C-C-R-1YY (Single-Family Residential) Zoning in Culver City

C-C-R-1 was the city’s older designation for single-family residential areas (“Culver City Residential – 1”); under the October 2024 zoning code update these areas are now the R1 (Single-Family Residential) zone .  The R1 district is intended to “protect the existing density and character of single-family neighborhoods” .  Typical allowed uses in R1/CCR-1YY include single-family homes and customary accessory uses:

• Primary uses: One single-family dwelling per lot (per the underlying CCR-1/R1 zone) .  (Duplexes or multi-unit buildings are not allowed in R1 .)
• Accessory uses: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior ADUs (permitted by-right) ; home occupations; large and small family day-care homes (permitted as P uses in R1) ; and accessory structures/uses (garages, patios, etc.) .
• Other allowed residential uses: Supportive and transitional housing are treated like other residences (P uses) in R1 .  Smaller residential care facilities (6 or fewer clients) are permitted .
• Conditional uses: Larger institutional or group care uses are only allowed by Conditional Use Permit (CUP) – e.g. residential care facilities with 7+ clients, senior congregate care housing, or adult day-care centers all require a CUP in R1 .
• Prohibited uses: Commercial, industrial, and multi-family uses are not allowed in R1.  For example, mixed-use developments, multi-unit residential (4+ units), and senior congregate care are disallowed (noted as “–” uses in R1) .  (All non-residential or higher-density uses are directed to other zones.)

Setbacks, Height, Density, and Development Standards

The R1 (CCR-1) zone is low-density.  Key development standards are:

• Density and Floor Area: Maximum density is 8.7 dwelling units per acre (effectively one unit per lot) .  Maximum floor‐area‐ratio (FAR) is 0.45 (i.e. floor area ≤45% of lot area) .  The minimum lot size for new lots is 5,000 sq ft .
• Height: Primary structures are limited to 27 ft tall (flat roof) or 30 ft (sloped roof) .  (Height is measured per §17.300.025; e.g. a sloped roof with ≥3:12 pitch may reach 30 ft.)  Accessory structures follow standard ADU height rules .
• Front Yard: Minimum 20 ft front-yard setback for single-story homes; two-story sections must be set back 20 ft for the first floor and 25 ft for any second-story facade or roof above 18 ft .
• Side Yards: Corner‐lot side-yard (street side) setback is typically 5 ft, with a 5 ft second‐story stepback required (or 10 ft if unstepped) .  Interior side-yard setbacks are 5 ft minimum, plus a 1:1 incline plane above (for both R1 and adjacent R2) .
• Rear Yard: 15 ft minimum rear setback for primary buildings .
• Open Space: No private open‐space requirement beyond setbacks .  Rooftop decks must be set back 5 ft from interior side/rear property lines and include planter screening per §17.210.020 .
• Parking: Culver City does not impose minimum parking ratios for any use .  When parking is provided, R1 design standards apply.  For uncovered parking on R1 lots, any space must lie within 15 ft of one side‐yard property line or be fully screened from the street .  (In other words, front‐yard open parking is very limited and must be tucked to a side or behind the house.)

Hillside (Overlay) Restrictions

Properties with steep slopes in R1 areas fall under the Residential Hillsides Overlay (-RH) .  In CCR-1YY (likely hillside parcels), the following special limits apply:

• Unit limit: Maximum one dwelling unit per lot (no second unit) .
• FAR by slope: Floor‐area limits vary with slope – e.g. FAR 0.45 for slope <15%, down to 0.25 on slopes over 60% .  A 2,500 sq ft minimum floor area is required by-right regardless of lot size .
• Setbacks: More stringent setbacks are imposed:  front yard 20 ft (ground floor) and 30 ft (second floor) ; side yards equal 10% of lot width (min 5 ft, max 10 ft on first floor; second-floor narrow side 16% of lot width, wide side 24%) ; rear yard 15 ft .
• Height: On gentle slopes (<50%), height is limited to 2 stories (27 ft flat, 30 ft sloped); on slopes ≥50%, only 1 story (14 ft) is allowed .
• Exceptions: Setback variances are possible but require Planning Commission findings .
• Hillside parking: Uncovered parking is allowed but must follow the R1 rules above (within 15 ft of a side or fully screened) .

Parking and Design Standards

As noted, Culver City’s zoning code eliminated minimum parking requirements .  When provided, parking (driveways, garages, carports) must meet design rules in Chapter 17.320.  Key R1-specific rules include: uncovered spaces must not dominate the front yard (they must be tucked within 15 ft of a side yard or behind the home) ; garage/carport dimensions are prescribed (e.g. 9×18 ft per car) ; tandem parking is permitted if needed .  Additionally, landscaping or screening is required around parking areas (landscape strips, walls, etc.) as outlined in §17.320.

Recent Updates and Revisions

In 2021–2024 Culver City enacted major zoning reforms.  Notably, a new Title 17 Zoning Code (Ord. 2024-006) became effective October 9, 2024, replacing older zone labels like “CCR-1” with R1 (single-family) and adding the Hillside (-RH) overlay .  The current zoning map (Dec 2024) shows these areas as “R1 – Single Family” .  No specific amendments target CCR-1YY beyond this code overhaul, though other city initiatives (e.g. the 2021 ADU and Hillside Code Amendments) clarified R1 development standards and formalized the hillside overlay .  (For example, in 2021 the City adopted Ordinance 2021-0050 to refine R1/ADU rules and map the -RH overlay.)

Relation to Other Zones

The former CCR-1 zone is the lowest-density residential district in Culver City.  By contrast, the R2 zone allows up to two units per lot (17.4 units/acre) and expressly permits duplexes , which R1 prohibits.  Multi-family zones (RLD, RMD, RHD) allow still higher densities, townhouses, condos, etc.  Mixed-Use (MU) zones allow commercial and office uses alongside housing – these are not permitted in R1 (mixed-use projects are disallowed) .  Planned Development (PD) zones and other special districts likewise have different rules.  In sum, “C-C-R-1YY” (R1) is strictly for single-family homes (with ADUs); most other zones permit broader or denser uses (duplexes, multi-family, commercial, etc.) .

Sources: Culver City Municipal Code, Title 17 (Zoning) – especially §§17.210.010–.020 (R1 district), 17.210.015 (use table), 17.260.040 (Hillside Overlay), and 17.320 (parking).  (Also Culver City zoning map and ordinances.) Relevant code sections cited above .