The 6-foot setback vs. zero lot-line zoning

(Editor’s note: This is part of a series of architectural commentaries and critiques that will run in San Diego Uptown News every other issue. The opinions are those of the author.)

By Eric Domeier

We live on top of each other here in Uptown. Domestic passions, whether born of love or hate, can sometimes spill from our homes and into our neighbor’s domain. If you, like me, have the tendency to run warm in both directions, then the morning after can be a moment of reckoning.

In some regards, developing restraint of vocal range is the definition of civility. But on the other hand, so is passionate debate and intercourse. So what happened to the sanctioned privacy of hearth and home? And why are we on top of each other here in San Diego? Both answers are the same: the 6-foot setback. That’s right — zoning ordinances.

6-foot setback

The city of San Diego rightfully tells us how close to the property line we can put our homes. Called “setbacks,” in many of the uptown neighborhoods, the side-yard setback is six feet. The result is that most houses are 12 feet apart — 12 feet between your kitchen sink and your neighbor’s bedroom. Hello, neighbor! And beyond filling these side yards with domestic bliss, frivolity and squabble, they are mostly relegated to storage of trash cans, junk and dog waste.

The history of the 6-foot setback dates back to 1923 when the city created the Planning Department. With a whopping population of 148,000, San Diego was a small town compared to today’s population of 1.37 million that makes us the eighth-largest city in the U.S.

While the restoration of privacy may seem like a minor grievance, a closer look at the issue reveals a powerful opportunity to take the next step in the evolution of our urban landscape.

Closer is better

An alternative to the side-yard setback is both advanced and ancient: “zero lot-line” zoning in single-family zones. With zero-line zoning, the home is built, more-or-less, on the property line. Property walls of masonry or concrete with no windows or doors, for fire-safety, protect and enclose the property. And what space was reserved for side yard is now shifted to the center of the lot. The front and rear of the lot is where the home begins and ends, and voila: the courtyard home.

The benefits of the courtyard home are many. Massive walls on the perimeter eliminate audible spillover. Also, with the home organized around open space, the courtyard becomes a truly functional outdoor living space. By sloping the roofs toward the courtyard, it also becomes a central place to capture storm water. With an average of 34,000 gallons of rain falling on the standard 50-feet by 110-feet lot, that’s a lot of water. Water storage in a below-ground tank adds the benefit of geothermal cooling. This combined with mass wall construction and minimal spacing between each home, the need for air conditioning during hot months is reduced or eliminated.

Zero-line zoning also allows the community to double its capacity for single-family homes, if desired, by creating another type of single family home. By splitting the standard 50-foot by 110-foot lot in half, the now 25-foot-wide lots can accommodate town homes. Unlike the California town home, which is nothing more than a multi-story condominium, the true town home is, literally, a single-family detached home. The owner has total control and ownership of both land and building. If they so choose, they may gut the unit, turn three stories into one, change the façade, convert the roof into a sun deck, and more. Just look what Sirius Black’s family did with their place! The sky’s the limit.

Why now

Economically, land in San Diego is at an all-time high. The square-foot cost of dirt is equal to or slightly more than the cost of the building. Once making this supreme investment, home and land owners should be entitled to maximize it by making it as suitable to urban living as possible.

Socially, we need to accommodate more housing. Short of a global catastrophe or an act of God, San Diego is going to increase in population and density — forever. No amount of activism will reverse the trend of higher-density development. And just to be sure, the state has put this into law. That being the case, the need for a domestic haven is heightened. So, too, is the need for affordable housing. Zero-line zoning satisfies both needs.

Environmentally, the need to produce and retain resources like water, power, and food is paramount. Courtyard homes allow for the conservation of water and power, while also providing a family garden space. This conservation of resources benefits the individual family, the community as a whole, and the environment.

Individually, zero-line zoning provides one with needed security. A complete enclosure, the courtyard or townhome is secure. This exact quality of the home has protected residents since ancient Rome, and continues to function in this way throughout the world.

Where and how

Zero-line zoning makes the most sense adjacent to Uptown’s major east-west corridors. This includes Adams and Madison avenues, El Cajon Boulevard and University Avenue. The new zone might include certain pockets of the community within two or three blocks of these thoroughfares. While there are many blocks in this area that are well groomed, there are other areas where pockets of zero-lot zones can be implemented. Doing this will usher in a new evolution in our urban advancement.

Providing both physical and psychological shelter, the zero-line home is an urban refuge which allows for humans to be safe. It provides for simple collection and storage of resources. And it frees us up, allowing our passions to have a voice and restoring a new level of dignity to our domestic existence.

What can you do now?

City planners are currently in the process of updating the North Park Community Plan. While zero-lot line development is not currently part of the update, it can be. We are submitting a recommendation to allow for courtyard homes. If you support this effort, please go to bit.ly/1QBmVfX.

—Eric Domeier lives in North Park and practices architecture from his Grim Avenue office. Visit his website at dome-arch.com or call him at 619-531-0010.