Chapter 19.20 — COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICTS

The purpose of this chapter is to implement the goals and objectives of the general plan toward the provision of retail and service needs of the residents and businesses of the city through establishment of a well defined pattern of commercial activity which is conveniently located, efficient and attractive.

(Ord. 2623-99 § 1)

• (a) The C-1 neighborhood business zoning district is reserved for the construction, use and occupancy of commercial buildings providing retail commercial shopping and service facilities to the adjacent neighborhood residential areas.

• (b) The C-2 highway business zoning district is reserved for the construction, use and occupancy of retail commercial buildings, tourist accommodations and service facilities adapted to principal highway commercial zoning districts.

• (c) The C-3 regional business zoning district is reserved for the construction, use and occupancy of commercial buildings providing extensive retail, commercial, shopping, and service facilities to serve the entire city or greater regional area.

• (d) The C-4 service commercial zoning district is reserved for the construction, use and occupancy of service rather than retail facilities such as repair shops, crafts shops or custom fabricators, contractors' offices, materials suppliers, as well as residential uses.

• (Prior zoning code §§ 19.32.100(a), 19.32.110(a), 19.32.120(a), 19.32.125(a); Ord. 2623-99 § 1)

• (a) Table 19.20.030 sets forth those uses which are permitted, conditionally permitted, and prohibited in commercial zoning districts, and the type of permit a use requires.

• (b) It is a violation of this chapter to:

  • (1) Engage in a use that is conditional without complying with the imposed conditions;

  • (2) Engage in a prohibited use;

  • (3) Engage in a use requiring a miscellaneous plan permit, use permit or special development permit without obtaining the required permit.

• (c) Unless otherwise authorized by a permit, all permitted or conditionally permitted uses in a commercial zoning district shall be conducted entirely within an enclosed building.

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City of Sunnyvale, CA

ZONING

§ 19.20.030

§ 19.20.030

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Table 19.20.030
Permitted, Conditionally Permitted and Prohibited Uses in Commercial Zoning Districts
In the table, the letters and symbols are defined as follows:
P = Permitted use
UP = Use Permit required
MPP = Miscellaneous Plan Permit required
N = Not permitted, prohibited
COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICTS C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4
1. Retail Commercial
A. Bakeries P1 P1 P1 P1
B. Drive-through retail sales businesses, except restaurants UP UP UP N
C. Retail sales businesses P1 P1 P1 N
D. Outside display of merchandise or products in connection with a retail MPP MPP MPP N
sales business
E. Donation centers for used goods2 MPP MPP MPP MPP
F. Retail liquor stores within 200 feet of public schools N P P P
G. Retail liquor stores outside 200 feet of public schools P P P P
2. Service Commercial
A. Bulk sale of building and construction materials, feed, fertilizers, soil N N N UP
conditioners and fuel (except motor vehicle fuel)
B. Commercial storage N N N MPP1
C. Crafts shops such as cabinetmakers, upholsterers, taxidermists, etc. N N N MPP
D. Custom fabricators N N N MPP
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City of Sunnyvale, CA

SUNNYVALE CODE

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§ 19.20.030 SUNNYVALE CODE § 19.20.030
COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICTS C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4
E. Livestock or poultry housing or sales N N N N
F. Open or unenclosed storage ancillary to a permitted use (screened P P P P
from public view)
G. Outdoor storage of materials or supplies ancillary to a permitted use, N N N MPP1
not screened from public right-of-way
H. Printers, copiers, and engravers using chemical processes N N N MPP1
I. Repair shops for household appliances and apparel P1 P1 P1 P1
J. Retail service uses such as copiers, locksmiths, and engravers not P1 P1 P1 P1
using chemical processes
K. Self storage "mini warehousing" N UP UP MPP1
L. Trailer, automobile, boat, motorcycle and truck services and repairs N UP UP MPP1
3. Personal Service
A. Child care centers with occupancy of 30 or fewer children MPP MPP MPP MPP
B. Child care centers with occupancy of 31 or more children UP UP UP UP
C. Laundry, cleaning business, self-operated laundries, and dry cleaners UP UP UP MPP1
D. Personal service businesses not otherwise specified P1 P1 P1 UP
4. Eating/Drinking Establishments
A. Drive-through restaurants UP UP N N
B. Nightclubs and cocktail lounges, where alcoholic beverages are sold UP UP P N
and consumed
C. Restaurants and fast food restaurants that may have on sale beer and MPP MPP MPP MPP
wine alcohol beverage service
D. Restaurants and fast food restaurants that have on sale general UP UP UP UP
alcoholic beverage service
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City of Sunnyvale, CA

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§ 19.20.030 ZONING § 19.20.030
COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICTS C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4
5. Automotive
A. Automotive service stations: UP UP UP UP
1. Retail sales of groceries at permitted stations7 MPP MPP MPP MPP
2. Retail sale of beer and wine at permitted stations7 UP UP UP UP
B. Car wash facilities N UP UP UP
C. Automobile/Vehicle repair N UP UP UP
D. Automotive broker for 3 or fewer vehicles on site N MPP1 MPP1 MPP1
E. New or used vehicle sales N UP UP N
6. Education, Recreation, and Places of Assembly
A. Education—Recreation and enrichment MPP5 MPP5 MPP5 N
B. Education—Primary and high school UP5 UP5 UP5 N
C. Education—Institution of higher learning UP5 UP5 UP5 N
D. Recreational and athletic facilities 5 5 5 N
UP UP UP
E. Places of assembly—Business serving UP5 UP5 UP5 UP
F. Places of assembly—Community serving UP5 UP5 UP5 N
G. Cardrooms N N N N
H. Entertainment establishments UP UP UP N
I. Safe parking site See Chapter 19.66
7. Office
A. Ground floor dependent office less than 1,000 square feet P P P MPP
B. Ground floor dependent office greater than 1,000 square feet MPP MPP MPP UP
C. Office not located on the ground floor P P P P
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City of Sunnyvale, CA

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§ 19.20.030 SUNNYVALE CODE § 19.20.030
COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICTS C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4
D. Financial institutions MPP MPP MPP UP
E. Research and development office N N N N
F. Medical clinics MPP MPP MPP UP
8. Public Facilities
A. Bus terminals and other public transportation facilities UP UP UP UP
B. Public utility buildings and service facilities UP UP UP UP
9. Residential/Boarding/Lodging
A. Hotel or motel N UP UP N
B. Residential uses N6 UP N6 N6
C. Single room occupancy living facilities N UP UP N
D. Single room occupancy residential hotels N UP UP N
10. Other
A. A. Any use which is obnoxious, offensive or creates a nuisance N N N N
B. Adult business establishments N N N N
C. Assembly, compounding, manufacture or processing of merchandise N N N UP
or products are customarily incidental or essential to permitted retail
commercial and service uses
D. Massage establishments3 P P P P
E. Recycling centers UP UP UP UP
F. Sale or rental of utility trailers, heavy equipment or machinery N N N UP
G. Storage or parking of commercial, industrial or public utility vehicles N4 N4 N4 N4
H. Wholesale storage or warehousing of merchandise or products within N N N P UP
a building or premises8
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City of Sunnyvale, CA

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§ 19.20.030 ZONING § 19.20.030
COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICTS C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4
I. Facilities for storage of recreational vehicles N N N MPP
J. Animal hospitals and clinics UP UP UP UP
K. Payday lending establishment N MPP9 N N
Notes:
1 Construction of a new building greater than ten thousand square feet requires a use permit.
2 Donation centers in C-1 are only allowed on sites of four or more acres. Miscellaneous plan permits for donation centers shall be reviewed for compliance
with council policy on operations, location and appearance following the procedures in Chapter 19.82 (Miscellaneous Plan Permit).
3 Subject to provisions of Chapter 9.41.
4 Except that daytime and overnight parking of up to five commercial motor vehicles (of a type that are less than ten thousand pounds in gross vehicle
weight with not more than two axles) that are owned or operated by the person(s), company or business which conducts the primary use is permitted,
provided the vehicles are used for purposes of delivery, pick up or service to patrons of the primary use only, do not utilize on-site required parking and are
not utilized for purposes of advertising.
5 Educational and recreational uses and places of assembly shall not be located in retail centers in a manner that disrupts the flow of pedestrians between
retail establishments.
6 Except caretaker residence ancillary to a permitted use.
7 Automobile service stations with sale of groceries, beer and wine, or both, require findings as set forth in Section 19.98.020(i) and/or (j), as applicable.
8 In the C-4 zoning district, wholesale storage or warehousing is permitted up to thirty-five percent FAR, and requires a use permit for greater than thirty-
five percent FAR.
9 Subject to the provisions of Section 19.20.050.
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City of Sunnyvale, CA § 19.20.030

SUNNYVALE CODE

§ 19.20.050

(Prior zoning code §§ 19.32.100(b)(1)—(d)(8), 19.32.110(b)(1)—(c)(6),

19.32.120(b)(1)—(d)(7), 19.32.125(b)(1)—(c)(4), 19.52.010; Ord. 2623-99 § 1; Ord. 2649-00 § 2; Ord. 2673-01 § 2; Ord. 2802-06 § 6; Ord. 2805-06 § 2; Ord. 2848-07 § 3; Ord. 2874-08 § 1; Ord. 2877-08 § 5; Ord. 2887-08 § 4; Ord. 2906-09 § 1; Ord. 2910-09 § 2; Ord. 2947-10 § 4; Ord. 3002-13 § 4; Ord. 3043-14 § 1; Ord. 3065-15 § 4; Ord. 3077-16 § 3; Ord. 3125-17 § 3; Ord. 3150-19 § 1; Ord. 3233-24, 11/19/2024)

• (a) A use permit is required for all uses in the C-1 (neighborhood business zoning district) and C-3 (regional business zoning district) which:

  • (1) Consists of more than two buildings on one lot.

  • (2) Consists of any building or buildings in any of the following forms of multiple ownership: condominium, as defined in Section 783 of the California Civil Code; community apartment project, as defined in Section 11004 of the California Business and Professions Code; a stock cooperative as defined in Section 11003.2 of the Business and Professions Code; or a planned development as defined in Section 11003 of the Business and Professions Code.

  • (3) The conversion of ownership of any existing building or buildings to any of the forms of multiple ownership set forth above.

• (b) If state law requires the city to allow a residential use on a commercially zoned site, such use shall require a use permit, or, if required by Chapter 19.90 of this code, a special development permit. The project shall comply with the residential density and other residential standards applicable to the site in the General Plan. The project shall also comply with all zoning standards that apply to residential uses in the lowest residential zoning district that would allow the density established by the General Plan for the site.

• (c) By-right housing developments on sites identified in Chapter 19.73 require approval of a ministerial miscellaneous plan permit in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 19.82, even if a Use Permit or Special Development Permit is listed in Table 19.18.030.

• (Prior zoning code § 19.32.068; Ord. 2623-99 § 1; Ord. 3176-21 § 2; Ord. 3223-24, 2/6/2024)

• (a) Distance Requirement. Payday lending establishments are prohibited within one thousand feet of the parcel boundaries of any other payday lending establishment.

• (b) Maximum Number of Payday Lending Establishments. The maximum number of payday lending establishments that may be operating at any one time is six.

• (c) Operational Standards. Payday lending establishments must meet the following minimum operational standards at all times, which are the obligation of the owner of the payday lending establishment:

  • (1) The approved lighting plan for the tenant space must be maintained (plan required with the submittal of the applicable planning permit application); and

  • (2) Hours of operation must be between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily; and

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City of Sunnyvale, CA § 19.20.050

ZONING

§ 19.20.050

• (3) At least one sign (minimum four square feet) shall be posted in the business that is clearly visible to patrons from the entrance of the store with information on alternatives to payday loans. The exact language for the sign will be uniform and created by the community development director. All payday lending establishments will be subject to comply with this operational standard six months after the adoption of this ordinance.

• (Ord. 3002-13 § 5)

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City of Sunnyvale, CA