Long Beach Municipal Code Ch. 21.32 Commercial Districts

The commercial districts are established to create, preserve and enhance areas for a variety of commercial activity. The intent of this Chapter is to assure the compatible and mutually beneficial interaction of commercial uses with residential consumers, industrial suppliers, and the transportation system that ties all of the uses together.

(Ord. C-6684 § 42 (part), 1990: Ord. C-6533 § 1 (part), 1988)

Twelve (12) commercial districts are established by this Chapter as follows:

A. Commercial Zoning Districts of General Applicability.

1. The CO-Office Commercial District permits mixed residential and commercial uses along major arterial routes. This District implements Land Use District No. 8M of the General Plan.

2. The CH-Highway Commercial District preserves and enhances areas for automobile-oriented commercial uses. The District recognizes the need for many commercial uses to have large frontages and high visibility along major highways. This District implements Land Use District No. 8A of the General Plan.

3. The CT-Tourist and Entertainment Commercial District creates, preserves and enhances areas for the development of a major tourist and entertainment industry for the City. The District recognizes that such areas have special requirements for intense and unique uses, transportation linkages, and aesthetically pleasing environments.

B. Neighborhood Commercial Zoning Districts. The Neighborhood Commercial Zoning District includes neighborhood-serving centers and corridors that provide small scale, low-intensity uses to meet the daily retail and service needs of surrounding residents. Uses and the scale of development shall be compatible with surrounding residential neighborhoods and shall be designed to promote pedestrian and bicycle access. Scale is determined by the size of adjoining residential uses, the commercial lot size and the commercial street width. Special scale restrictions apply in these districts. There are three (3) types of Neighborhood Commercial Districts:

1. The Neighborhood Pedestrian (CNP) District is oriented towards serving pedestrians and encouraging pedestrian activity by locating buildings along the primary street frontage and parking behind the buildings.

2. The Neighborhood Automobile-Oriented (CNA) District is auto-oriented with buildings set back from the front property line and parking located between the building and the street.

3. The Neighborhood Commercial and Residential (CNR) District is a mixed-use district permitting small scale commercial uses and/or moderate density residential development at R-3-T densities.

C. Community Commercial Zoning Districts. The Community Commercial Zoning Districts provide medium scale uses that serve an entire community, including those who arrive by automobile, and which may require buffering to ensure compatibility with adjacent residential neighborhoods. These districts are located on major or minor arterials, located on larger lot sizes and adjoining larger scale residential neighborhood uses or are buffered from smaller scale residential neighborhoods. There are four (4) types of Community Commercial Districts:

1. The Community Automobile-Oriented (CCA) District permits retail and service uses for an entire community including convenience and comparison shopping for goods and associated services.

2. The Community Pedestrian-Oriented (CCP) District permits retail and service uses with a development character intended to encourage pedestrian activity with buildings built to the street property line and parking is to the side or the rear.

3. The Community R-4-R (CCR) District is similar to the Community Auto-Oriented District, but also permits moderate density residential development at R-4-R densities.

4. The Community R-4-N (CCN) District is similar to the Community Auto-Oriented District, but also permits medium density residential development at R-4-N densities.

D. Regional Commercial Zoning District. The Regional Commercial District provides for large scale, mixed uses on large sites in activity centers. These sites are located on major arterial streets and regional traffic corridors. There is one (1) type of Regional Commercial Zoning District:

1. The Regional Highway District (CHW) is a commercial use district for mixed scale commercial uses located along major arterial streets and regional traffic corridors. Residential use is not permitted.

E. Commercial Storage Zoning District. The Commercial Storage (CS) District encourages storage uses in areas which are particularly difficult to use due to parcel shape, access, adverse environmental conditions, or in areas where parcels are needed to form a buffer from incompatible uses.

(ORD-18-0030 § 7, 2018; Ord. C-7663 § 8, 1999: Ord. C-7047 § 7, 1992: Ord. C-6933 §§ 23, 24, 1991; Ord. C-6684 § 42 (part), 1990: Ord. C-6533 § 1 (part), 1988)

Site plan review shall be required pursuant to Division V of Chapter 21.25 (Specific Procedures).

(Ord. C-7326 § 12, 1995: Ord. C-7047 § 8, 1992: Ord. C-6684 § 42 (part), 1990: Ord. C-6533 § 1 (part), 1988)

Any business considered an "adult Entertainment business" as defined in Section 21.15.110 of this Title shall be subject to special locational standards as indicated in Chapter 21.45 (Special Development Standards).

(ORD-18-0018 § 4, 2018; Ord. C-6684 § 42 (part), 1990: Ord. C-6533 § 1 (part), 1988)

Any reference to the CR (Retail Center) and CC (Commercial Corridor) Districts shall be treated as a reference to the CCA District.

(Ord. C-7663 § 9, 1999: Ord. C-6684 § 42 (part), 1990)