Part 15 — CO—Office District
Watsonville Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-07 · Watsonville
14-16.1500 Purpose. ¶
The purpose of the Office District is to provide for concentrations of nonretail business and professional offices at locations where intensive service use of land is desirable and to serve appropriate land adjacent or close to hospitals and clinics for related medical offices and services.
(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980)
14-16.1501 Principal permitted uses. ¶
The following uses require an Administrative Review Permit:
| DLU | 60 | Finance, insurance, and real estate |
|---|---|---|
| 612 | Photography | |
| 6146 | Counseling services | |
| 621 | Advertising | |
| 622 | Adjustment and collection agencies |
|
| 623 | Secretarial services to business |
798-5
(Watsonville Supp. No. xx, 10-25)
14-16.1502
| 6243 | Interior decorators | |
|---|---|---|
| 626 | Employment agencies | |
| 627 | Accountant offices | |
| 629 | Business services | |
| 66 | Medical and health services | |
| 67 | Professional services | |
| 692 | Utility company offices | |
| 4833 | Satellite earth station antennas |
(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980, Ord. 1153-03 C-M, eff. April 24, 2003)
14-16.1502 Accessory uses. ¶
The incidental services listed in this section are intended primarily to serve occupants and patrons of the permitted uses when conducted and entered from within the building provided there is no display or advertising visible at or beyond the property lines.
| GLU | 119 | Storage, special (incidental on-site storage uses appurtenant to a permitted use only) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | Pharmacies and medical supplies |
|
| 5814 | Coffee shops | |
| 5998 | Optical goods stores | |
| 632 | Automobile parking, public |
(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980, as amended by § 1, Ord. 658-84 C-M, eff. December 13, 1984)
14-16.1503 Conditional uses. ¶
(a) The following uses require an Administrative Use Permit:
| DLU | 6291 | Cannabis testing lab (Type 8 license) |
|---|
(b) The following uses require a Special Use Permit:
| DLU | 197 | Veterinary hospitals and clinics Exclusions: kennels |
|---|---|---|
| 2082 | Brewpub | |
| 4119 | Ambulance firms | |
| 48 | Communication | |
| 5811 | Restaurant | |
| 5811 | Restaurant with beer and wine sales |
|
| 5811 | Restaurant with liquor sales | |
| 5811 | Restaurant with bar | |
| 6149 | Instruction schools | |
| 616 | Mortuaries | |
| 628 | Vocational schools, commercial | |
| 736 | Health clinics | |
| 75 | Hospitals |
|
| 7924 | Athletic clubs |
(c) Any lot or portion thereof being lawfully used for any of the purposes enumerated in this section when such property is first classified in a zone wherein such use is not permitted by right or when the use is prohibited by this or any future amendment to this title, shall nonetheless be deemed to be an approved site for such permitted conditional use, which may be continued thereon. The conditions included in any district ordinance, Conditional Use Permit or Variance which authorized such use shall also continue in effect. However, when a substantial change of mode or character of the operation of such property occurs, continuation of such use shall require approval by means of a Conditional Use Permit which permit may be granted notwithstanding that the pre-existing nonconforming use is otherwise not permitted by right or is a prohibited use within the zone.
(d) As used herein, the phrase “substantial change of mode or character of operation” shall include, but not be limited to: a transfer of ownership of any type of regulatory license required specifically for that use; a pattern of conduct in violation of any City, State or Federal regulation, ordinance or
798-6
(Watsonville Supp. No. xx, 10-25)
14-16.1503.1
statute; or a cessation of use for a period of six (6) months or more or as set forth in Section 14-25.030.
(e) Any permitted use operating pursuant to a Conditional Use Permit as required by this section shall require approval de novo of a Conditional Use Permit upon a substantial change of mode or character of operation of such property. (Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980, as amended by § 2, Ord. 658-84 C-M, eff. December 13, 1984, § 1, Ord. 1135-02 C-M, eff. September 10, 2002, § 1, Ord. 1369-18 (CM), eff. October 11, 2018, and § 1, Ord. 1405-20 (CM), eff. July 23, 2020)
| Side and rear yards | None; Exceptions: When property directly abuts an R District |
|---|---|
| Side and rear abutting | 10 feet |
(c) Maximum building height and lot coverage.
| Lot coverage by buildings or structures subject to all other requirements |
Varies |
|---|---|
| Maximum allowable height subject to other requirements |
3 stories |
14-16.1503.1 Prohibited uses. ¶
The following uses are specifically prohibited within the CO Office District:
| DLU | 541 | Convenience store |
|---|---|---|
| 541 | Convenience with beer and wine sales |
|
| 541 | Convenience with liquor sales | |
| 541 | Grocery store | |
| 541 | Grocery store with beer and wine sales |
|
| 541 | Grocery store with liquor sales | |
| 592 | Liquor store |
(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980, as amended by § 2(3) (Exh. A), Ord. 1481-25 (CM), eff. October 9, 2025)
14-16.1505 Additional requirements. ¶
All portions of the yard not used for access drives, yard storage, or parking shall be landscaped and provided with adequate sprinklers or appropriate automatic irrigation devices.
(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980)
Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.
Ask AI about this code▸ Contents — Watsonville Zoning Code
-
▸ Title 14
Overview- Part 1 — General
- Part 2 — Development Permits
- Part 3 — Planning Commission and Zoning Administrator
- Part 4 — Application Process and Official Filing Date
- Part 11 — Appeals
- Part 12 — Expiration of Approval of Development Permit
- Part 13 — Revocation of Permit
- Part 14 — Fees
- Part 15 — Rounding of Quantities
- Part 6 — Variances
- Part 3 — Administrative Review Permit
- Part 14 — Fence Permits 14-12.1400 General Provisions.
- Part 3 — Administrative Review Permit
- Part 4 — Design Review Permit
- Part 6 — Variances
- Part 12 — Sign Permit
- Part 13 — Temporary Use Permit
- Part 10 — CCA—Central Commercial Core Area District
- Part 11 — CC—Central Commercial District
- Part 17 — EM-A-1—Exclusive Agricultural District
- Part 1 — General
- Part 2 — R-1—Single-Family Residential District (Low Density)
- Part 2 — A: R-1P—Single-Family Planned Residential District
- Part 3 — RM-2—Multiple Residential District (Medium Density)
- Part 4 — RM-3—Multiple Residential District (High Density)
- Part 6 — IG—General Industrial District
- Part 7 — R-MH—Residential Manufactured Home Park District
- Part 8 — PF—Public Facilities and N— Institutional Districts
- Part 10 — Reserved
- Part 11 — Reserved
- Part 12 — CT—Thoroughfare Commercial District
- Part 13 — CN—Neighborhood Commercial District
- Part 14 — CNS—Neighborhood Shopping Center District
- Part 15 — CO—Office District
- Part 16 — CV—Visitor Commercial District
- Part 17 — EM-A-1—Exclusive Agricultural District
- Part 18 — EM-A-2—Interim Agricultural District
- Part 19 — EM-OS—Open Space District (Privately Owned Lands)
- Part 20 — EM-HP—Historical Preservation District
- Part 21 — EM-SC—Special Condition District
- Part 24 — EM-H—Hillside District
- Part 25 — PD—Planned Development District
- Part 26 — DWSP—Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan District