§ 17.01

Pursuant to Government Code Section 65000 et. seq., a zoning ordinance is hereby adopted by the City of Exeter. The Zoning Ordinance, hereinafter referred to as the “Ordinance”, is a document that regulates the use of land in the city limits of Exeter.

The Ordinance is enacted to protect and promote the public health, safety and general welfare, and to facilitate the planning of the City of Exeter in a precise and orderly manner consistent with the Exeter General Plan. In support of this purpose, the Ordinance is adopted in order to implement the following objectives:

• Provide standards for the orderly development of Exeter;

• Conserve natural resources;

• Maintain and protect the value of property;

• Ensure the provision of adequate open space for light, air, and recreation;

• Promote the economic stability of existing land uses that conform to the General Plan and protect them from intrusions by inharmonious or harmful land uses;

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Exeter Zoning Ordinance Chapter 1: The Zoning Ordinance

• Permit the development of residential, office, commercial and industrial land uses in accordance with the general plan in order to strengthen Exeter’s economic base;

• Protect the character of Exeter’s downtown and its residential neighborhoods;

• Provide the private sector with a document upon which it can base investment decisions;

• Inform the public where certain types of development will occur in the community as well as the development standards to which they will develop;

• Coordinate with the County of Tulare with regards to the use of land within Exeter’s General Plan planning area, and the standards to which development will conform if it occurs outside the city limits.

This Ordinance, consistent with Government Code Section 65860, is the primary document by which the City of Exeter implements the goals, policies and actions of the Exeter General Plan.

The Zoning Ordinance shall be composed of zoning and planning regulations and the Official Zoning Map, hereinafter referred to as the “Zoning Map”. The zoning and planning regulations will control the use of land, the density (units per acre or person per acre) and intensity (floor area per acre) of development, the uses and locations of structures, the height and size of structures, the yard areas around structures, and development standards for land uses. The Zoning Map will delineate the location of zone districts inside the Exeter city limits.

This Ordinance shall apply to all property inside the Exeter city limits whether owned by private persons or by public entities, including the federal government, the State of California or any of its agencies or political subdivisions; by school districts or special districts, by any city or county, or by any authority or district organized under the laws of the State. Lands that are exempt from these regulations are: public streets and alleys, and railroad rights-of-way.

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C H A P T E R 2
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General Provisions

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Sections

17.02.01 Review Authority 17.02.02 Minimum Requirements 17.02.03 Language 17.02.04 Interpretation 17.02.05 Classification of Uses 17.02.06 Non conforming Lots 17.02.07 Validity 17.02.08 Continuity of Provisions 17.02.09 Fees and Charges 17.02.10 Legal Use of Land

17.02.01 Review Authority

The Planning Director shall resolve any questions that involve the interpretation or application of this Ordinance. The Director may seek the advice of the City Attorney before rendering a decision on a matter of interpretation. The Director’s opinion may be appealed to the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission shall review the section of the Ordinance in question and shall set forth its finding as a resolution. This finding shall stand unless appealed to the City Council.

Periodically, a party may wish to use property for purposes, that, while consistent with the regulations of the district in which the property is located, is inconsistent with the purpose of the district in the opinion of the Planning Director. When such findings are made by the Director, they shall be forwarded to the party whose proposed use of property is in question, and to the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission shall review the Director’s findings and shall set forth their decision as a resolution.

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Exeter Zoning Ordinance Chapter 2: General Provisions