The following regulations apply to animals in specified, non-agricultural zone districts, in addition to the standards in Volume I, SCCC Title 6. See SCCC § 13.10.312 for standards in agricultural districts.
(A) 
General Standards.
(1) 
The keeping of animals at a density greater than the specified standard requires approval of a conditional use permit pursuant to Chapter 18.10 SCCC.
(2) 
Small animals shall be kept enclosed and in a manner that prevents the accumulation of excrement or spread of disease, flies, dust, erosion, or offensive odors. Enclosures not conforming to the site standards described in this section shall not be established unless authorized by a variance.
(3) 
Minimum parcel size and density standards are based on gross parcel area.
(4) 
A maximum of four dogs or four cats or any combination thereof as household pets are allowed in all zone districts.
(B) 
Small Animals in the RA, PF, RR, and R-1 Districts. "Small animal" means fowl or fur-bearing animals typically raised as outdoor pets or for products such as eggs or meat; includes such animals as poultry, pigeons, rabbits, and chinchilla. Does not include household pets such as dogs and cats, hamsters, canaries, or aquarium fish.
Table 13.10.645-1: Requirements for Small Animals
RA, PF
RR, R-1
Minimum parcel size, general
6,000 sq. ft.
6,000 sq. ft.
Minimum parcel size for rooster, peacock, tom turkey, guinea fowl or similar noisy fowl
1 acre
Not allowed.
Maximum density, general
2 per 1,000 sq. ft.
2 per 1,000 sq. ft.
Maximum density for roosters, peacock, tom turkey, guinea fowl or similar noisy fowl
4 per parcel
Not allowed.
Additional standards for beekeeping
Allowed on parcels one-half acre or larger. Hives shall be set back a minimum of 25' from all property lines and from public or private streets.
Allowed on RR parcels one-half acre or larger. Hives shall be set back a minimum of 25' from all property lines and from public or private streets.
Enclosures—Parcels up to 1 acre
20 feet to any property line; 25 feet to any dwelling; Rear one-half of parcel.
20 feet to any property line; 25 feet to any dwelling; Rear one-half of parcel.
Enclosures—Parcels >1 acre
40 feet to any dwelling or property line; locate enclosures on rear one-third of parcel.
(C) 
Large Animals in the RR, RA, and PF Districts. "Large animal" means a domestic farm animal such as horse, cow, pig, llama, sheep, or goat.
Table 13.10.645-2: Requirements for Large Animals
Minimum parcel size (gross)
One acre: Horse, cow, llama
1/2 acre: Goat, sheep
Maximum density
2 per acre: Cow, pig, pony, llama
4 per acre: Goat, sheep, alpaca, ostrich
Pigs: 2 per acre; Maximum of 6
Maximum density for horses
1 acre site
2 horses
> 1 acre site
2 horses + 1 horse per additional 20,000 square feet over 1 acre
Minimum setbacks for stable or paddock*
50 feet from front property line
50 feet to dwelling on adjoining property
20 feet from side and rear property lines
Erosion control plan
Required, pursuant to SCCC § 16.22.060
Manure management plan
Required, pursuant to Environmental Health Services Division regulations
* Fully vegetated pastures or turn-out areas are not considered paddocks and are not subject to setback requirements for paddocks.
(Ord. 3432 § 1, 1983; Ord. 5423 § 27, 2022)
The following regulations apply to kennels, grooming establishments, pet shops, small-animal hospitals, veterinary offices, and animal shelters:
(A) 
Outdoor exercise areas shall be entirely enclosed by a closed non-transparent fence of a minimum of six feet in height. No outdoor exercise yards shall be allowed in C-1 or C-2 districts.
(B) 
Any enclosures in which animals are treated or boarded, either by day or overnight, shall be a minimum of 75 feet from any residence.
(C) 
All facilities shall be kept in a neat and sanitary manner by the daily removal of excrement and the use of sprays and disinfectants, as determined to be necessary by the Environmental Health Services Division, to prevent an accumulation of flies, the spread of diseases, offensive odor, or excessive dust.
(D) 
Except for outdoor exercise yards and training activities, all animal services in commercial districts shall be operated within completely enclosed structures that are sound-proofed to standards approved by the County Building Official. Outdoor exercise yards shall operate only between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
(Ord. 3432 § 1, 1983; Ord. 5423 § 27, 2022)
(A) 
In all cases where poultry, birds, rabbits, or fur-bearing animals in any number and for any purpose are raised, kept, or maintained, all dead animals or birds and excrement should be removed and disposed of, and sprays and disinfectants shall be used, as determined to be necessary by the Environmental Health Services Division, so as to prevent the accumulation or spread of disease, flies, or offensive odors. The provisions of SCCC § 16.20.195, pertaining to erosion control, shall apply.
(B) 
In all cases for the raising, maintenance, or fattening of turkeys, all dead animals and excrement shall be disposed of, and chemicals and sprays shall be used, as determined to be necessary by the Environmental Health Services Division, to prevent the accumulation or spreading of flies, disease, or offensive odors, and where in excess of 50 birds are maintained in one flock within a distance of one-fourth of a mile from any residence, ground sprays or groundcover shall be used to prevent the accumulation and spread of dust. The provisions of SCCC § 16.20.195, pertaining to erosion control, shall apply.
(Ord. 5423 § 27, 2022)
(A) 
Purpose. It is the purpose of this section to provide for and regulate biomedical livestock operations, as defined in SCCC § 13.10.700-L, which may be established in zone districts where it is an allowed use on the relevant uses chart. It is a further purpose of this section to define and regulate a new and evolving land use type while protecting the public health, safety and welfare; to provide notice to adjacent land owners; to implement the policies of the Santa Cruz County General Plan and Local Coastal Program; and to preserve and protect agricultural land in the County.
(B) 
Only Livestock Permitted on Agricultural Land. On agriculturally zoned land, the animals used in the biomedical livestock operation shall be limited to livestock as defined in SCCC § 13.10.700-L.
(C) 
Application Requirements. Approval of all biomedical livestock operations shall be processed in accordance with the provisions in Chapter 18.10 SCCC, and shall require a public hearing and action by the Zoning Administrator (Level V). Barns, storage, equipment, and other buildings, associated paving, fences, and water pollution control facilities which are part of the biomedical livestock operations are not excluded from coastal permit requirements provided in SCCC § 13.20.073. The applicant for a biomedical livestock operation shall submit to the County Planning Department a master plan of the proposed facility. The master plan shall be considered part of the permit for the use and shall include the following documentation:
(1) 
The documentation prescribed in SCCC § 18.10.210(B). The Planning Director may, however, waive some of the prescribed requirements of SCCC § 18.10.210(A)(8), (9), and (11), upon a determination that specific items are not relevant due to project characteristics.
(2) 
A site plan for all property and parcels on which the biomedical livestock operation is proposed to be located, which includes: the location and a description of the current and proposed structures and their uses, including any structures to be demolished; delineation of property lines, adjacent streets, and existing and proposed on-site access roads; a description of the parcel(s) and contiguous parcels' current and historic land uses, including areas used for manure management; delineation of sensitive habitats as defined in SCCC § 16.32.040; and information regarding potential environmental impacts. Proposed structures shall meet the following requirements:
(a) 
Structures shall be clustered in groups and sited so as to remove no land from agricultural production or potential agricultural production, or, if this is not feasible, to remove as little land as possible from agricultural production to the extent there is a demonstrated need consistent with all other constraints contained in this title. Structures for housing livestock shall be open to permit free air flow through the structure.
(b) 
On agriculturally designated land, the maximum land coverage by all structures and impervious surfaces that are part of the biomedical livestock operation shall not exceed one percent of the total gross parcel size(s). This limit may be extended to five percent on parcels less than 20 acres, with a Level VI approval. Residential structures pursuant to SCCC § 13.10.314(B), driveways and accessory uses; structures associated with other principally allowed agricultural uses; access roads utilized for other parcels and/or uses; driveways not covered with impervious surfacing (as defined in Chapter 16.32 SCCC) shall not count towards the one percent coverage maximum. Structures associated with other conditional agricultural uses shall either be counted towards the one percent coverage maximum, or the portion of the parcel devoted to the other conditional agricultural uses shall be deducted from the gross parcel size before applying the percentage limitation to determine the maximum coverage for structures and impervious surfaces.
(c) 
Flooring and impervious surfaces, within or surrounding barns or other structures to house livestock, which would impair long-term soil capabilities, shall be limited to the minimum area needed for pens, roadways, loading and storage.
(3) 
A description of the species and the maximum number of animals of each species proposed for the biomedical livestock operation, the amount of land to be occupied by animals, and the location of all existing and proposed fencing, including but not limited to perimeter, pasture and pens. This description shall be supported by a report from a certified range manager as to a recommended number of animals that the site can support, consistent with the requirements of subsection (E)(2) of this section.
(4) 
A manure management and erosion control plan prepared pursuant to SCCC § 16.22.060, that:
(a) 
Precludes any impairment of long-term soil capabilities for growing plants or forage;
(b) 
Precludes any impairment of surface and groundwater quality or quantity;
(c) 
Includes provisions for fly control, as required by Chapter 7.36 SCCC;
(d) 
Includes provisions for the control of objectionable odors; and
(e) 
Locates manure management operations either: within the project's allowable impervious surface area; or on other lands not suitable for cultivation or used for forage, unless for soil or plant enrichment purposes within or by the next growing season.
(5) 
A plan for disposal of laboratory animals which are euthanized or otherwise culled from the animals continuing to be used for the biomedical livestock operation's program. Any incineration or disposal shall comply with all requirements of State and Federal law.
(6) 
Documentary proof that all required permits, licenses, registrations, approvals, and similar requirements of local, State and Federal regulatory agencies have been obtained including, without limitation, those of the Regional Water Quality Control Board, Monterey Bay Air Pollution Control District, U.S. Department of Agriculture, California Department of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health. The County Planning Department shall be notified within 60 days of any change in the status of such permits, licenses, approvals and registrations.
(7) 
A written description of the proposed research, testing, experimentation and/or biomedical (or pharmaceutical) product manufacturing program that will utilize the livestock. If the proposed use includes injections or introduction into and/or extractions from livestock (collectively, "injections"), the description shall include identification of the substances involved in the injections.
(D) 
Required Findings. Prior to issuance of a development permit for a biomedical livestock operation, the general findings for development permits set forth in SCCC § 18.10.230(A) and coastal permit findings of SCCC § 13.20.110, if applicable, shall be made. The following additional findings shall also be made:
(1) 
On agriculturally designated land, no biomedical laboratory, as defined in SCCC § 13.10.700-L, will be located on the site.
(2) 
The biomedical livestock operation complies with the requirements of Chapters 7.22, 7.30 and 7.100 SCCC, and any other applicable Federal, State and/or local law, regulation or standard, including the County animal control ordinance, regarding medical or biohazardous waste, recombinant DNA technology, hazardous substances, and care and treatment of animals.
(3) 
The biomedical livestock operation complies with all provisions of the General Plan and Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan and the County Code regarding uses on agricultural land and complies with the provisions of Chapter 16.30 SCCC, Riparian Corridor and Wetlands Protection, and Chapter 16.32 SCCC, Sensitive Habitat Protection. The land area devoted to the biomedical livestock operation shown on the required site plan complies with all plan and code siting requirements, is commensurate with the needs of the biomedical livestock operation, and is configured in a manner to avoid conflicts, and to be compatible with any other existing or potential agricultural uses on the subject parcel.
(4) 
Livestock will be securely confined to the site. The use minimizes fencing or other structures, equipment or devices which restrict the natural movement of wildlife in their existing habitat and corridors, based on the latest habitat and biodiversity information available. All fencing complies with SCCC § 13.10.525 unless an approval is granted to exceed the six-foot maximum height limit pursuant to SCCC § 13.10.525(C)(2).
(5) 
On agriculturally zoned land, any research, testing, experimentation or product manufacturing at the biomedical livestock operation shall be limited to the injection, or introduction, of those reagents which are inert, nonviable, noninfectious and nonhazardous and shall specifically exclude any live microorganisms, live viruses (whether wild-type or attenuated), live bacteria, live fungus, live mycoplasma, or live parasites; or recombinant polynucleotides (such as DNA or RNA, expression vectors, knockout vectors or gene therapy vectors); or radioactive compounds or isotopes. This requirement shall not be construed to prohibit any standard and well-established practice of veterinary medicine.
(6) 
The proposed operation is soil-dependent (e.g., involves grazing, based on the number of animals which could be feasibly and economically grazed on the site assuming a minimum 40 percent of feed will be from grazing on-site) and will not generate excessive manure that would adversely affect soil productivity or water quality.
(E) 
Additional Review. Prior to any action by the Zoning Administrator, the following additional review shall take place:
(1) 
The adoption or amendment of a master plan for a biomedical livestock operation is a "project," within the meaning of CEQA and the County environmental review guidelines, and is subject to environmental review.
(2) 
The master plan shall be reviewed by the Agricultural Policy Advisory Commission (APAC), including consultation with the Agricultural Commissioner, the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the University of California Extension Service, as applicable, for a recommendation to the Zoning Administrator on the following:
(a) 
The size (including square footage) and location of support structures; and
(b) 
Appropriate animal density for the site in question.
With respect to the foregoing, APAC shall make its recommendation based on (i) determination of whether the proposed operation is soil-dependent (e.g., involves grazing), and (ii) the number of animals which could be feasibly and economically grazed on the site assuming a minimum 40 percent of feed from grazing on-site.
(3) 
The application shall be referred to the County Public Health Officer who shall review the application and the written description of the proposed research, testing, experimentation or biomedical (or pharmaceutical) product manufacturing program. Review by the County Public Health Officer shall include the following:
(a) 
A written summary report of the proposed program, which shall be made available to the public and to the Zoning Administrator prior to any public hearing, including recommendations to the Zoning Administrator as to whether to approve, conditionally approve or deny the application. The Public Health Officer shall base the summary report and recommendations on all information available to him/her. In investigating and preparing his/her report and recommendation the Public Health Officer may consult with and obtain information from experts in the biomedical research field, with fees and costs for such consultations and information to be paid for by the applicant. Any interested person may also submit written comments on the proposed program to the Zoning Administrator at or prior to the Level V hearing.
(b) 
A recommendation as to permit conditions for the biotechnology livestock operation that are necessary to ensure that the public health, safety, and welfare are protected at all times.
(4) 
If the Public Health Officer determines that the proposed biomedical livestock operation presents a human health hazard, the Zoning Administrator shall not approve or conditionally approve the biotechnology livestock operation. If the recommendation is to approve or conditionally approve the biomedical livestock operation, the Zoning Administrator shall proceed to make a final decision on the application in accordance with all applicable criteria. In any case, the recommendations of the Public Health Officer shall be incorporated into the conditions, findings and decision of the Zoning Administrator.
(5) 
If the Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors acts to approve the proposed biomedical livestock operation despite an unfavorable recommendation by the Public Health Officer to the Zoning Administrator, the Officer shall be further consulted as to appropriate conditions to place on the operation.
(F) 
Amendments to Approved Master Plan. Any changes to the approved master plan, including any material changes to the approved research, testing, experimentation or biomedical (or pharmaceutical) product manufacturing program that will utilize the livestock, shall require an amendment to the master plan or development permit in accordance with the procedures for obtaining a major amendment set forth in SCCC § 18.10.134. A material change to the approved research, testing, experimentation or product manufacturing program shall include any change that could have an effect on public health, safety, welfare or the environment. Any request for an amendment to the master plan or development permit shall be summarized and reviewed by the County Public Health Officer, using the same procedure as required for an initial application. No material change in the program shall occur until after the proposed change receives final approval following a Level V review. A change from injections involving nonhazardous substances such as reagents which are inert, nonviable, and noninfectious to injections involving any potentially hazardous agents such as live microorganisms, live viruses (whether wild-type or attenuated), live fungi, live parasites, live mycoplasma, live bacteria; or recombinant polynucleotides (such as DNA or RNA, expression vectors, knock-out vectors or gene therapy vectors); and/or radioactive compounds or isotopes shall be prohibited.
(G) 
Permit Expiration and Renewal. A biomedical livestock operation shall be subject to the following review following approval of a development permit:
(1) 
Any development permit approved for a biomedical livestock use shall be valid for five years or a lesser time as established by the Zoning Administrator. The permit holder shall be required to submit an application for renewal prior to the expiration of the development permit. The permit shall also be conditioned to require the permit holder to submit a closure plan prior to terminating a biomedical livestock operation or prior to permit expiration if a renewal application is not sought or is denied. The closure plan shall provide for the removal of any facilities inappropriate for future nonbiomedical agricultural use of the site. Continued operation of the biomedical livestock use shall be subject to permit renewal processed as an administrative approval according to the procedures set forth in Chapter 18.10 SCCC, except that if a coastal development permit is involved, then the processing requirements of Chapter 13.20 SCCC shall apply. A request to renew a biomedical livestock use coastal development permit shall not be considered a minor development as defined in Chapter 13.20 SCCC or a permit extension. Under no circumstances, whether through conditions beyond the control of the permittee, lack of actual notice of expiration, reliance on an error of public officials, or for any other reason shall the expiration date of a permit be automatically extended except as may be provided by relevant provisions of State law, or give rise to an estoppel against the County. Requests for renewal of a development permit for a biomedical livestock use shall be evaluated based on compliance with original permit conditions and inspection by the County Planning Department; inspection of the site by the County Health Officer for compliance with Chapters 7.22, 7.30, and 7.100 SCCC and the research, testing, experimentation or biomedical (or pharmaceutical) product manufacturing program; review by the County Planning Department of all applicable Federal, State and/or local laws and the applicant's compliance with them as documented by the respective agencies, and a review of all applicable County ordinances and policies.
(2) 
The Public Health Officer, the Director of Animal Control and/or Planning staff shall have the right to make random, unannounced inspections and/or investigations of any biomedical livestock operation, including access to all databases containing information on the livestock which is part of the biomedical livestock operation, as necessary to determine compliance with the research, testing, experimentation or biomedical (or pharmaceutical) product manufacturing program and/or Chapters 7.22, 7.30, and 7.100 SCCC.
(H) 
Violations of Conditions of Development Permit. It shall be unlawful for any person to exercise any development permit which authorizes a biomedical livestock operation without complying with all of the conditions of such permit. Any violation of permit requirements shall be subject to enforcement action as set forth in Chapter 19.01 SCCC.
(I) 
Review of Title. Upon the earlier of the filing with the County of (1) a total of five applications (including applications to amend master plans and/or development permits to encompass additional land under an existing master plan and/or development permit; but, excluding applications solely for renewal under subsection (G) of this section), or (2) applications totaling five parcels of land, this title shall be reviewed by the Planning Commission, and public hearing(s) conducted before it, regarding the impact (including potential impact) of biomedical livestock operations on agriculturally zoned land. The Planning Commission, following public hearing(s), shall make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding any amendments to this title, the County Code and the General Plan that the Planning Commission believes is in the best interest of the County in order to maintain and protect prime agricultural cropland and rangeland in the County. The Board of Supervisors shall hold public hearing(s) and act on the Planning Commission's recommendations.
(Formerly 13.10.647; Ord. 4474-C § 3, 1998; Ord. 5182 § 8, 2014; Ord. 5423 § 28, 2024)