Hanford — Overlay Districts

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

Hanford's zoning ordinance establishes two citywide overlay zones that layer additional standards onto base zones: the Airport Overlay District and the Historic Overlay District. Overlays do not replace base-zone rules; they add or override regulations where needed to protect airport operations or preserve historic resources. The ordinance defines the overlays, their purpose, permit requirements, and how they interact with base zones (see § 17.06.030) .

(Links: see Hanford's main zoning overview and the City's Zoning page.)

Historic Overlay District (Chapter 17.48)

• Purpose (what it protects)

  • The Historic Overlay District is designed to protect, preserve and enhance structures, sites and areas of historic, architectural, or cultural significance, and to promote compatible reuse and economic benefit to the community (see § 17.48.005) .

• Where it applies

  • The chapter applies to the geographically mapped Historic Overlay Zone on the City zoning map and to any individually designated historic building or site (see § 17.48.010) . The official zoning map is maintained by Community Development (see § 17.06.040) .

• Typical permitted uses

  • Uses in the Historic Overlay follow the same use categories as the base zone; the overlay does not create new use categories but may control exterior work and the character of improvements. The ordinance explicitly ties permitted/conditional uses to the land-use table in § 17.08.020 (base zone rules apply) and adds overlay permit requirements (see § 17.48.020) .

• Key regulatory/permit standards

  • Exterior alterations, demolition, or new construction in the district require a Historic Resource Permit unless expressly exempted as ordinary maintenance (see § 17.48.040, § 17.48.055, § 17.48.070) .
  • Minor improvements (e.g., repainting consistent with an approved palette) can be handled by the Community Development Director via a minor improvement permit (see § 17.48.060) .
  • Applications for Historic Resource Permits must include site plan materials, elevations, color/material samples, photos, and other items listed in § 17.48.070 and/ or cross-referenced to site-plan standards in § 17.72.040; City Council decides on Council-level permits (see § 17.48.070.B) .
  • Project approvals must follow the Chapter's design criteria and guidelines for contributing, noncontributing, and new buildings (see § 17.48.150) .
  • Building permits for work requiring a Historic Resource Permit cannot be issued until the Community Development Department confirms conformance (see § 17.48.100) .
  • Historic Resource Permits run with the land (recorded) and may lapse or be revoked per the chapter (see § 17.48.110, § 17.48.120, § 17.48.130) .

• Practical guidance

  • If a property is inside the Historic Overlay District, assume exterior changes will need at least a minor improvement review and often a Historic Resource Permit. Coordinate early with Community Development and include elevation drawings, materials, and photos as required by § 17.48.070 to avoid re-submittals .
  • For routine maintenance that does not alter design/materials, the ordinance permits no-permit maintenance (see § 17.48.055) .

(Related topics you may need: design review, development standards, and Historic Preservation.)

Airport Overlay District (Chapter 17.44)

• Purpose (what it protects)

  • The Airport Overlay District protects airport operations and public safety around the Hanford Municipal Airport by imposing use and height controls and ensuring consistency with the Kings County Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan and FAA standards (see § 17.44.010, § 17.44.020) .

• Where it applies

  • The Airport Overlay applies to all land within the mapped Airport Overlay zone on the City zoning map; the ordinance references an Airspace Plan and Airport "airspace" mapping on file with Community Development (see § 17.44.040 and § 17.06.040) .

• Typical permitted uses

  • Uses default to the base zone land use table (§ 17.08.020), but many uses are restricted or conditioned if they would interfere with aircraft operations (e.g., glare, electrical interference, bird attractants) per § 17.44.020 .

• Key dimensional / technical standards

  • Specific airport height zones are defined (approach, transitional, horizontal, conical) tied to runway geometry; these zones carry strict height limits and are shown on the City's Airport "Airspace Plan" (see § 17.44.040) .
  • No structure or natural growth may penetrate airport height zones; existing nonconforming features cannot be altered to expand nonconformity (see § 17.44.050, § 17.44.070) .
  • Property owners must install and maintain required markings and lights at their expense if needed to mark obstructions (see § 17.44.060) .
  • The overlay defers to the Kings County Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan and FAA rules; applicants must demonstrate no harmful effect on navigation/visibility and must follow county ALUCP policies (see § 17.44.020.C) .

• Uses that trigger additional review

  • Wireless communications facilities and towers located in the Airport Overlay require conditional review and must meet Chapter 17.68 and the Airport chapter (see § 17.68.090.D) .

• Practical guidance

  • For projects near the airport, obtain the zoning map parcel status early, check which airport height zone applies, and coordinate with Community Development and the City Engineer regarding any lighting/marking or height exceptions (see § 17.44.040–§ 17.44.060) .

(You will likely need to confirm how the overlay interacts with base-zone setbacks and parking rules and any ADU proposals that may trigger both base-zone and overlay controls.)

Quick reference table — decision-relevant points

Checklist

• Confirm whether your parcel sits in the Historic Overlay District or Airport Overlay District on the official zoning map (contact Community Development) — see § 17.06.040 .
• Determine base-zone permitted uses from the land-use table § 17.08.020 and whether your proposal is allowed by right, conditionally, or requires a discretionary permit — see § 17.08.020 / § 17.48.020 .
• If in Historic Overlay, prepare Historic Resource Permit materials: site plan, elevations, material/color samples, photos — § 17.48.070.B .
• If in Airport Overlay, measure proposed height against airport height zones and verify compliance with the Kings County Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan and FAA rules — § 17.44.040, § 17.44.020.C .
• Coordinate Historic Resource Permit approvals with building-permit filing; the Building Department will require Community Development sign-off (§ 17.48.100) .
• For questions about setbacks, parking, or design standards referenced by the overlay, consult the City’s development standards, parking, and design review pages.
• If your project involves a proposed ADU, check overlay implications early — overlays can add permit triggers even for state-permitted ADU types (verify with City) — Verify with the jurisdiction.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

If your property is inside Hanford’s Historic Overlay District, expect extra design review and permit steps for most exterior work — get elevation drawings, materials, and photos ready. If it’s inside the Airport Overlay District, the key issue is height and anything that could interfere with aircraft (lights, glare, bird attractants); you must follow airport-specific height maps and ALUCP/FAA rules. Both overlays layer on top of your base zone rules; always confirm map boundaries and required permits with Community Development. See § 17.48.070 and § 17.44.050 for the principal permit and height rules respectively .

Information Gaps

• The exact GIS/zoning-map polygons showing the boundaries of the Historic Overlay District and Airport Overlay District are referenced but not included in the retrieved text; the code states the map is on file with Community Development (§ 17.06.040) — verify with the City GIS/zoning map .
• The land-use table in § 17.08.020 is referenced as the master use table but the full table detail (specific use-by-zone entries) was not included in the retrieved snippets — consult § 17.08.020 directly with the City for parcel-specific permitted/conditional use determinations .
• Specific ADU interactions with overlays were not spelled out in the retrieved material; for ADU questions verify with Community Development and the City's ADU guidance (ADUs) — Not found in retrieved materials.

Source References

• Hanford Municipal Code, Title 17 (Zoning) — Establishment of overlay districts § 17.06.030 .
• Chapter 17.48 — Historic Overlay Zone (purpose, application, historic resource permits, design criteria): § 17.48.005, § 17.48.010, § 17.48.040, § 17.48.055, § 17.48.060, § 17.48.070, § 17.48.100, § 17.48.110, § 17.48.130, § 17.48.150 .
• Chapter 17.44 — Airport Overlay Zone (application, permitted-use restrictions, airport height zones, markers/lights, nonconforming rules): § 17.44.010, § 17.44.020, § 17.44.030, § 17.44.040, § 17.44.050, § 17.44.060, § 17.44.070 .
• Cross-references used: site-plan and permit procedures (§ 17.72.040), land use tables (§ 17.08.020), wireless communications policy reference (§ 17.68.090, § 17.68.100) .
• Hanford pages for related operational topics: Hanford Zoning, Hanford Development Standards, Hanford Parking, Hanford Design Review, Hanford Historic Preservation, Hanford ADUs, and California Building Standards Code.

Retrieved passages

• Hanford Zoning Code (Chapter 17.06.) Medium relevance show source text
• Hanford Zoning Code (§ 3) Medium relevance show source text
• Hanford Zoning Code (§ 17.06.040.) Medium relevance show source text
• Hanford Zoning Code (Title 17.) Medium relevance show source text
• Hanford Zoning Code (§ 17.30.130.) Medium relevance show source text
• Hanford Zoning Code (§ 17.48.150.) Medium relevance show source text
• Hanford Zoning Code (§ 17.48.100.) Medium relevance show source text
• Hanford Zoning Code (title shall) Medium relevance show source text
• Hanford Zoning Code (§ 17.48.040.) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 17.48.055 (§ 17.48.055.) Medium relevance show source text
• Hanford Zoning Code (§ 17.44.070.) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 17.48.055 (§ 17.48.055.) Medium relevance show source text
• Hanford Zoning Code (Chapter 17.50.) Medium relevance show source text
• Hanford Zoning Code (§ 17.42.140.) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Hanford Municipal Code, Title 17 (Zoning) — Establishment of overlay districts **§ 17.06.030** . (Title 17)
• Chapter 17.48 — Historic Overlay Zone (purpose, application, historic resource permits, design criteria): **§ 17.48.005**, **§ 17.48.010**, **§ 17.48.040**, **§ 17.48.055**, **§ 17.48.060**, **§ 17.48.070**, **§ 17.48.100**, **§ 17.48.110**, **§ 17.48.130**, **§ 17.48.150** . (Chapter 17.48)
• Chapter 17.44 — Airport Overlay Zone (application, permitted-use restrictions, airport height zones, markers/lights, nonconforming rules): **§ 17.44.010**, **§ 17.44.020**, **§ 17.44.030**, **§ 17.44.040**, **§ 17.44.050**, **§ 17.44.060**, **§ 17.44.070** . (Chapter 17.44)
• Cross-references used: site-plan and permit procedures (**§ 17.72.040**), land use tables (**§ 17.08.020**), wireless communications policy reference (**§ 17.68.090**, **§ 17.68.100**) . (§ 17.72.040)
• Hanford pages for related operational topics: Hanford Zoning, Hanford Development Standards, Hanford Parking, Hanford Design Review, Hanford Historic Preservation, Hanford ADUs, and California Building Standards Code.
• Hanford_ZoningCode.md

• Official Hanford code library