Ordinance - 1272•
ORDINANCE NO. 1272
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA,
ESTABLISHING AN OPEN SPACE ZONE AND
REGULATIONS THEREFORE TO THE WEST COVINA
MUNICIPAL CODE, AND DECLARING THE URGENCY
THEREOF, TO TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY.
(Amendment No. 126)
The City Council of the City of West Covina does
ordain as follows:
SECTION 1. The City Council does hereby find,
determine and declare that the following amendment was duly
initiated, that notice of hearing thereon was duly given and
published, that public hearings thereon were duly held by the
Planning Commission and the City Council, that the public
convenience, necessity and general welfare and good zoning
practice require that the following amendment be made.
SECTION 2. Part 34 consisting of 9234 to 9234.4
inclusive, is hereby added to Chapter 2-of Article IX of
West Covina Municipal Code to read as follows:
"PART 34 - OPEN SPACE ZONE (O-S)
9234 OPEN SPACE (O-S ZONE) PURPOSE
The purpose of the Open Space Zone is to identify
• and set forth permitted uses, and standards of development
within open space lands.
9234.1 DEFINITIONS
(a) "ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ELEMENT" is the
adopted element of the City of West Covina
combining the City's Open Space, Conservation,
Scenic Highways, and Recreation elements.
(b) "OPEN SPACE LAND" is any parcel or area of
land or water which is primarily unimproved and
devoted to an open space use as defined in
this section, and which is designated in
the City's Environmental Quality Element and
General Plan as any of the following:
11. Open space for the preservation of natural
resources including, but not limited to,
areas required for the preservation of
plant and animal life, including habitat
for fish and wildlife species; areas
required for ecologic and other specific
study purposes; rivers, streams, bays and
estuaries; and coastal beaches, lakeshores,
banks of rivers and streams, and watershed
• lands.
2. Open space used for the managed production
of resources, including, but not limited
to, forest lands, rangeland, agricultural
lands and areas of economic importance
for the production of food or fiber; areas
required for recharge of ground water
basins; bays, estuaries, marshes, rivers
and streams which are important for the
management of commercial fisheries; and
areas containing major mineral deposits,
including those in short supply.
3. Open space for outdoor recreation,
including but not limited to, areas
of outstanding scenic, historic and
cultural value; areas particularly
suited for park and recreation pur-
poses, including access to lakeshores,
beaches and rivers and streams; and
areas which serve as links between
major recreation and open -space reser-
vations, including utility easements,
banks of rivers and streams, trails,
and scenic corridors.
4. Open space for public health and safety,
including, but not limited to, areas
which require special management or
regulation because of hazardous or special
conditions such as earthquake fault zones,
unstable soil areas, flood plains, water-
sheds, areas presenting high fire risks,
areas required for the protection of
water quality and water reservoirs and
areas required for the protection and
enhancement of air quality.
9234.2 Criteria
The following general criteria are established for
use in the regulation or reclassification of land to the Open
. Space Zone.
(a) General Plan
Compliance with the City's adopted General
Plan, Specific Plans, and Environmental
Quality Element shall be established.
(b) Location
Open Space zoned land may be located anywhere
in the city provided it is consistent with
the City's adopted policies and plans.
(c) Need
A demonstrated public need shall be established.
The need may be in the general area or city
wide.
9234.3 PERMITTED USES
In an Open Space zone no buildings or land shall
be utilized nor building erected or structurally altered, except
for the following uses.
• (a) Public Utility Easements
(b) Public Parks
(c) Agricultural Uses on parcels of 10 acres
or greater
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(d) Private Golf Courses
(e) Wildlife and Botanical Preserves
• (f) Equestrian Centers
(g) Cemeteries
(h) Public Schools
(i) Landfill Sites (Unclassified Use Permit
required)
(j) Scenic Highway Easements and Recreational
Corridors
9234.4 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
The following Development Standards shall apply
to all uses within the Open Space Zone.
(a) Precise Plan of Design - A precise plan
of Design as specified in Section 9218
shall be required prior to the issuance
of any grading or building permits within
the Open Space Zone. In addition, all
municipal parks and recreational areas
shall be developed in a manner consistent
with the adopted Specific Plans of Design
• for Parks contained in the City's adopted
Environmental Quality Element.
(b) Building Coverage - Building coverage on
any Open Space zoned parcel shall not exceed
25% exclusive of required streets, alleys,
and walkways.
(c) Signs - All signs shall conform to Section
9215B of the West Covina Municipal Code."
SECTION 3. The City Council does hereby find, declare
and certify a categorical exemption in accordance with the
California Environmental Act of 1970 and the State Guidelines
promulgated thereunder.
SECTION 4. The enactment of this Ordinance is necessary
for the protection of the public peace, health and safety and
it shall be effective immediately upon its adoption.
The facts giving rise to the urgency hereof are as follows:
State laws require that such City prepare and adopt an open
space zoning ordinance consistent with the open space plan. The
City has adopted an Environmental Quality Element and in order
• to effectively accomplish the objectives and policies set forth
therein, it is necessary that this open space zoning ordinance
be immediately effective.
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SECTION 5. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage
of this ordinance and shall cause the same to be published
as required by law.
• ADOPTED this llth day of August , 1975.
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the above Ordinance No. 127.2 was
regularly introduced and placed upon its first reading at
a regular meeting of the City Council on the llth day
of August , 1975, and was duly adopted and passed at
a regular meeting of the City Council of the llth day of
August , 1975, by the following vote, to wit:
• AYES: Councilmen: Shearer, Miller, Browne, Tice, Chappell.
0
NOES: Councilmen: None
ABSENT: Councilmen: None
City Clerk
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