Part 17 — EM-A-1—Exclusive Agricultural District — Watsonville Zoning Code

14-16.1700 Purpose. ¶

The purpose of the Exclusive Agricultural District is to protect and foster agriculture, to permit all normal uses related to agriculture, and to prohibit those that would be in conflict. Insofar as is practicable, it is the intention to retain solely for agricultural production lands of predominately Class I and Class II soils.

(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980)

14-16.1701 Principal permitted uses. ¶

All principal permitted uses shall be subject to the approval of an Administrative Review Permit issued without a public hearing by the Zoning Administrator.

AGRICULTURAL USES

GLU	91	Irrigated agriculture
	92	Nonirrigated agriculture
	93	Pasture and native grasses
	94	Animals, agriculture
	95	Reservoirs, water supply
	96	Native vegetation, forest, and brush
	97	Lake
	98	Wetlands
	99	Agricultural testing facilities
	09	Farmworker dwelling unit

NONAGRICULTURAL USES

GLU	01	Single-family dwelling unit
	07	Foster home
	724	Pre-school day care for less than six (6) children
	01	Living quarters of persons regularly employed on the premises — Exclusions: 05: labor camps, labor dwellings, or other accommodations or areas for transient labor

NONAGRICULTURAL USES (Continued)

	—	Home occupation
	115	Barns, storage buildings
	1982	Fruit packing, drying and storage sheds
	9130	Greenhouses of 500 square feet or less
	6915	Offices incidental and necessary to conduct a permitted use
	5499	Stands limited to the display and sale of agricultural commodities produced on the premises. Such stands shall not exceed 400 square feet in area
	152	Storage tanks and pumps for fuel
	8611	Facilities for fish and wildlife enhancement and preservation
	872	Pool, swimming, nonprofit
	6325	Private garages and off-street parking areas
	4	Public utility facilities, structure and uses

(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980, as amended by § 2(3) (Exh. A), Ord. 1481-25 (CM), eff. October 9, 2025)

14-16.1702 Conditional uses. ¶

The following uses shall be subject to the approval of a Special Use Permit issued through the public hearing process by the Commission:

DLU	9130	Greenhouses in excess of 500 square feet
	05	Farmworker housing

(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980, as amended by § 2(3) (Exh. A), Ord. 1481-25 (CM), eff. October 9, 2025)

798-10

(Watsonville Supp. No. xx, 10-25)

14-16.1703

14-16.1703 District regulations. ¶

The following regulations shall be observed in the Exclusive Agricultural District for the use proposed, except as otherwise provided in this title or as modified by Conditional Use Permit:

Height Regulations: No structure shall exceed thirty-five (35') feet in height.

Site and Building Requirements	Each S.F.D.U.	Accessory Buildings	Site
Lot Area	5 Acres	-	10 acre minimum, unless exception granted
Site and Building Requirements	Each S.F.D.U.	Accessory Buildings	Site
Lot Width— Minimum	-	-	300 feet, unless exception granted
Distance to any street	20 ft. minimum	20 ft. minimum	-
Distance between structures	As allowed by Uniform Building Code	As allowed by Uniform Building Code	-
Front yard	20 feet	20 feet	-
Interior Side Yard	5 feet	5 feet	-
Rear Yard	20 feet	*See Note	-

Note: Accessory buildings shall not occupy more than fifty (50%) percent of the area of required rear yard.

(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980)