Citrus Heights Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

Citrus Heights’s zoning is contained in the City’s adopted Zoning Code (Title 17, shown in the local document as Chapter/Article series beginning with the 106.x sections). The Code declares its purpose and applicability and ties local standards to State planning authority and CEQA (see § 106.10.010 and § 106.10.020) . The City organizes rules into the Zoning Map and district tables, citywide site- and design-standards, Chapters for parking/landscaping/signs, and a set of Special Planning Areas (SPAs) and overlays that add place-specific rules (see § 106.20.020, § 106.30.010, and the Chapter 106.50 SPA sections) .

How Citrus Heights's code is organized

• The Code is introduced with purpose, authority, administration and applicability in § 106.10.010–§ 106.10.040; the Community Development Director, Planning Commission and City Council have defined roles in administration (see § 106.10.030) .
• The official Zoning Map and the list of districts appear under the zoning-map provisions (Table 2‑1 referenced by § 106.20.010–§ 106.20.020) and the specific district rules and allowable uses are located in Article 2 (the district chapters and the use tables) as called out in § 106.20.020 and § 106.22.030 .
• Citywide site-planning and project design standards live in Article 3 / CHAPTER 106.30 (for example § 106.30.010 explains applicability and how these standards combine with district rules) .
• Chapter-level rules organize common technical standards: parking and loading rules in Chapter 106.36, landscaping in Chapter 106.34, signs in Chapter 106.38, and nonconforming rule in Chapter 106.70 (all cross‑referenced throughout the Code) .
• Permit types and the permit/approval hierarchy (Zoning Clearance, Minor Use Permit, Use Permit, Design Review and appeals) are described in the permit chapters and use tables; see § 106.22.020 and § 106.22.030 for the basics and cross‑references to the permit sections (e.g., §§ 106.62.020, 106.62.040, 106.62.050) .

(For the City’s public navigation pages, the first mentions below link to the internal city topic pages: zoning, land use, development standards, parking, design review, overlays, and ADUs.)

Zoning district families

The Code establishes a set of districts (shown on the official Zoning Map and in the Article 2 tables) — the list is adopted by § 106.20.020 and is implemented by the district tables and use tables referenced in § 106.22.030 . District families used throughout the Code include (examples and where they appear in the Code):

• Residential districts: RD-2, RD-5, RD-15, RD-20 (these RD districts are explicitly referenced in multiple Special Planning Areas and allowable‑use tables — e.g., the Verner Avenue SPA references RD-2 in § 106.50.150, the Sylvan Road–Woodside SPA references RD-5 in § 106.50.140, and the Citrus Heights Community SPA references RD-15 in § 106.50.090) .
• Commercial / Business districts: BP (Business Professional), GC (General Commercial), and specialized commercial districts such as AC (Auto‑Commercial) and CR (Commercial/Recreation) — these district names appear in the district development tables and in SPA cross‑references (see § 106.26.030 and the AC/CR/MP development table) .
• Industrial / Office Park: MP — appears in the AC/CR/MP development standards table and in district use tables (see Table 2‑7 and Article 2 references) .
• Overlay and special districts: the Code also includes overlays and Special Planning Areas (SPAs). Examples include the Sunrise MarketPlace (SMP) Overlay (see § 106.28.050) and multiple SPAs in Chapter 106.50 (e.g., Civic Center SPA § 106.50.080, Greenback Woods SPA § 106.50.100, Camden Place SPA § 106.50.110) .

(First mention links: zoning and land use.)

Citywide development standards (how rules are laid out and where to look)

• The Code’s site‑planning and design baseline is CHAPTER 106.30; the chapter frames how district standards interact with site standards and contains rules for access, building/site security, grading, lighting, and measurement (see § 106.30.010 and § 106.30.020) .
• Setbacks, height measurement and height exceptions are controlled by CHAPTER 106.30 (see § 106.30.060 for height limits and measurement and § 106.30.100 for setback measurement references) . Where district tables specify numeric setbacks or height caps, those are in the Article 2 district tables (see Table 2‑7 for AC, CR, MP development standards) .
• Floor‑area ratio (FAR), lot coverage, and site coverage maximums are specified either in the district development tables or in SPA-specific standards (for example, an SPA can set an FAR cap — Antelope Crossing planning guidance caps FAR at 0.6 for its planning area as applied in the SPA text) — see the SPA provisions and the applicable Article 2 table as cross‑referenced in § 106.30.010 and the SPA language (e.g., the Antelope/SC planning language) .
• Parking rules and the number of required spaces are in Chapter 106.36 (see § 106.36.040 for the number of spaces required and § 106.36.080 for parking design and development standards); parking also appears repeatedly in SPA rules where reciprocal or off‑site parking arrangements are authorized subject to recorded agreements (see SPA language) . (First mention of parking links here.)
• Landscaping and screening obligations are covered in Chapter 106.34; signs are in Chapter 106.38 (see the Code’s cross‑references in § 106.30.010 and district tables) .
• Nonconforming uses, structures and parcels are handled by CHAPTER 106.70 (the Code explicitly references that chapter for lawful continuation and limitations — see § 106.10.040) .

Design standards, discretionary review, and appeals

• Design Review is a standing requirement across numerous districts and SPAs; the Code cross‑references Design Review approval and identifies where it's required in the permit tables (see § 106.22.030 and the SPA-specific permit provisions that repeatedly state “Design Review required” such as § 106.50.090, § 106.50.100, and many SPA sections) . (First mention of design review links here.)
• The permit ladder used by the City: many uses are allowed subject to a Zoning Clearance (§ 106.62.020), some require a Minor Use Permit or Use Permit (§ 106.62.050), and design review may be required in addition to those permits (see § 106.22.030 for the overview) .
• The Code establishes appeal procedures (chapter references to appeals are contained in the permit and interpretation provisions — see § 106.22.030 and the appeals chapter cross‑references) and provides a formal interpretation procedure for ambiguous code language (see § 106.12.040) .

Specific Plans & overlays

• The City uses Special Planning Areas (SPAs) in Chapter 106.50 to impose place‑specific rules (Civic Center SPA § 106.50.080, Citrus Heights Community SPA § 106.50.090, Greenback Woods SPA § 106.50.100, Verner Avenue SPA § 106.50.150, etc.). SPAs set tailored density caps, required design objectives, creek/tree preservation measures, grading limits, and may modify district standards where necessary (see the SPA provisions for the specific SPA — e.g., § 106.50.090 and § 106.50.100) .
• Overlay districts (for example, the Sunrise MarketPlace (SMP) Overlay § 106.28.050) add a layer of requirements that modify or supplement base district rules; the Code places overlays in Article 3/Article 2 cross‑references and in the specific overlay section itself . (First mention of overlays links here.)

Building permits & the permit path

• The Code makes clear that no City Building Permit, Grading Permit, or Business License shall issue unless the proposal complies with the Zoning Code (see § 106.10.040). The Code requires obtaining any planning permit required by the use tables before a building permit is issued (see § 106.22.020) .
• Typical route for most projects: confirm allowable use in the district (use tables in Articles 2 — see § 106.22.030), obtain required planning entitlement(s) (Zoning Clearance, MUP, UP, Design Review — see § 106.22.030), address required technical chapters (parking Chapter 106.36, landscaping Chapter 106.34, signs Chapter 106.38), then apply for Building Permits (subject to the State building standards). The Code also provides for exemptions from planning permits for small accessory work (see § 106.22.040) .
• The City’s administration and interpretation processes (Community Development Director formal interpretations, Commission and Council appeal routes) are described in § 106.10.030 and § 106.12.040 . (First mention of the California Building Standards Code link is below where building‑code interplay is noted.)

State housing law in Citrus Heights (how ADUs, SB 9, density bonus, and other state rules interact)

• Code recognition of State authority and cross‑references: the Zoning Code is enacted under State planning laws and CEQA (see § 106.10.020) and the Code contains provisions that state references to State law are to be read as amended over time (see the “State law requirements” cross‑reference language in the interpretive provisions) .
• Accessory dwelling units (ADUs): the Code contains a specific ADU cross‑reference and accessory dwelling/unit provisions (see § 106.42.015 for Accessory Dwelling Units and § 106.42.200 for residential accessory uses/structures), and several SPAs explicitly exempt small accessory structures from Design Review in certain circumstances (see SPA language) — the City’s ADU provisions must, however, be administered consistent with State ADU law where State law preempts local rules. See § 106.42.015 and SPA cross‑references for where ADUs are handled locally . (First mention links to the City’s ADU landing page and the State ADU law page; for construction/permit standards also see the California Building Standards Code link.)
• SB 9 (ministerial two‑unit / lot split law), density‑bonus (Government Code § 65915), and other State housing statutes: the Code does not include explicit local text reproducing SB 9 or the State density‑bonus statute in the snippets retrieved here; the Code’s interpretive provisions require conforming to State law where applicable, but specific local implementing procedures for SB 9 or density bonus were not found in the material retrieved (verify with the City’s planning staff for current SB 9 procedural checklists or local objective standards that apply) — see the Code’s State law authority language § 106.10.020 and the interpretive provisions for administrative approach § 106.12.040 .
• Rent control / rent stabilization: Not found in the retrieved Zoning Code materials. The Code focuses on land‑use and development standards; rent control would be an ordinance in a separate part of municipal law if it exists (verify with the City for local rent ordinances). (See “Information Gaps” below.)

Practical orientation — what to read first for common tasks

• Confirm the zoning on a property: check the City’s Zoning Map and § 106.20.020 (Zoning Map & Districts) and then check the applicable district use table referenced by § 106.22.030 . (First mention links to the City’s Zoning page.)
• If your project is residential infill or an ADU: start with § 106.42.015 (ADUs), then the site design standards in § 106.30.010, and parking/landscaping chapters (106.36 and 106.34) to see required technical compliance . (ADU and parking links used.)
• For projects in a Special Planning Area: read the SPA’s § 106.50.xxx text first (e.g., Civic Center § 106.50.080, Citrus Heights Community § 106.50.090) because SPA rules can override or supplement district standards, particularly on density, open space, creek setbacks, and design review requirements .
• For design and discretionary review: confirm whether the use table requires Design Review or a Use Permit (see § 106.22.030) and then consult the Design Review provisions and the objective design standards in Article 3 (§ 106.30.010 and related sections) . (Design Review link used.)

Information Gaps / items to verify with the City

• Local implementing procedures or checklists for SB 9 ministerial lot splits / two‑unit projects are not present in the retrieved Zoning Code excerpts; verify current SB 9 processing steps with Community Development staff (Not found in retrieved materials) .
• Local text explicitly implementing the State density‑bonus statute (or any locally adopted modifications/standards to that program) does not appear in the snippets retrieved; check with City planning staff to confirm how density bonus requests are processed locally (Not found in retrieved materials) .
• No municipal rent‑control ordinance was located in the zoning excerpts provided; if you need information about tenant protections or rent stabilization, confirm with City Finance/City Clerk or search the municipal code outside the zoning chapters (Not found in retrieved materials).

Source References

• Citrus Heights Zoning Code — Title 17 (Zoning), CHAPTER 106 et seq.; purpose and applicability: § 106.10.010, § 106.10.020, § 106.10.030, § 106.10.040 .
• Permit and use framework: § 106.22.020 and § 106.22.030 (allowable uses, permit levels, exemptions) .
• Site planning and design standards: CHAPTER 106.30, including § 106.30.010 and § 106.30.020 (access, design objectives, applicability) .
• District tables and sample development standards (e.g., Table 2‑7 for AC, CR, MP): see the Article 2 district/materials in the Code (table text shown in the Code excerpts) .
• Parking and loading: CHAPTER 106.36 (see § 106.36.040 for number of parking spaces; § 106.36.080 for design standards) and SPA parking cross‑references (examples in SPA text) .
• Overlays and SPAs: § 106.28.050 (Sunrise MarketPlace Overlay), and SPA series in Chapter 106.50 (examples: § 106.50.080, § 106.50.090, § 106.50.100, § 106.50.150) .
• ADUs and accessory structures: § 106.42.015 (Accessory Dwelling Units) and § 106.42.200 (Residential Accessory Uses and Structures) referenced in SPA text .
• Administration, interpretation and appeals: § 106.10.030 and § 106.12.040 (formal interpretations) .
• Note: the Zoning Code excerpts used above were taken from the Citrus Heights municipal Zoning Code text retrieved as the uploaded Title 17 / CHAPTER 106 collection (Zoning Code excerpts) .