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City of San Mateo Municipal Code.

27.21.020 Definitions

For the purposes of this Chapter, the following definitions apply. Terms not defined herein shall rely upon the definitions contained in Title 26 and Title 27 of the San Mateo Municipal Code.

(a) "Access Corridor" means an access easement or the 'pole' of a flag lot that provides vehicular access to the right-of-way. Access corridors shall consist of paving and be free of landscaping or other permanent features that obstruct ingress/egress and vehicular traffic to a parcel.

(b) "Acting in concert" means that the owner, or a person acting as an agent or representative of the owner, knowingly participated with another person in joint activity or parallel action toward a common goal of subdividing the adjacent parcel.

(c) "Car Share Facility" means one or more parking space(s) that have been designated permanently for car share vehicles, where the vehicles are leased for short periods of time, often by the hour.

(d) "Department" means the Department of Community Development.

(e) "Existing Exterior Structural Wall" means and constitutes the original bottom plate and original top plate in its existing position, original studs (with the exception for new window framing), and capable of standing without support.

(f) "Flag or Panhandle Lot" means a parcel which includes a strip of land that is owned in fee that is used primarily for vehicular access from a public or private street to the major portion of the parcel. For the purposes of determining setbacks, the property line parallel to the primary right-of-way and part of the major portion of the parcel shall be the front property line. Maximum floor area ratio (FAR) shall be based on the gross square footage of the parcel.

(g) "High Quality Transit Corridor" means a corridor with fixed bus route service with service intervals no longer than 15 minutes during peak commute hours.

(h) "Major Transit Stop" means a site containing any of the following: (i) an existing rail or bus rapid transit station; (ii) a ferry terminal served by either a bus or rail transit service; or (iii) the intersection of two or more major bus routes with a frequency of service intervals of 15 minutes or less during the morning and afternoon peak commute periods.

(i) "Primary Unit" (also called a residential dwelling unit or residential unit) means a single-family residence or a residential dwelling unit within a multifamily residential development. A primary unit is distinct from an ADU or junior accessory dwelling unit (JADU), and may be a single-family residence (i.e. one primary unit) or a duplex (i.e. two primary units detached or attached).

(j) "SB 9 Dwelling Unit or SB 9 Unit" means a primary unit that is developed pursuant to the requirements of this Article, applicable San Mateo Municipal Code provisions, and Government Code Sections 65852.21 and 66411.7, as amended.

(k) "SB 9 Project or SB 9 Planning Application" means a project application submitted to the City in accordance with this Article, SB 9, and applicable San Mateo Municipal Code provisions to do one or more of the following:

(1) Split a qualifying single-family residentially zoned parcel into two lots; or

(2) Develop no more than two primary units on a single lot, or

(3) When a lot is subdivided, develop no more than two dwelling units, inclusive of ADUs and JADUs, on a single parcel.

(l) "Senate Bill 9 or SB 9" means the state law signed by the Governor into law on September 19, 2021 that amended Government Code Sections 65852.21 and 66411.7 to allow up to two primary units on and/or lot splits of qualifying single-family zoned parcels.

(m) "Substantial Removal" means the demolition of 50% or more of a structure's exterior walls (measured in linear feet) and/or roof (measured in square feet). Existing exterior walls that are converted to interior walls shall be counted as walls to be demolished. For the purposes of this Chapter, substantial removal for a roof shall not apply to permit applications for re-roofing where roof pitch alterations do not exceed an increase in height of more than two (2) feet as measured at the highest point or where a SB 9 planning application has been submitted as part of the proposed improvements. Doors, including garage doors, entry doors, and sliding glass doors, shall not be included in the percentage calculation of an existing structure's exterior walls. This section shall not apply to an accessory building or to a residence that has been declared a public nuisance under this Code.

(n) "Sufficient to Allow Separate Conveyance" means that connected or adjacent units can be sold separately if they conform to condominium standards to allow for the adequate transfer of title, ownership, rights, and interests in the property from one entity to another.

(o) "Urban Lot Split" means a subdivision of an existing legal single-family zoned parcel into no more than two separate single-family zoned parcels that meet all of the criteria and standards set forth in this Chapter, applicable objective standards of San Mateo Municipal Code Title 26, and Government Code Sections 65852.21 and 66411.7, as amended.