Long Beach (HR) High-Rise Overlay District Requirements
The (HR) High-Rise Overlay district in the City of Long Beach establishes specialized height limits to accommodate high-rise development in specific commercial and institutional zones outside of the downtown area. Any building in this district exceeding 45 feet in height must be situated on a lot of at least 20,000 square feet and maintain a minimum lot dimension of 135 feet in any direction [Section 21.39.010, Section 21.39.220].
Purpose and District Applicability
The High-Rise Overlay (HR) district is used by the City of Long Beach to allow for taller building heights than those permitted in standard underlying zones. It is intended to facilitate high-rise growth while providing specific development standards to manage the impact of increased height on surrounding areas [Section 21.39.010].
The High-Rise Overlay (HR) district may only be applied to the following underlying zoning districts:
- Commercial Office (CO)
- Commercial Corridor (CC)
- Commercial Tourist (CT)
- Commercial Storage (CS)
- Institutional (I) [Section 21.39.030]
Permitted Uses and Density
The City of Long Beach permits any use in the High-Rise Overlay (HR) district that is already allowed in the underlying zoning district [Section 21.39.110]. If the High-Rise Overlay (HR) district is applied to a zone that permits residential uses, those residential developments are allowed the density of the R-4-H zone [Section 21.39.230].
Site Development Standards
Development within the High-Rise Overlay (HR) district must meet specific site criteria if the building height exceeds 45 feet.
| Standard | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Minimum Lot Size | 20,000 square feet |
| Minimum Lot Dimension | 135 feet in any direction |
| Map Designation | Shown as [Zone] (HR-Height in Feet / Number of Stories) |
| Height/Story Determination | Specified during the Site Plan Review process |
[Section 21.39.020, Section 21.39.220]
Yard and Setback Requirements
The City of Long Beach requires specific setbacks for high-rise buildings to ensure adequate separation from different land uses, particularly residential areas.
High-Rise Yard Requirements (Table 39-1)
| Yard Location | Required Setback |
|---|---|
| Yards abutting a street | 20 feet (a) |
| Yards abutting a residential district (height ≤ 45 ft) | Same as underlying district |
| Yards abutting a residential district (height > 45 ft) | 1/5 of the building height, but not to exceed 15% of lot width or depth |
| Yards abutting a nonresidential district | Same as underlying district |
(a) Street Setback Note: An average setback is permitted through the Site Plan Review process, provided the building does not encroach more than 10 feet into the required 20-foot setback (meaning it must remain at least 10 feet from the property line). For calculating this average, any portion of the building set back more than 30 feet does not contribute to the calculation [Table 39-1].
Landscaping and Design
The City of Long Beach mandates that all High-Rise Overlay (HR) district projects exceeding 45 feet in height must include a landscaped buffer on all four sides of the building. All other development standards not modified by the overlay district remain governed by the underlying zoning district [Section 21.39.220].
Sections Cited
- Section 21.39.010 - Purpose
- Section 21.39.020 - Building height restrictions
- Section 21.39.030 - Applicable districts
- Section 21.39.110 - Permitted uses
- Section 21.39.220 - High-rise restrictions
- Section 21.39.230 - Residential use
- Table 39-1 - High-Rise Yard Requirements