Chapter 17.24 — Industrial Zoning Districts

Fort Bragg Zoning Code · 2026-07 edition · ingested 2026-07-06 · Fort Bragg

Sections:

17.24.010 Purpose

17.24.020 Purposes of Industrial Zoning Districts

17.24.030 Industrial District Land Uses and Permit Requirements

17.24.040 Industrial District Subdivision Standards

17.24.050 Industrial District Site Planning and Building Standards

17.24.060 HD (Harbor District) Zone Standards

17.24.010 - Purpose

This Chapter lists the land uses that may be allowed within the industrial zoning districts established by Section 17.14.020 (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.

17.24.020 - Purposes of Industrial Zoning Districts

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

A. IL (Light Industrial) zoning district. The IL zoning district is applied to areas of the City that are appropriate for a variety of commercial, manufacturing, wholesale and distribution, and industrial uses that do not generate significant customer traffic or high levels of noise, dust, odors, or other potential off-site nuisance characteristics. Allowable manufacturing uses and activities must be entirely within enclosed structures. The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) is 0.40. The IL zoning district implements and is consistent with the IL land use designation of the Coastal General Plan.

B. IH (Heavy Industrial) zoning district. The IH zoning district is applied to areas of the City that are appropriate for a range of heavy industrial including manufacturing, assembly and processing, the storage and distribution of raw materials, aggregate plants, and related industrial uses that are generally compatible with and require locations removed from residential and visitor serving uses. The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) is 0.40. The IH zoning district implements and is consistent with the IH land use designation of the Coastal General Plan.

C. IT (Timber Resources Industrial) zoning district. The IT zoning district is applied to areas appropriate for timber resource and forest products related manufacturing, including a variety of related industrial uses, as well as related support activities including railroad lines, truck shipping facilities, power generation, and related uses; and aquaculture. The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) is 0.40. The IT zoning district implements and is consistent with the IT land use designation of the Coastal General Plan.

D. HD (Harbor District) zoning district. The HD zoning district is applied to the Noyo Harbor, to acknowledge and maintain its function as a commercial fishing center with a mix of commercial and industrial activities that support harbor operations, and protect ocean-abutting parcels for coastal dependent and coastal related uses. Allowable uses may include aquaculture, boat sales, construction, and service, commercial fishing and charter operations, fish processing, gift shops, marine hardware, retail fish sales, and similar and compatible uses. The maximum area ratio (FAR) is 0.75. The HD zoning district implements and is consistent with the HD land use designation of the Coastal General Plan.

17.24.030 - Industrial District Land Uses and Permit Requirements

A. General permit requirements. Table 2-10 identifies the uses of land allowed by this Development Code in each industrial zoning district, and the planning permit required to establish each use, in compliance with Section 17.20.030 (Allowable Land Uses and Planning Permit Requirements). A Coastal Development Permit shall be required for all development, including a change in land use in compliance with Section 17.71.045, and such CDP shall be fully consistent with all applicable provisions of the certified LCP. A land use may also require a Design Review approval (Section 17.71.050), a Building Permit, and/or other permit required by the Municipal Code.

B. Requirements for certain specific land uses. Where the last column in Table 2-10 ("Specific Use Regulations") includes a section number, the referenced section may affect whether the use requires a Zoning Clearance, Minor Use Permit, or Use Permit, and/or may establish other requirements and standards applicable to the use.

C. IT zone additional permit requirements. In addition to the planning permit requirements established by Table 2-10 for the IT (Timber Resource Industrial) zone, Use Permit approval shall be required for:

  1. The construction of a new building;

  2. The expansion of an existing building by 25 percent or more; and

  3. A change in use of an existing building from one type of allowable industrial process or storage to a different type of use.

TABLE 2-10
Allowed Land Uses and
Permit Requirements
for Industrial Zoning
Districts		 P Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required		 Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required		 Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required		 Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required
MUP Minor Use Permit required
(see Section
17.71.060)
UP Use Permit required (see
Section
17.71.060)
S Permit requirement set by
Specific Use Regulations
— Use not allowed
LAND USE(1) PERMIT REQUIRED BY
DISTRICT		 Specific
Use
IL IH IT HD Regulations
AGRICULTURAL,RESOURCE & OPEN SPACE USES
Aquaculture — UP(3) UP UP 17.42.046
Crop production,
horticulture, orchard,
vineyard		 P P P(4) —
INDUSTRY,MANUFACTURING & PROCESSING, WHOLESALING
Agricultural product
processing		 — P — —
Artisan/craft product
manufacturing		 P(2) — — —
TABLE 2-10
Allowed Land Uses and
Permit Requirements
for Industrial Zoning
Districts		 TABLE 2-10
Allowed Land Uses and
Permit Requirements
for Industrial Zoning
Districts		 TABLE 2-10
Allowed Land Uses and
Permit Requirements
for Industrial Zoning
Districts		 P P Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required
--- --- --- --- --- ---
MUP Minor Use Permit required
(see Section
17.71.060)
UP Use Permit required (see
Section
17.71.060)
S Permit requirement set by
Specific Use Regulations
— Use not allowed
LAND USE(1) PERMIT REQUIRED BY
DISTRICT
IL IH
Boat and ship construction,
repair,maintenance		 — P
Construction contractor P(2) P(2)
Fishprocessing P(2) P
Laboratory - Medical,
analytical, research &
development		 P(2) P
Laundry,drycleaning plant P P
Lumber and wood product
manufacturing		 UP
Manufacturing/processing -
Heavy		 — UP
Manufacturing/processing -
Light		 P(2) P
Manufacturing/processing -
Medium intensity		 — P(2)
Mediaproduction P P
Petroleum product storage
and distribution		 UP P
Printingandpublishing P P
Recycling- Heavy processing UP UP
Recycling - Large collection
facility		 UP UP
Recycling- Lightprocessing UP UP
Recycling - Reverse vending
machine		 P P
Recycling - Scrap and
dismantling yards		 — UP
Recycling - Small collection
facility		 P P
Storage - Cold storage
facility,iceplant		 — UP
Storage - Outdoor UP UP
Storage - Personal storage
facility (mini-storage)		 P P
Storage - Warehousing P(2) P
Wholesalingand distribution P(2) P
Key to ZoningDistrict Symbols
IL Light Industrial IT Timber Resources
Industrial
IH HeavyIndustrial HD Harbor District

Notes:

(1) See Article 10 for land use definitions.

(2) Use shall be entirely enclosed within a building, unless outdoor activities and/or storage are authorized by Use Permit.

(3) Use only allowed in Coastal Zone.

(4) See Section 17.24.030.C for additional permit requirements.

TABLE 2-10
Allowed Land Uses
and Permit
Requirements
for Industrial Zoning
Districts		 TABLE 2-10
Allowed Land Uses
and Permit
Requirements
for Industrial Zoning
Districts		 P P Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required		 Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required		 Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required		 Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required
MUP Minor Use Permit required
(see Section
17.71.060)
UP Use Permit required (see
Section
17.71.060)
S Permit requirement set by
Specific Use Regulations
— Use not allowed
LAND USE(1) PERMIT REQUIRED BY
DISTRICT		 Specific
Use
Regulations
IL IH IT HD
RECREATION,EDUCATION & PUBLIC ASSEMBLY USES
Adult entertainment
business		 S S — — 17.40
Commercial recreation
facility- Indoor		 UP — — —
Commercial recreation
facility- Outdoor		 UP UP — —
Fishing pier — — — UP
Health/fitness facility UP — — —
Hiking/ridingtrail — — P —
Library,museum — — — UP
Meeting facility, public
orprivate		 UP — — —
Park, playground — — P —
Naturepreserve — — P —
School - Specialized
education/training		 UP UP — —
Sports and
entertainment assembly		 — UP — —
RESIDENTIAL USES
Caretakerquarters — MUP — MUP
Live/work unit UP — — UP 17.42.090
Key to ZoningDistrict Symbols
IL Light Industrial IT Timber Resources
Industrial
IH HeavyIndustrial HD Harbor District

Notes:

(1) See Article 10 for land use definitions.

(2) Use shall be entirely enclosed within a building, unless outdoor activities and/or storage are authorized by Use Permit.

(3) Use only allowed in Coastal Zone.

(4) See Section 17.24.030.C for additional permit requirements.

TABLE 2-10
Allowed Land Uses
and Permit
Requirements
for Industrial
Zoning Districts		 P Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required		 Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required		 Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required		 Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required
MUP Minor Use Permit required
(see Section
17.71.060)
UP Use Permit required (see
Section
17.71.060)
S Permit requirement set by
Specific Use Regulations
— Use not allowed
LAND USE(1) PERMIT REQUIRED BY
DISTRICT		 Specific
Use
Regulations
IL IH IT HD
RETAIL TRADE
Accessory retail or
services		 MUP MUP — MUP 17.42.020
Bar/tavern — — — MUP
Boat and shipsales — — — P
Building and
landscape materials
sales - Indoor		 P P — —
TABLE 2-10
Allowed Land Uses
and Permit
Requirements
for Industrial
Zoning Districts		 TABLE 2-10
Allowed Land Uses
and Permit
Requirements
for Industrial
Zoning Districts		 P P P Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required
--- --- --- --- --- ---
MUP Minor Use Permit required
(see Section
17.71.060)
UP Use Permit required (see
Section
17.71.060)
S Permit requirement set by
Specific Use Regulations
— Use not allowed
LAND USE(1) PERMIT REQUIRED BY
DISTRICT
IL IH
Building and
landscape materials
sales - Outdoor		 UP P
Construction and
heavy equipment sales
and rental		 UP P
Convenience store — —
Farm supply and feed
store		 P(2) P
Fuel dealer (propane
for home and farm
use,etc.)		 P —
Marine hardware and
supplies sales		 — —
Mobile home or RV
sales		 UP UP
Restaurant, café,
coffee shop		 — —
Retail sales accessory
to wholesaling		 MUP MUP
Service station UP UP
SERVICES - BUSINESS,FINANCIAL,PROFESSIONAL
ATM — —
Business support
service		 P —
Office - Accessory P P
Office - Processing
and corporate		 P P
Key to ZoningDistrict Symbols
IL Light Industrial IT Timber Resources
Industrial
IH HeavyIndustrial HD Harbor District

Notes:

(1) See Article 10 for land use definitions.

(2) Use shall be entirely enclosed within a building, unless outdoor activities and/or storage are authorized by Use Permit.

(3) Use only allowed in Coastal Zone.

(4) See Section 17.24.030.C for additional permit requirements.

TABLE 2-10
Allowed Land Uses
and Permit
Requirements
for Industrial Zoning
Districts		 P Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required		 Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required		 Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required		 Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required
MUP Minor Use Permit required
(see Section
17.71.060)
UP Use Permit required (see
Section
17.71.060)
S Permit requirement set by
Specific Use Regulations
— Use not allowed
LAND USE(1) PERMIT REQUIRED BY
DISTRICT		 Specific
Use
Regulations
IL IH IT HD
SERVICES - GENERAL
Accessory retail or
services		 MUP MUP — — 17.42.020
TABLE 2-10
Allowed Land Uses
and Permit
Requirements
for Industrial Zoning
Districts		 TABLE 2-10
Allowed Land Uses
and Permit
Requirements
for Industrial Zoning
Districts		 P P Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required		 Permitted Use, Zoning
Clearance required
--- --- --- --- --- ---
MUP Minor Use Permit required
(see Section
17.71.060)
UP Use Permit required (see
Section
17.71.060)
S Permit requirement set by
Specific Use Regulations
— Use not allowed
LAND USE(1) PERMIT REQUIRED BY
DISTRICT
IL IH IT
Equipment rental P(2) P(2) —
Kennel,animal boarding UP UP —
Lodging- Hotel or motel — — —
Maintenance service -
Client site services		 P(2) P —
Medical Marijuana
Dispensary		 UP UP —
Public safetyfacility P P P(4)
Repair service -
Equipment, large
appliances,etc.		 P(2) P —
Vehicle services - Major
repair/bodywork		 UP UP —
Vehicle services - Minor
maintenance/repair		 P P —
Veterinary clinic, animal
hospital		 P P —
TRANSPORTATION,COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE
Ambulance, taxi, or
limousine dispatch
facility		 P(2) P —
Boat launchingfacility — — —
Broadcastingstudio P — —
Freight terminal P(2) P —
Harbor and marina
facilities		 — — —
Parking facility, public
or commercial		 — — —
Pipeline or transmission
line		 S S S
Telecommunications
facility		 S S S
Transit station or
terminal		 UP UP UP
Utilityfacility P P —
Vehicle storage UP UP —
Key to ZoningDistrict Symbols
IL Light Industrial IT Timber Resources
Industrial
IH HeavyIndustrial HD Harbor District

Notes:

(1) See Article 10 for land use definitions.

(2) Use shall be entirely enclosed within a building, unless outdoor activities and/or storage are authorized by Use Permit.

(3) Use only allowed in Coastal Zone.

(4) See Section 17.24.030.C for additional permit requirements.

(5) Allowed only on a parcel with no harbor basin water frontage, and/or with its buildable area over 25 feet above mean high tide.

17.24.040 - Industrial District Subdivision Standards

A. Each subdivision shall comply with the minimum parcel size requirements shown in Table 2-11 for the applicable zoning district.

B. The minimum parcel size requirements for a specific subdivision are determined by the review authority as part of subdivision approval. The review authority may require one or more parcels within a specific subdivision to be larger than the minimums required by this table based on potential environmental impacts, the physical characteristics of the site or surrounding parcels, and/or other factors.

C. An industrial condominium may be subdivided with smaller parcels for ownership purposes, with the minimum lot area determined through subdivision review, provided that the overall development site complies with the minimum parcel size.

TABLE 2-11 - MINIMUM PARCEL SIZE STANDARDS

Minimum Parcel Size Minimum Parcel Size
Zoning
District		 Minimum
Area		 Minimum
Width		 Minimum
Depth		 Maximum
Depth
IL 5,000 sf 50 ft 100 ft 3times width
IH 5,000 sf 50 ft 100 ft 3times width
IT 5,000 sf 50 ft 100 ft 3times width
HD 2,000 sf 25 ft N.A. 3 times width,
except that lots
less than 50 ft
wide may be 150
ft in depth.

17.24.050 - Industrial District Site Planning and Building Standards

Subdivisions, 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 and 2- 13 in addition to the applicable development standards (e.g., landscaping, parking and loading, etc.) in Article 3.

TABLE 2-12 - IL AND IH DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS

TABLE 2-12 - IL AND IH DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND IH DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND IH DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND IH DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Development
Feature		 Requirement by Zoning District
IL
Light Industrial		 IH
Heavy Industrial
Residential density
Maximum density		 Maximum number of dwelling units allowed in a
project. The actual number of units allowed will be
determined by the City through subdivision or
planning permit approval,as applicable.
15live/work unitsper acre 1 caretaker unitperparcel
Setbacks
Front		 Minimum and, where noted, maximum setbacks
required for primary structures. See Section
17.30.100
for exceptions to these requirements.
30 ft from Highway1;15ft elsewhere.
Side - Interior
(each)
Side - Street side
Rear		 10 ft; except no setback is required if the other side is
15 ft or more.
10 ft on any side abutting a C zone.
30 ft on any side abutting an R or OS zone, or a PD
zone not specified for industrial uses.
Same as front setback. Except for properties north of
Pudding Creek and west of Main Street with more
than 135feet of frontage,see Section
17.50.070(H)
Abutting an alley, 10 ft within 30 ft of each side
property line or driveway accessing the alley; 30 ft if
adjacent to an R zone;none required elsewhere.
Floor area ratio
(FAR)		 Maximum FAR allowed.
0.40
Height limit
Maximum height		 Maximum allowable height of structures. See Section
17.30.060 (Height Limits and Exceptions) for height
measurement requirements, and height limit
exceptions.
35 ft; 45 ft with Use
Permit approval.		 40 ft; 60 ft with Use
Permit approval.
Fencing See Section
17.30.050(Fences,Walls,and Screening)
Landscaping See Chapter
17.34(LandscapingStandards)
Parking See Chapter
17.36(Parkingand Loading)
Signs See Chapter
17.38(Signs)

TABLE 2-13 - IT AND HD DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS

Development
Feature		 Requirement by Zoning District Requirement by Zoning District Requirement by Zoning District Requirement by Zoning District
IT
Timber Resources
Industrial		 HD
Harbor District
Residential density
Maximum density		 Maximum number of dwelling units allowed in a
project. The actual number of units allowed will be
determined by the City through subdivision or
planning permit approval,as applicable.
None allowed 1 caretaker unitperparcel
Setbacks
Front
Side - Interior
(each)
Side - Street side
Rear		 Minimum and, where noted, maximum setbacks
required for primary structures. See Section
17.30.100
for exceptions to these requirements.
30 ft from Highway 1; 15 ft
elsewhere.		 None required
10 ft; except no setback
allowed if the other side is
15 ft or more.
10 ft on any side abutting
a C zone.
30 ft on any side abutting
an R or OS zone, or a PD
zone not specified for
industrial uses.		 10 ft abutting a different
zone; none required
elsewhere.
Same as front setback.
Abutting an alley, 10 ft
within 30 ft of each side
property line or driveway
accessing the alley; none
required elsewhere.		 10 ft abutting a different
zone; none required
elsewhere.
Floor area ratio
(FAR)		 Maximum FAR allowed.
0.40 0.75
Height limit
Maximum height		 Maximum allowable height of structures. See Section
17.30.060 (Height Limits and Exceptions) for height
measurement requirements, and height limit
exceptions.
40 ft; 60 ft with Use
Permit approval.		 30 ft; 45 ft with Use
Permit approval.
Fencing See Section
17.30.050(Fences,Walls,and Screening)
Landscaping See Chapter
17.34(LandscapingStandards)
Parking See Chapter
17.36(Parkingand Loading)
Signs See Chapter
17.38(Signs)

17.24.060 - HD (Harbor District) Zone Standards

Each secondary use in the HD zone shall be subordinate to marine commercial and industrial uses and shall not be the primary use on a parcel abutting the water. In particular, bars, restaurants, convenience stores and other non-coastal dependent uses shall not occupy more than 25 percent of the gross area of any waterfront parcel and shall not occupy more than 50 percent of the gross area of any other parcel in the HD zone, except for areas with an elevation of 25 feet or more above mean high tide and physically separated from the basin area. For multiple-use projects, the coastal dependent portion (including its buildings, dock, landscaping, parking, etc.) shall occupy or be allotted at least 75 percent of the overall project area for waterfront properties and 50 percent of the area for other properties. Home Previous Next

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