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Chapter 17.39 — RESIDENTIAL SENIOR CITIZEN STANDARDS

Poway Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-25 · Poway

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17.39.010 General requirements.

17.39.020 Special requirements.

17.39.010 General requirements.

The following requirements for residential senior citizen housing are minimum requirements unless otherwise stated:

Requirement Number
1. Density, maximum
living units per net
acre
20 living units
per net acre or 50
beds per net acre,
whichever is
more restrictive.
Any density
bonus shall be
pursuant to
Article V of
Chapter
17.26
PMC, Affordable
Housing
Incentives, and
shall apply only
to the number of
living units per
acre and not to
the number of
beds per acre. In
the case of a
density bonus,
the maximum
density shall be
20 living units
per net acre plus
the density
bonus, or 50 beds
per net acre,
whichever is
more restrictive.
2. Site area(in acres) 2
3. Front yard setback
(in feet)
25
4. Side yard setback
each side(in feet)
10/10
Requirement Number
5. Side yard setback
street side(in feet)
25
6. Rear yard setback
(in feet)
25
7. Building height,
maximum
35 feet or two
stories,
whichever is less
8. Site coverage,
maximum
50 percent
9. Parking spaces per
one bedroom unit
(covered in carport)
and guest parking
spaces per unit
(uncovered) plus one
space per employee.
Two-bedroom units
and those units
providing for private
ownership shall
provide one space
per unit. Accessible
parking shall be
provided at the ratio
prescribed by Title
24 of the State
BuildingCode.
Combined total
of 1.2 spaces per
living unit
10. Distance between
buildings(in feet)
10
11. Minimum age
requirement
55

(Ord. 701 § 7, 2009; Ord. 144 § 2 (Attach. 2(A)), 1984; Ord. 113 § 1 (Exh. A 6.8), 1983)

17.39.020 Special requirements.

The following special development requirements shall apply to all senior citizen developments:

A. The senior citizen development shall be designed and developed in a manner compatible with and complementary to existing and potential development in the immediate vicinity of the project site. Site planning on the perimeter shall provide for the protection of the property from adverse surrounding influences, as well as protection of the surrounding areas from potential adverse influences within the development.

B. Required open space shall comprise at least 20 percent of the total area of the planned development. Land occupied by buildings, streets, driveways, or parking spaces may be not be counted in satisfying this open space requirement; provided, however, that land occupied by recreational buildings and structures may be counted as required open space. The addition of expanded exterior walkways is encouraged.

C. All or any part of the required open space shall be reserved for use in common by the residents of the development. The City Council may require that the open space easements over the required open space be conveyed to the City.

D. No building, except as hereafter provided, shall be located closer than five feet from any interior vehicular or pedestrian way, court, plaza, open parking lot, or any other surfaced area reserved for public use or for use in common by residents of the planned

development. Such setback shall generally be measured from the nearest edge of a surfaced area; provided, however, that where no sidewalk exists in conjunction with a public or private street, such setback shall be measured from the nearest edge of the street rightof-way or private road easement.

E. Each building shall be surrounded on all sides by relatively level open space having a slope no greater than 10 percent and extending a minimum distance of 10 feet in all directions measured from the furthest projections of the external walls of the building.

F. All public streets within or abutting the proposed planned development may be dedicated and shall be improved to City specifications for the particular classification of street. When the developer desires to retain any streets within the development as private streets, such streets shall be irrevocably offered for dedication and maintained for their intended purpose by means acceptable to the City Council. Other forms of access, such as pedestrian ways, courts, plazas, driveways or open parking lots shall not be offered for dedication.

G. Each senior citizen housing project will be evaluated according to the location criteria set forth in this section.

  1. Projects should be located on property of 15 percent or less in slope, in addition a paved surface, not exceeding a slope ratio of one to 12 shall be required to provide access to shopping/services and/or transportation.

  2. Projects should be located near a wide range of commercial retail, professional and social services patronized by senior citizens.

  3. Projects should be located within one-half mile from a major food store/market (one which carries a full line of meat, groceries, produce, etc.).

  4. Projects should be located within approximately 500 feet of a bus or transit stop.

Projects which do not meet these location criteria will be required to provide supplemental transportation for tenants. The type, amount and extent of the supplemental transportation system will be determined by the Development Services Director and shall be based on project size, location and availability of services. Minimal standards for supplemental transportation may range from three to six round-trip visits per week/per tenant to services expected to be patronized by these tenants.

H. All projects shall provide laundry facilities adequately sized and located to serve the needs of residents as provided in PMC 17.08.220.

Projects totaling 14 living units or more shall provide a recreation/community-social room accessible to the disabled. For projects up to 25 living units, the facility shall be of at least the size of the smallest living unit provided in the project. For projects exceeding 25 units, the facility should be appropriately sized to serve the needs of residents and shall have adjacent toilet facilities for men and women. The size of the recreation room may be appropriately reduced if it is located adjacent to usable outdoor space. Unless the building is serviced by an elevator, recreation rooms should be located on the ground floor, and are more appropriately located near the entrance of projects to afford residents a protected view out onto the streetscape.

I. In addition to the standard application submittal requirements for the project, the applicant shall also submit a detailed vicinity map showing the project location and such details as the nearest market, transit stop, park or recreation center, hospital or clinic, bank, post office, or other related uses/services likely to be patronized by tenants.

J. All projects which do not have an on-site manager shall provide a posted phone number of the project owner or off-site manager for emergencies or maintenance problems. (Ord. 701 §§ 8 – 11, 2009; Ord. 518, 1999; Ord. 144 § 2(Attach. 2(A)), 1984; Ord. 113 § 1 (Exh. A 6.8), 1983)

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Contents — Poway Zoning Code
Poway Zoning Code
  1. Chapter 17.02 — GENERAL PROVISIONS
  2. Chapter 17.04 — DEFINITIONS
  3. Chapter 17.06 — ESTABLISHMENT OF ZONES – ZONING MAPS
  4. Chapter 17.07 — WATER EFFICIENCY STANDARDS
  5. Chapter 17.08 — RESIDENTIAL ZONES
  6. Chapter 17.10 — COMMERCIAL ZONES
  7. Chapter 17.16 — MHP MOBILE HOME PARK ZONE
  8. Chapter 17.18 — PRD PLANNED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ZONE
  9. Chapter 17.20 — PC PLANNED COMMUNITY ZONE
  10. Chapter 17.21 — HC HOSPITAL CAMPUS ZONE
  11. Chapter 17.22 — PF PUBLIC FACILITIES ZONE
  12. Chapter 17.23
  13. Chapter 17.24
  14. Chapter 17.26 — SPECIAL USES AND CONDITIONS
  15. Chapter 17.27 — PAWN SHOPS
  16. Chapter 17.28 — HOME OCCUPATIONS
  17. Chapter 17.30 — RECREATIONAL COURTS
  18. Chapter 17.31 — AMATEUR RADIO ANTENNA INSTALLATIONS
  19. Chapter 17.32 — KEEPING OF ANIMALS
  20. Chapter 17.33 — STABLES
  21. Chapter 17.34 — KENNELS
  22. Chapter 17.35 — TEEN CLUBS AND CENTERS
  23. Chapter 17.36 — ARCADES
  24. Chapter 17.37 — SATELLITE DISH ANTENNAS
  25. Chapter 17.38 — ADULT-ORIENTED BUSINESSES
  26. Chapter 17.39 — RESIDENTIAL SENIOR CITIZEN STANDARDS
  27. Chapter 17.40 — COMPREHENSIVE SIGN REGULATIONS
  28. Chapter 17.41 — LANDSCAPE EFFICIENCY STANDARDS
  29. Chapter 17.42 — OFF-STREET PARKING
  30. Chapter 17.44 — NONCONFORMING USES, STRUCTURES AND PERFORMANCE…
  31. Chapter 17.45 — HISTORICAL STRUCTURES
  32. Chapter 17.46 — AMENDMENTS
  33. Chapter 17.47 — SPECIFIC PLAN REGULATIONS
  34. Chapter 17.48 — CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REGULATIONS
  35. Chapter 17.50 — VARIANCES
  36. Chapter 17.52 — DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCEDURE
  37. Chapter 17.53 — DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT REGULATIONS FOR CONSIDER…
  38. Chapter 17.54 — ENFORCEMENT
  39. Chapter 17.56 — WIRELESS COMMUNICATION FACILITIES

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