La Mesa

The following zones are hereby adopted. RB - Residential Business; C - General Commercial; CN - Neighborhood Commercial; CD - Downtown Commercial; CM - Light Industrial and Commercial Service; M - Industrial Service and Manufacturing

Overlay zones modify the provisions of the underlying zones for specific purposes but do not modify the relative intensity of one zone to that of another.

"Accessory dwelling unit" means a detached or attached dwelling unit that provides complete, independent living facilities for one or more persons and is located on a lot with a proposed or existing primary residence.

A business license, Certificate of Occupancy, building permit or any other permit or license pertaining to the use of and or structures shall be issued only if such uses and structures conform with the requirements of this title.

A Certificate of Occupancy may be used for the purpose of documenting the status of any building, structure or use. Application for a Certificate of Occupancy shall be made to the building department.

Site development plan reviews are required as per this title to ensure that development requirements are complied with and that design objectives are met.

Urban design review is required as per this title to insure that the objectives of the urban design program (Resolution No. 15539) and urban design review (Resolution No. 15540) are met.

The city shall develop and maintain a Tree Policy Manual which provides for policies and guidelines for the planting, care, preservation, maintenance, and removal of trees within the public right-of-way and on private property.

Variances may be authorized to reduce, modify or waive the development standards under any zone when, because of special circumstances applicable to the property, including size, shape, topography, location or surroundings, the strict application of the zoning ordinance deprives such property of privileges enjoyed by other property in the zone and vicinity.

Special permits are required as provided by this title to expand the limits of certain development standards, when such expanded limits are reasonable but need evaluation of impact on adjacent properties and uses.

A conditional use is a use determined by the city as having such unique or diverse characteristics that predetermination of regulations for either its operation or location is not practicable.

Any variance, special permit or conditional use permit shall expire by the date established by the agency making the determination or, if no date is specified, one year after the effective date unless such variance or permit is exercised prior to expiration.

Except as otherwise stated in the title, all requests shall be filed within ten days following the date of mailing.

Each determination shall be made in writing and shall be in the form of a resolution or certification.

Each notice of public hearing shall identify any property involved and give the date and time, place and purpose of the hearing. Such notice shall be mailed not less than ten days prior to the date of hearing.

Such notice shall be mailed not less than ten days prior to the date of hearing... to all those properties within three hundred feet of the boundary.

Each application shall be made on forms prescribed by the planning department and shall be filed with that department together with the filing fee prescribed by city council.

It is the policy of the city of La Mesa to provide for the continuance of nonconforming uses, structures and lots as defined in this chapter where, of themselves, such nonconformities do not endanger the public health, safety, and welfare.

Any nonconforming use which is replaced by a conforming use, or which is discontinued for any continuous period of one hundred eighty (180) days or longer, shall be considered abated

a nonconforming building or structure which is damaged or partially destroyed by fire, explosion, or natural disaster to the extent of not more than one-half the replacement cost prior to the damage may be restored