Upland Municipal Code Ch. 17.06 Commercial Zones

A. Commercial Zones. The purposes of the Commercial zones are to:

1. Maintain areas for a broad range of local-and regional-serving commercial and office establishments that meet the needs of current and future residents and take advantage of the City's location relative to regional roadway and transit systems;

2. Assure high-quality design and site planning of commercial and office areas to attract customers, enhance the neighborhoods in which they are located, and contribute to the positive character of the City as a whole;

3. Encourage the development of commercial and office areas that create an opportunity to walk and bike between businesses, shopping and residences; and

4. Ensure that new commercial and office development is designed to minimize traffic and parking impacts on surrounding neighborhoods and is appropriate to the physical characteristics of the site and the area where the project is located.

B. Neighborhood Commercial (NC). The NC zone is intended to provide for small-scale retail and service uses that meet the daily needs of nearby residents and workers. Standards for the NC zone are in-tended to reduce the need to drive by providing everyday goods and services close to where people live and work, and by allowing for centers of neighborhood activity that support small businesses. Development within this zone should maximize human-scaled elements while providing a sensitive transition between these uses and neighboring residential areas. Permitted uses within the NC zone include supermarkets, drug stores, small restaurants, laundromats, dry cleaners, and a variety of smaller shops. The maximum permitted FAR is 0.5. The NC zone implements the Neighborhood Commercial (NC) land use designation in the General Plan.

C. Highway Commercial (HC). The HC zone is intended to provide for a full range of retail, service, and office uses to serve the daily and occasional needs of residents, workers, and visitors. The HC zone is applied only along major corridors to ensure that a diversity of commercial uses is available within convenient locations. Permitted uses include general retail, personal services, professional offices, restaurants, gas and service stations, hotels and motels, and other similar commercial uses. Single-family homes are not permitted in the HC zone. The maximum permitted FAR is 0.5. The HC zone implements the Highway Commercial (HC) land use designation in the General Plan.

D. Regional Commercial (RC). The RC zone is intended for the development of regional shopping centers and accompanying uses that are visible from a regional standpoint, such as near freeways and major arterials. The RC zone is applied in the southern end of the City along Mountain Avenue and 7th Street near the entrance to I-10. Permitted uses include department stores, home furnishings and appliance stores, apparel stores, specialty retail stores, and restaurants. Development within this zone should address the freeway as well as arterial roadways through attractive building façades in order to establish an attractive gateway into the City. The maximum permitted FAR is 0.5. The RC zone implements the Regional Commercial (RC) land use designation in the General Plan.

E. Office/Professional (OP). While office uses are supported in all commercial designations, the OP zone is intended to provide for areas to be used predominantly for professional and administrative offices, supporting retail, and related uses. This zone is found predominantly around San Antonio Hospital to allow for medical-related office uses compatible with the hospital and nearby residential areas. Mixed office and commercial uses are supported as well. The maximum permitted FAR is 0.5. The OP zone implements the Office/Professional (OP) land use designation in the General Plan.

A. Permitted Uses. Table 17.06-1 (Permitted Land Uses in the Commercial Zones) identifies land uses permitted in the commercial zones. The "Applicable Regulations" column notes additional regulations that apply to specific land uses in some or all districts. The majority of the applicable regulations are in Part 4 (Special Land Use Regulations), though some additional regulations are located in separate chapters, as indicated.

TABLE 17.06-1 PERMITTED LAND USES IN THE COMMERCIAL ZONES

Notes:

(Ord. 1910 § 2, 2016; Ord. 1931 § 12, 2018; Ord. 1944 § 3, 2020; Ord. 1948 § 8, 2021; Ord. 1949 § 2, 2021; Ord. 1970 § 5, 2022)

A. Parcel Size and Density. Table 17.06-2 (Parcel Size and Intensity Standards for Commercial Zones) identifies the parcel size and intensity standards that apply in commercial zones.

TABLE 17.06-2 PARCEL SIZE AND INTENSITY STANDARDS FOR COMMERCIAL ZONES

Notes:

B. Structure Setbacks and Height. Table 17.06-3 (Setback and Height Standards for Commercial Zones) identifies structure setback and height standards that apply in commercial zones.

TABLE 17.06-3 SETBACK AND HEIGHT STANDARDS FOR COMMERCIAL ZONES [1]

Notes:

A. Landscape and Irrigation Plans. Landscape and irrigation plans shall be prepared in accordance with Chapter 17.12 (Landscaping).

B. Landscaped Area.

1. NC, HC and OP Zone. The minimum landscaped area on a site within the NC, HC and OP zones shall be 15 percent.

2. RC Zone. The minimum landscaped area on a site within the RC zone shall be 10 percent.

3. Setback Areas. In addition to the required landscaped area specified in paragraphs 1 and 2 above, all setback areas shall be landscaped, excluding areas required for access to the property and public or quasi-public open space areas such as courtyards and outdoor seating areas.

In addition to the development standards contained in Section 17.06.030 (Development Standards for Commercial Zones), design guidelines are presented here to provide an added level of definition for the intended development character within commercial developments. The design guidelines are intended to establish general criteria for achieving a high quality design expression in site and building design while allowing reasonable flexibility in the implementation of developments within the commercial zones. The design guidelines are intended to assist project applicants during the project design phase and City staff and decision makers in the review and approval process.

The following design guidelines apply to all new commercial development, in addition to other applicable design guidelines found in other sections of the Zoning Ordinance.

A. Neighborhood Context.

1. The location of site uses should be coordinated with adjoining properties to avoid creating nuisances such as noise, odor, light intrusion, invasion of privacy, and traffic, particularly when development is adjacent to sensitive uses such as residential development.

2. Buildings should be compatible with the height, massing, setback, and design character of surrounding uses. New development should contribute to the visual quality and cohesiveness of its setting but need not imitate or mimic adjacent development.

3. Commercial development should not create unattractive views from neighboring uses by orienting blank building walls toward neighbors. Any visible building walls should incorporate architectural elements to create visual interest.

B. Site Design.

1. Buildings should be sited to reinforce the public street network by incorporating active façades, with windows, doors, and other architectural elements giving interest to the building wall along the sidewalk and providing views into and out of the building.

2. New building fronts should occupy at least half of a lot's available frontage. Buildings should be located as close as possible to the front setback line or immediately behind a public or semi-private space, such as an outdoor seating area for a restaurant. Building fronts should have building entrances and windows oriented toward the primary street.

3. In commercial centers the development of a complex of buildings is preferable to a single large structure. The varied massing provides visual interest and human scale. The spaces created between the various buildings provide opportunities for pedestrian plazas, courtyards, and other outdoor gathering areas. Pedestrian spaces should be part of a well-planned circulation system to avoid the creation of unused spaces.

C. Transitional Height.

1. Commercial projects adjacent to single-family residential uses should provide the following additional stepbacks:

a. Commercial projects within 25 feet of a single-family property line should not exceed 25 feet in height.

b. Commercial projects between 26 and 45 feet from a single-family property line should not exceed 45 feet in height.

D. Building Design.

1. Design elements that create pedestrian interest, such as doors, windows, trellises, benches, or other similar elements, should be included at least every 40 to 60 feet along a building façade.

2. All façades should emphasize three-dimensional detailing such as cornices, window moldings, and reveals to cast shadows and create visual interest on the façade.

E. Corner Sites.

1. Where buildings are located at major or gateway intersections or front important community spaces as determined by the Development Services Director, a prominent architectural corner treatment of the building mass or attractively landscaped open space area is required.

2. Surface parking should not be provided at the corners of corner sites. Parking should be provided behind the building.

F. Pedestrian Orientation.

1. All commercial areas should emphasize pedestrian orientation by creating attractive pedestrian spaces that utilize such features as plazas, interior walkways, ornamental gates, trellises, lighting, plant materials, seating, and fountains.

2. Attractive, well-marked pedestrian links between parking and buildings should be provided. The connections should be clearly marked to provide safe access across traffic lanes and landscaped areas. Such walkways should utilize decorative paving at key locations.

3. All commercial buildings should be publicly accessible via a path or walkway from a public sidewalk.