16.28.170 Lots.
A. Lot Sizes. All residential lots shall have a minimum net area as described in Title 17 of the Bakersfield Municipal Code.
B. Lot Frontage. All residential lots shall have a minimum street frontage of fifty-five feet except as follows:
1. The minimum street frontage for an interior one-family dwelling lot that is less than six thousand square feet in area shall be forty-five feet.
2. The minimum lot frontage for a corner lot shall be sixty feet except for a one-family dwelling lot that is less than six thousand square feet in area where it is fifty feet. For purposes of measuring frontage on a corner lot with a radius return, the distance shall be measured from the point of intersection of the extensions of the street side property line and the front property line.
3. Cul-de-Sac or Knuckle Lot. Thirty-five lineal feet as measured along the arc.
4. Flag Lot. Twenty feet.
5. Drill Site Required Pursuant to Section 15.66.080(C). Three hundred five feet.
C. Lot Depth. The lot depth is the length of a line that bisects a lot from a point on the front property line measured halfway between the side property lines to a point on the rear of the property. The minimum depth for residential lots shall be one hundred feet, except as follows:
1. The minimum depth for a lot with a rear yard abutting agricultural or residential suburban zoned property shall be one hundred forty feet.
2. The minimum depth for a lot with a rear yard abutting a freeway or railroad right-of-way shall be one hundred twenty feet.
3. The minimum depth for a one family dwelling lot in an R-2 zone shall be ninety feet except as required in subsections (C)(1) and (2).
D. Lot Width. The lot width is the length of a line between side property lines that is the perpendicular bisect of the lot depth. The minimum width for residential lots shall be fifty-five feet on interior lots and sixty feet on corner lots, except as follows:
1. The minimum width for a lot with a side yard abutting agricultural or residential suburban zoned property shall be one hundred feet.
2. The minimum width for a lot with a side yard abutting a freeway or railroad right-of-way shall be eighty-five feet on interior lots and ninety feet on corner lots.
3. The minimum depth for a one-family dwelling lot that is less than six thousand square feet in area shall be ninety feet except as required in subsections (C)(1) and (2).
4. The minimum width for a drill site required pursuant to Section 15.66.080(C) shall be three hundred five feet, unless otherwise approved by the planning commission in accordance with Section 16.28.170(O).
E. Flag Lots. Flag lots shall not be allowed except where there is no other reasonable design alternative as determined by the planning commission. A flag lot means a lot with two discernible portions; one is the flag portion (building site) not fronting on or abutting a street and located behind another lot; and the second is the pole portion which provides private access to and from the flag portion of the lot and the abutting street. The minimum width of the pole portion of the flag lot shall be twenty feet and have a maximum length of one hundred twenty-five feet from the right-of-way line to the flag portion of the lot. The pole portion of the flag lot shall not be included for the purpose of computing minimum lot area, lot width, or lot depth. The flag portion of the lot and the lot in front of the flag lot shall both meet minimum lot design standards of this title, except as approved in accordance with subsection O. Nonbuildable easements shall be recorded over the pole portion of the flag lot, and define building to property line setbacks on each flag lot as determined adequate by the planning commission.
F. Lot Lines. The sidelines of all lots, so far as practicable, shall be at right angles to the street which the lot faces, or radial or approximately radial if the street is curved.
G. Divided Lots. No lot shall be divided by a city boundary line, nor any boundary line between registered (Torrens Title) and unregistered land, nor any boundary line between parcels of registered land under separate ownership. Each such boundary line shall be made a lot line.
H. Double Frontage Lots. Double frontage lots having a depth less than two hundred feet will not be approved except where, as determined by the advisory agency, conditions permit no other reasonable form of platting, or where the proposed double frontage lots abut a street which functions as a major street and the advisory agency deems it to be reasonable due to such controlling factors as traffic, safety, appearance and setback. Each such lot shall have a six-foot-high masonry wall (the height shall be measured from whichever side of the wall the adjacent finished grade is higher) with landscaping (on the exterior side) installed by the subdivider adjacent to the rear property line or, where the wall and landscaping are to be maintained by a homeowners association or maintenance district installed within the street rightof-way and additional landscape easement or adjacent common lot. Alternate wall and landscape concepts may be approved in areas where, in the opinion of the advisory agency, topographic or other physical conditions make strict adherence to this criteria undesirable. Conceptual wall and landscaping plans shall be reviewed and approved by the advisory agency prior to filing of any final tract or final parcel map.
I. Walls Along Side Yards Adjacent to Collector or Arterial Streets. Where it is found to be necessary for orderly development, residential lots having side yards adjacent to collector or arterial streets shall be required to install a sixfoot-high masonry wall (the height shall be measured from whichever side of the wall the adjacent finished grade is higher) with landscaping (on the exterior side) installed by the subdivider adjacent to the side property line or, where the wall and landscaping are to be maintained by a homeowners association or maintenance district, installed within the street right-of-way and additional landscape easement or adjacent common lot. Alternate wall and landscape concepts may be approved in areas where, in the opinion of the advisory agency, topographic or other physical conditions make strict adherence to this criteria undesirable. Conceptual wall and landscape plans shall be reviewed and approved in accordance with adopted resolutions prior to filing of any final tract or final parcel map.
J. Landscape Walls Exceeding Four Feet Within Front Yard Setback. The planning director, in accordance with adopted resolutions, or the advisory agency may permit walls exceeding four feet in height within the front yard setback area of a residential lot when approved as part of a conceptual wall and landscape plan approved in conjunction with a subdivision.
K. Lots Abutting Commercial Uses. Where it is found to be necessary for orderly development, residential lots which share a common property line with office, commercial or industrial zoning or land use designations shall be separated by a masonry block wall along said property line a minimum of six feet but not exceeding eight feet in height as measured from highest adjacent finished grade. Timing of said wall installation to be determined by the advisory agency.
L. Lots Abutting Park Sites, Drilling Islands, Oil Well Sites, and Canals. Where it is found to be necessary for orderly development, any lot which shares a common property line with a lot designed to serve as a park site, drilling island, oil well site or canal shall be separated by a masonry block wall, along said property line a minimum of six feet but not exceeding eight feet in height as measured from highest adjacent finished grade. Timing of said wall installation to be determined by the advisory agency.
M. Lot Numbers. Lot numbers shall begin with the numeral 1 and shall continue consecutively through the tract, with no omissions or duplications, and no block number shall be used. Letters shall be used to designate non-buildable lots.
N. Lot Dimensions. Dimensions of all lot lines shall be shown. No ditto marks shall be used on any final tract or final parcel map. All maps shall show the area of each irregular (nonrectangular) lot.
O. Reduction of Minimum Standards. The advisory agency may permit a reduction in minimum standards including lot area, width, frontage and/or depth pursuant to the provisions in either Chapter 16.36 or 17.52 or density bonus provisions of the municipal code. Reduction of minimum standards may also be allowed as follows:
1. The advisory agency may permit a five percent reduction of lot area, width, frontage and/or depth for not more than five percent of the lots in a subdivision if it makes the following findings:
a. The proposed subdivision is within the density range depicted for the property in the general plan.
b. The proposed subdivision is consistent with the purposes and intent of the subdivision ordinance and zoning ordinance.
c. The applicant has provided justification for the proposed reduction based on sound engineering practices or subdivision design features.
2. A reduction in lot width, depth and frontage in a subdivision may be permitted by the advisory agency if it makes the following findings:
a. The minimum lot area complies with zoning.
b. The applicant has demonstrated that the development will not require a modification for the reduction of the required front, rear, or side yard setbacks on any lot within the subdivision.
c. The applicant has demonstrated that the reduction is required due to physical constraints, the application of city engineering standards, and a lack of design alternatives.
3. If the project site is zoned for multiple-family dwellings, the advisory agency may permit a reduction of lot area for one-family dwellings (as provided for in Section 17.14.070(B)) in a subdivision if it makes the following findings:
a. The proposed subdivision is within the density range depicted for the property in the general plan.
b. The subdivision is planned to provide a balanced housing stock within a defined area.
c. The subdivision does not result in an unjustified concentration of substandard lots within a defined area.
d. The applicant has demonstrated that the development will not require a modification for the reduction of the required front, rear, or side-yard setbacks on any lot within the subdivision.
e. The proposed development offers elements unique to the project that justify the reduction in lot area standards such as, but not limited to, one or more of the following:
i. Two percent of the gross acreage of subdivision is designed as active recreational area.
Active recreational area as selected by the applicant shall include, but is not limited to: court sports, field sports, pool areas, indoor recreational facilities, tot lots, playground apparatus areas, and par course facilities. Also included are trails with a paved surface separate from otherwise required improvements (i.e., roads, sidewalks, trails) which are interior or exterior to the subdivision and which connect to public parks, multi-use trails or the Kern River adjacent to or within a reasonable distance from the subdivision.
The active recreational area claimed as a unique element shall include no more than twenty percent of its total area dedicated to passive uses (excluding industry recommended clear space setbacks for separation of apparatus, sport fields and courts).
ii. Two and one-half percent of the gross acreage of subdivision is designed as combination recreational area.
Combination recreational area includes active recreational area and passive recreational area as selected by the applicant when more than twenty percent of the area claimed for unique element credit is dedicated to passive recreational area (excluding industry recommended clear space setbacks for separation of apparatus, sport fields and courts).
Passive recreational area is open space such as open turf and tree areas, park-like landscaped areas, informal open play areas and picnic/BBQ area.
Unique element credit for active or combination recreational areas shall not be allotted for any individually owned open space, landscape areas otherwise required by city ordinances or the State Map Act (river access), or natural and landscaped areas required for mitigation of environmental impacts.
iii. Subdivision design features such as pedestrian oriented parkways providing one twenty-four-inch box size tree per lot (species subject to city parks department approval) installed within a landscaped parkway between the street and sidewalk for all streets within the interior of the subdivision and maintained by the individual lot owners.
iv. Subdivisions less than ten gross acres in size may pay park land in-lieu fees at three acres per one thousand population.
v. Recreational open space and/or other facilities unique to the project subject to the approval of the advisory agency.
P. Reversed Corner Lots. Reversed corner lots shall not be allowed in residential zones, except where required to comply with such other ordinances, codes, and design principles of subdivision. In no instances shall an interior lot be bordered by more than one reversed corner lot in residential zones. (Ord. 4818 § 1, 2015; Ord. 4770 §§ 1—4, 2014; Ord. 4616 § 1, 2010; Ord. 4600 § 1, 2009; Ord. 4148 § 1, 2003; Ord. 4059 §§ 5, 6, 2002; Ord. 3994 § 1, 2001; Ord. 3824 § 1, 1998; Ord. 3748 § 11, 1997; Ord. 3743 § 2, 1997; Ord. 3724 § 2, 1996; Ord. 3682 § 2, 1995; Ord. 3608 § 1, 1994; Ord. 3515 § 1, 1993)