El Dorado County Municipal Code § 130.23.020 Matrix of Allowed Uses

A. This Chapter establishes several Industrial zones to provide for a full range of light and heavy manufacturing, including manufacturing, processing, distribution and storage. In addition, a Research and Development Zone is established to provide areas for high technology, non-polluting manufacturing plants, research and development facilities, corporate/industrial offices, and support service facilities in a rural or campus-like setting, such as a business park environment. [See General Plan Policy 2.2.1.2 (Land Use Designations).]

B. This Chapter further provides regulations applicable to each industrial zone established in Section 130.12.020 (Zoning Maps and Zones) in Article 1 (Zoning Ordinance Applicability) of this Title. The Industrial zones are as follows:

1. Industrial—Light (IL). The IL zone is applied to lands for manufacturing and associated retail or service activities, wholesaling, and other industrial uses, where the primary activity is conducted within a building or buildings, or in outdoor storage or activity areas. Conditional Use Permits shall be required for those uses which, by their nature, have the potential to produce or emit noise, odor, fumes, dust, smoke, vibrations, glare, heat, electrical interference or waste material beyond the confines of the property boundaries.

2. Industrial—Heavy (IH). The IH zone is applied to areas which may also be suitable for more intensive industrial uses, including manufacturing, assembling, fabrication and processing, bulk handling, storage, warehousing and trucking. The uses associated with this district are likely to generate significant levels of truck traffic, noise, pollution, vibration, dust, fumes, odors, radiation, radioactivity, poisons, pesticides, herbicides, or other hazardous materials, fire or explosion hazards, or other undesirable conditions. A Conditional Use permit is required for uses having the potential to pose a safety hazard or produce particulate matter. Heavy industrial districts are unsuitable adjacent to residential districts and some commercial uses. Dwellings, care centers, and certain commercial uses are not allowed. Uses allowed within IL (Light Industrial) districts are allowed, provided that the uses are subordinate to and do not restrict heavy industrial uses in the zone. Activity at heavy industrial sites consists predominantly of trucks, rather than passenger vehicles, and the road system is built to support truck traffic. Provisions for pedestrians are not required.

3. Research and Development (R&D). The R&D, Research and Development zone is intended to provide areas for the location of high technology, non-polluting manufacturing plants, research and development facilities, corporate and industrial offices, and support service facilities in a rural or campus-like setting, such as a business park environment.

Uses are allowed in the following zones subject to the requirements of this Title as designated in Table 130.23.020 (Industrial / R&D Zones Use Matrix) below in this Section:

Table 130.23.020—Industrial/R&D Zones Use Matrix

(Ord. No. 5112, § 2, 9-10-2019; Ord. No. 5127, § 3, 9-1-2020; Ord. No. 5241, § 16, 8-19-2025)

Allowed uses and associated structures shall comply with the following development standards listed in Table 130.23.030 (Industrial / R&D Zone Development Standards) below, in addition to those under Section 130.23.040 (Design Standards) below in this Section, and any other applicable requirements of this Title unless a variance is obtained in compliance with Section 130.52.070 (Variance) in Article 5 (Planning Permit Processing) of this Title, or standards are modified pursuant to a Development Plan permit in compliance with Section 130.52.040 (Development Plan Permit) in Article 5 (Planning Permit Processing) of this Title.

Table 130.23.030—Industrial/R&D Zones Development Standards

A. Research and Development Zones. Design standards for the Research and Development Zone are contained in the County's adopted Research and Development Zone Design Standards (Resolution 201-2015). The Design Review process, where applicable, shall determine whether the structure is in compliance with the adopted design standards.