Division II — COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS
Article 17.24 — Heavy Commercial (C3) District
Placer County Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · ingested 2026-07-06 · Placer County
17.24.010. Heavy commercial (C3). ¶
A. Purpose and Intent. The heavy commercial (C3) zone district provides areas for intensive service commercial uses primarily of a nonretail nature, some of which require outdoor storage or activity areas. Limited retail and office uses are allowed to the extent that they are compatible with the heavy commercial uses.
B. Allowable Land Uses and Permit Requirements. The following land uses are allowed in the C3 zone district as provided by Sections 17.06.050 et seq. (Allowable land uses and permit requirements), subject to the land use permit shown for each use, any applicable specific standards, and all other applicable provisions of this chapter.
| ALLOWABLE LAND USES | LAND USE PERMIT | SPECIFIC STANDARDS IN SECTION |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural, Resource and Open Space Uses | ||
| Agricultural processing | C | |
| Animal raising and keeping | See Section17.56.050 | |
| Crop production | A | |
| Forestry | A | |
| Grazing | A | |
| Plant nurseries, retail | C | |
| Plant production nursery | See Section17.56.165 | |
| Water extraction and storage (commercial) | CUP | |
| Winery | See Section17.56.330 | |
| Manufacturing and Processing Uses Note: Any manufacturing or processing use on a parcel of 10 acres or approval. |
larger requires conditional use permit (CUP) | |
| ALLOWABLE LAND USES | LAND USE PERMIT | SPECIFIC STANDARDS IN SECTION |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Clothing products | C | |
| Concrete, gypsum and plaster products | MUP | |
| Electric generating plants | CUP | |
| Food products | C | |
| Furniture and fxtures manufacturing | C | |
| Glass products | MUP | |
| Lumber and wood products | MUP | |
| Metal products fabrication | C | |
| Paper products | MUP | |
| Paving materials | MUP | |
| Printing and publishing | C | |
| Recycling collection stations | See Section17.56.170 | |
| Recycling, scrap and wrecking yards | CUP | 17.56.170 |
| Small-scale manufacturing | MUP | |
| Stone and cut stone products | MUP | |
| Structural clay and pottery products | MUP | |
| Recreation, Education and Public Assembly Uses | ||
| Community center | C | 17.56.340 |
| Commercial event center | C | 17.56.340 |
| Golf driving ranges | MUP | |
| Houses of worship | C | |
| Libraries and museums | C | |
| Outdoor commercial recreation | MUP | |
| Parks, playgrounds, golf courses | MUP | |
| Recreation and ftness centers | C | |
| Schools - College and university | CUP | |
| Schools - Elementary | MUP | |
| Schools - Secondary | MUP | |
| Schools - Specialized education and training | MUP | |
| Sport facilities and outdoor public assembly | CUP | |
| Temporary events | MUP | 17.56.300 |
| Residential Uses | ||
| Caretaker and employee housing | C | 17.56.090 |
| Home occupation | C | 17.56.120 |
| Retail Trade | ||
| Auto, mobile home, vehicle and parts sales | C | |
| Building material stores | C | |
| Drive-in and drive-thru sales | MUP | |
| Farm equipment and supplies sales | C | |
| Fuel and ice dealers | MUP | |
| Furniture, furnishings and equipment stores | C | |
| Grocery and liquor stores | C | |
| Mail order and vending | C | |
| Outdoor retail sales | See Section17.56.160 | |
| Restaurants and bars | C | 17.56.190 |
| Restaurants, fast food | MUP | 17.56.190 |
| Retail stores, general merchandise | MUP | |
| ALLOWABLE LAND USES | LAND USE PERMIT | LAND USE PERMIT |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Secondhand stores | C | |
| Shopping centers, up to 5 acres | MUP | |
| Shopping centers, 5 to 10 acres | MUP | |
| Service Uses | ||
| Banks and Financial Services | MUP | |
| Business support services | C | |
| Cemeteries, columbariums and mortuaries | CUP | |
| Construction contractors | MUP | |
| Correctional institutions | CUP | |
| Drive-in and drive-thru services | MUP | |
| Kennels and animal boarding | MUP | |
| Laundries and dry cleaning plants | C | |
| Medical services - Clinics and laboratories | C | |
| Medical services - Veterinary clinics and hospitals | C | |
| Offces | C | |
| Offces, temporary | ||
| Personal services | C | |
| Public safety facilities | C | |
| Public utility facilities | MUP | |
| Repair and maintenance - Accessory to sales | C | |
| Repair and maintenance - Consumer products | C | |
| Repair and maintenance - Vehicle | MUP | |
| Service stations | MUP | |
| Storage, accessory | A | |
| Storage, mini-storage facilities | C | |
| Storage of petroleum products for on-site use | C | |
| Storage yards and sales lots | MUP | |
| Warehousing, wholesaling and distribution | MUP | |
| Zero emission multimodal hub - Stand-alone | MUP | |
| Waste disposal sites | CUP | |
| Transient Lodging | ||
| Hotels and motels | MUP | |
| Transportation and Communications | ||
| Airfelds and landing strips | CUP | |
| Antennas, communications facilities | See Section17.56.060 | |
| Broadcasting studios | MUP | |
| Heliports | CUP | |
| Pipelines and transmission lines | A | |
| Transit stations and terminals | MUP | |
| Truck stops | MUP | |
| Vehicle and freight terminals | MUP | |
| Vehicle storage | MUP | |
| KEY TO PERMIT REQUIREMENTS | ||
| Allowed use, zoning compliance required (Section17.06.050) | ||
| Zoning clearance required (Section17.06.050) | ||
| Minor use permit required (Section17.06.050) |
CUP
KEY TO PERMIT REQUIREMENTS
Conditional use permit required (Section 17.06.050 )
C. Minimum Parcel Size. Each parcel proposed for development or a new land use, and each new parcel proposed in a subdivision shall comply with the following provisions and Section 17.54.040 (Minimum parcel size). New parcels proposed in a subdivision shall also satisfy all applicable provisions of Chapter 16 of this code (Subdivisions).
Minimum Lot Area. Six thousand square feet, unless a -B combining district (Section 17.52.040 ) applies to the site, or a greater area is required by the health department, or the provisions of Article 17.56 (Specific Use Requirements) for a particular land use.
Minimum Lot Width. Fifty feet. Other minimum lot widths may be required by a -B combining district (Section 17.52.040 ) applicable to the site.
D. Site Development Standards. The following requirements shall apply to all new development in the C3 zone, except where otherwise provided by Articles 17.54 (General Development Standards) or 17.56 (Specific Use Requirements) for a particular use or situation. Proposed buildings and structures shall be designed and constructed to satisfy the following setback, site coverage, and height limit requirements:
| Development Feature | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Setbacks (1) (3)(5) | |
| Front (2) | 10 feet |
| Street-side (2) | 10 feet |
| Side | 0 feet, 50 feet (6) |
| Rear | 0 feet, 50 feet (6) |
| Site coverage (4) | 40 percent maximum |
| Height limit (5) | 45 feet maximum |
Notes:
(1) Additional requirements for setbacks from watercourses and all roads identified in the highway deficiency report and countywide capital improvement program, setbacks between structures on the same site, and setbacks in other situations are established by Section 17.54.140 (Exceptions to front, street-side, side and rear setbacks) and by Article 17.56 for certain specific land uses.
(2) A 10-foot front and street-side setback (or outside a minimum 12.5-foot multi-purpose easement or public utility easement that is adjacent to any public roadways, streets or driveways).
(3) As required by the California Board of Forestry Fire Safe Regulations, California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 1276.01 , if lot is one acre or larger in size.
(4) The percentage of total site area that may be covered by buildings or structures.
(5) Except as otherwise provided by Section 17.54.020 (Height limits and exceptions), or by Article 17.56 for a specific use.
(6) A 50-foot setback is required where a side or rear lot line abuts a residential zone district.
(Ord. 5126-B, 2001; Ord. 5304-B, 2004; Ord. 5339-B Exh. A, 2004; Ord. 5416-B Exh. A, 2006; Ord. 5459-B Exh. A, 2007; Ord. 5526-B § 9, 2008; Ord. 5746-B § 6, 2014; Ord. 6048-B § 13, 2020; Ord. 6363-B, 2/17/2026)