Chapter 18.42 COMMERCIAL AND MEDICAL/PROFESSIONAL OFFICE DISTRICTS

Chapter 18.42
COMMERCIAL AND MEDICAL/PROFESSIONAL OFFICE DISTRICTS

Sections:

18.42.020 Characteristics of the commercial and medical/professional office districts.

18.42.030 Allowed land uses and permit requirements.

18.42.010 Purpose.

The purpose of this chapter is to establish commercial and office zoning districts in the city, along with allowed use and development standards applicable to those districts. These districts are consistent with and implement the city’s general plan commercial and medical/professional office land use categories as shown in Table 18.42.030-1. (Ord. 738 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2013).

18.42.020 Characteristics of the commercial and medical/professional office districts.

The following descriptions of each commercial and medical/professional office zoning district identify the characteristic uses, intensity of uses, and level of development intended for that district.

A. Neighborhood Commercial (NC) Zoning District. The NC district is applied to areas where there is a high concentration of housing to support the neighborhood center concept in the city’s general plan by providing commercial uses that serve daily needs (e.g., retail and personal services) within close proximity to residential uses. This zoning district encourages development that is pedestrian-oriented and is well connected to surrounding residential neighborhoods.

B. Highway Service Commercial (HSC) Zoning District. The HSC district is consistent with the highway service commercial land use designation in the general plan. This district is applied to locations along highways and is intended to provide businesses and services to meet the needs of the traveling public.

C. Downtown Core (DC) Zoning District. The DC district is consistent with the downtown core land use designation in the general plan. The purpose of the DC district is to stabilize, improve, and protect the characteristics of commercial businesses and to provide adequate locations for stores, shops, and offices which are supplying commodities or performing services for residents of the city as a whole. The DC district is intended to guide and regulate commercial development within the historic downtown area.

D. General Commercial (GC) Zoning District. The GC district is consistent with the general commercial land use category in the general plan. The purpose of the GC district is to stabilize, improve, and protect the characteristics of commercial businesses and to provide adequate locations for stores, shops, and offices which are supplying commodities or performing services for residents of the city as a whole. The GC district is intended to guide and regulate general commercial development.

E. Medical/Professional Office (MPO) Zoning District. The MPO district is consistent with the medical/professional office land use designation in the general plan. The purpose of the MPO district is to provide for concentrations of hospitals, medical facilities, auxiliary uses, and medical services and to encourage the orderly and harmonious development of these facilities, which are performing services for residents of the city as a whole. The MPO district is intended to guide and regulate medical, professional office, and similar and compatible development. (Ord. 738 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2013).

18.42.030 Allowed land uses and permit requirements.

Table 18.42.030-1 below identifies allowed uses and corresponding permit requirements for the commercial and medical/professional office districts subject to compliance with Chapter 18.34 (Land Use Classification) and all other provisions of this title. Descriptions/definitions of the land uses can be found in Division V (Definitions). The special use regulations column in the table identifies the specific chapter or section where additional regulations for that use type are located within this title.

Use regulations in the table are shown with representative symbol by use classification listing: “AR” symbolizes uses permitted through administrative review, “P” symbolizes uses allowed by right, “CUP” symbolizes uses that require approval of a conditional use permit, and “N” symbolizes uses that are not permitted.

Table 18.42.030-1 Permitted Use Matrix for Commercial and Medical/Professional Office Districts
	Commercial and Medical/Professional Office Zoning Districts (See Section 18.42.020 for descriptions)					Special Use Regulations
	NC	HSC	DC	GC	MPO
Residential Uses
Duplexes (joint use)1	CUP	N	CUP	N	N
Group care facility (large)2	N	N	N	N	CUP
Group care facility (small)2	CUP	N	N	CUP	CUP
Live/work units3	CUP	CUP	CUP	N	N
Multiple-family units (joint use)1	CUP	N	CUP	N	N
Recreation, Education, and Public Assembly Uses
Child-care center	CUP	CUP	N	CUP	CUP	Chapter 18.63
Civic use4	N	CUP	P	P	P
Community center4	N	CUP	P	P	P
Community garden and/or farmer’s market	AR	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP
Country club and related uses	CUP	CUP	N	CUP	N
Drug and alcohol treatment facilities	N	N	N	CUP	CUP
Golf driving ranges	CUP	CUP	N	CUP	N
Information centers	P	P	P	P	N
Mortuaries	N	N	CUP	CUP	N
Parks, plazas, and playgrounds	P5	CUP5	P5	P5	CUP5
Places of assembly (large, 10,000 sf or more)	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Place of assembly (small, less than 10,000 sf)	P	N	CUP	P	N
Public art6	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	Chapter 18.73
Public facility	N	P	P	P	N
Schools (private)	N	N	N	CUP	N
Schools (public)	N	N	N	CUP	N
Utility, Transportation, and Communication Uses
Communication equipment buildings	N	CUP	N	N	N
Electric substations	N	CUP	N	CUP	N
Public utility structures	N	N	N	N	CUP
Public utility yards	N	N	N	CUP	N
Transit station/park and ride lots	P	P	N	N	N
Retail, Service, and Office Uses
Accessory massage establishment	P	P	P	P	P
Alcoholic beverage sales7	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Art, antique, collectibles	P	P	P	P	CUP
Artisan shops	P	P	P	P	CUP
Auctions (indoor only)8	CUP	CUP	N	CUP	N
Banks and financial services	P	P	P	P	P
Bars and cocktail lounges, accessory9	CUP	P	CUP	CUP	N
Bars, cocktail lounges	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Bed and breakfast inns	P	P	CUP	CUP	N
Building supply (large)	N	P	N	CUP	N
Building supply (small)	P	P	CUP	P	N
Business support services	P10	P10	P10	P10	P10
Cannabis dispensary	N	N	N	N13	N
Equipment sales and rental	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Gun shops	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Hospitals	N	CUP	N	N	P
Hotels/motels	P	P	CUP	P	CUP
Independent stand-alone massage establishment	N	N	P	P	N
Indoor amusement/entertainment facility	P	P	P	CUP	N
Indoor recreation and fitness	P	CUP	P	P	CUP
Itinerant/mobile vendors	N	N	N	N	N
Manufactured home sales, new	N	CUP	N	CUP	N
Medical and dental laboratories	CUP	CUP	CUP	P	P
Medical and dental offices	P	CUP	P	P	P
Medical clinics11	CUP	CUP	CUP	P	P
Nightclubs	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Nurseries, for sale only	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Nurseries, includes growing of nursery stock	CUP	CUP	CUP	P	N
Office, accessory	P	P	P	P	P
Outdoor markets, sales establishments	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Personal services	P	CUP	P	P	CUP
Private clubs	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Professional offices	P	P	P	P	P
Recreational vehicle park	N	CUP	N	N	N
Restaurants, no drive-thru service	P	P	P	P	CUP
Restaurants, with drive-thru service	AR	AR	AR	AR	CUP
Retail, accessory	CUP	P	P	CUP	N
Retail, general	P	P	P	P	CUP
Retail, big-box (>80,000 sq. ft.)	N	CUP	N	CUP	N
Secondhand stores	AR	AR	AR	AR	AR
Service, accessory	CUP	P	CUP	CUP	N
Tattoo parlors	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Telephone answering services	N	CUP	N	N	CUP
Temporary uses	see note	see note	see note	see note	see note	Chapter 18.90
Theaters, not including drive-in	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Tobacco shops	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Veterinary clinics, small animal only	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Wholesale commercial uses	CUP	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Automobile and Vehicle Uses
Auto part sales	P	P	CUP	P	N
Auto rental agencies	N	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Auto sales, new and used	N	CUP	N	CUP	N
Car washing and detailing	N	CUP12	N	CUP12	N
Fuel station	N	CUP	CUP	CUP	N
Parking garages and lots	N	N	CUP	CUP	CUP
Recreational vehicle sales	N	CUP	N	CUP	N
Small vehicle sales and rental	N	CUP	N	CUP	N
Vehicle services (major)	N	N	N	N	N
Vehicle services (minor)	N	N	N	CUP	N
Vehicle storage (large)	N	CUP	N	CUP	N
Vehicle storage (small)	N	AR	CUP	AR	AR
Industrial, Manufacturing, and Processing Uses
Data center	N	N	N	CUP	N
Storage, personal storage facility	N	N	N	CUP	N
Storage, warehouse (small)	N	N	N	CUP	N
Storage yard	N	N	N	N	N

Table Notes:

1. When combined as a joint use (i.e., shops below and units above).

2. Facility shall be state licensed.

3. See land use classifications in Chapter 18.96 (Land Use Definitions) for definition of live/work units.

4. No significant storage or corporation yards permitted.

5. Parks, plazas and other types of open space are only permitted as accessory to another use.

6. Two-dimensional artworks smaller than ten square feet may be permitted through the administrative use review process.

7. Subject to A.B.C. requirements, beer and wine are permitted for on-site consumption in conjunction with a restaurant use.

8. Auctions are not to include animals and shall be conducted within an enclosed building only.

9. Permitted when accessory to a hotel, motel, or restaurant.

10. Any use involving potentially hazardous materials is subject to administrative review (AR).

11. Includes laboratories that are ancillary to the primary use.

12. Permitted without a use permit if ancillary to a fueling station.

13. The city further identifies the parcels of land located within the city limits, south of Poppy Avenue, bounded by Poppy Avenue to the north, Highway 33 to the east, Bartch Avenue to the south, and the irrigation canal to the west, located in the general commercial zone, as an acceptable zone to establish a cannabis dispensary, subject to a conditional use permit, and located at least three hundred feet from a residentially zoned district.

(Ord. 807 § 1, 2017; Ord. 802 § 2, 2017; Ord. 738 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2013).

18.42.040 Development standards.

The following development standards are applicable to the commercial and medical/professional office districts. These standards, along with other development standards (e.g., landscaping requirements, signs, parking standards) in this title and city-adopted design guidelines, are intended to assist property owners and project designers in understanding the city’s minimum requirements and expectations for high quality development.

Table 18.42.040-2 Development Standards for Commercial and Medical/Professional Office Districts
Commercial and Medical/Professional Office Districts (See Section 18.42.020 for descriptions)
	NC	HSC	DC	GC	MPO
Density (units per gross acre)1
Minimum	3.1	n/a	12.1	n/a	n/a
Maximum	10.0	n/a	20.0	n/a	n/a
Lot Coverage
Minimum floor area ratio	—	—	0.5	—	—
Maximum floor area ratio	1.0	0.4	2.0	0.4	0.4
Maximum impervious surface	75%	80%	100%	80%	75%
Setbacks
Front yard (minimum)	no min.	10'	no min.	no min.	15'
Front yard (maximum)3	10'	n/a	10'	n/a	n/a
Side yard (minimum)4	no min.	10'	no min.	no min.	5'
Rear yard (minimum)4	no min.	10'	no min.	no min.	10'
Lot Area (minimum SF)5
Lot area	2,000 sf	5,000 sf	2,000 sf	5,000 sf	5,000 sf
Lot Dimensions (minimum)
Width	no min.	no min.	no min.	no min.	no min.
Depth	no min.	no min.	no min.	no min.	no min.
Height (maximum)6
Building/Structure	2 stories (35')	3 stories (50')	3 stories (45')	2 stories (35')	2 stories (35')
Landscaping	See regulations in Chapter 18.78
Lighting	See regulations in Chapter 18.80
Fences, Walls, and Screening	See regulations in Chapter 18.70
Parking and Loading	See regulations in Chapter 18.76
Signs	See regulations in Chapter 18.82
Projections and Encroachments	See regulations in Chapter 18.60

Table Notes:

1. Project may be eligible for a bonus as described in Chapter 18.88.

2. The maximum impervious surface ratio may be exceeded by a factor of five percent if other LID provisions are implemented (see Chapter 18.78 (Landscaping)). See additional regulations for setbacks and encroachments for accessory structures, fireplaces, architectural features, patios, decks, and fences in Chapter 18.60 (General Development Standards).

3. No parking shall be placed between the building and the front property line.

4. Minimum side yard setback is five feet when abutting alleys and ten feet when abutting residential districts. Minimum rear yard setback is ten feet when abutting alleys or residential districts.

5. For uses requiring a conditional use permit, the planning commission may establish alternative minimum lot sizes.

6. See Chapter 18.60 (General Development Standards) for permitted projections into setbacks and exceptions to height limitations. A height increase may also be granted to allow for exceptional architecture or for unique architectural features (e.g., clock tower, church steeple, etc.) through the minor adjustment process (Section 18.16.110).

(Ord. 738 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2013).

18.42.050 Major development projects.

For major development projects as defined in Chapter 18.98, application shall be made for planned development approval. Project review shall include, but shall not be limited to, architecture, site plan, consistency with goals and objectives of the general plan and environmental and economic impacts on the community. In addition, such large-scale development shall be fully consistent with the community design guidelines and downtown physical design plan, adopted October 2002, as may be amended from time to time. Exception: Projects within the West Patterson business park master plan area shall not be subject to this requirement.

Major development projects as defined at Chapter 18.98, once constructed, shall be maintained and kept in appearance as if in full operation, notwithstanding any cessation of business, abandonment or change in operation or ownership. This shall include but shall not be limited to landscaping, graffiti removal, painting, grounds and parking lot maintenance, lighting and other visual aspects of the project site. (Ord. 767 (part), 2014).