Watsonville Municipal Code Part 5 IP—Industrial Park District

The purpose of the Industrial Park District is to provide a separate and exclusive district for light, non-nuisance industry, business, service, and research work; to promote an industrial business, service, and research area which is not dependent on rail transport and not requiring outdoor storage; to foster and encourage the development of specialized manufacturing, business, service, and research institutions; to promote and protect design and landscape qualities in the district; to minimize traffic congestion through the provision of adequate off-street parking and loading; and to protect the district and surrounding area and any adjacent residential or commercial property from noise, illumination, glare, and unsightliness, including outdoor storage, odors, dust, dirt, litter, smoke, fumes, vibration, heat, fire, and other hazards.

(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980, as amended by § 1, Ord. 768-87 C-M, eff. January 7, 1988)

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

(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980, as amended by § 1, Ord. 664-85 C-M, eff. February 7, 1985, § 1, Ord. 679-85 C-M, eff. July 25, 1985, § 1, Ord. 768-87, eff. January 7, 1988, and § 1, Ord. 850-90 C-M, eff. October 11, 1990, Ord. 1153-03 C-M, eff. April 24, 2003)

(a) Uses and buildings customarily appurtenant or incidental to a principal permitted use on the same parcel, subject to the general provisions, applicable regulations, and Performance Standards, including service facilities, such as cafeterias, employee recreation facilities, and other similar installations intended solely for use by the occupants of a principal permitted use or uses; and

(b) On-site watchman quarters or caretakers’ residences.

(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980, as amended by § 1, Ord. 768-87 C-M, eff. January 7, 1988, and § 1, Ord. 771-88 C-M, eff. February 11, 1988)

(a) The following uses require an Administrative Use Permit: temporary buildings, structures, storage areas, or office uses in conjunction with a valid building permit application for remodeling or new construction.

(b) The following uses require a Special Use Permit:

(c) Warehouse sales require a Special Use Permit and are conditioned on:

(1) The area set aside for such sales shall not exceed twenty (20%) percent of floor area of the building,

(2) Adequate parking shall be provided,

(3) Sales shall be incidental to the primary building use, and

(4) The sales shall be of a type not usually found in retail zones, or shall be regional in nature.

(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980, as amended by § 1, Ord. 572-82, eff. January 13, 1983, § 15, Ord. 659-84 C-M, eff. December 27, 1984, § 1, Ord. 768-87 C-M, eff. January 7, 1988, § 1, Ord. 771-88 C-M, eff. February 11, 1988, § 1, Ord. 850-90 C-M, eff. October 11, 1990, § 1, Ord. 1095-00 C-M, eff. October 12, 2000, § 1, Ord. 1135-02 C-M, eff. September 10, 2002, Ord. 1153-03 C-M, eff. April 24, 2003, § 1, Ord. 1236-08 (CM), eff. July 10, 2008, § 1, Ord. 1276-11 (CM), eff. August 11, 2011, § 1, Ord. 1327-16 (CM), eff. February 25, 2016, § 1, Ord. 1405-20 (CM), eff. July 23, 2020, and § 2(3) (Exh. A), Ord. 1481-25 (CM), eff. October 9, 2025)

The following manufacturing uses involving the primary production of the following products from raw materials and other uses are specifically prohibited within the IP-Industrial Park District due to the hazardous or undesirable nature of the raw materials involved:

(a) Asphalt, cement, charcoal, and fuel briquets;

(b) Aniline dyes, ammonia, carbide, caustic soda, cellulose, chlorine, carbon black, creosote, hydrogen and oxygen, industrial alcohol, nitrates of an explosive nature, potash, plastic materials, synthetic resins, pyroxylin, rayon yarn, and hydrochloric, nitric, phosphoric, picric, and sulfuric acids;

(c) Coal, coke, and tar products, including their use in other manufacturing, explosive, fertilizers, gelatin, animal glue, and size;

(d) Turpentine, matches, and paint;

(e) Rubber, soaps, including fat rendering;

(f) Flour mills;

(g) The following processes: nitrating of cotton or other materials; magnesium foundry; reduction, refining, smelting, and allowing of metal or metal ores; refining petroleum products, such as gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, and lubricating oil; distillation of wood or bones; and storage, curing, or tanning of raw, green, or salted hides or skins;

(h) Stockyards, slaughterhouses, including poultry and waste piles;

(i) Storage of fireworks or explosives;

(j) Radioactive materials, or any other similar use producing detrimental effects on electronic equipment;

(k) Junk yards, auto wrecking, auto storage;

(l) Petroleum products refining and/or storage pipeline and pipeline facilities, petroleum waste disposal, dewatering plants and/or treatment facilities, accessory crude oil and gas processing users such as storage and staging facilities; and

Any other use which is determined by the Zoning Administrator to be of the same general character as any of the uses set forth in this section or the following shall be prohibited.

(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980, as amended by § 1, Ord. 768-87 C-M, eff. January 7, 1988, § 1, Ord. 850-90 C-M, eff. October 11, 1990, § 1, Ord. 1135-02 C-M, eff. September 10, 2002, and § 1, Ord. 1225-07 (CM), eff. November 8, 2007)

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

(a) Minimum lot area and dimensions.

(b) Minimum yard setback requirements.

* Special consideration for lesser frontage shall be allowed on irregularly shaped lots holding one hundred (100') feet at the rear of the front setback.

** Where the IP District abuts a residential district, the rear and/or side yard setback shall be thirty (30') feet.

(c) Other requirements.

(d) Exceptions.

(1) All types of public utility installations; and

(2) Special exceptions may be considered for uses directly related to permitted or accessory uses which are not listed and which, by their nature, would prohibit a permitted use to function if not allowed.

(e) Special conditions.

(1) All uses permitted by this part, except for administrative, executive, and financial offices, and permitted retail commercial uses shall be subject to review in accordance with the Performance Standards procedure.

(2) All manufacturing uses shall be conducted wholly within a completely enclosed building, except for off-street parking, loading facilities, and testing functions. Testing functions not conducted in a building shall first be approved by the Zoning Administrator.

(3) Manufacturing and industrial processes shall use only solar, gas, or electricity as a fuel; provided, however, oil burning equipment may be installed for standby or emergency purposes only.

(4) In an IP District directly across a street or thoroughfare, not including a freeway, from any R District, the parking and loading facilities shall be distant at least twenty (20') feet from said street and the buildings and structures at least thirty (30') feet from said street.

(5) All portions of the front yard not used for parking and access shall be landscaped and provided with adequate sprinklers or appropriate automatic irrigation devices. Street trees shall be provided as part of an approved site plan. Any parking in the front yard area shall be screened with a landscaped strip no less than five (5') feet in width. Parking in a front yard shall be limited to eight (8) spaces or twenty (20%) percent of the required off-street parking, whichever is greater. No loading or unloading shall be permitted in the front yard setback area.

(6) Provide auditory separation when the IP District is adjacent to an R District.

(7) All uses within the IP District shall be subject to site plan review and other special conditions as may be deemed by the Zoning Administrator to be necessary to comply with the purpose of the IP District.

(Ord. 506-80 C-M, eff. September 11, 1980, as amended by § 1, Ord. 768-87 C-M, eff. January 7, 1988, and § 2(3) (Exh. A), Ord. 1481-25 (CM), eff. October 9, 2025)

Any other use which is determined by the Zoning Administrator to be of the same general character as any of the uses allowed in the IP District shall be permitted.

(§ 1, Ord. 768-87 C-M, eff. January 7, 1988)