17.04 — USE REGULATIONS

• A. Applicability. This section sets forth use regulations for the following zones: C-1, C-3, C- M, C and O, P/O, M-1, and M-2. The uses for other zones listed in this title, including, but not limited to: residential zones, specific plan areas, planned unit developments and other special purpose zones are regulated by their corresponding code sections.

• B. Use Categories. In order to regulate uses, categories of uses have been established and are defined in Section 17.01.060. Use categories provide a systematic basis for assigning land uses to appropriate categories with other similar uses. Use categories classify land uses and activities based on common functional, product or physical characteristics. Characteristics include the type and amount of activity, the hours of operation, the type of customers or residents, how goods or services are sold or delivered, and potential impact on surrounding properties and site conditions. Where a use category contains a list of included uses, the list is to be considered as examples of uses, and is not intended to be all-inclusive.

• C. Use Determination. The Director has the responsibility for determining the category of a use not listed and reviewing and approving unclassified uses pursuant to Sections 17.02.203 and 17.02.204.

• D. Uses Not Specifically Listed. A use not specifically listed is prohibited unless the Director determines the use to be part of a use category as defined in Section 17.01.060.

• E. Land Use Matrix Legend. The land use matrix identifies uses permitted in C-1, C-3, C-M, C and O, P/O, M-1, and M-2 zones. The following defines the abbreviations used in the land use matrix:

  1. Permitted Use (P) indicates that the use is permitted by right.

  2. Conditional Use (C) indicates that the use is conditionally permitted and is subject to the review and approval of a Conditional Use Permit pursuant to Section 17.02.210.

  3. Director Approval (D) indicates that the use is subject to an administrative approval pursuant to Section 17.02.203.

  4. Use Not Permitted (—) indicates that the use is not permitted in a specified zone.

  5. Asterisk (*) indicates that the use may be permitted or conditionally permitted, but additional requirements or limitations may apply as noted in the reference column of the land use matrix.

  6. Square feet (SF) indicates a unit of area to a square one foot long on each side.

  7. Gross floor area (GFA) as defined in Section 17.01.060.

• F. Land Use Matrix. The Land Use Matrix is identified as Table 17-A in Section 17.11.010. (Prior code § 27-22.1; Ord. 20-1720 § 2; Ord. 21-1722 § 2)

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City of Norwalk, CA

NORWALK CODE

§ 17.04.015

§ 17.04.015

• A. Commercial Uses.

  1. C-1 Zone. Every use permitted or maintained in a C-1 zone shall be subject to the following conditions and limitations, notwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of this title or of any permit or official plan issued or adopted hereunder.

     • a. All uses shall be conducted wholly within a building, except:

       • i. Plant nurseries;

       • ii. Outdoor uses permitted by conditional use permit as provided by Section 17.06.010(B);

       • iii. Commercial parking lots; and

       • iv. Uses incidental to a use conducted primarily within a building located on the premises; provided that such incidental uses are not conducted in whole or in part on sidewalks, public ways or within any required front or rear yard; and provided, further, that such incidental uses are of a type which cannot be economically or practically conducted within buildings, such as outdoor displays and storage. Where incidental uses are not conducted within a building, no part of the area devoted to the incidental use shall be considered as part of the required parking facilities for the purpose of determining compliance with subsections of this section. All outdoor storage shall be substantially screened from public visibility, public streets, parks or other public places, and properties in the C and O zone or any residential zone, as provided in Section 17.07.020(B).

     • b. No merchandise shall be sold other than at retail. Sale of repossessed merchandise or secondhand merchandise taken in by the seller as a trade-in on new merchandise is permissible, provided that such sales are conducted on the premises where such merchandise was originally sold, or any successor locations.

  2. C-3 Zone. Every use permitted or maintained in a C-3 zone shall be subject to the following conditions and limitations, notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this title or of any permit or official plan issued or adopted hereunder.

     • a. Building Height. Maximum structural height is 75 feet.

     • b. Open storage of materials and equipment, and principal open work areas, are permitted only when such storage or work areas are substantially screened from public visibility, public streets, parks and other public places, and properties in the C and O zone or any residential zone as provided in Section 17.07.020(B). For the purposes of this chapter, principal open work areas shall include all work areas which are not located wholly within a building enclosed on at least three sides, and which comprise other than a minor or secondary portion of the total area devoted to work activity or involve use of machinery other than hand tools.

  3. C-M Zone. Every use permitted or maintained in a C-M zone shall be subject to the following conditions and limitations, notwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of

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City of Norwalk, CA

ZONING

§ 17.04.015

§ 17.04.015

this title or of any permit or official plan issued or adopted hereunder.

• a. Open storage of materials and equipment, and principal open work areas, are permitted only when such storage or work areas are substantially screened from public visibility, public streets, parks and other public places, and properties in the C and O zone or any residential zone as provided in Section 17.07.020(B). For the purposes of this article, principal open work areas shall include all work areas which are not located wholly within a building enclosed on at least three sides, and comprise other than a minor or secondary proportion of the total area devoted to work activity, or involve the use of machinery other than hand tools. It is the intent that all work be done primarily within a building except incidental work.

  4. C and O Zone. Every use permitted or maintained in the C and O zone shall be subject to the following conditions and limitations, notwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of this article or of any permit or official plan issued or adopted hereunder:

     • a. All uses shall be conducted wholly within a building, except for parking facilities.

  5. P/O Zone. Every use permitted or maintained in the P/O zone shall be subject to the following conditions and limitations, notwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of this article or of any permit or official plan issued or adopted hereunder.

     • a. All uses shall be conducted wholly within a building, except for parking facilities or other outdoor uses as approved by a Conditional Use Permit, pursuant to Section 17.06.360(E).

     • b. Signs for this article are regulated by Chapter 17.03, Article III. Regulations for this zone are intended to restrict signs to few in number, small in size, set back from the public right-of-way, use of low intensity lighting, primary use of earth colors, simple in design, use of quality materials, and primarily for building rather than tenant identification.

• B. Manufacturing Uses. M-1 and M-2 Zone. Every use permitted or maintained in an M-1 zone shall be subject to the following conditions and limitations, notwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of this title or of any permit or official plan issued or adopted hereunder:

  1. No use shall be conducted so as to permit more noise, odor, dust, mud, smoke, fumes, or vibration to escape from the premises than is reasonably required in the conduct of such use.

  2. Open storage of materials and equipment, and open work areas, are permitted only when such storage or work areas are substantially screened from public visibility (excepting driveways) from public streets, parks, and other public places, from residential or commercial zones of any kind and from permitted ground floor residential uses, by either permanent buildings or by a solid masonry wall not less than six feet in height, except as hereinafter provided; and are maintained as hereinafter provided:

     • a. For the purpose of this section, the term "public visibility" is generally defined

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City of Norwalk, CA § 17.04.015

NORWALK CODE

§ 17.04.015

as visibility by any persons of storage or work areas within 100 feet of a property line abutting upon a public street, alley, park or other place, or upon residential or commercial zones of any kind, or upon a lot occupied by a permitted ground floor residential use, but may also include clear visibility of such areas, wherever located, if such view has a substantial tendency to depreciate property values in the vicinity;

• b. Such open storage within 50 feet of a wall which is required to screen it from public visibility may not exceed its height if such wall is required to screen such open storage from a residential zone, and may not exceed the height of the screening wall if within 10 feet of such wall in all other cases; and

• c. The screening requirements of this section may be satisfied by the use of other materials and techniques of screening, including landscaping, and the required distances and heights may be varied, if allowed by a conditional use permit applied for and granted as provided in Section 17.02.210, subject to the validity of such permit and to full compliance with each and every term and condition thereof.

• C. All commercial or industrial zoning abutting any residential zones such as R-1, R-2, R-3, R-H, and R-4 must provide a five-foot setback from the property line while maintaining a height limit of 35 feet.

For purposes of this section if any structure is to exceed 35 feet in height while abutting a residential property it is subject to review and approval of a conditional use permit to adjust setbacks to appropriately match the newly permitted height. (Prior code § 27-12.2; Ord. 17-1690 § 1; Ord. 20-1720 § 2; Ord. 21-1722 § 2; Ord. 23-1744, 12/5/2023)

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City of Norwalk, CA