Petaluma Municipal Code Ch. 19 Planned Unit District and Planned Community District

Sections:

19.010 Purpose.

19.020 Establishment of a P.U.D. District.

19.030 Findings.

19.040 P.U.D. and P.C.D. Procedures.

19.050 Permits.

19.060 Model Homes.

19.070 Changes in the Unit Development Plan or General Development Plan.

The P.U.D., Planned Unit District, is designed to allow inclusion within its boundaries a mixture of uses, or unusual

density, building intensity, or design characteristics which would not normally be permitted in a single use district,

and to govern the development of residential projects subject to the Residential Development Control System,

Chapter 17.26 of the Petaluma Municipal Code. Development in this zone is allowable only after the approval by

the City Council of a complete Unit Development Plan showing the internal design of the District, the

interrelationship of uses, and their relation to the surrounding area.

The P.C.D., Planned Community District, was originally designed to allow non-residential development with a

mixture of uses, or unusual building density or layout, or with design characteristics which would not normally be

permitted in a single commercial or industrial zoning district and which would achieve unique and innovative

community design superior to that which would otherwise be allowed by applicable standards, as well as to

provide long range planning for large tracts of land at the developing fringe of the City’s urban area. Development

was allowed in accordance with adopted regulations applicable to each individual P.C.D. The creation of new

P.C.D.s is no longer adopted regulations applicable to each individual P.C.D. The creation of new P.C.D.s is no

longer permitted but the historic use and continued growth and evolution of P.C.D.s, existing as of May 19, 2008, is

supported by these regulations.

A Planned Unit District may be established or removed from the Zoning Map in accordance with the provisions set

forth herein. No minimum site area is established for a P.U.D. District provided that the Endings set forth in

Section 19.030 can be made for each case.

A. Permitted Land Uses. Any and all compatible land uses are permitted in a P.U.D. District provided such use or

uses have been shown on the Unit Development Plan for the District and approved pursuant to this chapter. All

residential P.U.D.'s shall permit small family day care facilities.

B. Unit Development Plan. An application for the creation of a P.U.D. District shall be Eled with the Planning

Commission in a form prescribed by the City and shall be accompanied by a Unit Development Plan as speciEed

herein. The Unit Development Plan shall consist of as many of the following as are appropriate to the size and

nature of the proposed P.U.D. and shall in any case provide all data required by the Planning Commission in order

to be able to arrive at the Endings set forth in Section 19.030:

1. A map showing the street system and lot design, if any, proposed within the district. Areas proposed to

be dedicated or reserved for interior circulation, parks, school sites, public buildings, and other such uses

must be shown.

2. Existing Conditions and Topography Map. A map showing the topography of the proposed P.U.D. District,

with existing and proposed contour intervals suGcient to meet all the requirements of the City. Existing trees,

drainage courses, and other signiEcant topographical features shall be shown. Adjacent property lines and

improvements on adjacent properties within 75 feet of the boundary of the subject site shall be reFected on

the plan.

3. Land Use Plan. A land use plan for the proposed district, precisely indicating the area or areas to be used

for each particular land use.

4. Site Plan. A professionally prepared site plan for each building site, or sites, in the proposed P.U.D.

District. Said site plan shall be drawn to scale and shall show the location of all proposed buildings, including

notation of minimum distances between buildings, and between buildings and building site and/or use

boundaries.

5. Parking and Loading Plan. An oH-street parking and loading plan showing the ratio between oH-street

parking and loading spaces and building Foor areas and/or the ratio of parking spaces to anticipated

residents and employees, or other criterion required by the Commission. Such plan shall be supported by

data demonstrating the adequacy of the parking for the demand generated by the use to which it pertains.

6. Circulation Plan. A circulation diagram indicating the proposed movement of vehicles, goods, and

pedestrians within the P.U.D. District, and to and from any adjacent public thoroughfares. Any special

engineering features and traGc regulating devices needed to facilitate or insure the safety and eGciency of

the circulation pattern shall be shown.

7. Landscaping Plan. A professionally prepared landscape and tree planting plan.

8. Elevations. Professionally prepared elevations and/or perspective drawings of all major proposed

structures. Such drawings need not be the result of Enal architectural plans but must be in adequate detail to

enable the Commission to determine, within reasonable limits, the height, bulk, materials, and arrangement

of the proposed buildings and their general appearance.

9. Development Standards. Development Standards for the project shall be professionally prepared and

submitted with the application package. The standards shall include, but not be limited to, information

regarding parking, setbacks, building heights, lot coverage, grading, landscaping, and other issues appropriate

to the district.

C. Graphic Information. As deemed appropriate by the Director to illustrate or highlight the overall project or a

speciEc aspect thereof, special graphic information may be required such as project models, video simulation,

photomontages, perspectives, renderings, etc.

D. Interior Streets. Interior streets of a project shall be improved in accordance with City subdivision street

standards. The applicant may request some interior streets to be private; however, any modiEcations of City street

standards for interior private streets must be noted on the plan and be acceptable to the Planning Commission.

All improvements of public and private streets shall be certiEed as meeting standards as noted on the plan as

prepared by a registered civil engineer prior to Enal inspection and occupancy.

E. Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions. If the project proponent intends to utilize formal covenants, conditions

and restrictions and/or create an association of property owners in the planned unit development; covenants,

conditions and restrictions (CC&R's) and a sample copy of the article of incorporation of the association shall be

submitted as part of the application materials. These are subject to review and approval by the City. Covenants,

conditions and restrictions or articles of incorporation of an association shall be recorded prior to the sale of any

lot or prior to the issuance of a CertiEcate of Occupancy for any building within the P.U.D.

F. Development Plan and Phasing Schedule. An application for a P.U.D. zone shall be accompanied by a

development schedule and phasing plan indicating the elapsed time and date on which construction is to begin,

the anticipated rate of development, and the anticipated date of completion. The development schedule, upon the

recommendation of the Planning Commission, and when approved by the City Council, shall become a part of the

Unit Development Plan and shall be adhered to by the owner of the property in the P.U.D. District and any

successors in interest.

G. Application Fee. Before an application for the creation of a P.U.D. District may be accepted for Eling, the

applicant shall pay a Eling fee as established by resolution of the City Council from time to time hereinafter

enacted.

The Unit Development Plan, or modiEcation of a P.C.D. General Development Plan, as deEned herein, may be

approved by the City Council upon recommendation of the Planning Commission. In recommending the approval,

or modiEcation, of said Plan, the Commission must End that said Plan, or modiEcation thereof, clearly results in a

more desirable use of land and a better physical environment than would be possible under any single zoning

district or combination of zoning districts, and in addition to such general Ends, the Planning Commission and City

Council shall make the following speciEc Endings:

A. That any P.U.D., or modiEcation of a P.C.D., is proposed on property which has a suitable relationship to one

(1) or more thoroughfares, and that said thoroughfares are adequate to carry any additional traGc generated by

the development.

B. That the plan, or modiEcation thereof, for the proposed development presents a uniEed and organized

arrangement of buildings and service facilities which are appropriate in relation to adjacent or nearby properties

and that adequate landscaping and/or screening is included if necessary to insure compatibility.

C. That the natural and scenic qualities of the site are protected, with adequate available public and private

spaces designated on the Unit Development Plan or General Development Plan.

D. That the development of the subject property, in the manner proposed by the applicant, will not be

detrimental to the public welfare, will be in the best interests of the City, and will be in keeping with the general

intent and spirit of the zoning regulations of the City of Petaluma, with the Petaluma General Plan, and with any

applicable plans adopted by the City.

A P.U.D., as set forth in this Chapter, may be established and a P.C.D. may be modiEed, as follows and in

compliance with Chapter 25. If any conFict exists between this Chapter and Chapter 25, this Chapter shall prevail.

A. Planning Commission Action. Following a public hearing, and upon making the required Endings, the Planning

Commission shall make a recommendation to the City Council for approval or modiEed approval of a proposed

P.U.D. District and/or P.C.D. amendment, and shall recommend that the City Council approve the Unit

Development Plan or General Development Plan as submitted or as modiEed. Such recommendation and a copy

of the recommended Unit Development Plan or General Development Plan shall be forwarded to the City Council

for its consideration.

If unable to make the required Endings, the Planning Commission shall deny both the rezoning and the Unit

Development Plan and no further action shall be taken thereon, except upon timely appeal.

B. City Council Action. Following its hearing, the City Council may adopt an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance

establishing a P.U.D. or modifying a P.C.D., may deny the proposed amendment, or may adopt the proposed

amendment with modiEcations.

C. Adoption of P.U.D. or P.C.D. Amendment. At the time of adoption of a P.U.D. District or P.C.D. amendment, the

City Council shall approve, by resolution, the Unit Development Plan or General Development Plan amendment;

which resolution as adopted or as may be thereafter modiEed, in accordance with this section, shall establish the

regulations for said P.U.D. or P.C.D. and shall become part thereof. Upon the adoption of a P.U.D. or P.C.D.

amendment, and approval of the Unit Development Plan or General Development Plan amendment, the proposals

and standards of said plan shall become the oGcial development policy of the City of Petaluma within the

boundaries of the P.U.D. or P.C.D.

D. Development in a Planned Unit District or Planned Community District. Following the adoption of the P.U.D. or

P.C.D. amendment and the approval of the Unit Development Plan or General Development Plan, all development

within the District shall be in conformity with the said adopted Unit Development Plan or such modiEcations

thereto as may have been approved.

E. Modi)cations of the P.U.D. Unit Development Plan or P.C.D. General Development Plan. From time to time, it may

be necessary and desirable to modify the approved Unit Development Plan or General Development Plan.

ModiEcations of such plans may be initiated by the City Council, the Planning Commission, or by the property

owner, his authorized agent or developer.

1. Requests for Modi)cations. Requests for modiEcations shall be submitted to the Community Development

Director in written form and shall be accompanied by such additional maps, statements, or other information

as may be required to support the proposed modiEcation.

2. Public Hearing. If the proposed modiEcation involves an addition of a new use or group of uses not

shown on the original Unit Development Plan or General Development Plan, or if the Community

Development Director for any other reason deems it necessary, a public hearing shall be held on the

proposed modiEcation, and a recommendation made thereon to the City Council.

3. City Council Resolution Required. ModiEcation of an approved Unit Development Plan or General

Development Plan shall be made only by resolution of the City Council. After receipt of a recommendation

from the Planning Commission, the City Council shall approve or deny the proposed modiEcation.

4. Minor Modi)cation to Approved Unit Development Plan or General Development Plan. As determined by the

Director, modiEcation which is minor in nature and clearly inconsequential may be made administratively or,

in the judgment of the Director may be referred to the Planning Commission for review and approval. Minor

modiEcation within a P.U.D. includes modiEcation to unit architecture and site design so long as no signiEcant

alteration to road alignment is made and no increase in unit yield results. Up to 20% of the individual dwelling

units in residential P.U.D.'s may be substituted for other previously approved units if the resulting

substitutions do not substantially alter the intent of the P.U.D. as originally approved.

5. Findings. ModiEcation of the P.U.D. Unit Development Plan shall be subject to the same Endings as were

required for the original approval of the Plan. ModiEcations to a P.C.D. General Development Plan shall

require Endings as set forth in Section 19.030, rather than Endings required prior to May 19, 2008 as part of

the original P.C.D. approval.

Upon the approval of a P.U.D. District as provided herein, no building permit, zoning permit, or any other type of

permit shall be issued for any use or structure in a P.U.D. District unless such use or structure conforms in all

respects to the Unit Development Plan as approved by the City Council.

Upon approval of a P.U.D. District, building permits may be issued for the construction of a model home complex

consistent with the approved P.U.D. plan prior to the approval of the Final Subdivision Map.

Plan.

Changes in the Unit Development Plan or General Development Plan shall be considered as changes in the Zoning

Map and shall be made in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter and Ordinance.

The Petaluma Implementing Zoning Ordinance is current through Ordinance 2907, passed September 8,

Disclaimer: The city clerk’s oGce has the oGcial version of the Petaluma Implementing Zoning Ordinance. Users

should contact the city clerk’s oGce for ordinances passed subsequent to the ordinance cited above.

City Website: cityofpetaluma.net

Hosted by General Code.