Dixon Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Dixon’s zoning law is consolidated in Title 18 of the Dixon Municipal Code (the Dixon Zoning Code) and is explicitly adopted to implement the General Plan and regulate land use within city limits (§ 18.01.010, § 18.01.040) . The code defines base zoning districts (residential, commercial/mixed‑use, industrial, public) and a small set of overlays, lays out citywide site standards, and uses Planned Development and Specific Plan tools for larger or customized projects (§ 18.03.010, Table 18.03.010) . This page orients you to where the rules live, what the major district rules are, how discretionary review works, and how state housing laws (SB9, ADU rules, density bonus) have been folded into Dixon’s local rules.

How Dixon's code is organized

• Title: the local zoning ordinance is Title 18 — the Dixon Zoning Code (§ 18.01.010) .
• Structure: the Code is divided into Divisions and Chapters: introductory provisions (Chapter 18.01), zoning districts and map (Chapter 18.03), district regulations (Division II — e.g., Chapters 18.04 residential; 18.05 commercial/mixed‑use; 18.06 industrial), citywide regulations (Division III — Chapter 18.11 general site regulations), overlay chapters (e.g., Planned Development, Specific Plan, Groundwater Well), and topic chapters (use classifications, design review, enforcement). See § 18.03.010 and the Table of Base and Overlay Districts (Table 18.03.010) for the official list of zones and overlays .
• Who administers it: the City Council, the Planning Commission, and the Community Development Director are the administering authorities; the Director issues Zoning Clearances and certain administrative permits (§ 18.01.060, § 18.20.030, § 18.20.040) .
• Finding specific rules: use the district chapters for permitted uses and district development tables (e.g., Table 18.04.030 for residential standards; Table 18.05.030 for commercial/mixed‑use) and Chapter 18.11 for citywide site rules such as accessory structures and setbacks (§ 18.11.010) .

Zoning district families

The Code establishes these base district families (names in bold are the Code’s district symbols):

• Residential: RL (Residential Low Density) and RM (Residential Medium Density) — see Table 18.04.030 for densities, setbacks, height, lot coverage and minimum lot sizes; RL allows up to 9 du/acre, RM up to 22 du/acre; typical front setback 20 ft, maximum height in RL 30 ft and RM 38 ft, maximum lot coverage 45% (RL) and 60% (RM) (§ 18.04.030) .
• Commercial / Mixed‑Use: DMX (Downtown Mixed Use), CMX (Corridor Mixed Use), CAMX (Campus Mixed Use), CN (Neighborhood Commercial), CR (Regional Commercial), CS (Service Commercial). The code sets specific allowed uses and differing development standards by district (see Table 18.05.020 and Table 18.05.030); for example DMX maximum height 50 ft, CMX and most commercial zones typically 40 ft, CN often 30 ft depending on location (§ 18.05.010, Tables 18.05.020 & 18.05.030) .
• Industrial: IL (Light Industrial) and IG (General Industrial) — see Table 18.06.030 for FAR, setbacks and height caps (FAR 0.6, heights commonly 40 ft or greater with limits near residences) (§ 18.06.030) .
• Public / Semi‑Public: PF (Public Facilities) and PR (Parks & Recreation) — standards generally reference the most restrictive nearby district (§ 18.07.010 – .030) .
• Overlay districts: -GW (Groundwater Well Overlay), -PD (Planned Development Overlay), and -SP (Specific Plan Overlay) are available and are added to base zones on the Official Zoning Map (§ 18.03.010, Table 18.03.010; Chapters 18.08, 18.09/18.32, 18.10) .

If you need a quick look at the district legend and maps, consult the Official Zoning Map as incorporated by reference in § 18.03.020 .

Citywide development standards

For cross‑cutting rules — setbacks, height measuring, FAR, lot coverage, and accessory structures — start with Chapter 18.11 (General Site Regulations) and the tables inside each district chapter.

• Where the citywide rules live: Chapter 18.11 prescribes site regulations that apply to all zoning districts unless the district is explicit otherwise (§ 18.11.010) . Link: Dixon Development Standards.
• Setbacks & height: measuring rules and exceptions are set in the interpretation & measurement chapters (e.g., § 18.02.030 rules for measuring height and determining setbacks) and district development tables give the numeric standards (see Table 18.04.030 for RL/RM, Table 18.05.030 for commercial/mixed‑use) (§ 18.02.030, § 18.04.030, § 18.05.030) .
• Lot coverage & FAR: district tables list maximum lot coverage and FAR limits (e.g., residential coverage values and industrial FAR 0.6) — see Tables 18.04.030, 18.06.030 with cross‑references to § 18.02.030.G for lot coverage calculations (§ 18.04.030, § 18.06.030, § 18.02.030.G) .
• Parking: parking requirements and special exceptions appear throughout the Code (for example, parking is addressed in the urban lot split rules and in the land‑use tables; some projects may require on‑site parking while the code allows exceptions near transit and in downtown/mixed‑use districts) — see the urban lot split parking exception (one space per unit unless within 1/2 mile of transit) and the permitted listing for Parking Lots/Structures in Table 18.05.020 (§ 18.04.040, Table 18.05.020) . Link: Dixon Parking.
• Accessory structures and ADUs: Chapter 18.11 and the accessory‑use chapter control accessory structures generally; Accessory Dwelling Units are governed by Section 18.19.040 with explicit size, height and setback rules (detached ADU max 1,200 sq ft, detached height base 16 ft with 18 ft transit exceptions; minimum interior side/rear setback 4 ft) — see § 18.11.020 and § 18.19.040 for full standards . Link: Dixon ADUs.

Note: the Code frequently cross‑references interpretive rules (e.g., § 18.02.030 for measuring and determining setbacks, heights and pocket exceptions), so always read the district table together with those measurement rules (§ 18.02.030) .

Design / discretionary review

• Design review framework: the Planning Commission and the Director perform design and discretionary reviews as assigned. The Planning Commission’s duties explicitly include conducting Design Review pursuant to Chapter 18.23; the Director can exercise administrative approvals, issue Zoning Clearances, and approve administrative use permits and modifications (§ 18.20.030, § 18.20.040) . Link: Dixon Design Review.
• Discretionary entitlements: Conditional Use Permits, Variances, and Modifications are processed under the Use Permit/Variances/Modifications chapters; Planning Commission or City Council hearings are required for most discretionary entitlements as specified in Chapters 18.24, 18.28, and 18.26 (§ 18.20.030, Chapter cross‑references) .
• Design standards: the Code builds design expectations into district purposes (e.g., pedestrian active‑frontage requirements in DMX and CMX) and into PD/Specific Plan processes where projects can adopt custom design standards (§ 18.05.020, § 18.32.010) .

Specific plans & overlays

• Specific Plans: adopted Specific Plans are formally recognized and listed in Chapter 18.10; Dixon currently lists at least the Northeast Quadrant Specific Plan and the Southwest Dixon Specific Plan, which supersede or augment zoning for properties inside their boundaries (§ 18.10.030) .
• Planned Development (‑PD): the Code uses -PD overlay districts to tailor standards and allow clustered, flexible design; PDs require a PD Plan, findings, and City Council adoption (Chapters 18.09 and 18.32) (§ 18.09.010, § 18.32.010–.040) . Link: Dixon Overlay Districts.
• Groundwater Well Overlay: the -GW overlay is an example of a site‑specific overlay regulating groundwater extraction wells with parcel lists and minimum sanitary seal requirements and a required Conditional Use Permit in the overlay area (§ 18.08.010–.040) .
• How overlays work: where a Specific Plan or PD is silent, the general Zoning Code applies; where the Specific Plan or PD prescribes different rules, those controls apply for properties inside the plan area (§ 18.10.020, § 18.32.040) .

Building permits & review (practical path)

• Step 1 — Zoning Clearance / Precheck: routine projects and permitted uses get a Zoning Clearance issued by the Community Development Director if the proposal conforms to the Code (§ 18.20.040.F) .
• Step 2 — Entitlements if required: if the land use or project requires discretionary review (Conditional Use Permit, Variance, PD Plan, or Specific Plan consistency), those entitlements must be approved before a building permit is issued; Planning Commission or City Council hearings will be required depending on the application and findings needed (see Chapters 18.24, 18.28, 18.32) .
• Step 3 — Building permits & Title 24: building permits and inspections follow the California Building Standards Code — local zoning approvals do not replace Title 24/State building permit requirements. Link: California Building Standards Code. If a Building Permit has previously been issued, the Code allows completion per the issued permit subject to inspection records (§ 18.01.050.G.1) .
• Fees & timing: fees are set by Council resolution and must be paid at application filing (§ 18.01.080) .

State housing law in Dixon

Dixon’s Code incorporates or cross‑references state housing rules and implements local specifics where allowed:

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs/JADUs): Dixon has a dedicated ADU section, § 18.19.040, which sets local maximums and standards while aligning with state ADU rules: detached ADU max 1,200 sq ft, detached height generally 16 ft (with 18 ft transit exceptions), attached ADU max 50% of primary dwelling or 1,200 sq ft and minimum interior side/rear setbacks 4 ft; junior ADU rules (max 500 sq ft, owner‑occupancy for JADU) are included — see § 18.19.040 for the full list of standards and conversion rules . Link: Dixon ADUs and see the State ADU law summary at California ADU law.
• SB 9 and two‑unit development / urban lot splits: Dixon allows SB9 two‑unit development in the RL district under the standards of § 18.04.040.B (two dwelling units per lot where applicable), and local urban lot split rules and owner‑occupancy, parking, and setback specifics are in the urban lot split subsection (see § 18.04.040.B and the urban lot split provisions) . Link: California housing laws.
• Density bonus: the Code contains a local density bonus chapter cross‑reference — Chapter 18.12 (Affordable Housing Density Bonus) — and PD/Special Plan approvals note that density bonuses are applied per Chapter 18.12 when applicable (§ 18.32.040, cross‑ref to Chapter 18.12) .
• Rent control / tenant protections: no citywide rent control ordinance appears in the retrieved zoning chapters. If you need to know whether Dixon has local rent control or just state tenant protections, verify with City staff or the municipal code beyond Title 18 (not found in the retrieved zoning excerpts). (Not found in retrieved materials.)

Practical note: the Code often states where state law preempts local rules (e.g., ADU statewide limits and SB9 requirements) — always compare the local section (e.g., § 18.19.040 for ADUs, § 18.04.040.B for SB9) to the latest state statutes as state law may change local implementation details .

Information Gaps

• Parking chapter: the Code excerpts provided show parking rules embedded in multiple places (urban lot splits and land‑use tables) but a standalone, consolidated "parking standards" chapter with full quantitative requirements (e.g., spaces per use) was not visible in the retrieved snippets. Verify specific parking‑count tables with the City’s full Title 18 or the Planning Division (Not found in retrieved materials; see § 18.04.040, Table 18.05.020) .
• Sign regulations, historic preservation rules, and the full Design Review chapter text (Chapter 18.23) were referenced but the complete sign‑code and historic preservation chapter text are not fully present in the snippets used here; consult Chapters 18.18 (Signs) and the Historic Preservation chapter (look up in the Code) for details (Not found in retrieved materials).
• Local administrative procedures for submittal checklists, fee schedules, and the Official Zoning Map graphic are maintained by the Planning Division and City Clerk and should be confirmed via the City for current practice and maps.

Source References

• Dixon Zoning Code (Title 18) — § 18.01.010, Purpose/Applicability — .
• Zoning districts and Official Zoning Map — § 18.03.010, Table 18.03.010 — .
• Residential district rules and Table 18.04.030 (development standards; SB9 rules in RL) — § 18.04.030, § 18.04.040.B — .
• Commercial / Mixed‑Use district purposes and Tables 18.05.020/18.05.030 (land uses & development standards) — § 18.05.010, § 18.05.020, § 18.05.030 — .
• Planned Development & PD procedures — Chapters 18.09 and 18.32 (PD Plan rules and findings) — § 18.09.010, § 18.32.010–.080 — .
• Specific Plans list and applicability — § 18.10.020–.030 (Northeast Quadrant Specific Plan; Southwest Dixon Specific Plan) — .
• General site regs, accessory structures, and ADU cross‑reference — Chapter 18.11, § 18.11.020 (Accessory Structures) and § 18.19.040 (Accessory Dwelling Units) — .
• Groundwater Well Overlay (‑GW) — § 18.08.010–.040 — .
• Administration & review authorities (Planning Commission & Community Development Director duties) — § 18.20.030, § 18.20.040 — .