Article 3 Commercial Districts (C-O, C-C, C-T, C-H)

§ 9-3-301 Specific purposes.

In addition to the general purposes listed in Chapter 9-1 TMC (General Provisions), the specific purposes of the commercial district regulations are to:

(a)

Provide appropriately located areas consistent with the General Plan for a full range of office, retail commercial, and service commercial uses needed by residents of, and visitors to, the City and region;

(b)

Strengthen the City's economic base, and provide employment opportunities close to home for residents of the City and surrounding communities;

(c)

Create suitable environments for various types of commercial uses, and protect them from the adverse effects of incompatible uses;

(d)

Minimize the impact of commercial development on adjacent residential districts;

(e)

Ensure that the appearance and effects of commercial buildings and uses are harmonious with the character of the area in which they are located;

(f)

Provide opportunities for residential development on the site of commercial development or on separate sites in certain commercial districts;

(g)

Ensure the provision of adequate off-street parking and loading facilities; and

(h)

Provide sites for public and semipublic uses complementary to commercial development or compatible with a commercial environment.

(i)

The additional purposes of each C district are as follows:

(1)

C-O commercial office district. To provide a transitional zone between commercial and residential uses with areas for business and professional offices.

(2)

C-C community commercial district. To provide a wide range of retail stores, restaurants, hotels and motels, commercial recreation, personal services, business services and financial services and for limited office and residential uses.

(3)

C-T commercial thoroughfare district. To provide areas for uses required by the traveling public such as hotels and motels, service stations and restaurants, with immediate access to Highway 99.

(4)

C-H heavy commercial/light industrial district. To provide for the full range of retail, wholesale and service businesses not generally suitable in other commercial districts because they attract heavy automobile and truck traffic or have certain adverse impacts; and to provide opportunities for certain limited manufacturing uses that have impacts comparable to those of retail and service.

(1207-CS, Rep&ReEn, 05/28/2015)

§ 9-3-302 Use classifications.

In the following schedule, the letter "P" designates use classifications permitted in C districts, the letters "NP" designate use classifications not permitted, the letters "MAA" designate use classifications allowed on approval of a minor administrative approval, the letters "MDP" designate use classifications allowed on approval of a minor discretionary permit, and the letters "CUP" designate use classifications allowed on approval of a conditional use permit.

All new or expanded uses of a site or structure shall obtain the necessary permits as indicated in the following schedule.

All new or expanded uses of a site or structure, involving an expansion of floor area of one thousand (1,000) square feet or twenty-five (25%) percent of the existing building floor area, whichever is less, are subject to design review in accordance with Article 10 of Chapter 9-5 TMC. New or expanded uses subject to design review shall obtain an MDP design review permit. Design review shall take place concurrently with the processing of any other required permit. Compliance with the adopted design guidelines of the City of Turlock is mandatory for all commercial developments subject to design review.

Any change in use or business within an existing structure that is permitted or, in the opinion of the Development Services Director, is suitable to the site and structures in which it is located and does not increase the intensity or impact of its prior use shall obtain a zoning certificate in accordance with Article 2 of Chapter 9-5 TMC (Zoning Certificates and Home Occupation Permits). The zoning certificate shall be obtained prior to the issuance of a building permit or prior to commencement of a use where no building permit is required.

Uses not contained in the following schedule may be permitted subject to a conditional use permit. Such conditional uses must be of a similar nature and intensity as other uses in the district as determined by the Development Services Director or designee.

C-O, C-C, C-T, and C-H DISTRICTS (Commercial)
USE CLASSIFICATIONS
P NP MDP MAA CUP	Permitted Not Permitted Minor Discretionary Permit Minor Administrative Approval Conditional Use Permit
	C-O	C-C	C-H	C-T	Additional Use Regulations
Agricultural Uses
Community garden	MDP	MDP	MDP	MDP
Crop production	P	P	P	P
Other agricultural uses	NP	NP	NP	NP
Residential Uses
Group homes
Unlimited	MDP	NP	NP	NP
Large	MDP	NP	NP	NP
Small	P	NP	NP	NP	(2)
Group quarters
Unlimited	MDP	NP	NP	NP
Large	MDP	NP	NP	NP
Small	P	NP	NP	NP	(2)
Emergency shelter	CUP	CUP	CUP	NP	(2) (24)
Caretaker unit	NP	NP	CUP	NP	(17)
Public and Semipublic Uses
Clubs and lodges	MDP	MDP	CUP	NP
Convalescent hospitals	MDP	MDP	CUP	NP
Cultural institutions	P	P	P	NP
Day care centers	MDP	MAA	MAA	NP
Government offices	P	P	P	NP
Hospitals	CUP	CUP	CUP	NP
Parking lots	MDP	MDP	MDP	CUP
Public assembly	NP	MDP	MDP	CUP
Public buildings and facilities	MDP	MDP	MDP	CUP
Public utility service yards	NP	NP	MDP	NP
Religious assembly	MDP	MDP	MDP	CUP
Schools
Trade	MDP	MDP	MDP	NP
Public or private	MDP	MDP	MDP	NP
Utilities
Major	NP	NP	CUP	NP
Minor	MAA	MAA	MAA	MAA	(3)
Commercial Uses
Adult entertainment facilities	NP	NP	NP	NP	(4)
Animal services
Animal boarding	CUP	MDP	MDP	NP	(23)
Animal grooming	MDP	P	P	MDP	(23)
Animal hospitals	CUP	MDP	MDP	MDP	(23)
Animal retail sales	NP	P	P	MDP	(22) (23)
Antique shops	NP	P	P	MDP	(23)
Artists' studios	MDP	P	P	MDP	(18) (23)
Automobile repair
Major	NP	MDP	MAA	MDP	(6) (7)
Minor	NP	MAA	P	P	(6) (7)
Automobile sales and service	NP	MAA	MAA	MAA	(6) (7)
Automobile service stations	NP	MAA	MAA	MAA	(6) (7)
Automobile storage	NP	NP	MAA	NP	(6) (7)
Automobile washing	NP	MDP	MAA	MAA	(6) (7)
Bakeries
Retail	MDP	P	P	MDP	(23)
Wholesale	NP	NP	MDP	NP
Bar	NP	CUP	CUP	CUP	(23)
Building materials and services	NP	MDP	MAA	CUP	(8) (13) (23)
Cannabis – cultivation	NP	NP	CUP	NP	(25) (26)
Cannabis – distribution	NP	NP	CUP	NP	(25) (26)
Cannabis – manufacturing	NP	NP	CUP	NP	(25) (26)
Cannabis – retail sales	NP	CUP	CUP	CUP	(25) (26)
Cannabis – testing laboratories	CUP	CUP	CUP	NP	(25) (26)
Catering services	NP	P	P	NP
Clinics	MDP	MDP	P	MDP	(23)
Commercial filming	NP	MDP	P	NP
Commercial recreation and entertainment	NP	CUP	CUP	CUP	(5)
Convenience gas mart	NP	MDP	MDP	MDP
Discount club	NP	CUP	CUP	CUP	(20) (21)
Discount store	NP	MDP	MDP	CUP	(20) (21)
Discount superstore	NP	NP	NP	NP	(20) (21)
Equipment sales, service, and rentals	NP	NP	MAA	NP	(13)
Financial services	CUP	MDP	MAA	MDP	(23)
Food and beverage sales
Neighborhood store <2,500 sf	CUP	MAA	MAA	MDP	(23)
Between 2,500 and 10,000 sf	NP	MDP	MDP	MDP	(23)
Larger than 10,000 sf	NP	MDP	MDP	CUP	(20) (21)
Fortune telling	NP	MDP	NP	NP	(9)
Funeral and interment services	MDP	MAA	MAA	NP
Health/recreation center					(23)
3,000 sf or less	NP	MAA	MAA	MAA
Greater than 3,000 sf	NP	MAA	MDP	CUP
Hotels and motels	NP	MAA	MAA	MAA	(15)
Industrial hemp – Cultivation	NP	NP	NP	NP
Industrial hemp – Type A	NP	NP	MDP	NP
Industrial hemp – Type B	NP	NP	CUP	NP
Laboratories	MAA	MAA	MAA	NP
Laundries
Limited	MAA	P	P	NP
Unlimited	NP	NP	P	NP
Maintenance and repair services
Major	NP	NP	MDP	NP	(13)
Minor	NP	MAA	MAA	MDP	(13) (23)
Nightclub	NP	CUP	CUP	CUP	(23)
Nurseries	NP	MAA	MAA	NP
Nursing homes	MDP	MDP	NP	NP
Offices
Business and professional	P	P	MAA	NP
Medical and dental	P	P	MAA	MDP	(23)
Outdoor storage	NP	MDP	MDP	CUP	(13)
Personal services	MAA	P	P	MDP	(23)
Printing and publishing
Limited	MDP	MAA	P	NP
Unlimited	NP	NP	MDP	NP
Recycling facility
Collection facility, large	NP	NP	MDP	NP	(16)
Collection facility, small	NP	P	P	MDP	(16) (23)
Processing facility	NP	NP	NP	NP	(16)
Rental storage facility	NP	NP	MDP	NP	(19)
Research and development services	MDP	MDP	MDP	NP
Restaurant	CUP	MAA	MAA	MAA
Restaurant, drive-in	NP	MDP	MDP	MDP
Restaurant, fast food	NP	MDP	MDP	MDP
Retail sales	CUP	P	P	MDP	(10) (20) (21) (23)
Shopping center	NP	MDP	MDP	MDP
Travel trailer park	NP	NP	MDP	CUP	(15)
Industrial Uses
Commissary	NP	NP	MDP	NP
Industry
Limited	NP	NP	MDP	NP
General	NP	NP	NP	NP
Salvage and wrecking operations
Motor vehicle	NP	NP	CUP	NP	(14)
Nonvehicular	NP	NP	CUP	NP	(14)
Truck terminal	NP	NP	CUP	MDP
Truck yard	NP	NP	CUP	NP
Warehouse
Limited	NP	NP	MDP	NP
Wholesale distribution	NP	NP	MDP	NP
Accessory Structures and Uses	P	P	P	P	(11) (13)
Temporary Uses	P	P	P	P	(12)
Nonconforming Uses	See Article 3 of Chapter 9-2 TMC (Nonconforming Structures and Uses).

(1) Repealed.

(2) Small group homes and group quarters serving six (6) or fewer people are considered accessory to an existing residence pursuant to State and Federal law.

(3) Minor utilities shall not interfere with the use, enjoyment, or aesthetics of adjacent uses. All utilities shall be screened from view from public right-of-way using landscaping, a berm, a solid masonry fence, or other visually attractive method. The area surrounding the minor utility shall be landscaped.

(4) See TMC 9-2-102 (Adult entertainment facilities). Adult bookstores shall be subject to the same supplemental regulations applicable to adult entertainment facilities.

(5) Commercial recreation and entertainment uses less than two thousand (2,000) square feet in floor area are allowed with a zoning certificate issued in accordance with Article 2 of Chapter 9-5 TMC (Zoning Certificates and Home Occupation Permits).

(6) See TMC 9-2-112 (Outdoor storage). In the C-C and C-T districts, automobile servicing shall be conducted wholly within an enclosed building.

(7) See TMC 9-2-104 (Automobile service stations, repair and washing).

(8) Building materials and service uses shall not abut an R district unless accessory to a retail use.

(9) No fortune-telling use shall be located any closer than within seven hundred fifty (750') feet of another fortune-telling use.

(10) Retail sales in the C-O district shall be limited to pharmacies and/or the sale of medical and/or dental products.

(11) See TMC 9-2-101 (Accessory buildings or structures).

(12) See Article 5 of Chapter 9-5 TMC (Temporary Uses of Land). Construction trailers may be located on the project site after required planning permits and approvals have been obtained. The trailer(s) must be removed upon completion of the applicable construction project.

(13) See TMC 9-2-112 (Outdoor storage) and Article 5 of Chapter 9-5 TMC (Temporary Uses of Land).

(14) See TMC 9-2-117 (Salvage and wrecking operations).

(15) A conditional use permit issued in accordance with Article 6 of Chapter 9-5 TMC (Conditional Use Permits and Variances) shall be required if a hotel, motel, or travel trailer park abuts an R district.

(16) See TMC 9-2-116 (Recycling facilities).

(17) A caretaker unit may be permitted within a rental storage facility. All such residences shall be constructed to R-M district standards.

(18) Artists' studios in the downtown area may also be a place of residence for the artist as a secondary use. Artists' studios must be compatible with adjacent uses and shall not be a nuisance regarding noise and dust.

(19) See TMC 9-2-122 (Rental storage facility).

(20) See TMC 9-1-202 for the definitions of "discount store," "discount superstore," and "discount club."

(21) Except for a "discount store" as defined by TMC 9-1-202, which shall require a conditional use permit issued in accordance with Article 6 of Chapter 9-5 TMC (Conditional Use Permits and Variances).

(22) Retail sale of dogs and cats is prohibited in accordance with TMC 6-1-703.

(23) Applies to uses in the C-T district only. The designated permitting process applies only to uses developed as part of a shopping center as defined under Article 2 of Chapter 9-1 TMC (Establishment of Definitions). Uses shall not be permitted (i.e., are designated NP) as a stand-alone business.

(24) Where the emergency shelter is proposed in a location that falls within the emergency shelter overlay district, the permitting requirements contained in Article 2 of this chapter shall prevail.

(25) This matrix does not apply to cannabis uses in commercial zones within the downtown overlay. Cannabis uses in the downtown overlay shall be governed by TMC 9-2-701 and 9-4-103.

(26) This matrix does not apply to cannabis uses in commercial zones within the Westside Industrial Specific Plan. Cannabis uses in the Westside Industrial Specific Plan shall be governed by TMC 9-2-705.

(1207-CS, Rep&ReEn, 05/28/2015; 1231-CS, Amended, 04/13/2017; 1259-CS, Amended, 09/12/2019; 1275-CS, Amended, 02/12/2020; 1283-CS, Amended, 10/22/2020; 1343-CS, Amended, 4/9/2026)

§ 9-3-303 Property development regulations.

The following schedule prescribes development regulations for the C (commercial) districts. Development in these districts is also subject to the specific standards as contained in any applicable overlay district. Deviations from the setback and height requirements for the purpose of providing accommodation for disabled access to an existing structure may be permitted upon approval of a minor administrative approval pursuant to Article 3 of Chapter 9-5 TMC (Minor Administrative and Minor Discretionary Permits).

C-O, C-C, C-T, and C-H DISTRICTS (Commercial) PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS
	C-O	C-C	C-H	C-T	Additional Regulations
Yards					(1) (7) (8)
Front (ft.)	10	10	15	15	(2) (5) (9)
Side (ft.)	0	0	0	0	(3)
Corner side (ft.)	10	10	15	15	(2) (5) (9)
Rear (ft.)	10	0	0	0	(3)
Maximum height (ft.)	35	35	None	None	(3) (4)
Typical FAR	0.35	0.25	0.35	0.35
Landscaping standards (% of lot area)	15	10	7.5	7.5	(5) (6) (8)
Residential development	Where permitted, residential uses may be developed independently or in combination with commercial uses in accordance with the R-H district regulations.
Fences and walls	A seven (7') foot solid masonry wall shall be required along any property line abutting an R district, except in required front and corner side yards where the maximum height shall be three (3') feet. The Development Services Director may allow fence and wall heights to be increased in order to mitigate noise problems documented by a noise study. Razor wire, electrified fencing, and similar security devices are prohibited in commercial districts. Barbed wire may be used on a limited basis for security or safety purposes with an MAA issued in accordance with Article 3 of Chapter 9-5 TMC (Minor Administrative and Minor Discretionary Permits); provided, that the barbed wire is not visible from the public right-of-way and is not located adjacent to a residence or residential district. In addition, all fences and walls shall be subject to the driveway visibility requirements of TMC 9-2-215 (Driveway and corner visibility).
Additional standards	Article 2 of Chapter 9-2 TMC (Off-Street Parking and Loading Regulations).
	TMC 9-2-215 (Driveway and corner visibility).
	Article 5 of Chapter 9-2 TMC (Signs).
	TMC 9-2-112 (Outdoor storage).
	TMC 9-2-101 (Accessory buildings or structures).
	TMC 9-2-118 (Screening of mechanical equipment).
	TMC 9-2-120 (Underground utilities).
	TMC 9-2-115 (Recycling and solid waste disposal regulations).
	Article 3 of Chapter 9-2 TMC (Nonconforming Structures and Uses).
	TMC 9-2-122 (Rental storage facility).

(1) See TMC 9-2-105 (Building projections into yards).

(2) Front or corner side yard setback may be reduced to the average distance of existing buildings from their front property line on the two (2) abutting lots adjoining the front property line.

(3) Structures shall not intercept a forty-five (45°) degree inclined plane inward from a height of ten (10') feet above existing grade at the R district boundary line. Single story structures and ground level parking may encroach a maximum of five (5') feet into required side and rear yards.

(4) See TMC 9-2-108 (Exceptions to height limits).

(5) Any area between a property line adjacent to the street and the building, exclusive of driveways, shall be landscaped.

(6) See TMC 9-2-109 (Landscaping and irrigation).

(7) When abutting an R district, a minimum setback shall be provided as follows: front yard: fifteen (15') feet; rear yard: fifteen (15') feet; side yard: ten (10') feet.

(8) See TMC 9-2-122 (Rental storage facility).

(9) The required "landscape strip" in the public right-of-way (located behind the public sidewalk and adjacent to the private property line) may be counted toward the required building front yard and corner side yard setback, when constructed per City standard as defined in the Turlock General Plan and the landscape strip is maintained by the private property owner.

(1207-CS, Rep&ReEn, 05/28/2015)