Division 17.26

Piedmont Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · ingested 2026-07-06 · Piedmont

ZONE D: COMMERCIAL AND MIXED USE

Sections:

17.26.010 Intent 17.26.020 Permitted uses 17.26.030 Conditional uses 17.26.040 Prohibited uses 17.26.050 Regulations

17.26.010 Intent .

Zone D is established to regulate and control commercial and mixed-use commercial/residential development, where pedestrian-oriented commercial development will serve the neighborhood, consistent and in harmony with the character of the neighborhood and adjacent residential areas.

17.26.020 Permitted uses.

The following are permitted uses in Zone D:

  • A. A single-family residence

  • B. An accessory dwelling unit, subject to division 17.38. (Ord. 747 N.S., 02/2020, Ord. 772 N.S., 03/2024)

  • C. Low barrier navigation centers.

  • D. Residential care facilities or group homes that provide licensable services for up to six residents.

  • E. Residential care facilities or group homes that do not provide licensable services.

  • F. Supportive housing and transitional housing developments.

  • G. Accessory structures with accessory uses located on the same lot as the primary structures under this section.

  • H. Small family day care home in accordance with California Health and Safety Code sections 1597.43 - 1597.47.

  • I. Multi-family development including single-room occupancy, co-housing, senior housing, and disabled housing, that is part of a mixed-use development.

  • J. Employee housing for 6 or fewer persons.

  • K. Manufactured and mobile homes on a permanent foundation. (Ord. 772 N.S., 03/2024)

17.26.030 Conditional uses.

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The following are allowed as conditional uses in Zone D:

  • A. Religious assembly.

  • B. Private school, or day care facility associated with a religious assembly use. A pre-existing school not having a use permit may continue as a non-conforming use as long as the use is not expanded.

  • C. Large family day care home in accordance with California Health and Safety Code sections 1597.43 - 1597.47.

  • D. Retail, office, and service commercial uses of a type that will be primarily neighborhood serving. Commercial uses that are primarily neighborhood serving are those uses neighbors would be expected to use on a regular basis, and not uses that would be expected to draw the major portion of their clientele from outside the neighborhood.

A structural change (including reduction or addition in structure) or change in actual existing use in a commercial building requires a new conditional use permit. Change in actual existing use means the addition, withdrawal, or other modification of:

  1. the type or quality of service or product being marketed;

  2. the time or place of delivery of the service or product;

  3. the manner or method of delivery of the service or product; or

  4. the number of personnel on the site, where the addition, withdrawal, or other modification changes the facts upon which a conditional use permit was based.

  • E. Commercial portion of a mixed-use commercial/residential development, including groundfloor retail, office, or service commercial uses to primarily serve the neighborhood.

  • F. Wireless communication facility, subject to a wireless communication facility permit (rather than a use permit) under division 17.46.

  • G. Residential care facilities or group home that provide licensable services for seven or more residents. (Ord. 772 N.S., 03/2024)

17.26.040 Prohibited uses .

The following uses are prohibited uses in Zone D: manufacturing, wholesaling, distributing, or industrial use; motor vehicle sales or service, except minor servicing; hotel or motel; fast food restaurants; and drive-through establishments. (Ord. 772 N.S., 03/2024)

17.26.050 Regulations .

A. In Zone D, for commercial, mixed-use commercial/residential, and private school facilities uses, the standards are as follows:

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Zone D requirements Zone D requirements
Civic Center Subarea1 Grand Avenue Subarea2
Lot area _No minimum lot_area, but an existing
lot may not be subdivided into
smaller lots.		 No minimum lot area, but an existing
lot may not be subdivided into smaller
lots.
Frontage, on
public or
private street		 No minimum requirement. No minimum requirement.
Lot coverage;
Landscaping		 No maximum.
No minimum.		 No Maximum.
Minimum 10% landscaping, subject to
exception for accessory dwelling unit
construction set forth in division 17.38.
Structure
height		 45 feet Maximum 45 feet.
For a building site adjacent to a single-
family residence:
A. within 10 feet of the abutting lot
line: maximum 35 feet measured
from adjacent grade; and
B. daylight plane starting at 35 feet
above grade and a distance of 10
feet from the abutting property
line.
Zone D requirements(continued)
Civic Center Subarea1 Grand Avenue Subarea2
Street yard
setback		 No minimum setback. Along Wildwood, Sunnyside and
Linda Avenues: 5 feet minimum from
lot line.
Along Grand Avenue: 5 feet minimum
from curb or 3 feet from lot line,
whichever is greater.
Side yard and
rear yard
setback		 No minimum setbacks, but if side or
rear yard abuts a single-family
residence, the minimum side and
rear yard setback is 4 feet from that
abutting lot line.		 Side Yard: no minimum setbacks,
except minimum 4 feet from lot line
abutting a single-family residence.
Rear Yard: 4 feet minimum.
Floor to
ceiling height
for ground
floor
commercial
use		 15 feet minimum 12 feet minimum
Ground floor Zone D developments must have:
1. ground floor retail, office, or service commercial uses to primarily
serve the neighborhood. Ground floor residential use is not permitted,
except for an entry and lobby to the upper floor(s), except that:

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the requirement for ground floor retail, office, or service commercial uses shall be waived for development in which 100% of the units are affordable to households earning 80% or less of the area median income (AMI) established by California Health and Safety Code 5105 that are deed-restricted for a period of 55 years or more.

1 The Civic Center Subarea consists of the Zone D parcels bounded by: Highland Way on the north, Highland Avenue on the south; and Highland Avenue on the east, Vista Avenue on the south, and Piedmont Unified School District properties on the north and west.

2 The Grand Avenue Subarea consists of the Zone D parcels bounded by: Wildwood Avenue to the southeast, Grand Avenue on the west, Zone A parcels on the north and east; and City boundary on the south, Grand Avenue on the east, Linda Avenue on the north, and Zone A properties to the west.

3 Setback requirements applicable to accessory dwelling unit construction are set forth in division 17.38, rather than this table.

B. In Zone D, for single-family residential use, small family day care home, manufactured and mobile homes, low barrier navigation center, licensed residential care facility or group home for up to 6 residents and unlicensed residential care facility or group home, employee housing for 6 or fewer persons, and supportive and transitional housing, the development standards are as follows:

Lot area; frontage; All as set forth for Zone A. See section 17.20.040. coverage; height; front, rear and side yards; floor area ratio.

(Ord. 747 N.S., 02/2020)

  • C. In Zone D, for uses other than those listed above, the development standards are as follows:

    1. Wireless communications facility as provided in division 17.46

    2. Religious assembly as provided in section 17.20.040.A.

    3. Stand-alone multi-family development including senior housing, disabled housing, singleroom occupancy and co-housing, and multi-family that is part of a mixed-use development as provided in section 17.24.040.A, except for density standards provided in 17.26.50.D.

    4. Large day care home as provided in section 17.24.040.A.

    5. Licensed residential care facility or group home for 7 or more residents as provided in section 17.24.040.A.

  • D. Density and Floor Area Ratio.

The following density and floor area ratio standards apply to all development in this division that includes residential uses, including multifamily developments, residential development within mixed-use development, SROs, and co-housing, except for single-family or similar residential uses.

  1. The developer/property owner may choose to develop property in this zone at a minimum of 20 dwelling units/acre and maximum of 81 dwelling units/acre.

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  1. The maximum non-residential FAR in a mixed-use development is 75%.

  2. The maximum non-residential floor area is 50% of residential floor area.

  • E. For lots that are larger than 5,000 square feet, an ADU shall be constructed:

    • a. when a new single-family residence is proposed on a vacant lot.

    • b. when an existing single-family residence is demolished for a remodel or reconstruction, except when a single-family residence is being reconstructed to the same or similar square footage due to damage or destruction by accident, fire, flood, earthquake, or other act of nature. (Ord. 772 N.S., 03/2024)

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