Piedmont Municipal Code Div. 17.26 Zone D: Commercial and Mixed Use

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.

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)

L. The following commercial uses, subject to the performance standards in section 17.26.060:

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Wine shop, restaurants and café, bakery, florist shop, clothing store, art and craft store, book store, bike shop, hardware store, office, hair salon and barber services, yoga studio, dance studio, martial arts studio, photography studio, tutoring center, and fitness center. (Ord. 783 N.S. 10/2025)

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. Minor auto servicing such as fueling station and auto repairs (e.g. tire repair, oil change).

E. Commercial uses not listed in 17.26.020.L. and 17.26.040.

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. 783 N.S., 10/2025)

The following uses are prohibited uses in Zone D: manufacturing, wholesaling, distributing, or
industrial use; motor vehicle sales or service (except as provided in section 17.26.030.D); hotel or motel; fast food restaurants; and drive-through establishments. (Ord. 783 N.S. 10/2025)

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

Zone D requirements

Civic Center Subarea 1 Grand Avenue Subarea 2 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.

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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 Subarea 1 Grand Avenue Subarea 2 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:
   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.

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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; coverage; height; front, rear and side yards; floor area ratio. All as set forth for Zone A. See section 17.20.040. (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, single- room 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.
2. The maximum non-residential FAR in a mixed-use development is 75%.
3. 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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The following standards apply in Zone D, for permitted commercial uses:
A. Uses are subject to the following hours of operation and standards as noted. If a use
requires a waiver from specified hours of operation and /or performance standards, then a
conditional use permit subject to provisions of division 17.68 is required.

Use Hours of Operation** Performance Standards Wine Shop* 9am- 8pm Restaurants and Cafes* 8am- 9pm If serving alcohol, the establishment shall not be located within 100 feet of a school. Bakery* 7am- 6pm • Prohibit manufacturing of products to be sold elsewhere • Exempt from parking provisions in division 17.30 • Ground floor only Florist Shop* 6am- 8pm Exempt from parking provisions in division 17.30 Clothing Store* 8am- 8pm Art and Craft Store* 8am- 8pm Book Store 8am- 8pm Bike Shop 8am- 8pm Hardware Store 8am- 8pm Office 8am- 8pm Not permitted on ground floor Hair Salon and Barber Services 8am- 8pm No massage services Yoga Studio 8am- 8pm Dance Studio 8am- 8pm Martial Arts Studio 8am- 8pm Photography Studio 8am- 8pm Tutoring Center 8am- 8pm Not permitted on ground floor Fitness Center 6am- 8pm On-site child care is not permitted. * Use is defined in Division 17.90 ** Hours of operation are the duration the business can be open to the public

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B. Any physical modifications to structures or buildings or new structures or buildings shall be subject to the development standards of the underlying zone. No physical modifications or new construction can take place until all required planning and building permits have been obtained.

C. Uses may not include outdoor services. The uses must be conducted primarily within an enclosed structure. Outdoor storage is permitted when screened from street view.

D. Uses must be primarily neighborhood serving. Commercial uses that are primarily neighborhood serving are those that 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.

E. Storage, repair, and production may not take place in required setbacks. Every part of each required minimum setback shall be open and unobstructed from finished grade to the sky except for landscaped areas.

F. There shall be no loading between 8-9 a.m. on school days

G. The site must be kept free of trash and debris. All receptacles for collection and recycling shall be completely screened from view at street level.

H. Unless specified, the uses shall comply with the parking provisions in Division 17.30.

I. No sooner than 30 days prior to the opening of a new business, an unlighted temporary sign announcing the name of the new business may be displayed in one storefront window per façade. The sign shall not exceed eight (8) square feet in the sign area and may identify the name of the business in a graphic or text format.

J. Signage shall be subject to the provisions of Division 17.36. (Ord. 783 N.S., 10/2025)

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