Arcata Municipal Code § 9.26.030 Commercial, Industrial, and Public Facility District Allowable Land Uses

This Chapter lists the land uses that may be allowed within the commercial, industrial, and public facility zoning districts established by Section 9.12.020 (Zoning Map and Zoning Districts), determines the type of planning permit/approval required for each use, and provides basic standards for site layout and building size.

The purposes of the individual commercial zoning districts and the manner in which they are applied are as follows.

A. CC (Commercial - Central) district. The CC zoning district is applied to areas surrounding the Plaza, and is intended to accommodate retail, professional office, civic, hotel, theater, residential, and similar and compatible uses. The CC zoning district is consistent with and implements the Commercial Central land use classification of the General Plan.

B. CG (Commercial - General) district. The CG zoning district is applied to areas appropriate for a range of retail and service land uses that primarily serve local residents and businesses, including shops, personal and business services, and restaurants. Residential uses may also be accommodated as part of mixed use projects. The CG zoning district is consistent with the Commercial - General land use classification of the General Plan.

C. CM (Commercial - Mixed Use Center) district. The CM zoning district is applied to areas identified by General Plan policy LU-1d as the existing neighborhood centers of Westwood, Bayside, Sunny Brae, and Greenview, where additional retail, personal and business services, and other neighborhood-oriented commercial services are encouraged, and where substantial additions to the existing centers shall include residential units on upper floors or in separate buildings. The CM zoning district is consistent with and implements the Commercial - Mixed Use Center land use classification of the General Plan, and policy LU-1d.

D. CV (Commercial - Visitor Serving) district. The CV zoning district is applied to areas adjacent to highway interchanges that are appropriate for uses that primarily serve the traveling public, including lodging, restaurants, auto sales centers, service stations, convenience stores, and similar and compatible uses. The CV zoning district is consistent with the Commercial - Visitor Serving land use classification of the General Plan.

E. IL (Industrial - Limited) district. The IL zoning district is applied to areas appropriate for light and moderate impact manufacturing, and limited commercial uses. Residential uses may also be allowed where they are compatible with the nature of the production process, or the related sales of products made on the premises. The IL zoning district is consistent with the Industrial - Limited land use classification of the General Plan.

F. IG (Industrial - General) district. The IG zoning district is applied to areas appropriate for light, moderate impact, and high impact manufacturing, and limited commercial uses. The IG zoning district is consistent with the Industrial - General land use classification of the General Plan.

G. PF (Public Facility) district. The PF zoning district is applied to sites that are used or intended for use as various types of public facilities, and certain uses that may be privately owned, but are institutional in character. The PF zoning district is consistent with the Public Facility land use classification of the General Plan.

Table 2-10 identifies the uses of land allowed by this Land Use Code in the commercial, industrial, and public facility zoning districts, and the planning permit required to establish each use, in compliance with Section 9.20.030 (Allowable Land Uses and Permit Requirements).

Note: Where the last column in the table ("Specific Use Regulations") includes a section number, the regulations in the referenced section apply to the use. Provisions in other sections of this Land Use Code may also apply.

Notes:

(1) See Article 10 (Glossary) for land use definitions.

(2) Use permit required for any proposed retail use with either: (a) a floor greater than 30,000 square feet; or (b) physical alteration of eight or more acres; or (c) generation of 1,000 or more vehicle trips per day. See also Section 9.26.060.

(3) Residential units should only be located above nonresidential uses or at ground level behind the street-fronting nonresidential uses pursuant to Section 9.42.110.

(4) Allowed only in conjunction with the on-site retail sale of products produced on the site.

(5) More than one caretaker/employee unit per parcel requires a use permit pursuant to Section 9.72.080.

(6) Principally permitted if the standards of Section 9.42.070 are met; otherwise a minor use permit (MUP) is required.

(7) Cultivation allowed only in conjunction with a medical cannabis retail sales and service facility pursuant to Section 9.42.105.

(8) Commercial cannabis activity permit required for a state licensed cannabis testing laboratory.

(Ord. 1382, eff. 12/22/2008; Ord. 1392, eff. 5/15/2009; Ord. 1419, eff. 10/5/2012; Ord. 1435, eff. 12/6/2013; Ord. 1467, eff. 11/20/2015; Ord. 1468, eff. 4/1/2016; Ord. 1488, eff. 7/21/2017; Ord. 1496, eff. 12/20/2017; Ord. 1501, eff. 7/6/2018; Ord. 1513, eff. 3/8/2019; Ord. 1569, eff. 10/4/2024)

A new subdivision and the density of residential development shall comply with the requirements shown in Table 2-11.

Table 2-11 - Parcel and Density Standards

(Ord. 1435, eff. 12/6/2013)

New land uses and structures, and alterations to existing land uses and structures, shall be designed, constructed, and/or established in compliance with the requirements in Tables 2-12 through 2-18, in addition to the applicable development standards (e.g., landscaping, parking and loading, etc.) in Article 3 of this Land Use Code.

Table 2-12 - CC District Standards

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Figure 2-9 - Setback Requirements

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Figure 2-10 - Building Height and Profile

Table 2-13 - CG District Standards

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Figure 2-11 - Setback Requirements

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Figure 2-12 - Building Height and Profile

Table 2-14 - CM District Standards

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Figure 2-13 - Setback Requirements

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Figure 2-14 - Building Height and Profile

Table 2-15 - CV District Standards

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Figure 2-15 - Setback Requirements

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Figure 2-16 - Building Height and Profile

Table 2-16 - IL District Standards

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Figure 2-17 - Setback Requirements

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Figure 2-18 - Building Height and Profile

Table 2-17 - IG District Standards

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Figure 2-19 - Setback Requirements

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Figure 2-20 - Building Height and Profile

Table 2-18 - PF District Standards

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Figure 2-21 - Setback Requirements

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Figure 2-22 - Building Height and Profile

(Ord. 1435, eff. 12/6/2013)

Proposed subdivisions, other development and new land uses within the commercial, industrial, and public facility zoning districts shall comply with the following standards, as applicable.

A. Retail Use Permit considerations. The review of a Use Permit for a retail use allowed by Section 9.26.030 shall include the following, at a minimum, in compliance with General Plan policy LU-3a.

1. Potential impact on existing and projected traffic conditions;

2. Impact on municipal utilities and services;

3. Impact on the physical and ecological characteristics of the site and surrounding area;

4. Impact on the community; and

5. Fiscal impacts of the use.

B. CM zoning district requirements.

1. The existing Westwood, Bayside, Sunny Brae, and Greenview neighborhood centers are designated as multiple-use sites where additional retail establishments, personal and business services, and other neighborhood-oriented commercial services are encouraged.

2. An addition of more than 5,000 square feet to the Westwood, Bayside, Sunny Brae, and Greenview centers shall include residential units on upper floors, or in separate buildings, as determined by the review authority. An addition shall also include additional landscaping, improvement of parking lot designs, and provision of transit access, such as bus turnouts.

3. A new nonresidential use shall be developed as a mixed use project with a residential component.

Proposed development and new land uses on parcels within the SCC (Special Considerations - Commercial), SCI (Special Considerations - Industrial), or SCP (Special Considerations - Public Facility) combining zone shall comply with the following requirements, as applicable, in compliance with General Plan Table LU-5, Table LU-7 or LU-8.

(Ord. 1398, eff. 1/15/2010; Ord. 1428, eff. 5/1/2015; Ord. 1458, eff. 6/19/2015)