It is the purpose of this chapter to provide development standards to all properties and structures permitted within commercial and industrial zones. The following property development standards apply to all commercial and industrial property and structures. The dimensions shown are the minimum required, unless otherwise stated.
(Ord. 13-8 § 4 (Exh. A), 6/11/2013)
A. 
Architecture. Commercial and industrial buildings shall conform to the architectural styles, guidelines, and requirements set forth in the latest revision of the City of Santa Clarita Community Character and Design Guidelines. Buildings shall be designed in accordance with the style of the particular community in which they are located, and shall be designed with articulation and styling on all sides (three hundred sixty (360) degree architecture). Building materials shall be high quality, durable, and natural-appearing. Special consideration shall be given to the design of corners, building entrances, and the elevations that front public street or other prominent view corridors.
B. 
Height. Buildings and structures exceeding thirty-five (35) feet in height shall require approval of a conditional use permit. At the discretion of the Director, architectural treatments may exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height without a conditional use permit; provided, that (1) the addition does not exceed ten (10) feet in height (for a maximum height of forty-five (45) feet); (2) that the allowance would be compatible with the architectural design; and (3) that the allowance would provide additional articulation that could otherwise not be achieved within thirty-five (35) feet.
C. 
Electrical vehicle charging stations may be required for new commercial/industrial developments at the discretion of the Director and in compliance with State law.
D. 
Childcare fees may be required for new commercial/industrial developments at the discretion of the Director.
E. 
Employee break areas, which may include facilities for shade, seating, eating, and trash disposal, shall be provided to the satisfaction of the Director.
F. 
All development adjacent to rail lines throughout the City shall be designed to be sensitive to the rail lines, with consideration given to the safety of the rail corridor.
G. 
Reciprocal ingress and egress, circulation, and parking arrangements shall be required where feasible to facilitate the ease of vehicular movement between adjoining properties, to limit unnecessary driveways, and to create more cohesive, community-oriented development.
H. 
Driveway access for commercial and industrial uses shall be located no closer than one hundred fifty (150) feet (lot size permitting) from the beginning of a curve of a street corner.
I. 
Driveways shall be shared between adjacent commercial and/or industrial properties unless otherwise specified by the City Traffic Engineer.
J. 
All driveways shall have a minimum stacking distance of:
1. 
Twenty (20) feet from the face of curb off of residential local collectors;
2. 
Forty (40) feet from the face of curb off of secondary or major highways;
3. 
One hundred (100) feet from the face of curb off of secondary or major highways that have the potential for a future traffic signal;
4. 
The length of the longest anticipated delivery vehicle for all warehousing and distribution uses, if the longest anticipated delivery vehicle exceeds the minimum stacking distances referenced in this section.
K. 
Commercial driveways on major, secondary, collector, and other streets as determined by the City Engineer shall be designed using a modified APWA 110-1, Type C commercial driveway design that will provide a street/drive approach transition with a maximum algebraic grade difference of seven percent (7%).
L. 
Any new commercial development, tract map, and/or parcel map that is located within five hundred (500) feet from the edge of right-of-way from Interstate 5 and/or State Route 14 shall require a health risk assessment to determine air quality impacts on sensitive uses.
M. 
Trash enclosure location(s) and access shall be designed to the satisfaction of the Director. Enclosures shall be conveniently located and designed to allow collection vehicles to service the trash/recycling bins without backing up, where feasible. The enclosure(s) shall also be designed in a manner to reduce or eliminate the potential for collection vehicles to block required parking spaces as part of regular trash or recycling pick-up. The number of trash and recycling containers required shall be determined by the City. Trash enclosures shall be designed with a solid roof, subject to the approval of the City.
N. 
Pedestrian Circulation. New commercial and industrial developments shall provide walkway connections to public sidewalks and transit stops, where available. Where pedestrian paths cross parking areas or driveways, decorative paving shall be used to delineate the path-of-travel. All paving materials/elements shall be approved by the Director.
O. 
Outdoor Display of Merchandise.
1. 
No merchandise, or any portion thereof, shall be displayed on public property; however, merchandise may be displayed within the public right-of-way if an encroachment permit has first been obtained from the City.
2. 
Merchandise, except for vehicles, shall not project more than four (4) feet beyond the store front.
3. 
Except for vehicles, outside display of merchandise shall only be permitted during business hours.
4. 
The aggregate display area shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the linear frontage of the store front or six (6) linear feet, whichever is greater.
5. 
Merchandise shall not be displayed in such a manner as to present a hazard to safety, impede convenient vehicular and/or pedestrian access to the building or business, or create a display that is detrimental to the appearance of the premises and surrounding property; or is in any other manner detrimental to the public health, safety, welfare, or causes a public nuisance.
6. 
Required parking spaces shall not be used for display.
P. 
Shopping Cart Returns.
1. 
Cart return facilities shall be consistent with the design of the project and building architecture. Similar or the same materials should be used on the returns as on the buildings.
2. 
Cart return areas adjacent to the building should be integrally designed as part of the building.
3. 
Cart returns shall not block or restrict access to fire lanes or required parking areas.
Q. 
For any use with more than fifty (50) full-time employees, a transportation demand management (TDM) program shall be submitted to, and approved by, the Director of Community Development and/or the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). Programs should include but are not limited to carpooling, vanpooling, public and/or private transit, alternative work hours, walk to work incentives, telecommuting, and other strategies that have the potential to reduce traffic and automobile trips. Projects are encouraged to provide on-site child care services, wellness facilities, and other amenities that will attract valuable, creative tenants and employees.
R. 
Electrical Disturbance, Heat and Cold, Glare. No use except a temporary construction operation shall be permitted which creates changes in temperature or direct glare. No use shall be permitted which creates electrical disturbances that affect the operation of any equipment beyond the boundaries of the site.
S. 
Odor. No use shall be permitted which creates odor in such quantities as to be readily detectable beyond the boundaries of the site.
T. 
Vibration. No use, except a temporary construction operation, shall be permitted which generates inherent and recurrent ground vibration perceptible without instruments at the boundary of the lot on which the use is located.
U. 
Uses with primarily outdoor storage of merchandise shall provide landscaping to include trees and shrubs to the satisfaction of the Director with the exception of vehicle sales.
V. 
Commission Review. Commercial developments one hundred thousand (100,000) square feet or more in gross floor area adjacent to freeways, along major highways, or at key intersections identified in the circulation element of the General Plan shall be subject to a public hearing and Commission review and approval.
W. 
Mobile Pickup Areas. Parking stalls dedicated to mobile order pickup or other pickup services for commercial retail businesses must comply with all commercial development standards unless otherwise approved by the Director. The following standards will apply to any mobile order pickup or similar pickup area located in a commercial parking lot:
1. 
Any canopies or other structures must be architecturally consistent with the existing commercial buildings on site, and are subject to an architectural design review.
2. 
All new lighting must meet the requirements of this code and be shielded and may not spill over to adjacent properties.
3. 
A clear and safe path of travel must be provided between the commercial use and mobile pickup area. Walkways must be designed to ensure pedestrian safety and effective traffic flow.
4. 
Parking stalls and loading zones must comply with all parking dimensions and standards identified in this code. Sufficient loading areas must be provided for all parking stalls.
5. 
A permanent pedestrian ramp must be installed, if no existing ramp is provided, to allow carts to access the pickup area from the commercial business.
6. 
Parking stalls for mobile pickup areas are counted as required parking for a business.
7. 
Modifications to drive aisles or driveways, or other changes to the configuration of the site, are subject to the development review process.
8. 
No signage is permitted except as otherwise allowed by this code as to private property.
X. 
Unless otherwise stated in Chapter 17.47 (Temporary Use Types), the occupancy of vehicles, including recreational vehicles, trailers, or vessels, as a residence, temporary or permanent, is prohibited in all zones.
(Ord. 25-1 § 5 (Exhs. A, B), 5/27/2025; Ord. 13-8 § 4 (Exhs. A, D), 6/11/2013; Ord. 20-10 § 6, 12/8/2020)
A. 
All ground-mounted mechanical equipment, trash areas, and recycling bins shall be completely screened from surrounding properties by use of a parapet, wall or fence, or shall be enclosed within a building. Exposed gutters, downspouts, vents, louvers and other similar elements shall be painted to match the surface to which they are attached unless they are used as part of the design theme.
B. 
Air conditioners, antennas, heating, cooling, ventilating equipment, and all other mechanical, lighting or electrical devices shall be operated so that they do not disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of adjacent and neighboring occupants. Such equipment shall be screened, shielded, and/or sound buffered from surrounding properties and streets. All equipment shall be installed and operated in accordance with all other applicable ordinances. Said equipment, excluding antennas, shall not exceed the maximum height of the underlying zone.
C. 
All utility connections shall be designed to coordinate with the architectural elements of the building(s) and/or site so as not to be exposed except where necessary. Pad-mounted transformers and/or meter box locations shall be included in the site plan with any appropriate screening treatment. Power lines and overhead cables less than thirty-four (34) KV shall be installed underground.
D. 
Above-ground utilities boxes, telephone boxes, water lines, backflow preventers, cable boxes or similar structures within public view shall be screened to the satisfaction of the Director.
E. 
The use of metal storage containers shall be subject to Section 17.23.200 (Temporary Use Permit).
F. 
Outdoor storage areas shall be entirely enclosed by solid masonry walls or other material subject to the Director's approval, shall not be less than six (6) feet in height, and shall not be located within the required street setback. The maximum stacking height for outdoor storage shall be determined by the Director.
G. 
Solar panels as an accessory use on accessory structures in commercial zones shall not be included in height calculations.
(Ord. 13-8 § 4 (Exhs. A, D), 6/11/2013; Ord. 20-10 § 6, 12/8/2020)
All setbacks shall meet the requirements of the underlying zone and as shown below in Figure 17.53-1 (Commercial/Industrial Setbacks), unless specifically allowed in this section.
Figure 17.53-1
Commercial/Industrial Setbacks
A. 
A minimum five (5) foot wide landscaped setback shall be required where structures are located adjacent to a right-of-way, except where they are located adjacent to a major or secondary highway where the minimum setback shall be increased to ten (10) feet.
B. 
Parking areas shall not be permitted within the required front setback.
C. 
Corner Setbacks. For commercial and industrial uses, no miscellaneous items, products, equipment, vehicles or signs shall be permitted on any corner formed by intersecting streets within a triangular area between the property line adjacent to the public right-of-way and a diagonal line joining points on said property lines twenty-five (25) feet from their point of intersection or, in the case of rounded corners, the areas between the tangent to the curve and a diagonal line adjoining points on such tangents twenty-five (25) feet from the point of intersection.
(Ord. 13-8 § 4 (Exh. A), 6/11/2013)
A. 
Commercial and industrial uses adjacent to or across a street or alley from residentially zoned property or property developed with a residential use shall provide a minimum six (6) foot high masonry wall along all common lot lines (with the exception of those lot lines with the required front setback of the commercial or industrial property where the wall shall be not less than thirty (30) inches nor greater than forty-two (42) inches). All walls shall be consistent with the site's architecture and, in instances where visible from the public right-of-way, shall be constructed with decorative materials.
B. 
Access. A wall or fence shall not be constructed in such a manner so as to block or restrict vehicular access to a dedicated or implied dedicated alley, access, or way.
C. 
Prohibited Materials. Fiberglass sheeting, bamboo sheeting, chain link, black or green fabric, barbed wire, razor ribbon, or other similar temporary material shall not be permitted as a fencing material. In the case of temporary construction fencing for properties with an active building permit in good standing, black, green or other colored fabric may be installed to the satisfaction of the Director.
D. 
Vacant property and property under construction may be fenced with a maximum six (6) foot high, non-view-obscuring fence.
(Ord. 13-8 § 4 (Exh. A), 6/11/2013)