Chapter 16.204 — COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS

This chapter establishes the use regulations and site development standards for the commercial zoning districts. The purpose of the commercial zoning districts is to:

A.

Provide for the orderly, well-planned, and balanced growth of commercial districts.

B.

Encourage a mix of uses that promote convenience, economic vitality, fiscal stability, and quality of life in Vallejo.

C.

Promote pedestrian- and transit-oriented, medium and high-density multi-family housing, mixed-use commercial centers at appropriate locations.

D.

Establish design standards that improve the visual quality of development and create a unified, distinctive, and attractive character in commercial districts.

E.

Provide appropriate buffers and transition standards between commercial and adjacent residential neighborhoods.

More specifically, the purposes of the individual commercial zoning districts are as follows:

NC Neighborhood Commercial: The NC Zoning District is intended to create and establish regulations for neighborhoods in which limited retail commercial goods and services are provided on small sites to meet the day-to-day needs of local residents.

CC Central Corridor Commercial: The CC Zoning District is intended to create and establish regulations for community serving mixed-use areas along the Sonoma Boulevard Central Corridor and areas subject to the Sonoma Boulevard Specific Plan. Land uses include mixed-use with housing, medium and high density residential or non-residential uses at street level, subject to design and development standards to promote a mixed-use and pedestrian orientation.

WC Waterfront Commercial: The WC Zoning District is intended to create and establish regulations for areas along the waterfront that provide waterfront-related retail and service uses and visitor accommodations in building forms appropriately scaled to the waterfront. Public access to the shoreline must be provided where development is adjacent to the Napa River, Mare Island Strait, or Carquinez Strait. No residential uses are allowed.

RC Regional Commercial: The RC Zoning District is intended to create and establish regulations for sites that provide general retail, services, and commercial recreation and entertainment for local residents as well as consumers and visitors from the region. Design and development standards will accommodate autooriented uses and require buffering and transitions to adjacent residential neighborhoods.

(Ord. No. 1879 N.C.(2d), § 3(Exh. A), 3-11-2025)

The Table below prescribes the development standards for the commercial districts. The numbers in each illustration below refer to corresponding regulations in the "Fig #" column in the table.

TABLE 16.204-A: DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS: COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS

A.

Required Side and Rear Yards for Residential Uses. In order to provide light and air for residential units, the following minimum setbacks apply to any building wall containing windows for residential units and facing an interior side or rear yard.

1.

For any wall containing windows, a setback of at least five feet shall be provided.

2.

For any wall containing living room or bedroom windows, a setback of at least ten feet shall be provided.

3.

The required setbacks apply to that portion of the building wall containing a window and extending three feet on either side of the window.

B.

Daylight Plane Required Adjacent to Residential Districts. Buildings shall not extend above a plane starting at twenty-five feet in height directly above the property line abutting any residentially-zoned parcel, or where there is an alley, the centerline of the alley, and from that point, extending in at a forty-five-degree angle from vertical toward the interior of the site. The 25-foot height measurement shall be taken from the same reference grade as determined for the subject site pursuant to Chapter 16.104, Rules for Measurement.

C.

Architectural Features. A parapet wall, cornice, sloping roof or solar energy installation may project up to four feet above the height limit. Uninhabited roof structures that screen mechanical equipment and elevator penthouses are not included in the measurement of building height. Mechanical equipment shall be integrated and architecturally designed to match the building and not visible from adjacent streets.

D.

Corner Projections. If the project site on a corner site that is greater than fifteen thousand square feet, a tower or other projecting architectural elements may extend up to twelve feet above the top of a pitched roof, provided that the square footage of the element(s) does not total more than fifteen percent of the building footprint. The area above the uppermost permitted floor of the element(s) shall not be habitable space.

1.

The composition of the tower element shall be balanced, where the width of the tower has a proportional relationship to the height of the tower.

2.

The tower element shall be proportional to the rest of the building.

3.

The tower element shall not be stepped back at any point.

4.

The maximum horizontal dimension of the tower element shall not exceed one hundred feet.

5.

Fenestration at the base of the tower shall be greater than the top.

6.

The roof shall include architectural detailing, such as a cornice or eave.

E.

Landscaped Buffer Required. A landscaped area at least four feet in width planted with evergreen shrubs shall be installed along the rear property line adjacent to any residential zoning district to create a sound barrier and privacy screen. Shrubs shall be a minimum of five feet in height at the time they are planted.

F.

Upper Story Limitations. For the RC and CC Zoning Districts, the maximum allowable number of stories shall not exceed three within fifty feet of an RLD District.

(Ord. No. 1879 N.C.(2d), § 3(Exh. A), 3-11-2025)

16.204.03 - Additional regulations.

A.

Mixed-Use Development. A combination of permitted commercial uses may be established in the same building or on the same lot as a residential use subject to compliance with all applicable requirements for

the use and the development intensity. A minimum of fifteen percent of non-residential space on the ground floor is required along street frontage (does not include alley).

1.

Minimum Required Active Commercial Uses on Frontages. Development in commercial districts with more than one hundred feet of frontage shall provide the following minimum ground-floor street frontage for active commercial uses (that have regular customers throughout the day e.g., retail shops, restaurants).

a.

CC District. Forty percent on the primary frontage and thirty percent on secondary frontages.

b.

NC District. Thirty percent on the primary frontage and twenty percent on secondary frontages.

B.

Reductions When Allowed. The minimum required active use on secondary frontages may be reduced if the director finds that (1) the proposed use has unique operation characteristics where the required active use is incompatible, such as in the case or a movie or live theater, and (2) street facing walls exhibit architectural relief and detailing that enhance the pedestrian environment.

C.

Pedestrian Entrances and Paths.

1.

Entrances. All non-residential activities located at the street level shall provide one direct at-grade entrance from the public right-of-way for each street frontage exceeding fifty feet.

a.

Where such frontages exceed one hundred feet, one entrance shall be provided for each one hundred feet of frontage or portion thereof.

b.

Separate pedestrian entrances for a single tenant must be at least twenty-five feet apart.

c.

Recessed entrances shall not exceed twenty-five feet in width and the face of a door or gates shall be within fifteen feet of the lot line.

2.

Pedestrian Paths. In shopping centers and mixed-use development, each commercial tenant space shall be accessible from an abutting public street by a pedestrian path that is at least four feet wide. The path

shall be continuous, clear of obstructions, easily identifiable as a pedestrian path, and visually distinguishable from other hardscaping.

a.

Pedestrian paths shall be separated from vehicular access areas by wheel stops, curbs, landscaping, or other physical barriers, except when crossing driveways or aisles.

b.

Pedestrian paths and sidewalks connecting building entrances to the street and public sidewalks shall be continuous, clear of obstructions, easily identifiable, and visually distinguishable from surrounding concrete or hardscape areas.

c.

Pedestrian paths and sidewalks must be separated from parking area by wheel stops, curbs, landscaping, or other physical barriers.

D.

Additional Residential Density. Additional residential density may be approved, as set forth in Chapter 16.214, Affordable Housing Incentives.

E.

Street Preservation. Existing public right-of-way shall be preserved. Public right-of-way shall not be eliminated or abandoned, unless substantial public benefits are provided, such as a new park, a community garden or a trail on pedestrian passages.

TABLE 16.204-B: BUILDING FORM STANDARDS: COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS

F.

Street Frontage Improvements. New development shall provide street frontage improvements in accordance with the following:

1.

Between the Property Line and Curb.

a.

Sidewalks. Sidewalks shall be provided if none exists or if the existing sidewalks are in poor condition, as determined by the City Engineer/Public Works Director.

b.

Street Furniture. Trash receptacles, benches, bike racks, and other street furniture shall be provided, as determined by the approving body.

c.

Streetlights. Pedestrian-scaled streetlights not to exceed fourteen feet in height, including attachments from which banners may be hung, shall be provided.

d.

Street Trees. Shade trees shall be planted no more than thirty feet on center. Tree guards shall be provided. Trees shall be a minimum of fifteen gallons in size, and at least ten percent of the required trees shall be twenty-four-inch box size or larger.

2.

Interior from Property Line. Except where occupied by a building or necessary for parking access, the street frontage, for a depth of ten feet from the property line, shall be utilized for pedestrian circulation or active outdoor uses, including, but not limited to outdoor dining; paved for public uses so that it functions as part of a wider public sidewalk; or improved with landscaping, public art, and/or pedestrian amenities, such as outdoor seating.

G.

Building Orientation and Entrances.

1.

Buildings shall be oriented to face public streets.

2.

Building frontages shall be generally parallel to streets, and the primary building entrances shall be located on or within twenty feet of a public sidewalk. The director may grant exceptions to this standard for uses with unique needs.

3.

Entrances located at corners shall generally be located at a forty-five-degree angle to the corner and shall have a distinct architectural treatment, such as angled or rounded corners, arches, and other architectural elements.

4.

Entrances to residential units shall be physically separated from the entrance to commercial uses and clearly marked with a physical feature incorporated into the building or an appropriately scaled element applied to the facade.

H.

Building Transparency Required for Non-Residential Uses. Exterior walls facing and within twenty feet of a front or street side property line shall include windows, glass doors, or other openings for at least sixty percent of the building wall area located between 2.5 and seven feet above the level of the sidewalk.

1.

Required Openings. No wall may run in a continuous plane (See Table 16.204-B: Building Form Standards: Commercial Districts) without a window or other opening. If a lot has more than one street frontage, this standard applies to the primary frontage.

2.

Design of Required Openings. Openings fulfilling this requirement shall have transparent glazing and provide views into work areas, display areas, sales areas, lobbies, or similar active spaces, or into window displays that are at least twenty-four inches deep and set into a wall. Windows that provide visibility into storage areas, vehicle parking areas, utility areas and display cases attached to outside walls do not fulfill this requirement.

3.

Exceptions for Parking Garages. Multi-level garages are not required to meet the building transparency requirement of this section. Instead, they must be screened and treated, consistent with the requirements of Chapter 16.508, Off-Street Parking and Loading.

4.

Alternatives through Director's Review. Alternatives to the building transparency requirement may be approved if the director finds that:

a.

The proposed use has unique operational characteristics where providing the required windows and openings is incompatible, such as in the case of a movie or live theater; and

b.

Street-facing building walls will exhibit architectural relief and detail and will be enhanced with landscaping to create visual interest at the pedestrian level.

I.

Building Design and Articulation. Commercial and mixed-use buildings shall provide adequate architectural articulation and detail to avoid a bulky and "box-like" appearance subject to the following standards.

1.

Vertical Relationship. Buildings shall be designed to have a distinctive base (ground floor level), middle (intermediate upper floor levels), and top (either top floor or roof level). Cornices, balconies, roof terraces, and other architectural elements should be used, as appropriate, to terminate rooflines and accentuate setbacks between stories.

2.

Windows.

a.

Window frames shall be inset at least two inches from the face of the building to enhance shadow-line around opening.

b.

Snap-in vinyl mullions between double pane glass are prohibited. If a divided light appearance is desired, mullions must be made of dimensional material projecting in front of the panes on both the inside and outside of the window.

c.

Exceptions may be granted by the director to accommodate an alternative window design that is consistent with the architectural style of the structure.

3.

Exterior Building Materials and Colors.

a.

A unified palette of materials shall be used on all sides of buildings.

b.

Colors shall be used to help delineate windows and other architectural features to increase architectural interest.

4.

Building Details.

a.

Building facades shall include building projections or recesses, doorway and window trim, and other details that provide architectural articulation and design interest.

b.

All applied surface ornamentation or decorative detailing shall be consistent with the architectural style of the building.

c.

Each side of the building that is visible from a public right-of-way shall be designed with a complementary level of detailing.

5.

Roof Articulation. Buildings exceeding forty thousand square feet in floor area shall be designed with staggered rooflines, shaded roof decks, or other forms of architectural articulation.

J.

Pedestrian Access on Large Sites (Over five acres).

1.

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.

2.

Circulation Network. Regular connections between on-site walkways and the public sidewalk and other planned or existing pedestrian routes and trails shall be provided. An on-site walkway shall connect the primary building entry or entries to a public sidewalk on each street frontage.

3.

Adjacent Properties. Direct and convenient access shall be provided from commercial and mixed-use projects to adjoining residential and commercial areas to the maximum extent feasible, while still providing for safety and security.

4.

Transit. Safe and convenient pedestrian connections shall be provided from transit stops to building entrances.

5.

Interior Pedestrian Walkway Design.

a.

Walkways shall have a minimum clear, unobstructed width of six feet, where feasible, but at least four feet, shall be hard-surfaced, and paved with concrete, stone, tile, brick, or comparable material.

b.

Where a required walkway crosses driveway, parking areas, or loading areas, it must be clearly identifiable through the use of a raised crosswalk, a different paving material, or similar method.

c.

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

K.

Shopping Centers. Shopping centers containing twenty-five thousand square feet or more of floor area are subject to the following standards and criteria for approval.

1.

Entry Plazas/Passenger Loading Areas. A plaza shall be provided at the entry to each anchor tenant that provides for pedestrian circulation and loading and unloading. Entry plazas and passenger loading areas

shall include unique, decorative paving materials, adequate seating areas, and provision of adequate shade from the summer sun, and attractive landscaping including trees or raised planters. Entry plazas with features described under paragraph 4(c) below may be counted toward the public plaza requirements.

2.

Location of Parking Areas. Surface parking lots shall be located to provide users with maximum access to buildings within the shopping center without moving their vehicles either behind or to the side of buildings. Parking areas shall not be located between buildings and any primary street.

3.

On-Site Public Plazas. Privately-owned, publicly accessible outdoor plazas for the use of customers and visitors shall be provided at a rate of five square feet per one thousand square feet of floor area, up to one thousand five hundred square feet for required outdoor plazas.

a.

Location. Public plazas shall be visible from a public street, or from on-site areas normally frequented by customers, and shall be accessible during business hours.

b.

Amenities. On-site privately-owned public outdoor space shall include benches or other seating, and the ground surface shall be landscaped or surfaced with high-quality paving materials. Amenities shall be provided that enhance the comfort, aesthetics, or usability of the space, such as shade trees and other landscaping, shade structures, drinking fountains, water features, public art, and performance areas.

4.

Design Criteria. In order to receive approval for a shopping center, the director or the planning commission, whichever has final approval authority, shall find that all of the following criteria have been met.

a.

Integrated Theme. Buildings and structures exhibit an integrated architectural theme that includes similar or complementary materials, colors, and design details.

b.

Site Entrance. The driveway entrance provides an organizing element to the site design with features such as a landscaped entry corridor or a divided median drive separated by a landscaped center dividing island.

c.

Building Entrances. Building entrances to anchor tenants and other large stores are prominent and inviting. The architectural details of building entrances are integrated with the overall building design in terms of materials, scale, proportion, and design elements.

d.

Vehicular Circulation. Safe, convenient vehicular circulation is provided within the development through an appropriate system of internal vehicular circulation routes based on a hierarchy of driveway aisles and cross routes. Where pedestrian circulation routes cross vehicular traffic aisles and driveways within a development, there are clearly delineated crosswalks that include clear sight lines, adequate warning signage, adequate lighting, and protective barrier posts or similar features at walkway entrances.

e.

Cart Corrals. Adequate, convenient cart corrals are provided near building entrances and throughout the parking areas.

f.

Lighting. A combination of attractively designed and located lighting fixtures, including low pole lights, ground-mounted fixtures, light bollards, and architectural lighting provides interesting compositions for outdoor lighting, as well as a safe, secure environment.

g.

Shade Areas. Pedestrian areas, such as walkways, building entrances, and gathering areas, are adequately shaded from the summer sun through such techniques as the careful placement of trees and landscaping, trellis structures, projecting canopies, covered walkways, arcades, porticos, building orientation, and similar techniques.

L.

Public Access for Shoreline Development. Any development along San Pablo Bay, the Napa River, Mare Island Strait, or the Carquinez Strait shall provide public access to and along shoreline consistent with state and Bay Conservation and Development Commission requirements, and shall include in-water access where feasible, consistent with General Plan Policy NBE-4.1.

(Ord. No. 1879 N.C.(2d), § 3(Exh. A), 3-11-2025)

Chapter 16.205 - OFFICE AND MEDICAL DISTRICTS