County of Santa Cruz
Community Development & Infrastructure

Overriding Minimum Parcel Sizes

Summary

The Santa Cruz County General Plan sets minimum sizes for new parcels in areas where resources or constraints mandate reductions in the intensity residential development, such as lands within water supply watersheds, agricultural areas, fire hazard zones and fault zones. Minimum parcel sizes are based on gross acreage unless otherwise noted. Overriding minimums take precedence over density calculations based on matrix points.

APPLIES	DOES NOT APPLY	MAY APPLY

			Parcel is within the Coastal Zone and Water Supply Watershed. The minimum parcel size is 20 acres.
			Parcel is outside the Coastal Zone and within a Water Supply Watershed. The minimum parcel size is 10 acres, except:
			In San Lorenzo River Watershed where the General Plan designation is Urban Residential (such as R-UL) or Suburban Residential.
			In San Lorenzo River Watershed for land designated Rural Residential where the average parcel size within 1/4 mile of the subject parcel is less than one acre.
			In the North Coast and Bonny Doon Planning Areas, in Water Supply Watersheds outside the Coastal Zone, the minimum parcel size is 20 acres.
			Parcel in RSL with a R-UL or R-UVL designation, with no community sewer. Minimum parcel size / density shall be limited to Suburban Residential based on Matrix.
			Parcel is within a Least Disturbed Watershed. Minimum parcel size 40 acres and land division must be consistent with open space protection and beneficial to the public, such as parcels for public well sites, fire stations and utilities.
			Parcel is within a proposed reservoir site or adjacent to the high water mark of a proposed or existing water supply reservoir or surface division. No land division is allowed except for reservoir protection or development.
			Parcel is Type 1 Agricultural land. If findings found in 13.10.315(B) are made, the minimum parcel size is 10 arable acres.
			Parcel is Type 2 Agricultural land. If findings found in 13.10.315(C) are made, the minimum parcel size is 20 arable acres.
			Parcel is Type 3 Agricultural land. If findings found in 13.10.315(D) are made, the minimum parcel size is 20 arable acres.
			Parcel is designated Suburban Residential, is outside the Rural Services Line, and is adjacent to Commercial Agricultural land. Allow a maximum density of 2.5 net developable acres unless parcel meets criteria in 5.13.33 of the General Plan.
			Parcel is within the Timber Production Zone District and is within the Coastal Zone. The smallest parcel allowed without clustering is 160 acres. The highest density allowed with clustering is 40 acres per dwelling unit.
			Parcel is within the Timber Production Zone District and is outside the Coastal Zone. The smallest parcels allowed without clustering is 40 acres. The highest density allowed with clustering is 10 acres per dwelling unit / matrix.
			Parcel is within a mapped Timber Resource, not zoned Timber Production and is greater than 20 acres. If evaluation finds parcel to have Timber Resources equivalent to TP parcels, apply TP density standards as above.
			Parcel is within a mapped Mineral Resource. Min. parcel size is 40 acres.
			Parcel is within a State or County designated seismic review zone outside USL / RSL. The minimum parcel size is 20 acres if building sites are located within the fault zone. In County fault zone, if at least 25% of parcel perimeter adjoins parcels 1-acre or less in size, minimum parcel size is 10 acres.
			Secondary access is always required for new dead-end roads longer than ½-mile. Secondary access not required if site is less than 500’ from a County road and fire response time is 5 minutes or less. In R-R, secondary access is required for dead-end roads longer than 1,000’; on R-Mt parcels, secondary access required for dead-ends greater than 1,500’, unless longer dead-end road approved by fire, DPW and the Planning Commission (GP Policy 6.5.5). If not possible, development allowed only at lowest density of General Plan . Sites must locate within 20-minute response time from nearest fire station, or development allowed only at lowest density of General Plan.
			Parcel is in Critical Fire Hazard area. Locate building sites outside of Critical Fire Hazard Area. If the proposed building site is within a Critical Fire Hazard Area and if the parcel is served by a through road or by secondary access, development allowed only at lowest density of General Plan designation. If the building site is within the Critical Fire Hazard Area and if the parcel is on a dead-end road and cannot develop secondary access, no land division allowed.
			Parcel is within a Mitigatable Critical Fire Hazard Area. If proposed building site is within Mitigable Fire Hazard Area, density limits are the same as for Critical Fire Hazard Area, with this exception: if the project meets water storage standards for fire protection, no overriding minimum parcel size / density limit applies.
			Parcel is within the Coastal Zone. Prohibit land divisions that are more than ½ mile from a through road unless secondary access can be provided.
			Parcel is within the Coastal Zone and is located in the Bonny Doon or North Coast planning areas. No land divisions more than ½ mile from a publicly maintained road.
			Parcel is in the Day Valley area in the Aptos Hills planning area and is designated Suburban Residential. The max. parcel size is 2½ net developable.
			Parcel is in the Bonny Doon planning area and is within the Rural Residential General Plan designation. The minimum parcel size is 5 net developable acres. Cluster development is encouraged.
			Parcel is within the Suburban Residential General Plan designation and does not have public water. The minimum parcel size is 2½ acres.
			Parcel is within the Mountain Residential General Plan Designation (or privately held Resource Conservation (O-C) land) and the average parcel size of the surrounding parcels exceeds 40 acres. “Surrounding” includes all parcels designated Mountain Residential (or Resource Conservation, if private) that are wholly or partially within a ½- mile radius from the subject parcel boundary, excluding paper subdivisions and nonconforming parcels less than one acre. The average parcel size (acres) shall be the minimum parcel size.
			Parcel is within the Runway Protection (clear or A zone). No division allowed.
			Parcel is within a Primary Groundwater Recharge Area. Minimum parcel size 10 acres unless building site is outside the GW recharge area or located within the USL or RSL and served by a sewage disposal system (operated by a CSA or public district) which either provides at least secondary treatment with nitrogen removal or disposes of effluent outside the primary groundwater recharge area.
			Parcel is within a Special Forest. If development is proposed within the habitat, no division of land is allowed. If development is proposed outside the habitat, land divisions may be considered only at the lowest end of the General Plan.
			Parcel is within a Native or Mixed Grassland Habitat in the Coastal Zone. If development is proposed within the habitat, no division of land is allowed. If development is proposed outside the habitat, land divisions may be considered only at the lowest end of the General Plan designation. Clustering is required.