§ 15-2757. SINGLE ROOM OCCUPANCY HOTELS AND BOARDING HOMES.

Single room occupancy (SRO) hotels and/or Boarding Homes, which house between five and 15 guests, which shall collectively be referred to as SROs, shall be located, developed, and operated in compliance with the standards below. SROs do not include Group Homes or Emergency Shelters.

A.

Facility. There shall be no more than 15 guests.

B.

Maximum Occupancy. Each SRO living unit shall be designed to accommodate a maximum of two adults.

C.

Minimum Size. An SRO living unit must have at least 150 square feet of floor area, excluding closet and restroom. No individual unit may exceed 400 square feet.

D.

Minimum Width. An SRO of one room shall not be less than 12 feet in width.

E.

Entrances. All SRO units must be independently accessible from a single main entry, excluding emergency and other service support exits.

F.

Cooking Facilities. Cooking facilities shall be provided either in individual units or in a community kitchen. Where cooking is in individual SRO units, SRO units shall have a sink with hot and cold water; a counter with dedicated electrical outlets and a microwave oven or properly engineered cook top unit pursuant to Building Code requirements; and a refrigerator.

G.

Restroom. An SRO unit is not required to, but may contain partial or full restroom facilities. A partial restroom facility shall have at least a toilet and sink; a full facility shall have a toilet, sink, and bathtub, shower, or bathtub/shower combination. If a full bathroom facility is not provided, common bathroom facilities shall be provided in accordance with the California Building Code for congregate residences with at least one full bathroom per floor and one full bathroom per four units.

H.

Closet. Each SRO unit shall have a separate enclosed all-weather closet. The closet shall be at least 120 cubic feet with a minimum four-foot horizontal dimension along one plane.

I.

Common Area. Four square feet per living unit shall be provided, excluding janitorial storage, laundry facilities, and common hallways. At least 200 square feet in area of interior common space provided as a ground floor entry area that provides a central focus for tenant social interaction and meetings.

J.

Exterior Common Area. There shall be a minimum of 50 square feet in area of exterior common space per unit, with a minimum horizontal dimension of six feet. This open space may be located in a required front or street side but shall be no closer than nine feet to the lot line, or the rear yard.

K.

Tenancy. Tenancy of SRO units shall be offered for a minimum of 30 days or longer.

L.

Facility Management.

1.

Ten or More Guests. The facility shall provide on-site management. The manager shall live on-site however the manager's unit shall not count as one of the 10 guests.

2.

Less Than 10 Guests. There shall be an on-site manager's office. The office shall be staffed for a minimum of six hours per day between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., six days a week. The manager's hours shall be posted in a conspicuous location.

M.

Management Plan. A management plan shall be submitted with the permit application for all SRO projects. At minimum, the management plan must include the following:

1.

Security/Safety. Proposed security and safety features such as lighting, security cameras, defensible space, central access, and user surveillance;

2.

Management Policies. Management policies including desk service, visitation rights, occupancy restrictions, and use of cooking appliances;

3.

Rental Procedures. All rental procedures, including monthly tenancy requirements;

4.

Maintenance. Maintenance provisions, including sidewalk cleaning and litter control, recycling programs, general upkeep, and the use of durable materials.

(Added Ord. 2015-39, § 1, eff. 1-9-16).