Earlier editions: 2026-07
Vernon Municipal Code Ch. 17.25 Santa Fe North District (mu-N Zone)
Vernon Municipal Code · 2026-10 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · Vernon
Cite as: Vernon Municipal Code Chapter 17.25 · Text as of 2026-10-04
§ 17.25.010. Purpose and intent.¶
A. Purpose. The Santa Fe North District is intended to connect the City Center District and City of Vernon more generally to mixed-use environment present in the Arts and Warehouse Districts in the City of Los Angeles. The district is intended to prioritize creative production, production retail and live/work uses, often in adaptive reuse of legacy industrial buildings.
B. Standards and Nonconforming Uses. The regulation of uses and establishment of development standards and site planning standards set forth in the MU-N Zone are those deemed necessary to establish an environment prioritizing creative production, production retail, and live/work uses. The right to use and maintain legal nonconforming uses and legal nonconforming buildings and standards in the MU-N Zone and all overlay zones are governed by Section 17.64.010, "Legal nonconforming status."
(Ord. 1293 § 11, 2023)
§ 17.25.020. Use regulation.¶
A. Use Regulation. Tables 17.25.020(A) and 17.25.020(B) detail specific land uses within the MU-N Zone which are either encouraged, permitted of right, accessory, accessory or conditional, conditional, or prohibited.
B. Definitions: Definitions of use classifications are given in Chapter 17.16. Per Section 17.12.010, the Public Works Director may interpret and apply these use classifications to individual cases.
C. Commercial, Industrial, Warehouse Uses. Any commercial or industrial or warehouse use which is not included in Table 17.25.020(B) shall be permitted of right, conditionally permitted, or prohibited subject to all standards of the I Zone. Such uses include: research and development labs, commercial testing labs, computer/circuit board/semi-conductor manufacturing, research hospitals/labs (with medical waste), electric vehicle recharge facility, data center, specialty agriculture growing facility, auto body shops, gas dispensing facilities, metal plating shops, materials manufacturing, large manufacturing and assembly plants, industrial machinery, energy and utility operations, warehousing, logistics facility, and mini distribution center. Any commercial or industrial or warehouse use not included in Table 17.25.020(B) shall comply with parking, loading, intensity and approval standards of the I Zone, including Sections 17.22.020, 17.22.030, 17.22.035, 17.22.040, 17.22.050(B), 17.22.050(C), 17.22.080(A), 17.22.080(G), and Chapter 17.56. However, wrought iron fences are not permitted along Santa Fe Avenue. Such uses shall also be subject to standards governing minimum setbacks and ground/podium level open space as described in Table 17.25.020(A).
Table 17.25.020(A) Residential and Office Uses
| Land Use | Use Control | General Regulations & Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Primarily Residential Uses | Primarily Residential Uses | Primarily Residential Uses |
| Single-Family Dwelling | Prohibited | |
| Multifamily Dwelling | Permitted of Right | All multifamily residential buildings greater than 20 units shall include 30% live/ |
| Hotel | Prohibited | |
| Live/Work | Permitted of Right | Must contain at least 200 sq ft per unit of designated work space. See Chapter 17.54 for detailed regulations. |
| Residential Care Facilities | Permitted of Right | |
| Trailer Park | Prohibited | |
| Emergency Shelter | Permitted of Right | |
| Primary Office Uses | Primary Office Uses | Primary Office Uses |
| Office Manufacturing | Encouraged | |
| Media Production Studios | Permitted of Right | |
| Offices | Permitted of Right |
Table 17.25.020(B) Retail, Industrial, and Institutional Uses
| Land Use | Use Control | General Regulations & Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Primarily Retail Uses | Primarily Retail Uses | Primarily Retail Uses |
| Goods Sales | Permitted of Right | |
| Production Retail | Encouraged | |
| Restaurant | Encouraged | |
| Market | Permitted of Right | |
| Art Galleries | Encouraged | |
| Nightlife | Conditional | |
| Personal Services | Permitted of Right | |
| Big Box Retail | Conditional | |
| Drive-Through Retail | Conditional | Subject to standards in Chapter 17.112 |
| Adult or Sexually Oriented Businesses | Prohibited | |
| Fitness and Recreation | Permitted of Right | |
| Primarily Production/ |
Primarily Production/ |
Primarily Production/ |
| Artisan Industrial | Encouraged | Allowed activity within live/ |
| Light Industrial | Permitted of Right | Allowed activity within live/ |
| Primarily Civic/ |
Primarily Civic/ |
Primarily Civic/ |
| Community Facilities | Permitted of Right | |
| Trade School | Permitted of Right | |
| Religious Use | Permitted of Right |
(Ord. 1293 § 11, 2023; Ord. 1307, 9/16/2025)
§ 17.25.030. Legal nonconforming uses.¶
The following uses are not permitted in any zone or overlay zone, except that any such use that exists as of the effective date of the ordinance codified in this title may be maintained as a legal nonconforming use, subject to the terms of Section 17.64.010, "Legal nonconforming status":
A. Junk or salvage business.
B. Public storage (including mini-storage) facilities.
C. Manure fertilizer business.
D. Contractor's yard.
E. Freight terminals, solid waste facilities, truck terminals, transportation-related use, or hazardous waste facilities located outside the T Overlay Zone.
F. Slaughtering plants located outside the S Overlay Zone.
G. Rendering plants located outside the R Overlay Zone.
(Ord. 1293 § 11, 2023)
§ 17.25.040. Site planning standards.¶
A. Site Planning Standards and Nonconforming Uses. The following site planning standards given in Table 17.25.040(A) and illustrated in Figures 17.25.040(B) and 17.25.040(C) shall apply to all buildings, ancillary structures, land, uses, and businesses in the MU-N Zone. Legal nonconforming uses and legal nonconforming buildings or standards are required to comply with the site planning standards at the time of the occurrence of an event described in Table 17.64.030, Right to Continue Nonconforming Uses and Buildings, that requires compliance with the site planning standards.
B. Additional Development Standards. For additional development standards see Chapter 17.53, Incentives for Preservation, Creative Uses, and Affordable Housing, and Chapter 17.54, Mixed-Use Design Standards and Guidelines.
Table 17.25.040(A) Standards Use Limitations
| Minimum Nonresidential Building Square Footage per Residential Unit | 100 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Santa Fe Avenue Ground Floor Frontage Active Uses, minimum 1 | 30% |
| Percentage of Total Residential Units that Must Be Live/ |
|
| Less than 20 units | None |
| Over 20 units | 50% |
| Height 2 | Height 2 |
| Maximum, first 50 ft of frontage | 3 stories / 45 ft |
| Maximum, other | 5 stories / 65 ft |
| Setbacks | Setbacks |
| Santa Fe Avenue, minimum | 0 ft 3 |
| Santa Fe Avenue, maximum | 10 ft 3 |
| 25th Street / 37th Street / 38th Street / Vernon Avenue, minimum | 5 ft |
| 25th Street / 37th Street / 38th Street / Vernon Avenue, maximum | 20 ft |
| Local Street, minimum | None 4 |
| Local Street, maximum | 15 ft |
| Interior Property Line, minimum | None |
| Streetwall and Frontage | Streetwall and Frontage |
| Building Streetwall at Setback, 5 Santa Fe Avenue, minimum | 60% |
| Building Streetwall at Setback, 5 25th Street / 37th Street / 38th Street / Vernon Avenue, minimum | 50% |
| Transparency, 6 Santa Fe Avenue, minimum | 50% |
| Transparency, 6 25th Street / 37th Street / 38th Street / Vernon Avenue, minimum | None |
| Transparency, 6 Local Street, minimum | None |
| Open Space | Open Space |
| Open Space 7 per unit, minimum | 150 sq ft |
| Common Open Space 8 per unit, minimum | 75 sq ft |
| Ground / Podium Level Open Space, percent of lot, minimum 9 | 5% |
Notes:
| 1 | Any use listed in Table 17.25.020(A) or 17.25.020(B) under "Primarily Retail Uses," "Primarily Office Uses," "Primarily Civic/ |
|---|---|
| 2 | Mechanical equipment, elevator shafts, and architectural features are permitted to exceed the maximum height limit by up to 12 feet with a maximum horizontal dimension of 30 feet. |
| 3 | Within the block between 38th Street and Vernon Avenue, on the east side of Santa Fe Avenue, the Santa Fe Avenue setback shall match the setback of adjacent legacy structures, plus or minus three feet. |
| 4 | Dedication shall be required to establish a 12-foot minimum sidewalk. |
| 5 | Publicly accessible open spaces, such as paseos or plazas, shall be exempt from the calculation. |
| 6 | "Transparency" means of a minimum percentage of that portion of a street-facing exterior wall, which is between two feet and 12 feet above the sidewalk grade, which is visually open to the building interior, including untinted, unfrosted, and nonreflective windows, doorways and other openings. Walkways, driveways, paseos and plazas are omitted from the calculation. |
| 7 | "Open space" means any open-air space which is designed for specific recreational purposes, including active and passive activities. Open space includes yards (except the required front yard setback), courtyards, balconies, decks, porches, roof decks and patios. Open space does not include driveways, aisles, parking spaces, or side or rear yards less than eight feet in width or front setback areas. |
| 8 | "Common open space" means usable open space designed and intended for the common use or enjoyment by residents or guests, with a minimum dimension of 15 feet. |
| 9 | Industrial or warehouse use classifications which are not included in Table 17.25.020(B), shall meet this requirement through a publicly accessible open space connected to the street and subject to Design Review. A widened sidewalk, enhanced with landscaping, furniture, lighting and/ |
| Figure 17.25.040(B) Use Limitation, Height, and Open Space Requirements |
|---|
| Figure 17.25.040(C) Streetwall, Frontage, and Floor Height Requirements |
|---|
(Ord. 1293 § 11, 2023)
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