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Chapter 18.26 — Downtown Form-Based Code

5.3. Standards

Santa Clara Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-25 · Santa Clara

  • A. Frontage Buildout. The primary facades of new primary buildings shall be set within the build-to ranges in compliance with Tables 5-1 and 5-2 and the text of this section The following elements may recess from or break the ground floor facade and constitute allowed exceptions to the frontage buildout requirement :

1. Forecourts , subject to Standard 9.3.B , can span up to 35% of a lot's frontage buildout requirement However, forecourts are not Permitted on Franklin St or the Central Green

2. Entrances—no wider than 12'—to paseos or passages , or side yards (See Section 9.5 )

3. Exterior staircases and associated landing areas

4. Chamfered corners , provided they include an entrance or stairway

5. Recessed Shopfronts: Ground floor shopfront facades may be recessed up to 8' behind the Build-To Range to create a "Recessed Shopfront," provided the facade above the recessed shopfront is located within the Build-To Range If the ground floor is recessed for multiple adjacent bays (see Chapter 8 for more on Bays), there shall be a wall or column between each bay, supporting the upper floor facades

  • B. Building Orientation. Buildings, in order to properly orient toward and engage the public realm, shall take access from and front the public realm per Chapter 9.

1. Front Setback and Encroachments The design of the front setback area—the space between the ground floor building facade and public right-of-way—is regulated by Chapter 9. Allowed Architectural Projections into the front, side, and rear setback areas are regulated in Chapter 10

TABLE 5-1 | FACADE BUILDOUT BY CHARACTER OVERLAY

Shopfront Retail-Ready General
A
Facade Buildout in Front Street Build-To Range
(as percentage of total buildable length along
the street or open space)		 100%1 100%1 70-100%1

TABLE 5-2 | BUILDING SETBACKS BY STREET (DIAGRAMMED BELOW)

Franklin
St		 Main St
South		 Lafayette
St		 All Other North-
South Streets		 Central
Green		 Benton St &
Homestead Rd
Build-To Range
B
Front Street Build-To
Range2		 12' – 15'3 0’ – 5’3 6’ – 12’;3
or 21' – 26'
with arcade4		 8’ – 12’ 15' – 20'5 12’ – 16’
Side and Rear Setbacks
C
Side yard adjacent to
another lot (min )		 0’ 10% of lot width
or 5’, whichever
is less
D
Rear with alley (min )		 15’ from the centerline of the alley
Rear without alley (min ) 20’
Separation between mult
buildings on a lot (min )
E		 0’ 10’

Notes

FIGURE 5-2 | BUILDING SETBACKS KEY

  • 1 See allowable exceptions in §5.3.A.

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----- Start of picture text -----
*
Franklin Central Arts

Square [] Green Commons
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  • 2 Measured from the property line(s) adjacent to the street or open space.

  • 3 The Franklin St, Main St South, and Lafayette St front setback area shall be designed as an extension of the sidewalk per Section 9.3.C .

  • 4 Along Lafayette St, the face of any Arcade shall be set 6 feet from the property line (see §10.4.H ).

  • 5 Continuous arcade(s) shall project over this setback, lining Central Green (see §10.4.H ).

  • 6 Buildings lining Arts Commons and a potentially-relocated Franklin Square shall be set at the edge of those spaces, with 100% buildout, as they are dimensioned in Precise Plan Fig. 3-2 . See also Code Fig. 4-2 .

  • ***** 7 See Standard 5.3.E .

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Publication, Apr 2026

ZONING

20 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

C. Parking and Vehicular Access

1. Per Section 12.1 , Surface parking lots are not permitted (exception: parking spaces along an alley, with no additional aisles for the purposes of accessing parking, are permitted)

2. Structured ground floor parking shall be set behind at least 30 feet of occupiable ground floor liner space See Section 12.5.A.2 for parking structure design standards

3. Vehicular access (see precedent at lower left) into the ground floor of a building, where allowed, comprises part of a building's frontage buildout See Section 9.4.F for Vehicular Access frontage type design standards

4. Vehicular drives into a lot, or "driveways" (see precedent lower right), do not comprise part of the frontage buildout, and they are not exceptions to the buildout percentage They are not allowed in the Shopfront Overlay, Retail-Ready Overlay, or anywhere an alley is present See Section 12.5.A.1 for driveway design standards

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VEHICULAR DRIVES INTO A LOT are to be located and designed to preserve the beauty and function of the Downtown environment.

VEHICULAR ACCESS INTO THE GROUND FLOOR is a frontage type and is regulated by §9.4.F.

  • D. Public Realm Extensions. While most buildings and ground-floor units will front onto and take their primary access from the adjacent Public Realm right-of-way, some buildings and ground-floor units may take this primary access from shared private spaces and connections that function as extensions of the public realm into a site Such spaces comprise a "Semi-Public Realm” and serve as transitions between fully-public and fully-private spaces Public Realm Extensions are subject to the following standards:

1. Continuous Access Route. A Public Realm Extension may comprise a single space or connection type, or it may be a sequence of spaces and connections In either case, Public Realm Extensions shall connect directly to the public realm

  • a. For public realm connections which extend through the block from one street to another (such as a paseo), the maximum distance to any primary access shall be 150 feet

  • b. For public realm connections which do not extend through the block (such as a forecourt), the maximum distance to any primary access shall be 100 feet

  • c. A space which is ‘floating’ within a block—such as an internal court which is not linked via other shared spaces or connections to the public realm—shall not provide the sole frontage to a primary building

2. Frontage. The standards and guidelines in Sections 8 and 9, the Facade Design and Private Frontages sections, shall be applied to the facades which define and front these spaces, including frequent points of building access and clear, ample fenestration

3. Activation. Semi-public spaces may allow public access or they may limit access to residents to create a more private space However, these spaces are not intended to be fully private, which means that they shall remain visible from the public realm, and activate the public realm via the regular coming and going of residents and visitors

4. Connectivity. Public realm extensions also provide connections through blocks This is accomplished with a paseo or through a sequence of courts and paseos linking together through the block Where nonvehicular paths are used, full and unrestricted public access shall be provided throughout the route

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SANTA CLARA CODE

21 | Chapter 5: Building Placement

5. Amenities. Public realm extensions also double as amenity space, and they should be designed and furnished as such They can serve as spaces for gathering, play, and can include fountains and other amenities

6. Design. The size, configuration, and character of these spaces shall prioritize pedestrian comfort The spaces and connections which comprise a Public Realm Extension are subject to Section 9.3.B and the following:

  • a. Public Realm Extensions shall connect directly to the public sidewalk Any necessary steps, ramps, and/or elevators to connect them shall be easy to locate and comfortable to use Apart from steps and ramps, surfaces used by pedestrians shall be flat

  • b. Decorative and/or permeable pavement is encouraged

  • c. Landscaping, pedestrian-scale lighting, and seating areas are encouraged

  • d. Public Realm Extensions may be enclosed from the public realm with landscaping, low walls, and/or fences, provided that entrances are provided No wall or fence enclosing a public realm extension may exceed 3 feet in height

  • e. On-site driving and parking areas shall either be designed as shared, multi-use spaces or be kept separate with strategic siting of buildings and/or landscaping

FIGURE 5-3 | PUBLIC REALM EXTENSIONS: SEMI-PUBLIC SPACES AND CONNECTIONS

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Forecourts abut and receive direct access from the public right of way

Courts (Internal) are accessed from the public right-of-way via a shared private connection such as a Passage

  • E. Placement of the Market/Food Hall on Arts Commons.

  • The Market/Food Hall structure on Arts Commons, along Lafayette St, shall fit within the 45' by 75' area identified in Precise Plan Figure 3-2 It may be freestanding or connect to the adjacent building in Block A In either case, a clear outdoor or indoor/outdoor public pedestrian way must pass between it and the rest of Block A, connecting Lafayette Street to Arts Commons

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Paseos, passages, and side

yards abut and receive direct access from the public right of way Paseos connect through blocks, creating a non-vehicular link between public rights of way

18 Attachment 1:112

Publication, Apr 2026

ZONING

22 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

6 Building Height

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▸ Contents — Santa Clara Zoning Code
Santa Clara Zoning Code
  1. Article 1 — Enactment and Applicability
  2. Chapter 18.02 — Purpose and Applicability of Zoning Code
  3. Chapter 18.04 — Interpretation of the Zoning Code Provisions
  4. Chapter 18.06 — Zoning Map and Zones
  5. Chapter 18.10 — Residential Zones (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, UC,…
  6. Chapter 18.12 — Commercial Zones (C-C, C-N, C-R)
  7. Chapter 18.14 — Mixed Use Zones (MU-NC, MU-CC, MU-RC, MU-MD, M…
  8. Chapter 18.16 — Office and Industrial Zones (LO-RD, HO-RD, LI,…
  9. Chapter 18.18 — Special Purpose Zones (OS, PQP)
  10. Chapter 18.20 — Planned Development Zone (PD)
  11. Chapter 18.22 — Lawrence Station Area Plan Zoning District (LS…
  12. Chapter 18.24 — Two-Unit Dwelling Residential Development and …
  13. ▸ Chapter 18.26 — Downtown Form-Based Code
    Overview
    1. 1.1. Introduction
    2. 1.2. Applicability
    3. 1.3. Rules of Construction
    4. 1.4. Architectural Review
    5. 1.5. Public Notice
    6. 1.6. Director Interpretations
    7. 1.7. Deviation from Standards
    8. 2.1. A New Code for Downtown Santa Clara
    9. 3.1. Summary of Regulating Topics
    10. 4.1. The Downtown Zone
    11. 4.2. Character Overlays
    12. 5.2. Applicability
    13. 5.1. Intent
    14. 5.3. Standards
    15. 6.1. Intent
    16. 6.2. Applicability
    17. 6.3. Standards
    18. 6.3 Standards (continued)
    19. 6.3 Standards (continued)
    20. 7.1. Intent
    21. 7.2. Applicability
    22. 7.3. Standards
    23. 7.3 Standards (continued)
    24. 7.3 Standards (continued)
    25. 8.1. Intent and Applicability
    26. 8.2. Standards
    27. 8.2 Standards (continued)
    28. 8.2 Standards (continued)
    29. 9.1. Intent
    30. 9.3. General Standards
    31. 9.2. Applicability
    32. 9.4. Standards by Frontage Type
    33. 10.1. Intent
    34. 10.2. Applicability
    35. 10.3. General Standards
    36. 10.4. Standards & Guidelines by Type
    37. 11.1. Intent and Applicability
    38. 11.2. General Standards
    39. 11.3. Standards & Guidelines by Type
    40. 12.1. Building Use
    41. 12.2. Specified Use Definitions
    42. 12.3. CUP Conditions of Approval
    43. 12.4. Parking Requirements
    44. 12.5. Parking Design Standards
    45. 13.1. Introduction
    46. 13.2. Specific to Waste and Utility Placement
    47. 13.3. Specific to Site Walls
    48. 13.4. Specific to Lighting
    49. 13.5. On-Site Open Space
    50. 13.6. Elevating a Place with Art
    51. Article 3 — Site Planning and General Development Standards
  14. Chapter 18.30 — Site Planning and General Development Standards
  15. Chapter 18.32 — Residential Accessory Structures
  16. Chapter 18.34 — Fences, Walls, Hedges, and Screens
  17. Chapter 18.36 — Landscaping Standards
  18. Chapter 18.38 — Off-Street Parking Regulations and Design Stan…
  19. Chapter 18.40 — Performance Standards
  20. Chapter 18.42 — Sign Standards
  21. Chapter 18.60 — Standards for Specific Land Uses
  22. Chapter 18.62 — Adult Business Uses
  23. Chapter 18.64 — Density Bonus and Affordable Housing
  24. Chapter 18.66 — Wireless Telecommunications Facilities
  25. Chapter 18.90 — General Nonconforming Provisions
  26. Chapter 18.92 — Nonconforming Structures
  27. Chapter 18.94 — Nonconforming Uses
  28. Chapter 18.96 — Nonconforming Parcels
  29. Chapter 18.98 — Other Specific Nonconforming Provisions
  30. Chapter 18.110 — General Provisions
  31. Chapter 18.112 — Application Processing Procedures
  32. Chapter 18.114 — Conditional and Minor Use Permits
  33. Chapter 18.116 — Off-Site Parking Permits
  34. Chapter 18.118 — Reasonable Accommodation
  35. Chapter 18.120 — Architectural Review
  36. Chapter 18.122 — Temporary Use Permits
  37. Chapter 18.124 — Variances and Minor Modifications
  38. Chapter 18.126 — Zoning Clearances
  39. Chapter 18.128 — Permit Implementation, Time Limits, and Exten…
  40. Chapter 18.130 — Historic Preservation
  41. Title 18 — Zoning Code

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