Modoc County Municipal Code Ch. 18.44 Commercial (c) Zone

The purpose of the C zone is to provide for a wide range of facilities for the sale of goods and services, including retail businesses, personal services, offices, businesses that support residential uses, and community facilities. Most uses are conducted within a building, but outdoor uses may be allowed as specified. The C zone is consistent with the urban areas and commercial general plan designations, and may be applied in other areas to support residential, public or industrial uses when there are no conflicts with the general plan.

(Ord. 236-73 Exh. A(part), 1991)

The regulations set out in this chapter shall apply in all C zones, subject to the limitations and criteria in Chapters 18.100 through 18.110.

(Ord. 236-73 Exh. A(part), 1991)

A. Retail stores, shops and services of a light commercial character, conducted within a building, including:

1. Professional, business or administrative offices; financial institution, insurance or real estate offices,

2. Repair shops for shoes, radios, televisions, and other domestic appliances,

3. Personal services, barber or beauty shop, studios for conduct of classes, photo studio, laundromat, retail dry cleaners, mortuary,

4. Food stores, convenience store, pharmacy, drug store, hardware store, book stores, clothing, used goods, pet shops, feed stores, agricultural products sales, plumbing, electrical and building supplies, furniture,

5. Retail nursery or garden supply,

6. Ministorage for household items, limited to ten or fewer units,

7. Restaurant, restaurant with drive-in service, fast-food restaurant, any food establishment where alcoholic beverages may be consumed incidental to food service, excluding a bar or lounge,

8. Service station, excluding facilities for major repair and overhauls or heavy equipment;

B. Public uses and quasi-public uses whose principal conduct is within a building or buildings when similar to uses in this section, such as offices, churches, community halls, lodges, elementary school, or other school serving a community area with a similar occupancy or character;

C. Public utilities that require siting on the subject lot for the orderly provision of services, normally do not occupy more than one-half acre, and which do not normally require human habitation for their operation outside of maintenance related activities, such as wells and switching equipment; excluding transmission facilities and uses in section 18.44.050;

D. Small recycling collection facilities;

E. Off-site parking lot for businesses in this section;

F. Shopping center providing space for uses in this section;

G. Motel, hotel or recreational vehicle park with ten or fewer units;

H. Accessory dwelling unit (section 18.100.070);

I. Supportive housing (up to fifty units) (section 18.100.110);

J. Low barrier navigation centers (section 18.110.090); and

K. Similar uses (section 18.100.010).

(Ord. No. 236-162, 3-24-2026; Ord. 236-73 Exh. A(part), 1991)

Uses permitted with an administrative permit, subject to the provisions in Section 18.100.020, are as follows:

A. Assemblage of people.

(Ord. 236-73 Exh. A(part), 1991)

A. Assemblage of people (section 18.100.030);

B. One-family dwelling and accessory uses (section 18.100.030); two-family dwellings, multiple-family dwellings, recreational vehicle park, mobile home park, motel, hotel, boarding or room houses, bed and breakfast guest facility;

C. Transitional housing (section 18.100.110);

D. Residential care facility, small and/or unlicensed (section 18.100.090);

E. Residential care facility, large licensed (section 18.100.090);

F. Employee housing, small (section 18.100.080);

G. Health care facility;

H. Public utilities such as transmission facilities; quasi-public uses and public uses that create noise, congestion or are not principally conducted within a building, when similar to uses in this section, such as fire halls, equipment yards, police stations, park, schools or community centers; or sensitive uses;

I. Service stations with major repair or overhaul facilities, car wash, truck stop, equipment repair shops, bulk fuel storage;

J. Bar, lounge, or any establishment where a principal activity is the on-premises consumption of alcoholic beverages rather than food service (includes a bar or lounge operated in conjunction with a food establishment);

K. Outdoor new and used retail sales, retail lumber yard, building materials sales yard; outdoor storage, mini-storage with more than ten units; new and used automobile, mobile home, farm, or other heavy equipment rental, sales, and service; wholesale stores; wholesale nursery;

L. Commercial amusement or recreational facilities such as roller rinks, bowling alley, golf courses; fairs, open air entertainment;

M. Animal shelter or clinic;

N. Medical marijuana collective uses (section 18.170.020); and

O. Similar uses (section 18.100.030).

(Ord. No. 236-162, 3-24-2026; Ord. No. 347, 11-9-2010; Ord. 236-73 Exh. A(part), 1991)

Except as provided in Chapter 18.110:

A. Minimum lot size and width: six thousand square feet with a minimum width of sixty feet, except lots used for residential purposes shall be subject to the minimum lot size and width in Section 18.36.060;

B. Minimum yards:

1. Front, side street: five feet,

2. Rear, side: five feet, except where the zone abuts an RH, RL, or RR zone, or an RT zone with an existing or approved dwelling, the yard shall be ten feet;

C. Access, parking, height limits, signs, other: as provided in Chapter 18.110.

(Ord. 236-73 Exh. A(part), 1991)

A. Any lot in any zone shall be improved and maintained as follows:

1. No trash or rubbish shall be allowed to accumulate on any lot or parcel.

2. It is unlawful to park, store, leave or to permit the parking, storing or leaving of any licensed or unlicensed motor vehicle of any kind or part thereof, which is in a wrecked, junked, partially dismantled, inoperative or abandoned condition, whether attended or not, upon any private property within the county for a period of time in excess of seventy-two hours, except that two or less such vehicles or parts thereof may be stored if within a building, or placed behind an opaque screening fence; and except that such vehicles and parts may be stored in a junk yard or automobile wrecking yard lawfully established pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

B. The storage of merchandise, materials, partially or completely dismantled automobiles or salvage materials in any zone shall be enclosed in a sight-obscuring fence of not less than six feet in height, and such storage shall not be placed in a greater height than the enclosing wall or fence. Where such storage qualified as a legal nonconforming use, the property owner and/or proprietor shall have a period of six months from the date of notification of violation of this provision by the planning director to amortize such storage and bring it into conformance with this section.

(Ord. 236-75 (part), 1998)