Porterville Municipal Code Art. 204 Employment Districts

The specific purposes of the "Employment" Districts are to:

A. Provide appropriate areas of the city where employment uses can locate and operate without significant conflicts with other land uses.

B. Strengthen the city's economic base and provide employment opportunities for residents of the city.

C. Ensure the provision of services and facilities needed to accommodate planned population densities.

Additional purposes of each "Employment" District:

PO Professional Office. To allow for areas of office complex development, including professional and medical offices, personal services, as well as research and development activities, small restaurants, support services, and convenience retail. The maximum FAR is 0.50.

IP Industrial Park. To provide areas for a mix of light industrial, secondary office, bulk retail, and service uses. This district allows for uses such as, warehouse, personal storage (mini-storage), distribution centers, research and development, wholesale, and office space with limited customer access. This district also allows for other uses, such as commercial recreation, small-scale retail, and service uses serving local employees and visitors are permitted as secondary uses. The maximum FAR is 0.40.

IG General Industrial. To provide areas for businesses that have potential to create adverse visual, noise, or other impacts to adjoining public and residential properties. This district allows for uses such as, warehousing, manufacturing, food processing, distribution, with support commercial services and ancillary office space. No retail uses are allowed. The maximum FAR is 0.60.

IA Airport Industrial. To provide areas for the Municipal Air-port and for related businesses that have the potential to create adverse visual, noise, or other impacts to adjoining public and residential properties. Small-scale retail and service uses serving local employees and visitors are permitted as secondary uses. This designation allows for a maximum FAR of 0.60. (Ord. 1866, 11-19-2019; amd. Ord. 1901, 6-20-2023)

Table 204.02 below prescribes the land use regulations for “Employment” Districts. The regulations for each district are established by letter designations as follows:

“P” designates permitted uses.

“C” designates use classifications that are permitted after review and approval of a Conditional Use Permit by the City Council.

“M” designates use classifications that are permitted after review and approval of a Minor Conditional Use Permit by the City Council.

“(#)” numbers in parentheses refer to specific limitations listed at the end of the table.

“-” designates uses that are not permitted.

Use classifications are defined in Chapter 701, Use Classifications. 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. Use classifications and sub-classifications not listed in the table or not found to be substantially similar to the uses below are prohibited. The table also notes additional use regulations that apply to various uses. Section numbers in the right hand column refer to other sections of this Chapter.

TABLE 204.02: LAND USE REGULATIONS - EMPLOYMENT DISTRICTS

Notes:

Specific Limitations:

(1) Permitted only as an accessory use that supports industrial uses, business and office parks, and corporate offices.

(2) Permitted only as an accessory to a primary office and limited to establishments with a gross floor area less than 5,000 square feet in size.

(3) Limited to parking areas for exclusive use of occupants, employees and patrons of the uses, buildings, stores, and businesses located in that zone.

(4) Alcohol manufacture must be located more than 500 feet from the nearest residential, or commercial zoning designation as shown on the Official Zoning Map.

(5) On-site hazardous waste management facilities must be accessory and incidental to a primary use.

(6) In areas designated as Mineral Resource Zones in the General Plan

(7) Prohibited within 300 feet of any R district except as detailed in 301,20E.

(8) For agricultural employees, when located on farms or ranches containing more than 10 acres. Such dwellings shall be a permanent structure.

(9) Additional uses may be allowed with City Council approval of a Conditional Use Permit.

(10) Limited to no more than two rooms in a dwelling rented to not more than four persons. Meals may not be provided to more than four boarders.

(Ord. 1866, 11-19-2019; amd. Ord. 1901, 6-20-2023; Ord. 1907, 10-15-2024; Ord. 1909, 1-21-2025)

Table 204.03 prescribes the development standards for the Employment Districts. Additional regulations are denoted in the right hand column. Section numbers in this column refer to other sections of this Chapter, while individual letters refer to subsections that directly follow the table.

TABLE 204.03: DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS - EMPLOYMENT DISTRICTS

Notes:

Additional Development Standards:

(a) Exceptions to Minimum Lot Size, Width, and Depth. An exception to the minimum lot size, width, and depth may be allowed with a Conditional Use Permit if a master plan for the site is submitted concurrently with the subdivision application. The plan shall indicate proposed land uses, building footprints, driveways, fire lanes, parking areas, landscaped areas, buffer yards, and other site features. The City Council must find that the proposed subdivision will create lots that are adequately sized, shaped, and oriented to meet or exceed all requirements for yards, buffer yards, parking, landscaping, fire lanes, and other requirements of this Chapter.

(b) Transitional Standards. Where a site is adjacent to an R district, the following standards apply:

(1) Buildings exceeding twenty (20) feet in height must be set back five (5) feet from the interior side and rear property line; for buildings exceeding twenty-five (25) feet in height shall be stepped back one (1) additional foot for every foot of height above twenty-five (25) feet.

(2) The maximum height within forty (40) feet of an R district boundary is thirty-five (35) feet. The maximum height within fifty (50) feet of an R district boundary is forty (40) feet.

FIGURE 204.03.(b)(2): EMPLOYMENT DISTRICT TRANSITIONAL STANDARDS

[Figure]

(c) Increased Yard for Certain Institutional Uses. Any building erected or used for a school, government, or other institutional use mentioned elsewhere in this Chapter, shall be located at least fifteen (15) feet from an R district, notwithstanding any lesser requirement in the district where located, provided such building shall not be required to be located more than five (5) feet from any lot line adjacent to any alley. The City Council may waive this requirement for accessory buildings to provide reasonable accommodation.

(d) Street Side Yard - Reversed Corner Lots. Reversed corner lots shall have a minimum street side yard width of twelve (12) feet or the required front yard requirement of the lot in the rear (key lot), whichever is less. No accessory structure shall project beyond the extension of the required front yard line of the lot in the rear (key lot).

(Ord. 1866, 11-19-2019; amd. Ord. 1907, 10-15-2024)

A. Setbacks and Screening Requirements:

1. Setback and Screening from Highways. Any site that is fully or partially located within two hundred (200) feet of State Route 65 or State Route 190 shall provide a landscaped area at least thirty (30) feet deep between the highway right-of-way and any building or parking area for the length of the site frontage facing toward the highway. At least two fifteen (15) gallon trees shall be provided for every twenty-five (25) feet of site frontage toward the highway. The Zoning Administrator may approve a modification to this standard where existing development patterns make it infeasible to provide a landscaped area thirty (30) feet deep.

2. Parking Setback and Screening from Public Right-of-Way. The following requirements apply on all street frontages in the PO district. In the IP and IG districts, they apply only to frontages on arterial or collector streets.

a. Landscaped Setback of Parking from Right-of-Way. Any parking area located between a building and right-of-way must be set back a minimum of seventeen (17) feet from the street-facing lot line, and the setback area must be landscaped. Two (2) feet of the landscaped setback shall be low growing plants to allow for vehicle overhang.

b. Screening of Parking Areas. Any parking area located between a building and right of way, or within fifty (50) feet of and visible from a right-of-way, must be screened by a wall or berm at least two and one-half (2.5) feet high. A screening wall meeting this requirement shall be composed of brick, stone, stucco, or other quality durable material approved by the Zoning Administrator, and shall include a decorative cap or top finish as well as edge detail at wall ends. Plain concrete blocks are not allowed as a screening wall material unless capped and finished with stucco or other material approved by the Zoning Administrator.

3. Landscaped Setback of Parking from On-Site Buildings. In the PO district, parking spaces must be set back at least twelve (12) feet from any building wall, and the area between parking and building must be landscaped. Two (2) feet of the landscaped setback shall be low growing plants to allow for vehicle overhang. Up to five (5) feet of this required landscape area may be occupied by a paved pedestrian walkway.

FIGURE 204.04A: PARKING SETBACKS AND SCREENING REQUIREMENTS

[Figure]

B. Pedestrian Orientation. Pedestrian oriented design shall be provided in the PO district according to the following standards:

1. Pedestrian-Oriented Design. The following design elements at ground floor street frontage level shall be incorporated into the design of the structure in order to provide pedestrian orientation.

a. Articulated Facades. Buildings shall provide adequate architectural articulation and detail to avoid a bulky and “box-like” appearance. The building facade at ground floor street frontage level shall be articulated with measures such as, indentation in plane, change of materials in a complimentary manner, sensitive composition and juxtaposition of openings and solid wall and/or building frame, and projecting elements, such as awnings or marquees, to provide shade and shelter.

b. Entrances. All ground floor tenant spaces with at least twenty-five (25) feet of frontage facing a public or private street shall have at least one building entrance oriented to the adjacent street. Such an entrance shall open directly to the outside and shall not require a pedestrian to first pass through a garage, parking lot or loading area to gain access.

c. Signage. Signage shall be integrated with the design of the building and oriented and scaled to the pedestrian, where applicable.

d. Other Pedestrian-Oriented Design Elements. Other pedestrian-oriented design elements such as street furniture or other seating surfaces on private property and other design amenities scaled to the pedestrian such as awnings, drinking fountains, arcades, colonnades, plazas, non-commercial community bulletin boards, public or private art, and alternative paving materials may be provided in areas of pedestrian access. Compliance may also be demonstrated by pedestrian-oriented design elements that are provided off-site.

2. Pedestrian Access. On-site pedestrian circulation and access shall be provided according to the following standards.

a. Internal Connections. A system of pedestrian walkways shall connect all buildings on a site to each other, to on-site automobile and bicycle parking areas, and to any on-site open space areas or pedestrian amenities.

b. To Street Network. An on-site walkway shall connect the primary building entry or entries to a public sidewalk on each street frontage. Such walkway shall be the shortest practical distance between the main entry and sidewalk.

c. To Neighbors. Direct and convenient access shall be provided from commercial and mixed-use projects to adjoining neighborhood residential and commercial streets. These connections shall remain accessible at all times, and not be gated.

d. Pedestrian Walkway Design:

(1) Walkways shall be a minimum of five (5) feet wide and shall be paved with concrete, stone, tile, brick, or comparable material.

(2) Fifteen gallon shade trees shall be planted along walkways at least thirty (30) feet on center.

(3) Walkways shall be illuminated with an intensity of at least 0.25 foot-candles at the ground level during the hours of darkness.

(4) Primary pedestrian routes and access points shall be clearly differentiated from driveways, parking aisles, and parking and loading spaces through the use of elevation changes, a different paving material, or similar method.

Where a required walkway is parallel and adjacent to an auto travel lane, it shall be raised or separated from the auto travel lane by a raised curb at least four (4) inches high, bollards, or other physical barrier.

4. Driveway Restrictions; Location of Parking:

a. Access. Access shall be provided from a side street or alley wherever possible. Access shall not be provided from a residential street where alternate access is available.

b. Location of Parking. Parking areas shall be located at the rear of the site or at the side of the building, except for drop-off areas which may be located at the primary entry.

FIGURE 204.04B3b: LOCATION OF PARKING

[Figure]

(Ord. 1866, 11-19-2019)