It is the purpose of this chapter to provide development standards for substandard lots which will minimize the impacts to water, sewage treatment, roads, and fire protection resources.
All new dwellings and accessory structures on substandard lots shall be subject to the following development standards and special requirements.
(a) 
Lot merger requirements. One of the following shall be submitted to the City Planner or Building Official for all substandard lots prior to issuance of any development permit.
(1) 
A Notice of Merger of the subject lot with an abutting lot in common contiguous ownership that has been recorded; or
(2) 
Record of ownership. To ascertain whether said lots are owned by the same person, documentation shall be submitted showing the record ownership of the subject lot and all lots sharing a common side lot line with the subject lot, on and after the imposition of this ordinance and up to the time of application for building permit.
(b) 
Dedication requirement. An offer of dedication or grant of road easement shall be required prior to the issuance of a development permit to provide a minimum 40-foot right-of-way width on all roads or streets or other width as deemed necessary by the General Plan or City Engineer.
(c) 
Yard requirements.
(1) 
Front yards. The front yard setback may be reduced to no less than 15 feet.
(2) 
Interior side yard. Each side of each lot may be reduced to no less than five feet, provided there is at least 10 feet between structures.
(d) 
Evidence of water service. A signed letter provided by the water serving entity shall be submitted, certifying that adequate line and storage capacity exists or will exist to serve the proposed dwelling and that arrangements have been made to serve each dwelling with a potable water system at the time of occupancy or final building inspection, if applicable. This requires that the water main shall be in place to serve the subject property or that financial arrangements have been made with the water company for installation of the water main. In the absence of such a water-serving entity, an approved domestic water system under pressure is required to serve each proposed dwelling. This water system must be certified by the City Planner, and a copy of the certification shall be submitted to the Building Official.
(e) 
Evidence of sewer service. A signed letter provided by the serving sewer entity shall be submitted, certifying that an adequate collection system and treatment plant capacity exists or will exist to serve the proposed dwelling, and that sewage hookup arrangements have been made to serve each proposed dwelling at the time of occupancy or final building inspection, if applicable. In the absence of such a sewering agency, a letter from the City Planner indicating that an individual sewage system with subsurface disposal is permitted shall be submitted to the Building Official.
(f) 
Survey requirements. Evidence shall be submitted to and approved by the City Engineer that each lot has been surveyed and staked in accordance with the provisions of the Land Surveyors Act by a Registered Civil Engineer or Licensed Land Surveyor, or evidence of a past survey shall be submitted to and approved by the City Engineer as being in conformance with the Land Surveyors Act.