Article 7 — CO-CL: Commercial Office Zoning District

The CO-CL zoning district provides a range of large and small scale commercial development opportunities for the location of professional and commercial offices; retail; financial; governmental; professional, business services and entertainment activities; clean light industrial uses; and other uses to serve the local and regional community. (Ord. 04-245 § 3)

• A. Retail sales uses including, but not limited to:

  1. Antique/collector shop

  2. Automobile parts

  3. Boutique/gift store

  4. Book store

  5. Bowling alley

  6. Bridal shop

  7. Children's/teen's store

  8. Clothing store

  9. Convenience-oriented food store

  10. Department store/general merchandise store

  11. Dry goods

  12. Electronics/audio/video/computer/software store

  13. Furniture (new and used)/appliance store

  14. Furniture/appliance store

  15. Home furnishings and housewares/window coverings/tableware/linens

  16. Hardware/home improvement/nursery/building materials

17. Jewelry store

18. Leather goods and luggage

19. Lighting

20. Medical and orthopedic appliance store

21. Music/musical instrument/audio recording store

22. Nursery/garden supply store/landscape materials

23. Office and business supplies

24. Party supplies

25. Scientific instrument store

26. Hat store

27. Specialty shop

28. Stamps, coins and collectables

29. Tobacconist

30. Toy store

• B. Service retail uses, including, but not limited to:

  1. Fur repair and storage

  2. Automobile repair

  3. Automobile upholstery and top shops

  4. Banks/credit unions/savings and loans/financial institutions

  5. Facial/massage

  6. Cafeterias

  7. Catering

  8. Cleaning, pressing and dyeing establishments (using noninflammable and nonexplosive cleaning fluid)

  9. Day care centers

  10. Emergency medical/dental clinics, and prescribing pharmacies within

  11. Electronics repair

  12. Employment agency

  13. Equipment rental

  14. Rug cleaning and dyeing

  15. Hotel/apartment hotels (Subject to Chapter 17.78 , Hotel Limitations)

  16. Interior decorating

  17. Laboratories

18. Laundromats

19. Linen supply service

20. Motorcycle sales and service

21. Musical instrument repair and incidental sales

22. Lube shops

23. Printing (large press), lithography and engraving

24. Real estate/title office

25. Secretarial services

26. Appliance repair shops

27. Tire sales, retreading and recapping

28. Tool or cutlery sharpening or grinding

29. Used car sales

30. Vehicle and trailer rental and service, including incidental sales

31. Veterinarian services and offices, including small animal hospitals or clinics, short-term boarding of animals and incidental care such as bathing and trimming; provided that all operations are conducted entirely within a completely enclosed structure which complies with specifications of soundproof construction as prescribed by the building official.

• C. Educational and recreational uses, including, but not limited to:

  1. Banquet facility

  2. Billiards/pool hall

  3. Dance hall

  4. Health clubs/fitness centers/physical therapy/gymnasium

  5. Instruction and training in gymnastics, martial arts, aerobics, yoga

  6. Meeting hall

  7. Music and dance studio

• D. Office uses, including, but not limited to:

  1. Administrative headquarters

2. Administrative offices—City, county, state, and federal

   3. Business, consulting and commercial services

   4. Business, professional and administrative offices

   5. Business park or regional office centers

   6. Business, trade and professional schools and colleges

   7. Medical and dental offices, laboratories and clinics, and prescription pharmacies in conjunction therewith or with a hospital

   8. Messenger offices

   9. Offices incidental to another permitted use

   10. Radio and television broadcasting

   11. Stock brokerage

• E. Other uses, including, but not limited to:

  1. Accessory uses and structure located on the same site as a permitted use

  2. Any use permitted in Neighborhood Commercial-CL.

  3. Automobile sales and service (new)

  4. Bakeries, wholesale

  5. Boat and recreational vehicle sales and service with ancillary storage facility

  6. Car washes

  7. Farm equipment sales and service

  8. Boarding and rooming houses

  9. Ceramic and pottery works

  10. Bus depots and transit stations, provided that buses or other transit vehicles shall not be stored on the site and no repair work or servicing of vehicles shall be conducted on the site

  11. Exterminators

  12. Feed and seed

  13. Laboratory—Research, experimental, and testing

  14. Lumber yard (when accessory to retail establishment)

  15. Machinery/equipment sales and rental

  16. Mini-storage and garages

  17. Parking lots and structures, improved, off-street and in conformity with Chapter 17.76

  18. Public and private nonprofit charitable institutions

  19. Research and development

  20. Storage building incidental to a permitted use

  21. Sign painting shop

  22. Transit center/stations

  23. Theater (dinner, movie, live, etc.)

  24. Wholesale sales

  25. Wholesale establishments

• F. Incidental and accessory structures and uses on the same site as a permitted use.

• G. Other uses which are added to this list according to the procedure in Section 17.16.020 .

• H. Home occupations in accordance with Chapter 17.64 of the Lathrop Zoning Ordinance. (Ord. 04-245 § 3; Ord. 21-418 § 13; Ord. 23-445 § 1; Ord. 23-449, 11/13/2023)

The following uses may be permitted in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 17.108 :

• A. Retail sales uses, including, but not limited to:

  1. Any use permitted with site plan review in Neighborhood Commercial-CL

  2. Automobile and tractor parts and equipment

  3. Assembly uses

  4. Community/civic center

  5. Convention center

  6. Electrical transmission and distribution substation, gas regulator station, public service pumping stations and elevated pressure tanks.

  7. Factory outlet/mall

  8. Gas/service station (excluding dispensing of semi-truck fuel and truck service)/convenience store

  9. Hospital/Medical center

  10. Park and ride facilities

  11. Public utility service yards

• B. Eating, drinking and entertainment establishments, including, but not limited to:

  1. Auditoriums/concert hall/theater

  2. Amusement arcade

  3. Bars, cocktail lounges, and nightclubs

  4. Fast food drive-through/drive-in facility

  5. Private clubs

  6. Skating rinks and other similar commercial recreation facilities

• C. Regionally oriented, high volume retail uses, including, but not limited to:

  1. Auto malls

  2. Design/contractors centers

  3. Discount/off price centers

  4. Entertainment/lifestyle centers

  5. Factory outlet stores

  6. Furniture outlets

  7. Malls

  8. Power centers

  9. Promotional centers

• D. Other, including, but not limited to:

  1. Art and craft schools and colleges

  2. Incidental and accessory structures and uses on the same site as a use permitted by administrative approval or conditional use

  3. Licensed family day care center for nine to 14 children as an accessory use in a dwelling

  4. Public and private charitable institutions, hospitals, sanitariums, nursing homes, rehabilitation homes and rest homes, including state-authorized homes as prescribed under Section 17.32.040(B)

  5. Public uses of a cultural type, including libraries, museums, and art galleries

  6. Public transportation facilities

  7. Communication equipment building

  8. Recycled water storage and water quality ponds not previously identified in previous approvals

  9. Spray fields not previously identified in previous approvals

  10. Storm drain detention and retention ponds not previously identified in previous approvals

  11. Temporary Christmas tree lot

  12. Temporary pumpkin patch

• E. Other uses added to this list by the planning commission according to the procedures in Section 17.16.020 of the Lathrop Municipal Code.

• (Ord. 04-245 § 3; Ord. 21-418 § 13)

The following uses may be permitted in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 17.112 :

• A. Ambulance stations.

• B. Any use permitted in High Density Residential-CL.

• C. Any use permitted in Public/Semi-Public-CL.

• D. Any use permitted with site plan review in High Density Residential-CL.

• E. Any use conditionally permitted in Neighborhood Commercial-CL.

• F. Any use conditionally permitted in High Density Residential-CL.

• G. Communications equipment.

• H. Dwellings over a permitted use in accordance with density requirements of the High Density Residential-CL.

• I. Expansion, remodeling, or additions to a conditional use that are not considered an incidental or accessory use as defined by Section 17.04.080 of this code.

• J. Farmer's markets, including indoor and outdoor facilities.

• L. Gas and electrical transmission lines.

• M. Gunsmiths.

• N. Home occupations in accordance with Chapter 17.64 .

• O. Lumber yards (not including planing mills or sawmills).

• P. Packing and crating.

• Q. Incidental and accessory structures and uses, as defined in Section 17.04.080 , located on the same site as a use permitted by administrative approval or conditional use.

• R. Modest expansion or remodeling of an existing nonconforming use of a structure or land, up to 50% or less of the value of the structure, or reestablishment of a nonconforming use which has been damaged, except nonconforming signs and outdoor advertising structures, nonconforming uses occupying a structure with an assessed valuation of less than $200, and nonconforming fences, walls and hedges.

• S. Pawnshops.

• T. Truck sales, including sales and installation of parts and accessories and repairs incidental to vehicle dealerships.

• U. Unenclosed commercial recreation facilities including amusement or theme parks, drive-in theaters, golf driving ranges, pony ride rings, race tracks, riding stables, skating rinks, sports arenas and sports stadiums.

• V. Other uses which are added to this list according to the procedure in Section 17.16.020 . (Ord. 04-245 § 3; Ord. 18-384 § 1; Ord. 21-418 § 13)

Specific development standards for the Commercial Office (CO-CL) district shall be established as part of the Central Lathrop design guidelines review by incorporating the design standards identified in Section 17.62.120 and establishing the following design principles:

• A. By utilizing a creative approach to landscaping and screening, parking areas shall not become the predominant feature of the streetscape, especially as it relates to adjacent open spaces and arterial streets.

• B. Landscaping and irrigation standards shall generally follow those required by Chapter 17.92 and may be modified by the required design guidelines review by city staff, prior to issuance of development or building permits.

• C. Building setbacks shall be varied in accordance with corresponding building heights, uses and proposed shop front and street activity. Higher structures may require larger front yard setback, for example.

• D. Minimum parking requirements, such as type and number of parking stalls, shall generally follow Section 17.62.120 and Section 17.84.010 , and may be modified by the required design guidelines review by city staff, prior to issuance of development or building permits.

• E. All signage shall be consistent with the Central Lathrop master signage plan adopted generally in accordance with Section 17.84.100 , and included as a component of the Central Lathrop Specific Plan design guidelines.

• F. All businesses, services and processes shall be conducted entirely within a completely enclosed structure except for off-street parking and off-street loading areas, gasoline service stations, outdoor dining areas, florist stands, coffee carts, nurseries, garden shops, signs, Christmas tree sales lots, farmer's markets, bus depots and transit stations, public utility stations, used car

sales incidental to new cat sales, and other uses found to be acceptable outdoor uses by the planning commission.

• G. No use shall be permitted, and no process, equipment or materials shall be used, which are found by the planning commission to be objectionable to persons living or working in the vicinity by reasons of odor, fumes, dust, smoke, cinders, dirt, refuse, water-carried waste, noise, vibration, illumination, glare or unsightliness or to involve any hazard of fire, explosion or toxic chemicals.

• H. Temporary sidewalk sales and use of the public right-of-way for the display and sales of merchandise shall require approval by the public works director. Permanent use for such purposes is strictly prohibited.

• I. The following elements may project into the right-of-way: entry features up to 12 inches, awnings up to five feet, bay windows up to three feet. Awnings, bay windows, and other similar elements must have a minimum of eight feet clearance above the sidewalk.

• (Ord. 04-245 § 3; Ord. 25-462, 2/10/2025)

No use shall be established on any lot or site in any CO district until a site plan and architectural plans have been submitted to and approved by the city pursuant to the Central Lathrop Design Review process, and such lot or site has been fully developed with the improvements required by the city. The Central Lathrop design review process shall take the place of the site plan review for which provision is made in Chapter 17.100 of the Lathrop Municipal Code and the architectural design review for which provision is made in Chapter 17.104 of the Lathrop Municipal Code. Design review is required for all proposed structures, whether residential or nonresidential, together with related site plans, landscaping, and public improvements associated with new development within the Central Lathrop Specific Plan Area.

(Ord. 04-245 § 3; Ord. 25-462, 2/10/2025)

All uses shall be subject to the general provisions and exceptions prescribed in Chapter 17.16 of the Lathrop Municipal Code.

(Ord. 04-245 § 3)