Regular 10.
Planning Commission
- Meeting Date:
- 05/09/2024
Information
SUBJECT
Workshop on the Yolo County Zoning Code Reorganization project.
SUMMARY
| FILE # ZC2024-01: Yolo County Zoning Code Reorganization | |
| APPLICANT: County |
OWNER: Countywide |
| LOCATION: Countywide GENERAL PLAN: Varies ZONING: Countywide SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT: Countywide PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE: TBD |
SOILS: Varies FMMP: Varies WILLIAMSON ACT: Varies FLOOD ZONE: Varies FIRE SEVERITY ZONE: Countywide |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: Exempt | |
RECOMMENDED ACTION
That the Planning Commission:
A. Hold a workshop, receive a presentation, and accept public comments on the draft Zoning Code Reorganization (Att. A);
B. Provide guidance and input on issues to be addressed in the Zoning Code Reorganization; and
C. Direct staff to return to the Planning Commission at a future date to review a final draft.
A. Hold a workshop, receive a presentation, and accept public comments on the draft Zoning Code Reorganization (Att. A);
B. Provide guidance and input on issues to be addressed in the Zoning Code Reorganization; and
C. Direct staff to return to the Planning Commission at a future date to review a final draft.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDED ACTIONS/BACKGROUND
On May 14, 2020, the Planning Commission received a presentation by DeNovo Planning that launched the beginning of a comprehensive Zoning Code Update. The receipt of State funding in July 2020, through the Building Homes and Jobs Act (Senate Bill 2, 2017), kicked off the official review of the County's Zoning Regulations with an eye toward promoting an increase in residential development and reorganizing the code for ease of use. The last comprehensive update of the County’s Zoning Regulations occurred in 2014 to provide consistency with the 2030 Countywide General Plan, adopted in November 2009. Though the regulations have been updated several times since 2014, largely to provide consistency with State requirements, a comprehensive reformatting of the regulations is in order to better address user-friendliness.
The last update of the zoning and subdivision regulations in 2022 brought the County Code into alignment with new State laws pertaining to urban lot splits and updated regulations for Accessory Dwelling Units. Updates included in this proposed reorganization include provisions for more objective standards and reducing the use of subjective language to provide an effective and efficient process for facilitating residential development. As such, the Planning Division is seeking input from the Commission on the overall proposed reorganization (see Att. A), and will be soliciting feedback on the addition of new or modified regulations, such as for tiny homes, short-term rentals, and rural events at a future public workshop.
The proposed updates to the Zoning Regulations are primarily intended as a reorganization, not a substantial change to existing standards and requirements. The current structure of the Zoning Regulations in the County Code (Chapter 2 of Title 8, Yolo County Code of Ordinances) centers on numerous zoning articles or chapters that operate independently with separate permitting requirement tables, standards, and definitions. This formatting can lead to confusion when land use requirements are hard to find or need to be cross-referenced, making it unclear if a land use type is permitted within a particular zone. The table below offers a comparison between the existing structure and the proposed new format.
| Current Format | Content | New Format |
| Chapter 1 | Subdivisions and Related Regulations | Same |
| Chapter 2 | Zoning Regulations | Same |
| Article 1 | General Provisions | Same |
| Article 2 | Administrative Provisions | Same |
| Article 3 | Agricultural Zones | Article 3- Permitting Article 11- Land Uses |
| Article 4 | Special Agricultural Requirements | Article 11 |
| Article 5 | Residential Zones | Article 4- Permitting Article 12- Land Uses |
| Article 6 | Commercial Zones | Article 5- Permitting Article 13- Land Uses |
| Article 7 | Industrial Zones | Article 6- Permitting Article 13- Land Uses |
| Article 8 | Public and Open Space Zones | Article 7- Permitting Article 15- Land Uses |
| Article 9 | Specific Plan and Overlay Zones | Article 8 |
| Article 10 | General and Special Development Standards | Article 9 |
| Article 11 | Energy and Telecommunications Development Standards | Articles14 and 16 |
| Article 12 | Sign Standards | Article 9 |
| Article 13 | Off-Street Parking and Loading | Article 9 |
| Article 14 | Cannabis Land Use Ordinance | same |
| Chapter 3 | Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance | same |
| Chapter 4 | Flood Protection | Chapter 2 Article 16 |
| Chapter 5 | Development Agreements | Chapter 4 |
| Chapter 6 | Alcohol Beverage Control Ordinance | Chapter 2 Article 13 |
| Chapter 7 | Adult Entertainment Uses, Establishments | Chapter 2 Article 13 |
| Chapter 8 | Inclusionary Housing | Chapter 2 Article 12 |
| Chapter 9 | Reasonable Accommodations | Chapter 2 Article 2 |
| Chapter 10 | Mobile Home Park Conversion Ordinance | Chapter 2 Article 12 |
| Chapter 11 | Historic Landmarks | Chapter 2 Article 15 |
| Chapter 12 | Housing Density Bonuses | Chapter 2 Article 12 |
| Chapter 13 | Addressing System | Chapter 1 Article 10 |
| Chapter 14 | Definitions | Chapter 2 Article 19 |
The biggest difference between the proposed new format and the current organization is that the land use types have been reorganized into their own land use articles, rather than occurring solely in their respective zoning districts. For example, this makes it clear that residential land uses may also occur in zones other than the Residential Zones, since limited residential uses are also allowed in Agricultural Zones and some Commercial Zones. A comprehensive permitting table with all the land uses described in the Zoning Regulations is now included in every zoning district. Additionally, all the standards for each land use type have been compiled in its own article along with information that had previously been found in different chapters. The resulting new format is shown below with a column noting what information is found in each new section and in which section that information was previously found.
Title 8- New format
| New Format | Content | Old Location | Includes |
| Chapter 1 | Subdivisions and Related Regulations | Chapter 1 | -- |
| Article 10 | Addressing System | Chapter 13 | Addressing for new development |
| Chapter 2 | Zoning Regulations | Chapter 2 | -- |
| Article 1 | General Provisions | Article 1 | Land Uses described |
| Article 2 | Administrative Provisions | Article 2 | Types of permits and decision-making bodies |
| Article 3 | Agricultural Zones | Article 3 | A-N, A-X, A-C, A-I, A-R, CAD-O Zones and Development Standards; Permitting Table |
| Article 4 | Residential Zones | Article 5 | RR-5, RR-2, R-L, R-M, R-H Zones and Development Standards; Permitting Table |
| Article 5 | Commercial Zones | Article 6 | C-L, C-G, C-H Zones and Development Standards; Permitting Table |
| Article 6 | Industrial Zones | Article 7 | I-L, I-H Zones and Development Standards; Permitting Table |
| Article 7 | Public and Open Space Zones | Article 8 | P-R, OS, PQP Zones and Development Standards; Permitting Table |
| Article 8 | Specific Plan and Overlay Zones | Article 9 | S-P Zone; DP-O, SG-O, SGR-O, A-O, PD Overlays; Specific Use Requirements |
| Article 9 | General Development Standards and Site Planning Standards Applicable to all Use Types | Compiled from Articles 3, 5 and elsewhere | Performance standards; Lot area, setback standards; Height; Fences; Parking; Outdoor storage; Lighting and views; Screening; Floodplains |
| Article 10 | Standards for Accessory Structures and Temporary Uses | Compiled from Articles 3, 5 and elsewhere | Residential accessory dwellings; Outdoor storage; Pools; Modulars; Signs |
| Article 11 | Requirements for Agricultural Land Uses | Articles 3, 4 | Right to Farm; CAD-O standards; Animal keeping; Ag commercial and Ag industrial land uses |
| New Format | Content | Old Location | Includes |
| Article 12 | Standards for Residential Development and Uses | Article 5 | Large multifamily design standards; Res in Ag Zones; Employee Housing; Care homes; ADUs; Density bonus; Condo conversion; MH Park conversion |
| Article 13 | Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Uses | Articles 6 &7 | Commercial and Industrial land use standards; Alcoholic Beverage Control; Adult land uses |
| Article14 | Cannabis Land Use Ordinance | Article 14 | Cannabis Land Use Ordinance |
| Article 15 | Standards for Public, Quasi-Public, and Open Space Uses | Article 8 | Recreational and Quasi-public land uses; Aviation; Telecommunications |
| Article 16 | Resource Management Provisions | Article 11 | Ag mitigation; Clustered Ag housing; Historic Landmarks; Energy system land uses; transmission lines |
| Article 17 | Flood Protection Provisions | Chapter 4 | Flood Hazard provisions, reduction; floodplain approvals and Levy setback |
| Article 18 | Definitions | Chapter 14 and elsewhere | |
| Chapter 3 | Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance | Chapter 3 | same |
| Chapter 4 | Development Agreements | Chapter 5 | same |
Although the extent of the reorganization makes a redlined copy of the Zoning Regulations difficult to follow, the attached table of contents (Att. A) calls out new and updated sections in Title 8. Changes and additions are highlighted below and will be clarified in the staff presentation.
CHANGES:
Chapter 1, Article 10: Addressing System
Street address requirements moved from Chapter 13
Chapter 2, Article 1: General Provisions
Removed Downtown Mixed-Use (DMX), Office Park/Research and Development (OPRD), Natural Heritage Overlay (NH-O), and Tribal Territory Overlay (TTO) Zones
Land Use categories pulled from Zoning districts have been reorganized
Chapter 2, Article 2: Administrative Provisions
Table added to clarify decision-making bodies
"Streamlined Ministerial" permits added
“Development Permit” added to replace “Site Plan Review” permitting requirements
Update to Variances by adding provisions for administrative Adjustments and including all variances in one section
Specific Plan ordinance moved here
Chapter 2, Article 3 through Article 7: Zoning Districts
Use Types aka Land Use Categories are collected in Article 1
Development Standards and Permitting Tables updated in all zoning districts
CAD-O added to Agricultural Zones
Chapter 2, Article 8: Specific Plan and Overlay Zones
NH-O removed (not used and no longer necessary with the adoption of the Yolo HCP/NCCP)
TTO removed (Not a zoning overlay, it’s a jurisdiction)
Permitting table removed (CAD-O moved to Ag Zones, SP and PD are individualized, NH-O was replaced by HCP/NCCP, other overlays DP-O, SG-O, SGR-O, A-O are regulatory overlays)
CAD-O Standards move to Article 11 (Ag Land Uses)
Chapter 2, Article 9: General Development and Site Planning Standards
Performance standards that apply to all zones are compiled to include:
Setting farmland disturbance threshold that requires Use Permit
Setting traffic threshold that requires Use Permit
Noise threshold requiring Use Permit
Water and wastewater, flood, drainage, roads and access, fire protection, and visual requirements
Parking standards
Setbacks
Surface water setback
New table for fence standards
Outdoor lighting and viewshed standards
Screening standards
Chapter 2, Article 10: Standards for Accessory Structures and Temporary Uses
Accessory structure standards table
Outdoor storage
Pools, Modulars
Signs
Chapter 2, Article 11: Requirements for Agricultural Uses
CAD-O Standards
Animal keeping, Ag Commercial, Ag Industrial
Chapter 2, Article 12: Standards for Residential Uses
Multifamily design standards
Farm Dwellings in Ag zones
Single and Multi family standards
Manufactured Home, temp, mobile home parks standards
Employee housing
Care homes and shelters
ADUs
Tiny Homes
Density Bonuses, Inclusionary housing
Condo and MHP conversions
Chapter 2, Article 13: Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Uses
Commercial use standards- retail, food, services, lodging, mixed use
Short Term Rental (STR) standards replace B&B standards
Industrial use standards
Alcoholic Beverage Control permitting
Adult use standards
Chapter 2, Article 14: Cannabis Land Use Ordinance
No Changes
Chapter 2, Article 15: Standards for Public, Quasi-Public, and Open Space Uses
Recreational uses
Public/ Quasi-public
Wireless telecommunication
Chapter 2, Article 16: Resource Management Provisions
Ag conservation and mitigation
Historic Landmarks
Habitat Mitigation
Oil and Gas Well Drilling
Surface Mining
Co-Gen Facilities
Energy Systems (Wind, Solar, Storage) and transmission
Williamson Act
Chapter 2, Article 17: Flood Protection Provisions
Flood Hazard Areas
Flood Hazard Reduction
Chapter 2, Article 18: Definitions
New section to compile all definitions in Chapter 2
New Material:
State required additions:
Article 2: Administrative Provisions
· Process for an Eligible Multifamily Project Under California Government Code Section 65913.4
· Process for an Eligible Agricultural Housing Project Eligible Under California Health and Safety Code Section 17021.8
Article 12: Residential Use Standards
· Streamlined permitting design standards
· Condo conversion tenant rights
Design standards:
Article 9: General Development Standards
· Consolidation and clarification of General Plan policies
· Outdoor lighting to add measurable specifications
· Rural view and ridgeline standards
· Mechanical equipment screening
Article 13: Commercial design standards
· Design review standards
Article 12: Residential design standards
· Large multifamily standards
New Regulations:
Article 12: Residential Use Standards
· Tiny Homes
· Short Term Rentals
Staff is seeking input from the Planning Commission with respect to specific issue areas to be addressed in the code update and recommendations on the format or structure of the reorganization. Based on Commission input, staff will return to a future meeting (workshop) with a draft Zoning Code Update for the Commission's review prior to setting the item for a public hearing on a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.
APPEALS
N/A
Attachments
Form Review
| Inbox | Reviewed By | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Stephanie Cormier | Stephanie Cormier | 05/01/2024 06:17 PM |
| Eric May | Eric May | 05/02/2024 09:30 AM |
| Stephanie Cormier | Stephanie Cormier | 05/02/2024 11:08 AM |
- Form Started By:
- JD Trebec
- Started On:
- 04/22/2024 08:56 AM
- Final Approval Date:
- 05/02/2024