Article 3. Zoning Districts, Allowable Uses, and General Development Standards1

Overview

This article establishes each of the base, special, and overlay zoning districts in the city and identifies the allowed use provisions and development standards for each of the districts. The article also establishes a system of land use classifications for defining the allowed use provisions, as well as establishing the zoning map and rules for its interpretation.

Chapter 23.301
ESTABLISHMENT OF ZONING DISTRICTS

Sections:

23.301.010    Purpose.

23.301.020    Zoning districts.

23.301.030    Zoning map.

23.301.010 Purpose.

This chapter establishes the framework for zoning districts in the city of Rancho Cordova and their relationship to the city’s General Plan land use categories. This chapter also establishes the zoning map as the official designation of zoning district boundaries. [Ord. 4-2017 § 3 (Exh. B); Ord. 12-2011 § 3 (Exh. A); Ord. 27-2008 § 1 (Exh. A § 2.1.010)].

23.301.020 Zoning districts.

The city of Rancho Cordova is divided into zoning districts that are generally grouped into two categories: (A) base zoning districts and (B) overlay zoning districts. These districts implement the city’s General Plan land use categories as described in Table 23.301-1. Each zone is further defined and regulated in the subsequent sections of this chapter.

A. Base Zoning Districts. The base zoning district is the primary zoning district that applies to a property. Every parcel throughout the city has a base zoning district that establishes the primary type and intensity of land use for the parcel, along with development regulations for that particular type and intensity of land use. Base districts are grouped into six categories as follows:

1. Agricultural zoning districts;

2. Residential zoning districts;

3. Mixed-use zoning districts;

4. General commercial and industrial zoning districts;

5. Public/quasi-public zoning districts;

6. Special purpose zoning districts.

B. Overlay Zoning Districts. An overlay zoning district (previously referred to as a combining zone) supplements the base zoning district for one or more of the following purposes:

1. To allow more flexibility from the standard provisions of the underlying base zone;

2. When special provisions are needed to protect unique site features or implement location-specific provisions; and/or

3. To specify a particular standard or guideline for an area.

In the event of a conflict between the regulations of the base zoning district and the overlay zoning district, the provisions of the overlay zoning district shall apply.

Table 23.301-1: Zoning Districts 

Zoning District Symbol

Zoning District Name/Description

General Plan Land Use Designation Implemented by Zoning District1

Agricultural Zoning Districts

AG-80

Agricultural, 80-acre minimum

Rural Agriculture

AG-20

Agricultural, 20-acre minimum

Rural Agriculture

Residential Zoning Districts

RR

Rural Residential

Rural Residential

ER

Estate Residential

Estate Residential

RD-1

Residential, 1 dwelling unit per acre max.

Estate Residential

RD-2

Residential, 2 dwelling units per acre max.

Estate Residential

RD-3

Residential, 3 dwelling units per acre max.

Low Density Residential

RD-4

Residential, 4 dwelling units per acre max.

Low Density Residential

RD-5

Residential, 5 dwelling units per acre max.

Low Density Residential

RD-6

Residential, 6 dwelling units per acre max.

Low Density Residential

RD-7

Residential, 7 dwelling units per acre max.

Medium Density Residential

RD-10

Residential, 10 dwelling units per acre max.

Medium Density Residential

RD-15

Residential, 15 dwelling units per acre max.

Medium Density Residential

RD-20

Residential, 20 dwelling units per acre max.

High Density Residential

RD-25

Residential, 25 dwelling units per acre max.

High Density Residential

RD-30

Residential, 30 dwelling units per acre max.

High Density Residential

MDR

Medium Density Residential

Medium Density Residential

HDR

High Density Residential

High Density Residential

RMH

Residential Mobile Home

Medium Density Residential

Mixed-Use Zoning Districts

RMU

Residential Mixed-Use

Residential Mixed-Use, Village Center

CMU

Commercial Mixed-Use

Commercial Mixed-Use, Village Center

OPMU

Office Professional Mixed-Use

Office Mixed-Use, Village Center

OIMU

Office Industrial Mixed-Use

Office Mixed-Use, Light Industrial

LIBP

Light Industrial Business Park

Light Industrial

VC

Village Center

Village Center

LTC

Local Town Center

Local Town Center

RTC

Regional Town Center

Regional Town Center

General Commercial and Industrial Zoning Districts

GC

General Commercial

Commercial Mixed-Use

M-1

Light Industrial/Manufacturing

Light Industrial

M-2

Heavy Industrial/Manufacturing

Heavy Industrial

Public/Quasi-Public Zoning Districts

POS

Parks and Open Space

Parks and Open Space, Natural Resources

CS

Community Services

Public/Quasi-Public

T

Transportation Corridor

Public/Quasi-Public

Special Purpose Zoning Districts

SP

Specific Plan

All

SPA

Special Planning Area

All

Overlay Zoning Districts

CO

Convention Overlay

Convention Overlay

TOD

Transit Oriented Development

Local Transit Oriented Development; Regional Transit Oriented Development

F

Flood

All

PD

Planned Development2

All

PDC

Planned Development – County/City Initiated2

All

PC

Parkway Corridor

Parks and Open Space, Natural Resources

SM

Surface Mining

Surface Mining

SGC

Sunridge General Commercial

Sunridge General Commercial

Notes:

1. All zoning districts are consistent with the public/quasi-public General Plan land use category, as described in the General Plan.

2. The PD and PDC overlay zones are combining zones held over from the old Sacramento County Zoning Code. As identified in RCMC 23.325.050 and 23.325.060, no additional property may utilize these zones.

[Ord. 4-2017 § 3 (Exh. B); Ord. 13-2013 § 4 (Exh. B); Ord. 12-2011 § 3 (Exh. A); Ord. 27-2008 § 1 (Exh. A § 2.1.020)].

23.301.030 Zoning map.

The council hereby adopts the city of Rancho Cordova zoning map (hereafter referred to as the “zoning map”) as the official designation of zoning district boundaries on real property in the city. The zoning map shall be regulated as set forth:

A. Incorporated by Reference. The zoning map is hereby incorporated into this zoning code by reference as though it were fully included.

B. Map Amendments. Amendments to the zoning map shall follow the process established in Chapter 23.146 RCMC (Zoning Amendments).

C. Relationship to General Plan and Other Plans. The zoning map shall implement and be consistent with the city’s adopted General Plan. The zoning map shall be specifically consistent with the General Plan Land Use Plan and the roadway sizing diagram, and any adopted Specific Plans, special planning areas, or Master Plans.

D. Zoning District Symbol. Zoning districts shall be illustrated on the zoning map as follows:

1. Each base zoning district shall be described on the zoning map by use of its identified zoning district symbol, as listed in Table 23.301-1.

2. Each special purpose zoning district shall be delineated with a name, number, symbol, or other delineation, as determined by the director, which distinguishes it from other special purpose zones, base zoning districts, or overlay zones. The assignment of the special purpose designation serves to provide a reference to the corresponding special purpose zoning document (e.g., Specific Plan, special planning area) adopted by ordinance of the council.

3. Overlay zoning districts shall be designated by their representative symbol along with the base zoning district in a format determined by the director.

E. Zoning Map Interpretation. If there is uncertainty about the location of any zoning district boundary shown on the zoning map, the precise location of the boundary shall be determined by the director as follows:

1. The boundaries of a zoning district shall be the centerlines of either streets or alleys, or lot lines of real property, unless otherwise shown. Where a district’s boundaries approximately follow centerlines or lot lines, those lines shall be interpreted as the district boundaries.

2. If a district boundary divides a parcel and the boundary line location is not specified by distances printed on the zoning map, the location of the boundary shall be determined by using the scale appearing on the zoning map. Except as otherwise provided by this code through integrated development, each portion of the property shall be developed to the standards and allowed use provisions of the applied zoning district and any applied overlay zone(s).

3. Where the street layout on the ground or the lot lines differ from such layout or lines shown on the zoning map, the director shall determine the exact boundary and the map shall be amended to conform to the layout on the ground.

4. Where a public street or alley is officially vacated or abandoned, the property that was formerly in the street or alley shall be included within the zoning district of the adjoining property on either side of the centerline of the vacated or abandoned street or alley. [Ord. 4-2017 § 3 (Exh. B); Ord. 13-2013 § 4 (Exh. B); Ord. 12-2011 § 3 (Exh. A); Ord. 27-2008 § 1 (Exh. A § 2.1.030)].


1

Code reviser’s note: Ordinance 13-2013 Exhibit B sets out all of Article 3 without intending to amend the entire article. Only sections intended to be amended by the ordinance cite the ordinance in the section’s legislative history.