The City shall be divided into zoning districts which implement the General Plan. The zoning districts described in Table 2-1 (Zoning Districts and Equivalent General Plan Designations) are hereby established and shall be shown on the official Zoning Map. The purposes of individual zoning districts are established in the following sections. Allowable land uses and permit requirements for each base district are found in Chapter
16.20 (Allowable Land Uses and Permit Requirements). Base zoning district development standards are in Chapter
16.24 (Zoning District Development Standards).
TABLE 2-1: ZONING DISTRICTS AND EQUIVALENT GENERAL PLAN DESIGNATIONS |
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Zoning District Symbol | Zoning District Name | General Plan Designation |
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Base Zoning Districts |
Residential Districts |
RE | Residential, Estate | Residential Estate |
RL | Residential, Low Density | Low Density Residential |
RM | Residential, Medium Density | Medium Density Residential |
RH | Residential, High Density | High Density Residential, Commercial, Administrative Professional |
Commercial Districts |
CO | Commercial, Office | Administrative Professional |
CN | Commercial, Neighborhood | Commercial |
CG | Commercial, General | Commercial |
CH | Commercial, Heavy | Commercial |
CD | Commercial, Downtown | Commercial |
CL | Commercial, Large-Scale | Commercial |
CA | Commercial, Auto | Commercial |
Industrial Districts |
IL | Industrial, Light | Industrial |
IG | Industrial, General | Industrial |
PT | Port | Industrial, Institutional |
Public and Semi-Public Districts |
PF | Public Facilities | Institutional, Parks and Recreation |
OS | Open Space | Open Space/Agriculture |
Other Districts |
MX | Mixed Use | Mixed Use |
UC | University/College | University/College |
Overlay Districts |
-AIR | Aircraft Operations Overlay District | All |
-CHA | Channel Area Overlay District | All |
-CI | Commercial Industrial Overlay District | All |
-DES | Design Review Overlay District | All |
-MHD | Magnolia Historic Overlay District | All |
-SP | Specific Plan Overlay District | All |
-TOD | Transit Oriented Development | All |
A. Residential Districts. The purpose of the residential districts is to:
1. Provide for a full range of housing types to meet the diverse economic and social needs of residents;
2. Preserve, protect, and enhance the character of the City's neighborhoods;
3. Enhance the quality of life of residents;
4. Ensure that the scale and design of new development and alterations to existing development are appropriate to the physical and aesthetic characteristics of the proposed location; and
5. Provide sites for public and semi-public uses such as parks, schools, day care, and other community uses that serve residents and complement surrounding residential development.
6. Additional purposes of each residential district are:
a. RE (Residential, Estate). The RE District is intended to provide for residential development on large lots and other compatible uses in a semi-rural atmosphere and setting. It is intended to provide a transition from rural to urban areas on the urban fringe. The RE District is consistent with the Residential Estate General Plan land use designation.
b. RL (Residential, Low Density). The RL District is intended to provide for residential development, including single unit dwellings, duplexes, triplexes, semi-detached patio homes, town homes, and other residential development types, in a low-density residential neighborhood setting. This district also allows for public uses, quasi-public uses, and similar and compatible uses that may be appropriate in a low-density residential environment. The RL District is consistent with the Low Density Residential General Plan land use designation.
c. RM (Residential, Medium Density). The RM District is intended to provide for a variety of housing types, including duplexes, townhouses, apartments, detached single-unit residential development on small lots, and other compatible uses appropriate in a medium density residential environment. This district also allows neighborhood-serving retail, commercial service, and mixed uses in appropriate locations that provide residents with easy access to daily services and necessities within their neighborhood, provided that they are compatible with surrounding uses. The RM District is consistent with the Medium Density Residential General Plan land use designation.
d. RH (Residential, High Density). The RH District is intended to provide for a variety of high-density residential development, including high density single-unit dwellings, townhouses, group housing, condominiums, and apartments, and other compatible uses appropriate in a high-density residential environment. This district also allows neighborhood-serving retail, commercial service, and mixed uses in appropriate locations that provide residents with easy access to daily services and necessities within their neighborhood, provided that they are compatible with surrounding uses. The RH District is consistent with the High Density Residential, Commercial, and Administrative Professional General Plan land use designations.
B. Commercial, Districts. The purpose of the commercial districts is to:
1. Provide for the orderly, well-planned, and balanced development of commercial districts;
2. Designate adequate land for a full range of local- and regional-serving commercial and retail services, consistent with the General Plan;
3. Maintain and strengthen the City's economic resources;
4. Increase employment opportunities and expand the economic base of the City;
5. Provide appropriately-located commercial areas that provide a variety of goods and services for residents, employees, and visitors;
6. Provide opportunities for a mix of complementary uses that may combine residential and nonresidential uses, or a variety of nonresidential uses, on the same site; and
7. Promote pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use commercial centers at appropriate locations.
8. Additional purposes of each commercial districts are:
a. CO (Commercial, Office). The CO District is intended to be a transitional area between residential and general commercial uses. The primary uses in this district include offices, incidental retail and/or residential in conjunction with an office, and other compatible uses. The CO District is consistent with the Administrative Professional General Plan land use designation.
b. CN (Commercial, Neighborhood). The CN District is intended to provide for neighborhood centers that provide goods and services to meet the day-to-day needs of residents and visitors. These areas should promote land use types and designs to accommodate pedestrian and bicycle access and avoid auto oriented or auto dominated use types. The CN District is consistent with the Commercial General Plan land use designation.
c. CG (Commercial, General). The CG District is intended to provide areas for a wide variety of general commercial uses, including retail, personal and business services; commercial recreational uses; and a mix of office, commercial, and/or residential uses. The CG District is consistent with the Commercial General Plan land use designation.
d. CH (Commercial, Heavy). The CH District is intended to preserve urban industrial land as viable sites of production and employment while buffering heavy industrial activities from existing residential uses. Allowable uses in this place include light industrial, clean manufacturing, agricultural technologies, food processing, energy resources and technologies, offices, commercial uses to support business endeavors, repurposed buildings with live/work artist studios, and other non-noxious industrial and manufacturing uses. Residential uses are permitted in this zone; however, heavy industrial or other land uses that could negatively impact adjacent sensitive receptors (i.e., housing, school, and civic uses) are prohibited. The CH District is consistent with the Commercial General Plan land use designation.
e. CD (Commercial, Downtown). The CD District is applied to the downtown commercial area of the City. The intent of the CD Zoning District is to encourage a mixture of high intensity urban uses to create a lively, pedestrian-friendly environment, with high visual quality. Appropriate uses include large scale commercial offices and office support uses, high-density residential development, tourist and lodging oriented uses, and governmental facilities. The CD District is consistent with the Commercial General Plan land use designation.
f. CL (Commercial, Large-Scale). The CL Zoning District is applied to areas appropriate for large-scale integrated commercial retail centers with shared parking facilities. The CL Zoning District is intended to serve a regional market area, and is to be applied to sites of at least 25 acres. The CL zoning district is consistent with the Commercial General Plan land use designation.
g. CA (Commercial, Auto). The CA Zoning District is applied to areas appropriate for new and used automobile dealerships and related uses and is to be applied to sites of at least three acres. The CA zoning district is consistent with the Commercial General Plan land use designation.
C. Industrial Districts. The purpose of the industrial districts is to:
1. Designate adequate land for commercial businesses, professional offices, and industrial growth, consistent with the General Plan;
2. Maintain and strengthen the City's economic resources;
3. Provide a range of employment opportunities to meet the needs of current and future residents; and
4. Provide areas for a wide range of manufacturing, industrial processing, and service commercial uses, and protect areas where such uses now exist.
5. Additional purposes of each industrial district are:
a. IL (Industrial, Limited). The IL District is intended to provide areas for industrial businesses and operations that do not create adverse visual, noise, or other impacts on adjoining public and residential properties. This district allows for industrial, manufacturing, warehousing, service, retail, public and quasi-public uses, and other similar and compatible uses. Industries that use or produce substantial amounts of hazardous materials or generate noise, odor, or other pollutants are not permitted. The IL District is consistent with the Industrial General Plan land use designation.
b. IG (Industrial, General). The IG District is intended to allow a wide range of industrial land uses, including uses that may be conducted outdoors or associated with nuisance or hazardous impacts. Includes ancillary office uses. The IG District is consistent with the Industrial General Plan land use designation.
c. PT (Port). The PT District is applied to areas of the City that are operated by "port districts" as formed under the Harbors and Navigation Code, Section
6210 et seq., for the operation of port facilities, including wharves, dockage, warehousing, and related port facilities. The PT District is consistent with the Industrial and Institutional General Plan land use designations and the Rough and Ready Island Development Plan for the Port of Stockton (as applicable). Development and Zoning Code requirements within the PT Zone are subject to the approved Development Agreement (DA) the City has with the Port. Should they expire, be amended, or mutually terminated, existing and future land uses shall utilize the IG (Industrial, General) zoning designations to regulate development.
D. Public and Semi-Public Districts. The purpose of the public and semi-public zoning districts is to:
1. Provide land for the development of public, semi-public, and open space uses that provide services to the community and support existing and new residential, commercial, and industrial land uses;
2. Provide areas for educational facilities, cultural and institutional uses, health services, parks and recreation, general government operations, utility and public service needs, and other similar and related supporting uses;
3. Provide opportunities for outdoor recreation and meet the recreational needs of City residents; and
4. Reserve areas for passive recreation, open space, and habitat protection and enhancement.
5. Additional purposes of each Public and Semi-Public Zoning District are:
a. PF (Public Facilities). The PF District is applied to areas appropriate for a variety of public and quasi-public land uses, including facilities and lands owned by the City, County, State, or Federal governments. Allowable land uses include public and quasi-public uses such as schools, libraries, colleges, water treatment facilities, airports, some governmental offices, Federal installations, City and County parks, pedestrian and bicycle trails, golf courses, marinas, community centers, and other similar and compatible uses. The PF District is consistent with the Institutional and Parks and Recreation General Plan Land Use Designations.
b. OS (Open Space). The OS District is applied to areas of the City with open space resources, including agricultural lands, wetlands, wildlife reserves, and other sensitive natural resources; passive recreational areas such as golf courses; or natural hazards. Structural uses are limited to those which support the maintenance and/or use of the open space area. The OS District is consistent with the Open Space/Agriculture General Plan land use designation.
E. Other Districts. The purposes of other districts is as follows.
1. MX (Mixed Use). The MX District is intended to apply to large properties that can accommodate a wide range of land uses to promote integrated development addressing land use, design, circulation, recreation, public services, and natural resources and to ensure appropriate coordination of planning and development. The MX District is consistent with the Mixed Use General Plan land use designation.
2. UC (University/College). The UC District is applied to areas of the City that are dedicated to private institutions of higher learning, to enable campus modifications or changes with the minimum, appropriate land use regulations. The UC District is consistent with the Administrative Professional General Plan land use designation.
F. Overlay Zoning Districts. The purposes of the overlay zoning districts are described in Chapter
16.28 (Overlay Zoning District Land Uses and Development Standards).
(Prior code § 16-210.020; Ord. 011-08 C.S. § 1; Ord. 015-09 C.S., eff. 12-3-09; Ord. 2017-12-05-1503 C.S. § 2; Ord. 2020-06-09-1501 C.S. § 3; Ord. 2022-07-12-1601-02 C.S. § 4; Ord. 2025-06-03-1601, 6/3/2025)