Pico Rivera Municipal Code Ch. 18.12 Commercial Zones

A. The purpose of the commercial zones is to provide for the employment, shopping, services, and resource needs of residents, property owners, employees, and visitors to the City. The intent of the commercial zones is to provide distinct regulations for size, intensity, and design to reflect the variety of desired development patterns. The purpose and applicability of each commercial zone identified in Table 18.10.010.A (Zones, Overlay Zones, and Specific Plans) are as follows:

1. General Commercial (C-G) Zone. The intent and purpose of the C-G zone is to designate areas within the City for providing a full range and wide variety of retail commercial stores and service establishments along major corridors to serve residents and the broader community. The C-G zone should be protected from uses of land that are more compatible with industrial activities.

2. Community Commercial (C-C) Zone. The intent and purpose of the C-C zone is to designate certain areas for the development of neighborhood shopping areas and individual or multi-tenant development, adjacent to or within residential neighborhoods of the City. Neighborhood shopping areas shall provide commercial goods and services appropriate and compatible with the residential area and patterns of development. The C-C zone should provide for land uses and development that provide a convenient neighborhood commercial function to serve surrounding residential neighborhoods.

3. Commercial Manufacturing (C-M) Zone. The intent and purpose of the C-M zone is to designate certain areas of the City for the development of general commercial uses with functions that involve wholesaling and limited manufacturing uses. The C-M zone should provide for land uses and development that does not conflict with adjacent properties while acting as a buffer near more intensive uses.

4. Professional Administrative (P-A) Zone.

a. Purpose. The intent and purpose of the P-A zone is to designate certain areas within the City for the use and development of business office centers and complexes; institutional, professional, and administrative facilities; and other similar uses of land specializing in the rendering of services. The zone classification is designed to be applied on areas of the community of a general business nature and to limit and restrict uses of land wherein the general development of mixed commercial uses would not be appropriate or compatible.

b. Applicability. Application of the P-A zone must be clearly defined and protected from the encroachment of land uses and development that do not exhibit or perform a service rendering function and purpose.

5. Commercial Planned Development (CPD) Zone.

a. Purpose. The intent and purpose of the CPD zone is to provide for a more efficient, appropriate, and desirable commercial use of land which integrates land planning, design, and physical characteristics sufficiently unique, creative, innovative, and imaginative in nature and scope and to provide for the unified control of architectural design features and a method by which existing deteriorating commercial activity can be revitalized through both private and public interests.

b. Applicability. In order to qualify for application of the CPD zone, land must first be recognized in the commercial land use element of the General Plan; be of sufficient size, shape, and configuration for the division of land and interests in common; and demonstrate a clear need for revitalization and commercial land use distributions that cannot be adequately provided for in the P-A, C-N, C-C, or C-G zones. The development of property herein shall be determined by and subject to a Conditional Use Permit.

(Ord. 1201, 12/9/2025)

A. Commercial Zoning Land Uses and Permit Requirements. Table 18.12.020.A (Allowed Uses and Regulations in Commercial Zones) establishes the uses allowed in each commercial zone and the land use permit required to establish each use. Section numbers in the right-hand column refer to other sections of this Title. Additional permit requirements may apply per Subsection B (New Development and Additions in Commercial Zones Permit Requirements). Uses of land and development which are not specifically permitted are hereby expressly prohibited. In cases where a specific land use or activity is not defined, the Zoning Administrator shall assign the land use or activity to a classification that is substantially similar in character as provided in Section 18.01.050 (Interpretation of Regulations). Retail and Commercial Uses and Professional and Personal Services Uses shall be conducted entirely within an enclosed building except as otherwise permitted in this Section. Outdoor storage is prohibited in all commercial zones.

Table 18.12.020.A Allowed Uses and Regulations in Commercial Zones

B. New Development and Additions in Commercial Zones Permit Requirements. All new development and additions in the commercial zones are permitted in accordance with Table 18.12.020.B (New Development and Additions in Commercial Zones — Permits and Approvals).

Table 18.12.020.B New Development and Additions in Commercial Zones — Permits and Approvals

C. Nonpermitted Uses. The following uses are expressly prohibited in the commercial zones:

1. Automobile repair facilities.

2. Building materials supply store.

3. Carwashes, standalone — Automatic or coin-operated.

4. Check cashing establishments.

(Ord. 1201, 12/9/2025)

A. Applicability. The provisions of this Section shall apply to commercial development in commercial zones as established in Table 18.12.030.A (Development Standards — Commercial Zones), with the exceptions and additional standards as listed in this Section. Letters in parentheses refer to additional development standards that immediately follow the table.

1. For multifamily residential development in a commercial zone or mixed-use overlay zone on a lot with an area greater than 20,000 square feet, the provisions of the applicable R-M zone in Section 18.11.030 (Development Standards for Residential Zones) shall apply.

2. For infill multifamily residential development in a commercial zone or mixed-use overlay zone on a lot with an area of 20,000 square feet or less, the provisions of Section 18.12.040 (Development Standards for Multifamily Residential Development in Commercial Zones) shall apply.

Table 18.12.030.A Development Standards — Commercial Zones

Notes:

(Ord. 1201, 12/9/2025)

A. Purpose. The purpose of this Section is to provide standards for multifamily residential development in commercial zones thereby encouraging the use of otherwise unused or underutilized commercial land in a way that promotes more vibrant, balanced, and complete communities with housing and jobs.

B. Applicability. The provisions of this Section shall apply to multifamily residential development on lots in commercial zones that meet all of the following criteria:

1. Vacant or underutilized lots with an area of 20,000 square feet or less.

2. Lots bounded on at least two sides by existing development.

C. Development Standards for Multifamily Residential Development in Commercial Zones. Multifamily residential development in commercial zones shall comply with Table 18.12.040.A (Development Standards — Multifamily Residential Development in Commercial Zones) with the exceptions and additional standards listed in this Section.

1. For residential buildings, including a residential building in a commercial zone or the residential component in a mixed-use building, the provisions of Section 18.11.040 (Design Standards for Residential Buildings) shall apply.

Table 18.12.040.A Development Standards — Multifamily Residential Development in Commercial Zones

Notes:

(Ord. 1201, 12/9/2025)

A. Applicability.

1. The provisions of this Section shall apply to all commercial buildings in any zone, including, but not limited to, the commercial component in a mixed-use building, with the exceptions and additional standards as listed in this Section. In the event of a conflict, the more stringent standard shall apply.

a. For residential buildings, including a residential building in a commercial zone or the residential component in a mixed-use building, the provisions of Section 18.11.040 (Design Standards for Residential Buildings) shall apply.

2. Exceptions or modifications to the design standards of this Section may be granted as specifically stated or subject to the approval of the Zoning Administrator, where they find that an alternative design has been incorporated to meet the overall design intent of the standard.

B. Design Standards for Commercial Buildings.

1. Building Entries. Commercial building facades with frontage along a street shall provide a minimum of one primary ground floor building entry for every 100 feet of frontage. All primary building entries shall be visible from the street, be oriented towards the street, and provide a pedestrian walkway to the public sidewalk. Building entries with no frontage along a street, with the exception of back-of-house entries, shall be oriented towards common areas, such as courtyards, plazas, and paseos. Primary building entries shall be clearly demarcated and discernable from the rest of the building through the use of a change in color or material from the rest of the façade and shall additionally incorporate a minimum of one of the following design features:

a. A roofed element over the entry, such as a portico, awning, canopy, trellis, or overhang.

b. A change in roof height from the rest of the building façade, such as a tower element.

c. A projected or recessed area, such as a terrace, forecourt, or gateway entry.

d. Flanking structural elements, such as columns or similar structures.

2. Façade Articulation. All facades of a commercial building shall receive equivalent architectural detailing and articulation utilizing a similar and complementary application of materials and modulation.

3. Façade Articulation, Blank Facades. Commercial building facades without the use of windows, doors, or other openings shall not span a continuous horizontal length or vertical height greater than 20 feet, unless it incorporates a minimum of two of the following design features, as illustrated in Figure 18.12.050.A:

a. Surface detailing, such as score or reveal lines and a change in color or material.

b. Landscaping, such as espalier, green or living walls, or other similar landscaping techniques.

c. Lattices, louvers, trellises, or grillwork, or other similar decorative façade applications.

d. Façade projections or recesses, such as pilasters.

e. Building signage.

4. Façade Articulation, Corners. Materials shall wrap all exterior corners of every commercial building by a minimum of two feet in length. In addition, commercial buildings with frontage along two intersecting public streets shall provide a change in color or material to distinguish the building's corner and incorporate a minimum of one of the following design features at the building's corner:

a. A roofed element, such as an awning, canopy, trellis, or overhang.

b. A change in roof height from the rest of the building façade, such as a tower element.

c. A façade projection or recess, such as a corner entry or gateway entry.

d. A primary building entry.

5. Façade Colors. With the exception of applications to façade trim or accent detailing, not inclusive of a façade's base color, prohibited façade colors shall include those colors defined, described, marketed, sold, or distributed with terms such as neon, fluorescent, luminescent, iridescent, ultra-violet, electric, metallic, glow, Day-Glo, and similar terms.

6. Façade Modulation. Commercial building facades with frontage along a street shall provide a minimum of one façade break measuring at least five feet deep by 15 feet long from ground to sky such that façade exceeds a continuous length of 150 feet, as illustrated in Figure 18.12.050.B.

7. Ground Floor Height. The ground floor of a commercial building shall have a minimum height of 12 feet, measured from floor to floor.

8. Ground Floor Transparency. Ground floor commercial building facades with frontage along a street shall include windows and doors for a minimum of 50% of the ground floor facade area. The use of tinted, mirrored, or reflective glass is prohibited.

9. Ground Floor Uses. For mixed-use buildings, active uses shall occupy the ground floor areas that have frontage along a street, such as:

a. Commercial uses, such as retail, restaurants, or other commercial services.

b. Office uses, such as professional/business offices.

c. Common residential uses, such as lobbies and recreation rooms, or similar active uses subject to the approval of the Zoning Administrator.

10. Open Space, Publicly Accessible. For commercial and mixed-use developments, publicly accessible open spaces shall comply with the following:

a. Shall provide the minimum area for publicly accessible open space per Table 18.12.030.A. (Development Standards — Commercial Zones).

b. Shall be privately owned, improved, and maintained.

c. Shall provide direct access to a public right-of-way, and be usable, open, and accessible to all residents, tenants, patrons, and the public in a development at a minimum between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.

d. Shall be a usable outdoor space and may include, but is not limited to, parks, plazas, courtyards, paseos, arcades, or other similar open spaces that allow for public leisure, recreation, and/or gathering.

e. Shall provide at least one contiguous area with a minimum area of 400 square feet and a minimum length or width of 20 feet.

f. Shall be landscaped for a minimum of 25% of the total area, inclusive of plants and trees.

g. Shall be hardscaped for a minimum of 25% of the total area.

h. Shall provide a minimum of one seat for every 200 square feet of the total area, where seating may be permanent or movable and may be in the form of a chair, bench, ledge, low wall, or similar usable seating arrangement.

(Ord. 1201, 12/9/2025)

The applicable standards in Division 4 (Supplemental Citywide Standards) of this Title shall also apply to commercial development.

(Ord. 1201, 12/9/2025)