23.312.040 Standards for Live/Work.
A. All Districts. The following standards apply to live/work units in all districts.
1. General Standards.
(a) A cooking space and sanitary facility in conformance with applicable building standards adopted by the City is required.
(b) Adequate and clearly defined working space constituting no less than 50 percent of the gross floor area of the live/work unit is required.
i. The working space must be reserved for and regularly used by one or more live/work unit residents and be consistent with City administrative guidelines for live/work design.
ii. If the workspace is less than 60 percent (or less than 50 percent in units created by change of use from a dwelling unit), the unit is considered a dwelling unit and is subject to all requirements applicable to dwelling units.
(c) At least 40 square feet of usable open space shall be provided for each live/work unit.
(d) For live/work units established through change of use of an existing building, the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) may approve a Use Permit to substitute interior space accessible to all residents for the required open space in the project, if it finds that it is not practical or desirable to provide exterior open space.
2. Business License. At least one resident in each live/work unit shall maintain at all times a valid City Business License and Zoning Certificate or Use Permit for a business on the premises.
3. Employment, Client, and Customer Visits.
(a) Except in the C-AC district, persons who do not live in the live/work unit may be employed in a live/work unit if an additional Use Permit is obtained and the required on-site parking space is provided.
(b) Client and customer visits to live/work units are permitted if an additional Use Permit is obtained and the required on-site parking is provided.
(c) In the C-AC district, clients, customers and employees are permitted at the site without a Use Permit.
4. Unit Rental and Sale. No portion of a live/work unit may be separately rented or sold as a commercial space for a person or persons not living on the premises, or as a residential space for a person or persons not working on the premises.
5. Change of Use.
(a) To change a dwelling unit to a live/work unit, the findings required by Section 23.326.040 (Eliminating Dwelling Units through Conversion and Change of Use) must be made.
(b) Establishing or changing the work use of a live/work unit to medical offices or group instruction requires ZAB approval of a Use Permit to subject to Section 23.312.050 (Findings) below.
(c) In districts other than the MU-LI district, live/work units may be changed to exclusively residential use or the residential floor area increased above 40 percent, only if all requirements for establishing a residential use are met.
(d) In districts other than the MU-R district, live/work units may be changed to an exclusively commercial use, provided that in the C-W district only ground floor space may be so changed. All such changes are subject to Section 23.326.040 (Eliminating Dwelling Units through Conversion and Change of Use).
6. Repealed by Ord. 7853-NS. Repealed.
B. C-W District. In addition to the standards in Subsection A (All Districts) above, the following live/work standards apply in the C-W district.
1. Only ground floor space may be changed to live/work units.
2. The total floor area of the live/work unit must be at least 800 square feet.
C. MU-LI District. In addition to the standards in Subsection A (All Districts) above, the following live/work standards apply in the MU-LI district.
1. At least one resident in the live/work unit must be engaged in an art craft studio activity or in an activity which requires space not typically available in a conventional residential setting.
2. The specific activity a live/work resident will engage in must be stated.
3. The total floor area of the live/work unit must be at least 1,000 square feet.
D. MU-R District. In addition to the standards in Subsection A (All Districts) above, the following live/work standards apply in the MU-R district.
1. The total floor area of the live/work unit must be at least 1,000 square feet.
2. The live/work unit must meet the location limitations in 23.206.090.B.8 (MU-R Mixed Use-Residential District--Residential Uses). (Ord. 7853-NS § 1, 2023: Ord. 7787-NS § 2 (Exh. A), 2021)