Earlier editions: 2026-09
Title 24 — ZONING REGULATIONS 1 Revised Amended›Division 6 — Form-Based Coding for Special Areas Revised Amended›Chapter 24.600 — VICTORIA AVENUE CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT CODE Amended
Ventura Municipal Code § 24.600.020 Regulating plan and transect zones
Ventura Municipal Code · 2026-10 edition · updated 2026-10-05 · Ventura
Cite as: Ventura Municipal Code § 24.600.020 · Text as of 2026-10-05
24.600.010 Purpose.¶
This article establishes the zones applied to properties within the city and adopts the regulating plan for the Victoria Avenue Corridor area as its zoning map. (Formerly 24V.100.010)
24.600.020 Regulating plan and transect zones.¶
The council hereby adopts the Victoria Avenue Corridor Regulating Plan (hereafter referred to as the “regulating plan”), as shown in Figure 1, as an amendment to the zoning district map authorized by Section 24.105.040 (Adoption of the zoning district map).
A. Transect Zones Established. The area within the regulating plan boundaries is subject to this Victoria Avenue Corridor Development Code, and shall be divided into transect zones that implement the Ventura general plan. The transect zones described in Section 24.600.030 (Transect zone descriptions) are hereby established, and shall be shown on the regulating plan for the Victoria Avenue Corridor area.
B. Interpretation of Zone Boundaries. If there is uncertainty about the location of any zone boundary shown on the regulating plan, the location of the boundary shall be determined by the director as follows.
Where a zone boundary approximately follows a lot line, alley, or street line, the lot line, street or alley centerline shall be construed as the zone boundary, as applicable;
If a zone boundary divides a parcel and the boundary line location is not specified by distances printed on the regulating plan, the location of the boundary will be determined by using the scale appearing on the regulating plan; and
Where a public street or alley is officially vacated or abandoned, the property that was formerly in the street or alley will be included within the zone of the adjoining property on either side of the vacated or abandoned street or alley. (Formerly 24V.100.020)
24.600.030 Transect zone descriptions.¶
Table A: Transect Zone Descriptions. This table provides a generalized transect for Ventura. A detailed description of the transect refinements used in this development code is in subsections A through D of this section.
| T1 THE NATURAL ZONE consists of the natural and permanent open space areas within Ventura that are intended for preservation. These include the sand beach along the ocean, the Ventura River corridor, the Santa Clara River corridor, the hillsides to the north, and the Ventura/ |
|
|---|---|
| T2 THE RURAL ZONE consists of areas of Ventura that are reserved for agricultural use (SOAR), and have an open “country road” character and are sparsely settled. Significant T2 areas are present between the 101 Freeway and the Santa Clara River in the Olivas, Northbank, Montalvo and Serra communities; in the “internal greenbelt” running north to Foothill Road through the Serra and Poinsettia communities; south of Foothill Road in the Juanamaria and Wells communities, and in small patches of the North Avenue community. | |
| T3 THE SUBURBAN ZONE consists of low-density suburban residential areas within the College, Thille, Montalvo, Poinsettia, Juanamaria, Serra, Saticoy and Wells communities. Planting is naturalistic with relatively deep setbacks. Blocks may be large and the roads irregular to accommodate natural conditions. | |
| T4 THE GENERAL URBAN ZONE consists of a mixed-use but primarily residential urban fabric. It has wide range of building types. Setbacks and landscaping are variable. Streets typically define medium sized blocks. | |
| T5 THE URBAN CENTER ZONE consists of higher density mixed-use building types that accommodate retail, office, rowhouses and apartment uses. It has a tight network of streets with wide sidewalks, steady tree planting, and buildings set close to the frontages. | |
| T6 THE URBAN CORE ZONE consists of the heart of Downtown Ventura, which has the highest development intensities in the city and the greatest variety of uses, and important civic buildings. The Downtown is the city’s historic and cultural heart, and the code is intended to encourage the area to also become richly mixed use, with specialty retail, offices, and residential in mixed-use buildings, and a wide variety of quality restaurants. Buildings are generally simpler and boxier in their massing than in other parts of the city, predominantly mixed in use, between two and six stories in scale, attached to one another, and set close to street frontages. Streetscapes are intended to include wide sidewalks with steady street tree plantings set in the pavement. |
Note: T1, T2, T3, and T6 are shown above for reference, and are not applied to the Victoria Avenue Corridor Plan Area by this development code.
[Figure]
A. General Urban Zone 5 (T4.5). The general urban zone (T4.5) allows both residential and neighborhood-serving commercial uses within a walkable neighborhood setting. Forming the transition between Victoria Avenue’s activity and surrounding residential neighborhoods, the general urban zone includes single-family dwellings and multifamily housing types. Maximum height is three stories for compatibility with adjacent homes. Live/work units fit well in this transitional environment.
B. General Urban Zone 8 (T4.8). This transect zone retains the character of the corridor’s established employment center, with generous setbacks and relatively low frontage coverage in a well-landscaped setting. Dining and business service uses can mix with a variety of office activities in the workplace zone.
C. General Urban Zone 9 (T4.9). A grand avenue edge is created along Victoria Avenue with workplace buildings and vertical mixed use. Multistory buildings of two to six stories are set back sufficiently from the property line to allow construction of public realm improvements.
Behind the corridor edge, workplace buildings and frontage types are arranged with their primary facade oriented to streets. The corridor’s workplace is supported by a limited mix of multistory mixed-use, multifamily housing, and retail development. This zone offers easy walks to convenience uses along Victoria Avenue.
D. Urban Center Zone (T5.3) Town Center. This is the most urban transect zone along Victoria Avenue, featuring multistory buildings up to six floors. This zone calls for a unified, high-intensity, highly walkable mixed-use district with ground floor restaurants and shops and a highly amenitized public realm including a public plaza, ornamental street trees, lights, and public art. Along the edge of Victoria Avenue, active ground floor uses (shops and dining) are required with housing, office, civic, and lodging permitted on upper floors. Shopfront buildings assure frequent entries and a high level of transparency into stores and restaurants.
[Figure] [Figure] [Figure]
Table B. Regulations Summary Table
| T4.5 | T4.8 | T4.9 | T5.3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Urban Zone 5 | General Urban Zone 8 | General Urban Zone 9 | Urban Center Zone 3 | |
| Building Placement | Building Placement | Building Placement | Building Placement | Building Placement |
| Primary Building | Primary Building | Primary Building | Primary Building | Primary Building |
| Front Setback (min/ |
0 ft/20 ft | 0 ft/30 ft | 0 ft/15 ft | 0 ft/10 ft |
| Side Street Setback (min/ |
5 ft/20 ft | 10 ft/30 ft | 5 ft/15 ft | 0 ft/10 ft |
| Side Yard Setback | 5 ft min | 10 ft min | 10 ft min | 0 ft min |
| Rear Setback | 20 ft min | 10 ft min | 10 ft min | 10 ft min |
| Alley Setback | 5 ft min | 5 ft min | 5 ft min | 5 ft min |
| Frontage Coverage (min) | n/a | 50% | 60% | 90% |
| Build-To-Corner | not required | not required | required | required |
| Height | Height | Height | Height | Height |
| Primary Building | Primary Building | Primary Building | Primary Building | Primary Building |
| Minimum | n/a | 2 floors and 20 feet | 1 floor and 20 feet | 3 floors and 30 feet |
| Maximum | 3 floors and 45 feet | 6 floors and 70 feet | 6 floors and 70 feet | 6 floors and 70 feet |
| Maximum (in 1 – 4 story height limit overlay) | n/a | 4 floors and 48 feet | 4 floors and 48 feet | n/a |
| Minimum shopfront floor to floor | n/a | 15 feet | 15 feet | 15 feet |
| Bulk Reduction | n/a | 10% above 4th floor | 20% above 4th floor | 10% above 4th floor |
| Height Limit Adjacent to Homes | not required | required | required | required |
| Private Frontage Types | Private Frontage Types | Private Frontage Types | Private Frontage Types | Private Frontage Types |
| Common Yard | permitted | – | – | – |
| Dooryard | permitted | – | – | – |
| Porch and Fence | permitted | – | – | – |
| Stoop | permitted | – | permitted | permitted |
| Forecourt | permitted | permitted | permitted | permitted |
| Lightcourt | permitted | permitted | permitted | – |
| Shopfront and Awning | permitted | permitted | permitted | permitted |
| Gallery | permitted | permitted | permitted | permitted |
| Arcade | – | permitted | permitted | permitted |
| Grand Lobby Entry | – | permitted | permitted | permitted |
| Grand Portico | – | permitted | permitted | permitted |
| Building Types | Building Types | Building Types | Building Types | Building Types |
| Accessory Dwelling Unit | permitted subject to Chapter 24.430 | – | – | – |
| Front Yard House | permitted | – | – | – |
| Side Yard House | permitted | – | – | – |
| Multiplex (duplex, triplex, quadplex) | permitted | – | – | – |
| Villa | permitted | – | – | – |
| Mansion | – | – | MTD Standards apply | – |
| Bungalow Court | permitted | – | MTD Standards apply | – |
| Rowhouse | permitted | – | MTD Standards apply | MTD Standards apply |
| Live/Work | permitted | – | MTD Standards apply | MTD Standards apply |
| Side Court Housing | permitted | – | MTD Standards apply | MTD Standards apply |
| Courtyard Housing | permitted | – | MTD Standards apply | MTD Standards apply |
| Stacked Dwellings | MTD Standards apply | – | MTD Standards apply | MTD Standards apply |
| Commercial Block | permitted | permitted | permitted | permitted |
| Parking and Services | Parking and Services | Parking and Services | Parking and Services | Parking and Services |
| Placement | Placement | Placement | Placement | Placement |
| Street Setback | rear 50% of lot depth | rear 75% of lot depth | rear 75% of lot depth | rear 75% of lot depth |
| Side Street Setback | 20 ft min | 10 ft min | 5 ft min | 5 ft min |
| Side Yard Setback | 5 ft min | 5 ft min | 5 ft min | 0 ft min |
| Rear Street Setback | 5 ft min | 10 ft min | 5 ft min | 5 ft min |
| Rear Yard Setback | 5 ft min | 5 ft min | 5 ft min | 5 ft min |
| Alley Setback | 5 ft min | 5 ft min | 5 ft min | 5 ft min |
| Parking Requirements | Parking Requirements | Parking Requirements | Parking Requirements | Parking Requirements |
| Provision | See Transect Zone Urban Standards for parking provision requirements | See Transect Zone Urban Standards for parking provision requirements | See Transect Zone Urban Standards for parking provision requirements | See Transect Zone Urban Standards for parking provision requirements |
| Blocks and Streets | Blocks and Streets | Blocks and Streets | Blocks and Streets | Blocks and Streets |
| Block Perimeter | 1,600 ft max | 1,600 ft max | 1,600 ft max | 1,600 ft max |
| New Street Types | New Street Types | New Street Types | New Street Types | New Street Types |
| Main Street | permitted | – | – | permitted |
| Workplace Avenue and Street | permitted | permitted | permitted | permitted |
| Neighborhood Avenue and Street | permitted | – | permitted | permitted |
| Neighborhood and Workplace Green | permitted | permitted | permitted | permitted |
–: not permitted
permitted: these elements are allowed by right
required: these are required elements of all new development
MTD Standards apply: Subject to Mixed Type Development Standards in Article 11 of this chapter
n/a: not applicable as indicated
(Formerly 24V.100.030)
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