This title of the municipal code shall be known and cited as the "zoning ordinance of the city of Benicia," or "zoning ordinance."
(Ord. 87-4 N.S., 1987)
The zoning ordinance shall have the following components:
A. 
Regulations, known as the zoning regulations, establishing various classes of zoning districts and governing the use of land and the placement of buildings and improvements within districts;
B. 
A map or set of maps, known as the zoning map, delineating the boundaries of zoning districts within the city.
A copy of the zoning regulations and the zoning map, together with a record of all amendments, shall be kept on file with the city clerk and shall constitute the original record. A copy of the zoning regulations and zoning map currently in effect shall also be kept on file with the development services director.
(Ord. 87-4 N.S., 1987; Ord. 01-11 N.S., 2001; Ord. 04-13 § 1; Ord. 25-09 § 4)
The broad purposes of the zoning ordinance are to protect and promote the public health, safety, and general welfare, and to implement the policies of the city's general plan, as provided in the California Government Code, Title 7, Chapters 3 and 4 and in the California Constitution, Article 11, Section 7. More specifically, the zoning ordinance is intended to:
A. 
Provide a precise guide for the physical development of the city in order to:
1. 
Preserve the character and quality of residential neighborhoods,
2. 
Foster convenient, harmonious, and workable relationships among land uses, and
3. 
Achieve progressively the arrangement of land uses described in the general plan;
B. 
Promote the economic stability of existing land uses that are consistent with the general plan and protect them from intrusions by inharmonious or harmful land uses;
C. 
Prevent excessive population densities and overcrowding of land or buildings;
D. 
Ensure the provision of adequate open space for light, air, and fire safety;
E. 
Permit the development of office, commercial, industrial, and related land uses that are consistent with the general plan, in order to strengthen the city's economic base;
F. 
Conserve and enhance the city's architectural and cultural resources;
G. 
Conserve and enhance key visual features of Benicia's setting, including the shoreline and undeveloped hillsides and ridgelines, consistent with the general plan;
H. 
Require the provision of adequate off-street parking and loading facilities, and promote a safe, effective traffic circulation system;
I. 
Ensure that service demands of new development will not exceed the capacities of existing streets, utilities, or public services.
(Ord. 87-4 N.S., 1987)