Chapter 25.04 — ESTABLISHMENT OF ZONING DISTRICTS

This chapter establishes the framework for zoning districts within the city and their relationship to the City's General Plan land use categories. This chapter also establishes the zoning map as the official designation of zoning district boundaries. (Ord. 1259 § 1, 2013; Ord. 1324 § 3, 2017)

The City is divided into zoning districts that are generally grouped into six categories: (A) residential districts, (B) commercial districts, (C) industrial districts, (D) downtown districts, (E) special districts, and (F) overlay districts. These districts implement the City's General Plan land use categories as described in Table 25.04-1 (Zoning Districts). Each zone is further defined and regulated in the subsequent sections of this chapter.

• A. Residential Districts. Residential districts provide appropriately located areas for residential living at a range of population densities consistent with the General Plan. Development standards are in place to provide residential areas with sound standards of public health and safety, and provide space for semi-public facilities needed to complement urban residential areas, and for institutions that require a residential environment.

• B. Commercial Districts. Commercial districts provide appropriately located areas for retail stores, offices, service establishments, amusement establishments, and businesses, offering commodities and services required by residents and visitors of the City and the surrounding

market area. Development standards for specific land uses are in place to ensure that these areas function appropriately and are compatible with surrounding land uses.

• C. Industrial Districts. The industrial districts allow for the manufacture, distribution, and service of products intended primarily for local use within Palm Desert, its sphere of influence, and surrounding communities. Land uses permitted in industrial districts also include research and development facilities and high-caliber technological centers. Development standards are included to ensure that industrial uses do not conflict with the overall character of a community and are compatible with surrounding uses.

• D. Special Districts. Special districts allow for the protection of open space and the establishment or expansion of public facilities or change in the use of lands owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by governmental agencies. Certain special districts also allow for the establishment of quasi-public institutional uses, and the reservation of areas for parks, public or private recreation, open space, and related governmental public uses.

• E. Downtown Districts. The downtown district is intended for the development of high intensity multi-story (3-5 stories) mixed-use development centered around the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and Highway 111, inclusive of El Paseo, and expanding east to west from Deep Canyon Road to Monterey Avenue. Development standards are included to allow building types that facilitate the creation of a sense of place, provide for high levels of pedestrian connections and interaction, and emphasize small block sizes and building form.

evelopment centered around the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and Highway 111, inclusive of El Paseo, and expanding east to west from Deep Canyon Road to Monterey Avenue. Development standards are included to allow building types that facilitate the creation of a sense of place, provide for high levels of pedestrian connections and interaction, and emphasize small block sizes and building form.

• F. Overlay Districts. The purpose of the overlay districts is to allow the City to adequately provide for special environmental constraints and to provide additional flexibility of development standards for desired development within the City. Furthermore, overlay districts are utilized:

  1. To allow more flexibility from the standard provisions of the underlying base zone.

  2. When special provisions are needed to protect unique site features or implement locationspecific provisions.

  3. To specify a particular standard or guideline for an area.

In the event of a conflict between an overlay district and any base zoning district (residential, commercial, industrial, or special district) the provisions of the overlay district apply.

(Ord. 1259 § 1, 2013; Ord. 1324 § 3, 2017)

The City of Palm Desert Zoning Map (hereafter referred to as the Zoning Map) is the official designation of zoning district boundaries on real property within the City. The Zoning Map shall be regulated as set forth below.

• A. Incorporated by Reference. The Zoning Map is hereby incorporated into this zoning code by reference as though it were fully included and as adopted by the City Council.

• B. Map Amendments. Amendments to the Zoning Map shall follow the process established in Section 25.78.040 (Amendments – Zoning Map).

• C. Relationship to General Plan and other Plans. The Zoning Map shall implement and shall be consistent with the City's adopted General Plan. The Zoning Map shall be specifically consistent with the General Plan land use plan and any adopted specific plans.

• D. Zoning District Symbol. Zoning districts shall be illustrated on the Zoning Map as follows:

  1. Each residential, commercial, industrial, downtown, or special zoning district shall be described on the Zoning Map by use of its identified zoning district symbol, as listed in Table 25.04-1 (Zoning Districts).

  2. Overlay districts shall be designated by their representative symbol along with any related residential, commercial, industrial, downtown, or special base zoning district in a format determined by the ZA.

• E. Zoning Map Interpretation. If there is uncertainty about the location of any zoning district boundary shown on the Zoning Map, the precise location of the boundary shall be determined by the Zoning Administrator as follows:

  1. The boundaries of a zoning district shall be the centerlines of either streets or alleys, or lot lines of real property, unless otherwise shown. Where a district's boundaries approximately follow centerlines or lot lines, those lines shall be interpreted as the district boundaries.

  2. If a district boundary divides a parcel and the boundary line location is not specified by distances printed on the Zoning Map, the location of the boundary shall be determined by the ZA. Each portion of the property shall be developed to the standards and allowed use provisions of the applied zoning district and any applied overlay or special zone(s).

  3. Where the street layout on the ground or the lot lines differ from such layout or lines shown on the zoning map, the ZA shall determine the exact boundary and the map shall be amended to conform to the layout on the ground.

4. Where a public street or alley is officially vacated or abandoned, the property that was formerly in the street or alley shall be included within the zoning district of the adjoining property on either side of the centerline of the vacated or abandoned street or alley.

(Ord. 1259 § 1, 2013; Ord. 1324 § 3, 2017)