .00230IL | |
A |
where: | |
(i) | S is the average slope in percent; |
(ii) | I is the contour interval in feet; |
(iii) | L is the combined length of contour lines in scale feet within the net area; and |
(iv) | A is the net area of the parcel or lot in acres. |
The topographic base map to be used shall meet the requirements for tentative subdivision maps as set forth in Section 9-1.603(g). Under certain special circumstances, as approved by the Town Planner, measurements along contours may be made at contour intervals of 10 feet. |
Any portion or portions of a parcel or lot which have an average natural slope greater than 55% may, as an option to the applicant, be assigned an average slope of 55% for the purposes of computing the average slope of the entire parcel or lot, provided however, that the excluded area shall not have an average slope exceeding 100%. |
means a floor level, or portions thereof, which has:
All portions directly below a building; and
The finished floor elevation of the building level above shall not be greater than 28 inches above the adjoining natural or finished grade, whichever is lower; and
At least 75% of its perimeter length wholly underground; and
Daylighted basements shall comply with all height and setback requirements of this title. Basements, including cellars and bunkers, which are not located within the footprint of the building above, may be permitted by the Planning Commission when it finds that such structures do not encroach in setbacks, are a minimum of 18 inches below natural grade, are wholly underground except for required exiting, lighting and ventilation and are counted as development area except when placed under a surface already counted as development area. Bunker area exceeding 1,500 square feet shall be counted as floor area. |
Daylight Basement Structure Height Setback. For basement floor levels, any floor area portion and the first 20 feet of a daylighted basement shall be limited in structure height per Section 10-1.504. |
means a structure with a minimum structure height of six feet having a roof supported by columns or walls for the housing or enclosure of persons, animals, or chattels.
means the line along which the vertical surface of a building intersects the ground.
means a permit issued by the Town for construction, erection, or alteration of a structure or building.
means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa Linnaeus, Cannabis indica or Cannabis ruderalis, whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin, whether crude or purified, extracted from any part of the plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the plant, its seeds, or resin. "Cannabis" also means the separated resin, whether crude or purified, obtained from marijuana. "Cannabis" also means marijuana as defined by Section 11018 of the Health and Safety Code as enacted by Chapter 1407 of the Statutes of 1972. "Cannabis" does not include the mature stalks of the plant, fiber produced from the stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of the plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of the plant which is incapable of germination. For the purpose of this chapter, "cannabis" does not mean "industrial hemp" as defined by Section 81000 of the Food and Agricultural Code or Section 11018.5 of the Health and Safety Code.
means any activity involving the planting, growing, harvesting, drying, curing, grading, or trimming of cannabis.
means the commercial transfer of cannabis or cannabis products from a licensed commercial cannabis business established outside of Town limits to an adult customer in accordance with State law. "Delivery" also includes the use by a retailer of any technology platform owned and controlled by the retailer or independently licensed under the State that enables qualified patients and primary caregivers to arrange for or facilitate the commercial transfer by a licensed dispensary of medical cannabis or medical cannabis product.
means that the specific inspections and tests have been performed where required and that such tests comply with the applicable requirements of this chapter.
"Recreational club" means a club or recreational facility operated by a nonprofit organization.
includes cultivation, possession, manufacture, processing, storing, laboratory testing, packaging, labeling, transportation, delivery, distribution, or sale of cannabis or a cannabis product.
means a residence facility for participants in a religious order or organization; provided, however, no money or other consideration shall be required to be paid by the residents to the proprietor.
on any lot or parcel means that area which is described in Section 10-1.502(b) of this article.
means any antenna, external to or attached to the exterior of any building or structure, which is parabolic or semi-circular in cross-section.
means a facility where medical cannabis, medical cannabis products, or devices for the use of medical cannabis or where medical cannabis products are offered, either individually or in any combination, for retail sale, including an establishment that delivers, pursuant to express authorization by local ordinance, medical cannabis and medical cannabis products as part of a retail sale.
means a private way or route for use by vehicular traffic leading from a parking area, house, garage, or other structure to a public or private right-of-way, and serving no more than two parcels or lots.
"Primary dwelling" means a building designated and/or customarily used as a residence by not more than one family and situated on a parcel or lot on which no other primary dwelling is located.
"Secondary dwelling" means an attached or detached residential dwelling unit which provides complete independent living facilities for one or more persons. A secondary dwelling shall include facilities for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation, and be located on the same parcel under the same ownership as a primary dwelling.
means temporary housing with minimal supportive services for homeless persons that is limited to occupancy of six months or less by a homeless person. Emergency shelters may include other interim interventions, including, but not limited to, a navigation center, bridge housing, and respite or recuperative care.
means housing as defined in Section 17008 of the California Health and Safety Code (HSC), for six or fewer employees.
means a geologist licensed and certified as an engineering geologist by the State of California.
means one person or two or more individuals living together in a dwelling, sharing household responsibilities and activities, and having close social or economic or psychological commitments to each other.
means an eligible agricultural employee housing development that is maintained and operated by a qualified affordable housing organization or by a local or State public housing agency, as defined in Section 17021.8 of the California Government Code.
means a constructed barrier or screen composed of wood, metal, masonry, glass, plastic or any other construction material (not including graded berms or living hedges).
means any area of land from which vegetation has been removed or cut for the purposes of fire protection.
means the gross horizontal area of the several floors of all buildings, including garage space and carport space (if the carport space was approved after March 9, 2002), measured to the outside of exterior walls. Floor area is counted twice when the vertical distance between the upper surface of the floor and the underside of the roof directly above it is greater than 17 feet, except when counted floor area occupies the intervening space. Stairwells shall only be counted as floor area once. That portion of an attic is considered floor area when the distance between the upper surface of the attic floor and the underside of the roof above it is more than seven feet in height. For the purposes of this definition, all attic spaces are considered to have floor surfaces. Area meeting the definition of a basement is exempted from floor area.
means all property abutting one side of a road.
"Private garage" means a building or an accessory to a main building providing for the storage of automobiles.
means to bring an existing surface to a designed form by excavating, filling, or smoothing operations.
means the electrical distribution and transmission system in Los Altos Hills.
means floor area, as defined in this section, which includes provisions for space heating, with floor to ceiling heights in excess of seven feet, and is intended for living purposes for human occupancy. "Habitable floor area" shall include, but is not limited to, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, living, family, and dining rooms, office/study areas, game rooms, poolhouses, or similar use areas, as well as entry foyers, hallways, stairs, etc., which connect such areas. Floor area clearly intended for garage or storage use, barns or stables (excluding any habitable portion of the building), and basements and attics with floor to ceiling heights of less than seven feet are not considered "habitable."
"Structure height" means the vertical distance at any point from: (1) the natural grade which existed prior to grading for the proposed structure, (2) existing grade indicated on an approved grading plan, if different than the natural grade, or (3) the proposed building pad if excavated below natural grade, whichever elevation is lowest, to the highest part of the structure directly above.
means an occupation carried on by the resident of a dwelling as a secondary use of the premises.
means any vehicle or structure designed and constructed in such a manner as will permit the occupancy thereof as sleeping quarters for one or more persons, or the conduct of any business, profession, occupation, or trade, or any use, as selling or advertising, devised and so designed that the vehicle or structure is or may be mounted on wheels and used on highways conveyed or drawn by its own or other motive power.
means a person who holds a certificate issued by the State of California to practice landscape architecture.
means a portion of land shown as a unit on a recorded parcel or subdivision map.
"Corner lot" means a lot abutting on two or more intersecting roads.
means the number obtained by dividing the net area in acres of the subject parcel or lot of land by the minimum average lot size that would be required for a parcel of average slope equal to that of the subject parcel, as determined by the following formula:
For lots or parcels where the average slope is less than 10%, the LUF is equal to the net area of the lot or parcel.
For lots or parcels with average slopes between 10% and 55%, then:
LUF = An [1-0.02143(S-10)] | |
where: | |
(i) | An = net area of the parcel or lot; |
(ii) | S = average slope of the net area of the parcel or lot in percent. |
is a housing-first, low-barrier, service-enriched shelter focused on moving people into permanent housing that provides temporary living facilities while case managers connect individuals experiencing homelessness to income, public benefits, health services, shelter, and housing. "Low barrier" means best practices to reduce barriers to entry, and may include, but is not limited to, the following:
The presence of partners if it is not a population-specific site, such as for survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault, women, or youth.
Pets.
The storage of possessions.
Privacy, such as partitions around beds in a dormitory setting or in larger rooms containing more than two beds, or private rooms.
means the existing ground surfaces currently found on the site but shall not include illegal or unapproved grading, cut or fill.
means the portion of a lot which connects the buildable section of the lot to a public or private vehicular right-of-way.
means all contiguous land held in one ownership as indicated in the records of the County Recorder, which is not shown as a lot or unit on a recorded parcel or subdivision map.
means designated pedestrian, equestrian, and/or bicycle routes as shown on the Pathway Master Plan of the Town.
means any person to whom a site development permit has been issued.
means any person, firm, or corporation, public or private, the State and its agencies or political subdivisions, the United States of America and its agencies and instrumentalities, and any agent, servant, officer, or employee of any of them.
means a facility that converts sunlight into electricity through the utilization of semiconductor cells.
means the cutting to the ground of vegetation, including trees and plants, as well as complete extraction or killing by spraying.
means facilities which provide 24 hour nonmedical care for seven or more persons in need of personal services, protection, supervision, assistance, guidance, or training essential for sustaining the activities of daily living, or for the protection of the individual. This definition includes group homes, residential care facilities for the elderly, adult residential facilities, wards of the juvenile court, and other facilities licensed by the State of California.
"Public road" means a road which has been dedicated or deeded to the public for public use and which road may or may not have been accepted for maintenance.
Distinct from a public school, "private school" means a kindergarten school, elementary school, secondary school (middle and/or high school) that is not funded at public expense and is privately controlled and administered.
"Public school" means a kindergarten school, elementary school, secondary school (middle and/or high school), technical school, community college, state college, state university or charter school that is funded at public expense and is controlled and administered by a public agency.
means a line established by the provisions of this chapter to govern the placement of structures with respect to right-of-way lines or property lines.
means housing consisting of single-room dwelling units that is the primary residence of its occupant or occupants and offered monthly or longer.
means a single lot or parcel of land, or a contiguous combination thereof, where site development work is performed.
means the altering of terrain and/or vegetation by grading or construction of any kind.
means the Planning Director or the Planning Commission.
means the approved plans which bear the stamp of approval of the Planning Director or Planning Commission.
means a facility that converts radiant energy from the sun into useful thermal energy including heated water.
means a building used for housing hoofed animals.
means anything such as buildings, decks, swimming pools, tennis courts, and patios, requiring construction or erection on the ground.
"Nonconforming structure" means a structure, or a portion thereof, which no longer conforms to the site area, coverage, setback or other open space, height, or other regulations prescribing physical development standards for the district in which such structure is located.
means housing that is operated within another residential use classification and with no limit on the length of stay, that is occupied by a target population as defined by Section 50675.14 of the California Health and Safety Code and that is linked to an on-site or off-site service that assists the supportive housing resident in retaining the housing, improving his or her health status, and maximizing his or her ability to live and, when possible, work in the community.
means the cultivating or plowing of soil not to exceed 12 inches in depth from the existing grade.
means a motor vehicle or trailer, specifically designed or altered, and equipped for human habitation, including water and waste-water facilities, which is not designed to be placed on a permanent foundation, but is designed to be driven under its own power or towed by a motor vehicle from location to location.
means buildings configured as rental housing developments within another residential use classification, but operated under program requirements that require the termination of assistance and recirculating of the assisted unit to another eligible program recipient at a predetermined future point in time that shall be no less than six months from the beginning of the assistance.
means the purpose for which land or a building is arranged, designed, or intended, or for which either land or a building is or may be occupied or maintained.
"Nonconforming use" means a building or land occupied by a use which does not conform to the regulations for the district in which such building or land is situated.
mean a discrete surface not more than four feet in width constructed of paving, asphalt, masonry, or flagstone, used for the purpose of connecting one point to another to provide access.
means a constructed barrier or screen composed of wood, metal, masonry, glass, plastic or any other construction material (not including graded berms or living hedges).
means an official designated by the City Manager to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
(§ 1, Ord. 305, eff. October 3, 1986; § 1, Ord. 313, eff. June 5, 1987; § 1, Ord. 314, eff. November 6, 1987; § 1, Ord. 327, eff. December 10, 1989; § 1, Ord. 329, eff. October 20, 1989; § 1, Ord. 334, eff. July 20, 1990; § 1, Ord. 369, eff. April 15, 1994; § 1, Ord. 370, eff. May 20, 1994; § 3, Ord. 381, eff. April 19, 1986; § 1, Ord. 384, eff. October 18, 1996; § 1, Ord. 413, eff. July 21, 2001; § 1, Ord. 425, eff. March 6, 2003; § 2, Ord. 437, eff. December 18, 2004; § 1, Ord. 446, eff. June 11, 2006; § 1, Ord. 449, eff. August 1, 2006; § 1, Ord. 531, eff. November 20, 2011; § 1, Ord. 544, eff. July 20, 2013; § 1, Ord. 553, eff. November 16, 2014; § 2, Ord. 562, eff. June 18, 2016; § 2, Ord. 573, eff. December 14, 2017; § 2, Ord. 577, eff. October 20, 2018; § 2, Ord. 587, eff. January 18, 2020; Ord. 612, eff. 7/20/2024; Ord. 615, eff. 4/19/2025)