MONTEREY COUNTY ZONING

COASTAL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN - TITLE 20

20.64 – SPECIAL REGULATIONS

20.64.020            REGULATIONS FOR GUESTHOUSES.

A.            Purpose:  The purpose of this Section is to establish the regulations, standards and circumstances under which sleeping facilities not integral to the main dwelling may be established.  Such facilities are intended for limited sleeping and living purposes, but not for independent living purposes, permanent residential use, or rental purposes.

B.            Applicability:  The provisions of this Section are applicable in all zoning districts which allow guesthouses.

C.            Regulations:  The guesthouse shall be a permanent detached structure or an attached structure lacking internal circulation with the main residence. The guesthouse may include a living and sleeping area but shall be without kitchen or cooking facilities. The guesthouse shall be clearly subordinate and incidental to a main residence on the same building site.

A guesthouse shall be subject to the following standards:

1.            Only one guesthouse shall be allowed per lot.

2.         Detached guesthouses shall be located in close proximity to the principal residence.

3.         Guesthouses shall share the same utilities with the main residence, unless prohibited by public health requirements.

4.         The guesthouse shall contain no kitchen or cooking facilities, including but not limited to microwave ovens, hot plates, and toaster ovens.

5.         There shall be a maximum of 6 linear feet of counter space, excluding counter space in a bathroom.  There shall  be a maximum of 8 square feet of cabinet space, excluding clothes closets.

6.            Guesthouses shall not exceed 425 square feet of livable floor area.

7.         Guesthouses shall not be separately rented, let or leased from the main residence whether compensation be direct or indirect.

8.         Prior to the issuance of permits for guesthouse construction, or for use of an existing structure as a guesthouse, the applicant shall record a deed restriction stating the regulations applicable to the guesthouse, including that the guesthouse shall not be separately rented, let or leased from the main  residence and shall not have cooking or kitchen facilities.

9.         Subsequent subdivisions which divide a main residence from a guesthouse shall not be permitted.

10.       The guesthouse shall be designed in such a manner as to be visually consistent and compatible with the main residence on site and other residences in the area.

11.       The guesthouse height shall not exceed 12 feet nor be more than 1 story.  Additions to height and placement of guesthouses over a 1-story structure, such as a garage, may be considered by Coastal Development Permit (ZA) when intended to provide for architectural consistency and compatibility with the main residence.