Old San Rafael Neighborhood Organization

OD-9 Overlay Information

What does the OD-9 overlay do

1. Parking - Surface parking places can only be in the back half of the lot. A drive way may enter from the street but cannot be more than 25% of the lot width. Parking must be screened from adjacent properties and public right of way. A parking structure may occur in the front half of the lot but must be screened from public right of way and adjacent lots.

2. Open space - 25% of a lot must be unobstructed open space not including parking spaces.

3. Front set back - Long dimension of the block the set back shall be a minimum of 15 ft from the front line(?) of the zoning lot. If the houses abutting on either side have greater set backs than 15 ft, the set back shall be the average between the two houses. On a corner, the two houses next to it, going up the block, determine the set back. Structures in the back half of the lot, structures with setbacks less than 10 ft, illegal front additions or enclosed porches as well as any structures which have front setback variances do not count when figuring setback.

Short dimension - if the house faces the long dimension of the block it only needs a 5 ft setback from the short side of the block and if it faces the short side of the block it needs to have a 10 ft setback.

4. Height control - no point of the structure shall exceed 35 ft. above ground level.

5. Bulk Plane - I swear I can't figure out much of this language regarding finding the ground point level, etc., but in general what I think it is saying is that a building can go straight up only 20 ft and then has to cut in at a 45 degree angle (1 to 1, rise to run). Outside of eves, church towers or spires, chimneys, flues, vents and antennas or flagpoles nothing is allowed to go through the bulk plane restriction.

ZONING-OVERLAY DISTRICTS OD-9 Overlay District.

(1) Creation. There is hereby created an overlay district designated as OD-9.

(2) Intent. The OD-9 district is intended to preserve the general character of the neighborhood and promote development consistent with the vision, goals, and recommendations of the neighborhood plan.

(3) Applicability.
a. The provisions of the OD-9 district shall be in full force and effect for any structure erected after September 1, 1999.
b. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to:
1. Any structure erected in conformity with applicable municipal ordinances prior to September 1, 1999; and
2. Additions to structures existing on September 1, 1999, not exceeding twenty (20) percent of the gross floor area of such existing structure.

(4) Parking restrictions. All above grade off-street parking spaces shall be set back from any front line abutting the long dimension of any block oblong in shape, a distance equal to one-half (1/2) the depth of the zone lot, unless the exception below applies. The space resulting from the foregoing setback shall be landscaped in accordance with the standards set forth in section 59-585(10)b.2., landscape plan, for street frontage landscaped planting strips. All parking shall be adequately screened from adjacent properties and the public right-of-way. Access ways and driveways to all off-street parking spaces shall not exceed twenty-five (25) percent of the zone lot width.
a. Exception. Notwithstanding the above, structures containing above grade off-street parking spaces where the top of the parking structure projects no more than three (3) feet, six (6) inches above grade level, as measured from the midpoint elevation of a side lot line, may occur in the front one-half (1/2) of the zone lot. Structures containing fully above grade off-street parking space may occur in the front one-half (l/2) of the zone lot if all frontages within ten (10) feet of the public street contain uses by right other than parking. All parking spaces shall be screened from the public right-of-way and adjacent properties as set forth above.

(5) Open space required. Notwithstanding the provisions of the underlying zone district, each zone lot shall provide at least twenty-five (25) percent of the area of the zone lot in unobstructed open space which shall not include space provided for off-street parking.

(6) Front setback. The zoning administrator shall establish the front setback requirement for any situation not otherwise described below. The zoning administrator shall establish the front setback requirement in historic districts designated for preservation according to Chapter 30 of the Revised Municipal Code.
a. Long dimension of the block. All structures shall be set in a distance of not less than fifteen (15) feet from each front line of the zone lot facing the long dimension of any block oblong in shape; provided, however, that if the front setbacks of existing structures abutting on either side of the proposed structure are greater than fifteen (15) feet, the minimum front setback of the proposed structure shall be the average of the front setbacks of those abutting structures. If a proposed structure is to be located on a corner lot and a structure abutting the proposed structure is greater than fifteen (15) feet, the minimum front setback of the proposed structure shall be the average of the setbacks of the abutting structure and the structure located on the zone lot next to the abutting structure on the same face block as the subject zone lot. In calculating the front setback, the following shall be disregarded: structures located ~n the rear one-half (1/2) of the lot, structures with setbacks of ten (10) feet or less, structures with illegal front additions or porch enclosures, and structures for which front setback variances have been obtained. Shorter dimension of the block. On the two (2) shorter dimensions of any block oblong in shape, the front setback may be reduced to five (5) feet for structures which face on the longer dimension of the block and to ten (10) feet for structures which face on the shorter dimension of the block.

(7) Height control. The height of any structure in the OD-9 district shall not exceed thirty-five (35) feet.

(8) Bulk of structures. Except for eaves, church spires, church towers, flagpoles, antennas, chimneys, flues or vents, no part of any structure, including elevator penthouses, air conditioners and other mechanical equipment, shall project through bulk planes which are described as follows and shown above in figure 1, OD-6 Bulk Plane:
a. Ground level point. The starting point for locating the bulk plane shall be the midpoint of a specific lot line, or alley center line adjoining the lot. The elevation of the ground at the midpoint shall be used as the first measuring point for the bulk plane. In case a retaining wall is located on the lot line, the midpoint elevation shall be taken from the base of the wall. The midpoint elevation shall be established prior to any grading or construction.
b. Aboveground horizontal line. The starting line for bulk planes shall be as follows:
1. For the side area of the zone lot: at a horizontal line which is located directly above the side lot line and passes through a point twenty (20) feet above the midpoint elevation of such side lot line;
2. For the front area of the zone lot: at a horizontal line which is located directly above the front zone lot line and which passes through a point twenty (20) feet above the midpoint of such front lines; and
3. For the rear area of the zone lot:
(i) With no abutting alley: at a horizontal line which is located directly above the rear lot line and which passes through a point twenty (20) feet above the midpoint elevation of such rear zone lot line; or
(ii) With an abutting alley: at a horizontal line which is located directly above the center line of the abutting alley or alleys and which passes through a point twenty (20) feet above the midpoint elevation of such center line between the boundary lines of the zone lot extended.
c. Sloping plane. The bulk planes start at the horizontal lines described above and extend upwards over the zone lot at an angle of forty-five (45) degrees with respect to the horizontal (a pitch of one (1) foot additional rise for each additional foot of setback from the horizontal line) until such planes intersect the bulk plane from the opposite zone lot line.