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Title 14›Part 26 — DWSP—Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan District

Chapter 14-41

Watsonville Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-07 · Watsonville

14-41.101 Use permit required.

(a) No drive-through facility shall be allowed in the following commercial districts, without a special use permit issued by the Planning Commission:

  • (1) CT, Thoroughfare Commercial;

Sections:

14-41.100 Purpose of chapter. 14-41.101 Use permit required. 14-41.102 Design standards. 14-41.104 Nonconforming uses.

  • (2) CNS, Neighborhood Shopping Center;

  • (3) CN, Neighborhood Commercial;

  • (4) CV, Visitor Commercial.

(§ 1, Ord. 1095-00 C-M, eff. October 12, 2000, as amended by § 2 (Exh. B), Ord. 1472-25 (CM), eff. April 24, 2025)

14-41.100 Purpose of chapter.

The purpose of this chapter is to regulate the design and location of drive-through facilities in the City. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Code, drive-through facilities shall be permitted only on property located in commercial zones that also meet the following conditions:

  • (a) Location.

(1) In the CN zoning district, no drive-through lane, speakers, menu boards and/or take out windows shall be located within one hundred fifty (150') feet from any property boundary line of a parcel zoned for residential purposes.

(2) No more than one (1) drive-through facility shall be located within two hundred (200') feet of the nearest point of a signalized intersection except as set forth in subsection (a)(3) of this section.

(3) No drive-through facility shall be located within three hundred (300') feet of any of the following “gateway” intersections:

  • (i) Main Street at Front Street;

  • (ii) Main Street at Freedom Boulevard;

  • (iii) Main Street at Green Valley Road;

  • (iv) Riverside Drive at Rodriguez Street;

  • (v) Riverside Drive at Blackburn Street; (vi) Freedom Boulevard at Airport Boulevard;

(vii) East Lake Avenue at Martinelli Street. (§ 1, Ord. 1095-00 C-M, eff. October 12, 2000, as amended by § 2 (Exh. B), Ord. 1472-25 (CM), eff. April 24, 2025)

14-41.102 Design standards.

Drive-through facilities shall be designed and situated in such a manner so that:

(a) Trash facilities are located to accommodate patrons using the drive-through facilities in areas away from residential uses;

(b) Lighting, noise, fumes, rodents, pests and odors can either be eliminated, mitigated or reduced so as not to adversely affect neighboring properties or uses;

(c) The impact on neighboring properties or uses due to activities associated with the proposed facility and its hours of operation does not unreasonably interfere with adjoining residential uses;

(d) Traffic generated by the drive-through facility can be reasonably accommodated by the property and neighborhood streets, without creating a materially adverse traffic impact, or a material or safety hazard to vehicles or pedestrians;

(e) On-site pedestrian walkways shall not intersect the drive-through vehicle lanes, except if visibility is clear, and the pedestrian walkway is emphasized by enriched paving and striping;

(f) Drive-through lanes include a minimum fourteen (14') foot width on curves and a minimum eleven (11') foot width on straight sections;

(g) Drive-through lanes provide sufficient vehicle stacking area behind the menu board to accommodate a minimum of four (4) cars;

(h) No drive-through lanes shall exit directly onto a public right-of-way;

(i) Landscaping shall screen drive-through and drive-in lanes from the public right-of-way and shall

868

(Watsonville Supp. No. 46, 5-25)

14-41.104

minimize the visual impact of the menu board and directional signs;

(j) Drive-through lanes shall be constructed with (PCC) concrete;

(k) Drive-through lanes shall be set back from the face of the curb of any street frontage a minimum of twenty (20') feet;

(l) Only one (1) menu board may be permitted and shall be a maximum of thirty (30) square feet in the area of the sign face, with a maximum height of seven (7') feet and shall face away from the street. (§ 1, Ord. 1095-00 C-M, eff. October 12, 2000, as amended by § 2 (Exh. B), Ord. 1472-25 (CM), eff. April 24, 2025)

14-41.104 Nonconforming uses.

No drive-through facility, which otherwise complies with this Code, shall hereafter be considered nonconforming except as provided herein. If an existing drive-through facility requests a zoning change or modification to its use permit, it shall comply with this chapter.

(§ 1, Ord. 1095-00 C-M, eff. October 12, 2000, as amended by § 2 (Exh. B), Ord. 1472-25 (CM), eff. April 24, 2025)

869

(Watsonville Supp. No. 46, 5-25)

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▸ Contents — Watsonville Zoning Code
Watsonville Zoning Code
  1. ▸ Title 14
    Overview
    1. Part 1 — General
    2. Part 2 — Development Permits
    3. Part 3 — Planning Commission and Zoning Administrator
    4. Part 4 — Application Process and Official Filing Date
    5. Part 11 — Appeals
    6. Part 12 — Expiration of Approval of Development Permit
    7. Part 13 — Revocation of Permit
    8. Part 14 — Fees
    9. Part 15 — Rounding of Quantities
    10. Part 6 — Variances
    11. Part 3 — Administrative Review Permit
    12. Part 14 — Fence Permits 14-12.1400 General Provisions.
    13. Part 3 — Administrative Review Permit
    14. Part 4 — Design Review Permit
    15. Part 6 — Variances
    16. Part 12 — Sign Permit
    17. Part 13 — Temporary Use Permit
    18. Part 10 — CCA—Central Commercial Core Area District
    19. Part 11 — CC—Central Commercial District
    20. Part 17 — EM-A-1—Exclusive Agricultural District
    21. Part 1 — General
    22. Part 2 — R-1—Single-Family Residential District (Low Density)
    23. Part 2 — A: R-1P—Single-Family Planned Residential District
    24. Part 3 — RM-2—Multiple Residential District (Medium Density)
    25. Part 4 — RM-3—Multiple Residential District (High Density)
    26. Part 6 — IG—General Industrial District
    27. Part 7 — R-MH—Residential Manufactured Home Park District
    28. Part 8 — PF—Public Facilities and N— Institutional Districts
    29. Part 10 — Reserved
    30. Part 11 — Reserved
    31. Part 12 — CT—Thoroughfare Commercial District
    32. Part 13 — CN—Neighborhood Commercial District
    33. Part 14 — CNS—Neighborhood Shopping Center District
    34. Part 15 — CO—Office District
    35. Part 16 — CV—Visitor Commercial District
    36. Part 17 — EM-A-1—Exclusive Agricultural District
    37. Part 18 — EM-A-2—Interim Agricultural District
    38. Part 19 — EM-OS—Open Space District (Privately Owned Lands)
    39. Part 20 — EM-HP—Historical Preservation District
    40. Part 21 — EM-SC—Special Condition District
    41. Part 24 — EM-H—Hillside District
    42. Part 25 — PD—Planned Development District
    43. ▸ Part 26 — DWSP—Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan District
      Overview
      1. Chapter 14-17
      2. Chapter 14-21
      3. Chapter 14-22
      4. Chapter 14-23
      5. Chapter 14-24
      6. Chapter 14-25
      7. Chapter 14-28
      8. Chapter 29
      9. Chapter 14-30
      10. Chapter 14-35
      11. Chapter 14-40
      12. Chapter 14-41
      13. Chapter 14-42
      14. Chapter 14-43
      15. Chapter 14-44
      16. Chapter 14-46
      17. Chapter 14-47
      18. Chapter 14-51
      19. Chapter 14-52
      20. Chapter 14-53
      21. Chapter 14-54

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