Bakersfield — Overlay Districts

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Overlay districts in Bakersfield are zoning “combining” layers that sit on top of base zones and add site‑specific rules for safety, scenic, environmental or resource management goals. The local overlay rules are in Bakersfield’s Title 17 Zoning (see the Bakersfield Zoning page) and are enforced alongside the city’s development standards, parking, and design processes. Overlay rules change permitted uses, setbacks, height limits or review paths for properties inside mapped overlay boundaries; always verify overlay boundaries with the Planning Department (see “Information Gaps” below). Key overlays explicitly present in the code are summarized below with their primary code citations and practical guidance.

HD — Hillside Development Overlay (HD)

• Purpose: To preserve natural landforms and scenic resources, limit visibility of structures from primary and secondary viewsheds, and protect slopes and ridgelines. See § 17.66.020 for applicability and intent.
• Where it applies: Areas specifically zoned HD; application is to parcels or portions within the HD zone (mapped Exhibits A and B). See § 17.66.020(A).
• Typical review triggers: Grading, building permits, tentative tract/parcel maps, conditional use permits and site plan reviews within the HD area are all subject to the chapter standards (listed in § 17.66.020(A)).
• Key dimensional / resource standards (practical highlights):
  • Class I and Class II visual resource designations impose structural setbacks to eliminate or limit visibility from primary/secondary viewsheds (see the class descriptions in the HD chapter). § 17.66.0xx describes the visual resource classes and associated setbacks; confirm the exact subsection on the ordinance pdf.
  • Slope protection areas (slopes ≥ 15%) are mapped and are intended to be left in natural state with no structures or fences allowed on the slope face; these are identified as nonbuildable lots on subdivision maps. See the HD standards text. § 17.66.0xx.
  • Maximum grades of access and street grade design references follow AASHTO standards as adopted by the city. § 17.66.030.
• Practical guidance: Expect stricter landscaping, grading and visibility controls; development plan submittals in HD must show slope limits, viewshed/visibility analysis, and the items listed in the development plan requirements section. See § 17.66.040 for required plan contents.

FP‑P — Floodplain Primary Zone (FP‑P)

• Purpose: To prevent loss of life and property damage by keeping the primary floodplain free of obstructions and uses that degrade conveyance capacity. See § 17.42.020(A).
• How it applies: This is an exclusive zone applied only to lands within the primary limits of the intermediate regional flood. FP‑P may be used as a stand‑alone zone (not as a combining zone) where mapped. See § 17.42.010 and § 17.42.020(B).
• Typical permitted uses:
  • Flood control channels, water spreading grounds, grazing, open space/recreational trails and certain public utility facilities. See § 17.42.030(A–D) for the permitted uses list.
  • Short‑term recreational events and limited uses may be permitted under a building director permit (see § 17.42.040).
• Prohibitions: Human habitations and uses that obstruct floodflow, increase debris load, or direct flood‑flows off the natural channel are explicitly prohibited in FP‑P (§ 17.42.070).
• Practical guidance: If your parcel is in FP‑P, most residential or new building development will be prohibited or require floodproofing works approved by the city engineer; the zone is intentionally restrictive and is treated differently from a combining (overlay) zone. Verify mapped boundaries with the city. § 17.42.020(B) and § 17.42.070.

FP‑S — Floodplain Secondary Combining Zone (FP‑S)

• Purpose & application: Protect life and property in fringe floodplain areas; FP‑S may be applied as a combining overlay to make the underlying base zone more restrictive. See § 17.44.020.
• Uses and conditions:
  • Generally allows uses permitted in FP‑P and allows single‑unit dwellings only if finish floor elevations are above the intermediate regional flood or buildings are protected by approved dikes/levees (see § 17.44.030(B)(1–2)).
  • Some temporary/recreational uses are allowed with a building director permit (§ 17.44.040).
• Practical guidance: Because FP‑S is a combining zone, its imposition can change development standards you thought applied via the base zone (for example, allowing a use in the base zone doesn’t mean the use is allowed if FP‑S imposes additional restrictions). See § 17.44.020.

AA — Airport Approach / Airport Overlay (AA subzones)

• Purpose: Protect airport airspace and safe aircraft operations by limiting the height of structures and trees and by regulating uses that create airport hazards. See the definitions and intent in § 17.45.012 and the subzone structure in § 17.45.020.
• Key structure:
  • The code establishes AA subzones (Landing L, Final Approach FA, and other approach subzones) each with specific height limits measured relative to the airport elevation; the code refers to Federal Aviation Regulations Part 77 for shape/dimensions. § 17.45.020(A–B).
  • Maps showing the adopted airport approach zoning are incorporated by reference and should be consulted to determine whether a parcel falls inside an AA subzone. See mapping provisions and the airport approach zoning map references. § 17.45.012 and § 17.45.030 (map adoption reference).
• Practical guidance: Any proposed vertical increase (towers, new roofs, tall trees) or uses that generate smoke/lighting near the airport should be checked against the AA subzone heights and require planning review; measure height relative to airport elevation per § 17.45.012(B).

PE — Petroleum Extraction / Hydrocarbon Combining District (PE)

• Purpose & scope: The PE district is a combining district applied where drilling and petroleum operations are present; base‑zone dimensional standards generally continue to apply except where drilling operations require different rules. See § 17.47.060–090 series.
• Key rules:
  • Yards/setbacks, height limits, minimum lot area per dwelling unit and distance between structures in a PE district generally follow the underlying base zone except for drilling operations (see § 17.47.070–090).
  • Drilling/hydrocarbon activities are subject to special review procedures and must conform with the separate standards/procedures in § 15.66.040(A) (reference from the PE chapter). § 17.47.130.
• Practical guidance: If a parcel carries PE notation, expect additional procedural requirements (special review) and engineering conditions for drilling. Confirm whether the PE layer applies to the specific parcel and whether oil‑field operations are active. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Decision‑relevant at‑a‑glance table

How overlays interact with other rules (practical notes)

• Overlays modify the base zone: where a combining overlay (e.g., FP‑S, PE) is applied, the more restrictive overlay standard controls for that topic; see § 17.44.020 for the combining zone example.
• Overlays commonly trigger additional application requirements (site plans, special analyses, graded‑earth plans). For HD, the development plan contents are laid out in § 17.66.040.
• Overlays do not replace separate building code requirements — you will still pursue building permits under the California Building Standards Code where applicable.
• Overlays also interact with city design and implementation processes: expect concurrent review under the city’s design review, parking and development standards requirements when a development is proposed inside an overlay.

Checklist — what an applicant must satisfy (typical)

• Confirm overlay boundaries for the parcel with the Planning Department and the official overlay maps (verify whether the overlay is exclusive or combining). Verify with the jurisdiction. § 17.66.020, § 17.44.020.
• For HD: include viewshed/setback analyses, slope protection mapping, and the items listed under § 17.66.040 in the development plan.
• For FP‑P/FP‑S: provide flood elevation data; if proposing habitable structures in FP‑S, show finished floor elevation above the intermediate regional flood or approved protective works (engineer approval). § 17.42.030–040, § 17.44.030.
• For AA: submit height/airspace evaluation relative to airport elevation; confirm FAA/Part 77 implications and city AA subzone limits. § 17.45.012–020.
• For PE: include special review submittal materials and meet the standards in § 15.66.040(A) for drilling activities; otherwise conform to base‑zone yards/height. § 17.47.130, § 17.47.070–090.
• Provide required concurrent documents: site plan, landscaping plan (see city landscaping standards), parking calculations (see parking), and sign/landscaping compliance. § 17.25.050, Chapters 17.58 and 17.61.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English Summary

If your lot sits inside one of Bakersfield’s overlays (for example HD, FP‑P/FP‑S, AA, or PE), expect extra rules on what you can build, where you can place buildings, and extra review steps: hillside rules limit visibility and grading, flood overlays restrict habitable construction or require elevation/dikes, airport overlays limit height, and petroleum overlays add drilling review. Always check the overlay map and the specific Title 17 sections listed before designing a project and coordinate early with Planning. See the city’s zoning and the development standards pages for related process links.

Source References

• Bakersfield Title 17 Zoning, Chapter HD (Hillside Development), § 17.66.020, § 17.66.030, § 17.66.040.
• Bakersfield Title 17 Zoning, FP‑P Floodplain Primary Zone, § 17.42.010–§ 17.42.040, § 17.42.060, § 17.42.070.
• Bakersfield Title 17 Zoning, FP‑S Floodplain Secondary Zone (combining), § 17.44.010–§ 17.44.040.
• Bakersfield Title 17 Zoning, Airport approach/AA discussion and definitions, § 17.45.012, § 17.45.020.
• Bakersfield Title 17 Zoning, PE district rules and special review, § 17.47.070–090, § 17.47.130; cross‑reference to drilling standards in § 15.66.040(A).
• Relevant development and site review requirements referenced throughout Title 17 (e.g., site plan review, landscaping, signage, parking): Chapters cited within the code (examples in § 17.25.050, Chapters 17.58, 17.60, 17.61).

Retrieved passages

• Bakersfield Zoning Code (Title 17) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (Title 17) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (Title 17) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (chapter shall) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (Title 17) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (Section 17.56.040) High relevance show source text
• Bakersfield Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Bakersfield Title 17 Zoning, Chapter HD (Hillside Development), **§ 17.66.020**, **§ 17.66.030**, **§ 17.66.040**. (Title 17)
• Bakersfield Title 17 Zoning, FP‑P Floodplain Primary Zone, **§ 17.42.010**–**§ 17.42.040**, **§ 17.42.060**, **§ 17.42.070**. (Title 17)
• Bakersfield Title 17 Zoning, FP‑S Floodplain Secondary Zone (combining), **§ 17.44.010**–**§ 17.44.040**. (Title 17)
• Bakersfield Title 17 Zoning, Airport approach/AA discussion and definitions, **§ 17.45.012**, **§ 17.45.020**. (Title 17)
• Bakersfield Title 17 Zoning, PE district rules and special review, **§ 17.47.070–090**, **§ 17.47.130**; cross‑reference to drilling standards in **§ 15.66.040(A)**. (Title 17)
• Relevant development and site review requirements referenced throughout Title 17 (e.g., site plan review, landscaping, signage, parking): Chapters cited within the code (examples in **§ 17.25.050**, Chapters 17.58, 17.60, 17.61). (Title 17)
• Bakersfield_ZoningCode.md

• Official Bakersfield code library