Fresno Municipal Code § 15-1204 Site Design Development Standards

The specific purposes of the Commercial Districts are to:

A. Provide for a full range of commercial uses to serve Fresno and the greater region.

B. Ensure the provision of shops, services, and facilities needed to accommodate future population and employment.

C. Establish development and design standards that create a unified, distinctive, and attractive character along commercial streets.

D. Provide appropriate buffers between commercial and adjacent residential uses to preserve both commercial feasibility and residential environments.

E. Ensure that new development is designed to minimize traffic and parking impacts on surrounding residential neighborhoods and is appropriate to the physical characteristics of the area.

F. Implement and provide appropriate regulations for General Plan classifications of "Main Street Commercial," "Community Commercial," "Regional Commercial," "General Commercial," "Highway and Auto Commercial," and "Commercial Recreation."

Additional purposes of each Commercial District are as follows:

CMS Commercial—Main Street. The CMS district is intended to preserve or promote small-scale, fine-grain commercial development in neighborhoods where single-unit residential and townhomes are predominant. A traditional "Main Street" character is achieved with active storefronts, outdoor seating and pedestrian-oriented design.

CC Commercial—Community. The CC district is intended for commercial development that primarily serves local needs such as convenience shopping and offices. Specific uses allowed include medium-scale retail, office, civic and entertainment uses, supermarkets, drug stores, and supporting uses.

CR Commercial - Regional. The CR district is intended to meet local and regional retail demand, such as large-scale retail, office, civic and entertainment uses, shopping malls with large-format or "big-box" retail, and supporting uses such as gas stations and hotels. Buildings are typically larger-footprint and urban-scaled. Development and design standards will create a pedestrian-orientation within centers and along major corridors, with parking generally on the side or rear of major buildings, but automobile-oriented uses also will be accommodated on identified streets and frontages.

CG Commercial—General. The CG district is intended to accommodate a range of retail and service uses that are not appropriate in other areas because of higher volumes of vehicle traffic and potential impacts on other uses. Examples of allowable uses include: building materials, storage facilities with active storefronts, equipment rental, wholesale businesses, and specialized retail not normally found in shopping centers. The focus of district development standards is to ensure structures fit into the surrounding development pattern and architectural or traffic conflicts are minimized.

CH Commercial—Highway and Auto. The CH district is intended for limited areas near the freeway to accommodate uses that depend on or are supported by freeway access, but do not generate a large volume of traffic. Hotels, restaurants, and auto malls are typical land uses.

CRC Commercial—Recreation. The CRC district is intended to provide areas for private commercial recreation uses where patrons usually pay to participate and to group commercial-recreation uses into a planned, integrated center, including related service and commercial uses. Typical uses include bowling alleys, family entertainment centers, driving ranges, miniature golf courses, skating rinks, tennis courts, swimming pools, sports stadiums, arenas, and the County fairgrounds.

(Added Ord. 2015-39, § 1, eff. 1-9-16; Am. Ord. 2025-024, § 22, eff. 7-27-25).

A. Table 15-1202 prescribes the proposed land use regulations for Commercial Districts. The regulations for the districts are established by letter designations listed below. These designations apply strictly to the permissibility of land uses; applications for buildings or structures may require discretionary review.

"P" designates permitted uses.

"C" designates uses that are permitted after review and approval of a Conditional Use Permit.

"(#)" numbers in parentheses refer to specific limitations listed at the end of the table.

"-" designates uses that are not permitted.

B. Land uses are defined in Article 67, Use Classifications.

C. In cases where a specific land use or activity is not defined, the Director shall assign the land use or activity to a classification that is substantially similar in character per Section 15-5020, Director's Determination.

D. All permitted uses are allowed either alone or in combination with other permitted uses unless otherwise stated in this Code.

E. Use classifications and subclassifications not listed in the table or not found to be substantially similar to the uses below are not permitted.

F. The table also notes additional regulations that apply to various uses. Section numbers in the right hand column refer to other sections of this Code.

TABLE 15-1202: LAND USE REGULATIONS—COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS

(Added Ord. 2015-39, § 1, eff. 1-9-16; Am. Ord. 2016-32, § 13, eff. 10-21-16; Am. Ord. 2017-33, § 8, eff. 7-30-17; Am. Ord. 2018-25, § 9, eff. 6-11-18; Am. Ord. 2018-66, § 10, eff. 1-18-19; Am. Ord. 2020-031, § 3, 9-1-20; Am. Ord. 2022-029, § 5, eff. 11-19-22; Am. Ord. 2025-024, § 23, eff. 7-27-25).

Tables 15-1203-1 to 15-1203-2 prescribe the intensity and massing development standards for the Commercial Districts. Additional regulations are denoted in a right hand column. Section numbers in this column refer to other sections of the Code, while individual letters refer to subsections that directly follow the table. The numbers in each illustration below correspond to the "#" column in the associated table. Drawings are for illustrative purposes and are not drawn to scale.

TABLE 15-1203-1: LOT AND INTENSITY STANDARDS—COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS

TABLE 15-1203-2: BUILDING FORM AND LOCATION STANDARDS—COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS

(Added Ord. 2015-39, § 1, eff. 1-9-16; Am. Ord. 2022-029, § 6, eff. 11-19-22).

A. Residential Transition Standards. Where a C District is adjacent to a Residential District, the following standards apply:

1. Height. The maximum height within 40 feet of an R District is limited to 30 feet. The maximum height within 50 feet of an R District is 40 feet.

2. Setbacks.

a. Front. The front setback shall not be less than the required front yard on the abutting R District lot within 50 feet of the R District.

b. Interior Side and Rear. The interior side and rear setback abutting an R District boundary shall be 20 feet. In the CMS District, the interior side yard may be reduced to 10 feet with Director approval.

3. Landscape. See Table 15-2305-C.1, Required Landscape Buffers.

4. Screening. When a multi-story building is proposed and the second story or above is located within 50 feet of the side or rear yard of a single-unit lot, screening measures shall be applied to provide a reasonable degree of privacy.

a. Screening measures include, but are not limited to, landscaping, alternate window and balcony placements, placing windows at least six feet from the floor of the interior of the unit, incorporating wing walls or louvers, using glass block or other translucent material, and other such methods.

b. Sufficiency of Screening. The Review Authority shall determine the sufficiency of the proposed screening measures and may require additional measures.

[Figure: FIGURE 15-1204-A: RESIDENTIAL TRANSITION STANDARDS—C DISTRICTS]

FIGURE 15-1204-A: RESIDENTIAL TRANSITION STANDARDS—C DISTRICTS

B. Enhanced Streetscape. As shown on Table 1203-2, projects which provide an enhanced streetscape will not be required to provide a front setback. A project shall be considered to have an enhanced streetscape when it has all of the following characteristics:

1. Sidewalks shall be no less than 12 feet in width. If the current distance between the right-of-way boundary and the face of the adjacent curb is less than 12 feet, the building shall be set back from the right-of-way boundary the distance that is necessary to achieve the required sidewalk width. The portion of the sidewalk which lies within the private parcel shall be guaranteed for public access by the enactment of a public access easement.

2. Street trees shall be provided as follows:

a. Street trees should be located no more than three feet from the back of curb, and whenever possible should be aligned with other trees on the block.

b. Street trees should generally be evenly spaced, no less than 20 feet apart, and not more than 40 feet apart.

c. Whenever possible, trees should not be located directly in front of building entrances.

d. Trees should be placed in tree wells measuring five feet by five feet. To maximize usable sidewalk area, tree wells shall be covered by grates of a design which is approved by the Director. Larger tree wells may be required by the Public Works Director for species requiring more space. The property owner shall assume maintenance responsibilities for the tree grates.

e. Street trees should be deciduous, fast growing, drought tolerant, and should eventually form a tall canopy. Not more than one species should be planted per block. Whenever nearby pre-existing trees are in good condition and meet the intent of this section, new trees should be of the same species.

3. Pedestrian-scaled street lights shall be provided as follows:

a. Street lights should be located no more than three feet from the curb, and whenever possible should be aligned with street trees and other lights on the block.

b. Street lights should be generally evenly spaced, no less than 30 feet apart, and not more than 80 feet apart. Whenever possible, street lights should be no less than 15 feet from nearby street trees.

c. Street lights should not be of the type commonly known as Cobra Heads or other types which are intended primarily for the illumination of the vehicular roadway. Lights should be ornamental and designed primarily for the illumination of the sidewalk. Whenever nearby pre-existing lights are in good condition and meet the intent of this section, new lights should be of the same type. Intersection safety lights shall be typical cobra-head design, while mid-block lighting should be ornamental and scaled for the pedestrian environment. Lighting shall meet Public Works standards.

4. If a Community Facilities District is not established to maintain sidewalks, street trees, and lighting, the applicant shall enter into a maintenance agreement to ensure the maintenance of said facilities.

5. Facades located with 15 feet of the public sidewalk shall be oriented to the street as follows:

a. If there is a primary common building entrance which provides access to reception areas, elevators, stairs, and internal circulation, it shall face and be oriented to the street. If there is a yard between the sidewalk and the building, a paved path six feet in width shall be provided from the public sidewalk to the entrance.

b. Direct entrances from the sidewalk in to individual establishments located along the street frontage shall be provided. If there is a yard between the sidewalk and the building, a paved path six feet in width shall be provided from the public sidewalk to the entrance.

[Figure: FIGURE 15-1204-B.5: BUILDING ORIENTATION TO THE STREET]

FIGURE 15-1204-B.5: BUILDING ORIENTATION TO THE STREET

6. Exterior walls facing a front or street side lot line shall include windows, doors, or other openings with transparent glazing for at least 60 percent of the building wall area located between 2.5 and seven feet above the level of the sidewalk. Openings fulfilling this requirement shall have transparent glazing and provide views into work areas, display areas, sales areas, lobbies, or similar active spaces, or into window displays that are at least two feet deep.

[Figure: FIGURE 15-1204-B.6: BUILDING TRANSPARENCY]

FIGURE 15-1204-B.6: BUILDING TRANSPARENCY

7. Where buildings are located within two feet of a public sidewalk, the sidewalk shall be shaded by awnings or canopies as follows:

a. Awning or canopy depth shall be no less than four feet and no more than 10 feet.

b. Clearance shall be no less than eight feet and no more than 12 feet from the finished floor.

C. Parking. Parking shall be setback as shown in Table 15-1203-2 except as provided below:

1. Underground Parking. Parking that is fully underground and below the street grade may extend from lot line to lot line.

2. Partially Submerged and Podium Parking. Parking that is partially below the street grade may extend to the setbacks of the main structure. A maximum six feet of the parking structure height may extend above the street grade if screened along street facing elevations by foundation plant materials. Gates need not be screened.

3. Surface Parking. On lots less than 150 feet in width or depth, surface parking may be located within 50 feet of a street facing lot line for a maximum of 50 percent of the lot frontage if the parking area is screened with a garden wall, hedge, trellis, and/or other landscaping or built structures facing the sidewalk.

[Figure: FIGURE 15-1204-C.3: SURFACE PARKING]

FIGURE 15-1204-C.3: SURFACE PARKING

D. Public Plazas. The following standards apply to commercial shopping center developments in the CC and CR Districts.

1. Entry Plazas/Passenger Loading Areas. A plaza shall be provided at the entry to each anchor tenant that provides for pedestrian circulation and loading and unloading. Entry plazas and passenger loading areas shall include unique, decorative paving materials, adequate seating areas, and provision of adequate shade, and attractive landscaping, including trees or raised planters.

2. On-Site Plazas. Outdoor plazas for the use of customers and visitors shall be provided at a rate of five square feet per 1,000 square feet of floor area, up to 1,500 square feet per plaza.

3. Location. Plazas shall be visible from a public street or from on-site areas normally frequented by customers, and shall be accessible during business hours.

4. Amenities. Plazas shall include benches or other seating, and paving shall be of high-quality materials. Amenities shall be included that enhance the comfort, aesthetics, or usability of the space, including, but not limited to, trees and other landscaping, shade structures, drinking fountains, water features, public art, or performance areas.

[Figure: FIGURE 15-1204-D: PUBLIC PLAZAS]

FIGURE 15-1204-D: PUBLIC PLAZAS

E. Pedestrian Access. On-site pedestrian circulation and access shall be provided according to the following standards.

1. Internal Connections. A system of pedestrian walkways shall connect all buildings on a site to each other, to on-site automobile and bicycle parking areas, and to any on-site open space areas or pedestrian amenities.

2. External Connections. A system of pedestrian walkways shall connect the project site to adjacent Residential, Commercial, Mixed-Use, Office districts as follows:

a. If the adjacent Residential, Commercial, Mixed-Use, and Office districts are undeveloped, stub connections shall be provided at a frequency of one per 600 feet. Upon the development of the adjacent parcels, any fencing or gates at the stubs shall be opened.

b. If the adjacent Residential, Commercial, Mixed-Use, and Office districts are developed and provide connection points via breaks in the perimeter wall/fence or stub streets, then the project shall provide pedestrian walkway connections at those locations.

c. If the adjacent Residential, Commercial, Mixed-Use, and Office districts are developed there are no possible connection points via breaks in the perimeter wall/fence, then the project shall not be required to provide connections.

3. To Circulation Network. Regular connections between on-site walkways and the public sidewalk and other planned or existing pedestrian routes shall be provided. An on-site walkway shall connect the primary building entry or entries to a public sidewalk on each street frontage.

4. To Streets. Direct and convenient access shall be provided to adjoining residential and commercial areas to the maximum extent feasible while still providing for safety and security.

5. To Transit. Safe and convenient pedestrian connections shall be provided from transit stops to building entrances.

6. Pedestrian Walkway Design.

a. Walkways shall be a minimum of four feet wide, shall be hard-surfaced, and paved with concrete, stone, tile, brick, or comparable material.

b. Where a required walkway crosses driveways, parking areas, or loading areas, it must be clearly identifiable through the use of a raised crosswalk, a different paving material, or similar method.

c. Where a required walkway is parallel and adjacent to an auto travel lane, it must be raised or separated from the auto travel lane by a raised curb at least six inches high, bollards, or other physical barrier.

F. Service Areas and Loading. Service and loading areas should be integrated with the design of the building and shall be screened from residential areas. Special attention shall be given when designing loading facilities in a location that is proximate to residential uses. Techniques such as block walls, enhanced setbacks, or enclosed loading bays can minimize adverse impacts to residents.

(Added Ord. 2015-39, § 1, eff. 1-9-16; Am. Ord. 2025-024, § 24, eff. 7-27-25).

A. Building Articulation. All street-facing façades, including freeway-facing façades, must include at least one projection or recess at least two feet in depth for every 25 horizontal feet of wall.

B. Building Materials and Finishes.

1. Each side of a building that is visible from a street or passenger railway shall be designed with a complementary level of detailing and quality of materials.

2. Veneers should turn corners, avoiding exposed edges and continue down the side of a building to a logical break, such as a change in wall plane. Material changes at outside corners should be avoided.

3. Windows shall maintain a consistent design character throughout the development and shall be of the same material on all elevations facing a street.

4. Building entrances and common areas shall be accentuated with enhanced finishes and materials that are durable and high quality and distinguish these spaces from other elements of the building.

5. Parking areas and structures shall be designed to match and be compatible with the architectural character, materials, and colors of the overall development.

6. The design of building additions should follow the same general scale, proportion, massing, and detailing of the original structure, and not in stark contrast to the original structure.

(Added Ord. 2015-39, § 1, eff. 1-9-16).