In addition to the objectives prescribed in HMC § 20.04.010, the Multi-Family Residential (RM) District is included in the Land Use Code to achieve the following purposes:
A. 
Reserve appropriately located areas for family living in a variety of types of dwelling units at a reasonable range of population densities consistent with sound standards of public safety.
B. 
Preserve as many as possible of the desirable characteristics of one-family residential districts while permitting higher population densities.
C. 
Ensure that adequate light, air, privacy, and open space for each dwelling is provided.
D. 
Provide space for public and quasi-public facilities needed to complement urban residential areas and space for institutions that require a residential environment.
E. 
Minimize traffic congestion and avoid the overloading of utilities by preventing the construction of buildings of excessive size in relation to the land around them.
F. 
Provide necessary space for off-street parking of automobiles.
G. 
Protect residential properties from hazards, noise, and congestion caused by commercial and industrial traffic and land use activities.
H. 
Protect residential properties from noise, illumination, unsightliness, odors, dust, dirt, smoke, vibration, heat, glare, and other objectionable influences.
I. 
Protect residential properties from fire, explosion, noxious fumes and other hazards.
(Ord. 950 § 2 (Exh. A § 400), 1998; Ord. 1010 § 4 (Exh. A § 4), 2003)
The following uses may be permitted and conditionally permitted in the RM District. Chapter 20.28 HMC, Article V, describes the procedures for obtaining a conditional use permit.
Table 4 Permitted (P) and conditionally permitted (C) uses: RM District
Permitted (P) and Conditionally Permitted (C) Uses
RM
Specific Use Regulations
Accessory dwelling unit
P
HMC § 20.20.010
Accessory structures and uses located on the same site as a conditional use
P
Boarding houses
C
Churches, convents, monasteries, parish homes, rectories, parsonages and other religious institutions
C
Commercial nursery growing grounds
C
Day care, general and large family
P
Day care, limited and small family
P
Golf courses and driving ranges
C
Hostels affiliated with American Youth Hostels or an equivalent organization approved by the planning director
C
Mobile home parks
C
HMC § 20.20.020
Multifamily dwellings
P
Neighborhood convenience retail stores
C
HMC § 20.20.070
Private recreation parks and swim clubs
C
Private schools and colleges, including elementary, junior high and high schools, but not including art, craft, music, dancing, business, professional, or trade schools and colleges
C
Private stables and raising of poultry (except roosters), rabbits, chinchillas and other small animals
C
HMC § 20.08.025
Public utility and public service pumping stations, power stations, equipment buildings, installations, service yards, drainage ways and structures, storage tanks, reservoirs, and transmission lines found by the planning commission to be necessary for the public health, safety and welfare
C
Residential care, general
C
Residential care, limited
P
Residential visitor lodging operations
C
HMC § 20.20.060
Supportive housing
P
Small lot subdivisions
P
HMC § 20.20.040
Transitional housing
P
Vacation rental homes
—
Vacation timeshares
—
Notes:
— = not permitted
(Ord. 950 § 2 (Exh. A § 405), 1998; Ord. 1003 § 2 (Exh. A § 8), 2003; Ord. 1018 § 2 (Exh. A § 405), 2004; Ord. 1104 § 2 (Exh. A § 405), 2010; Ord. 1187 § 2, 2019; Ord. 1210 § 3, 2021; Ord. 1231 § 8, 2023; Ord. 1256, 3/16/2026)
The following standards apply to development within the RM District, except for small lot subdivisions as provided for by HMC § 20.20.040.
Table 5 Minimum development standards: RM District
Minimum lot area
6,000 square feet
Minimum lot width
50 feet, increased by 10 percent for corner lots
Minimum lot depth
90 feet. Minimum depth for lots backing onto a freeway or railroad right-of-way shall be 130 feet, unless alternative noise mitigation measures are provided.
Minimum front yard
20 feet
Minimum side yard - interior
1-story structure: 5 feet
2-story structure: 10 feet
3-story structure: 15 feet
Minimum side yard - street side
10 feet
Minimum rear yard
20 feet
Maximum site coverage
40 percent
Maximum building height
40 feet. Exceptions to this requirement are prescribed in HMC § 20.16.065. Accessory building heights are regulated in HMC § 20.16.030.
Usable open space per dwelling
300 square feet, subject to the location and design criteria of HMC § 20.20.015.
(Ord. 950 § 2 (Exh. A §§ 410, 415, 420, 425, 430, 435), 1998; Ord. 1003 § 2 (Exh. A §§ 9, 10), 2003; Ord. 1018 § 2 (Exh. A § 420), 2004; Ord. 1104 § 2 (Exh. A § 420), 2010; Ord. 1256, 3/16/2026)
The following additional requirements apply to development in the RM District:
Accessory structures: Chapter 20.16 HMC, Article II.
Inclusionary housing: HMC § 20.20.030.
Off-street parking: Chapter 20.16 HMC, Article VIII.
Signs: Chapter 20.16 HMC, Article IX.
Fences and walls: Chapter 20.16 HMC, Article III.
Riparian setbacks: Chapter 20.24 HMC, Article III.
(Ord. 950 § 2 (Exh. A § 440), 1998)
All uses except one-family dwellings shall be subject to design review as prescribed in Chapter 20.28 HMC, Article IV; provided, that when an applicant applies for more than three building permits for one-family dwellings on a block or on a block face within one year, any additional dwellings shall be subject to design review.
(Ord. 950 § 2 (Exh. A § 445), 1998)