2500 Virginia St, Berkeley, CA 94709

Multiple Family Residential District - Hillside Overlay Zone

The purpose of the Multiple-Family Residential (R-3) district is to: Implement the General Plan by encouraging development of relatively high-density residential areas; Make available housing for persons who desire both convenience of location and a reasonable amount of usable open space; Protect adjacent properties from unreasonable obstruction of light and air; Permit the construction of residential structures, such as dormitories, fraternity and sorority houses, boarding and rooming houses, which meet City requirements for this type of housing; and Permit the construction of specialized care and treatment facilities such as senior congregate housing, nursing homes, and hospitals when such are not detrimental to the immediate neighborhood.; The purpose of the Hillside (H) overlay zone is to: implement General Plan policies for hillside development; protect the safety and health of residents where steep topography, unusual street conditions and proximity to the wildland-urban interface create severe risk from wildfire; protect the character of Berkeley's hillside areas and their immediate environs; give reasonable protection to views yet allow appropriate development of all property; and allow modifications in standard setback and height requirements when justified because of steep topography, irregular lot pattern, unusual street conditions, or other special aspects of the hillside areas.