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Draft Memorandum September 15, 2017 <br />Redwood City Live/Work Development Feasibility Page 4 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />To support a transitional zone between industrial and residential areas <br />A live/work district is uniquely suited as a transitional use which can act as a buffer between <br />existing industrial and residential areas. This is particularly true when the activities permitted <br />within live/work zones are limited by noise and pollution standards. <br />To encourage the preservation of existing and historic buildings <br />In some cases, former industrial or commercial buildings may hold historic significance within a <br />jurisdiction. If their intended use is no longer feasible, live/work may be a viable alternative to <br />preserving and maintaining use of the structure. <br />To provide for a diversity of housing options and affordability <br />Live/work units are a unique product, and their presence contributes to the diversity of a <br />community’s housing stock. This diversity is seen in both the function of the unit itself as well as <br />the relative pricing of the unit. By bundling both the residential unit and the commercial space, <br />an individual may be able to spend less on their combined residential and commercial activities. <br />Live/Work Regulations in Bay Area Cities <br />Bay Area cities vary in their approach to planning and regulating live/work space and/or districts. <br />While some cities like Redwood City have designated zoning districts for live/work, many others <br />permit live/work as a conditional use within mixed-use zones. Furthermore, the performance <br />standards and special requirements of live/work units differ significantly within the Bay Area. <br />Table 2 illustrates some of these differences in a select sample of Bay Area communities. <br />Table 2 Live/Work Policy Matrix (Select Bay Area Cities) <br /> <br />Live/Work Zoning Policy <br />Elements Redwood City Oakland Milpitas Sunnyvale Palo Alto Emeryville <br />Zoning Designation / Where <br />Permitted <br />Mixed Use <br />Live/Work <br />Central Estuary <br />District Mixed Use <br />and Industrial Zones <br />Mixed Use Mixed Use Combining <br />Districts <br />Pedestrian / TOD <br />Combining District <br />Allowed as <br />conditional use <br />Physical Characteristics <br />% Available for Residential 50% - 60%33% - 50%60%N/A 60%-100%50% 1 <br />Minimum Dwelling Unit Sq. Ft.750 800 N/A N/A N/A 750 <br />Max FAR 2 3 N/A N/A N/A 3 (6 with bonus)2 <br />Multiple-Unit Dwelling (Yes/No)No Yes N/A Yes Yes Yes <br />Live Space May be Detached No No No No N/A N/A <br />Tenant Regulations <br />Business License Required Yes Yes Yes N/A N/A Yes <br />Commercial component <br />restricted to resident Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes <br />Zoning Notes <br />Live/Work is a <br />permitted use within <br />the existing Mixed <br />Use Live Work <br />(MULW) zoning <br />districts. No special <br />permits are required. <br />Live/Work is a <br />permitted use within the <br />D-CE-3 and D-CE-4 <br />zones. These are <br />Central Estuary Mixed <br />Use Zones. <br />Allowed under <br />mixed used zoning <br />following special <br />review and a <br />minor conditional <br />use permit. <br />Live/Work is allowed <br />only in specific (MU) <br />combined districts that <br />allow for certain <br />regulations to be <br />combined with basic <br />regulations of a zoning <br />district. Requires special <br />development permit. <br />Maximum size of <br />2,500 sq. ft. / unit. <br />Height restricted to <br />40'. Non-residential <br />FAR is .40. <br />Live/Work requires a <br />conditional use <br />regardless of <br />whether it is <br />developed in a <br />residential or <br />commercial zone. <br />[1] Not more than 50% of floor area is available for living space in commercial zones, no more than 80% is available in residential zones. <br />[2] Emeryville does not impose explicit FAR limitations for Live/Work. However, Live/Work FAR is subject to FAR requirements of the respective zone it is developed in. <br />Source: Zoning regulations for live/work units have been retrieved from each city's respecitve zoning code.