Kern County — Design Review

Last reviewed: July 6, 2026

Overview

In unincorporated Kern County, “design review” is handled through two primary, ordinance-defined processes: plot plan review and site development plan review. Which one applies depends on your zoning district and whether any overlay districts are mapped on your parcel. These reviews coordinate how a project’s layout, circulation, parking, landscaping, lighting, and architecture fit Kern County’s zoning standards and special-purpose zones.

In unincorporated Kern County, there is no stand‑alone “architectural review board.” Design is reviewed as part of the required plot plan review or site development plan review called out in the zoning ordinance.

What “Design Review” Means in Kern County

• Plot plan review (ministerial): Applies to most permitted uses and development; the planning director checks your plan for ordinance compliance before building or grading permits are issued. Key exceptions apply for one single-family home on a single lot and some small additions. See § 19.80.040 and § 19.80.070 (processing and expiration) for triggers and timing .
• Site development plan review (discretionary/administrative): Required in certain districts and overlays (for example, the H combining district, the SP special planning district, and the CL cluster district). These sections route the application to the planning director, planning commission, or Board and specify submittal details. See § 19.76.130–.140 (H), § 19.52.130–.170 (SP), and § 19.58.130–.150 (CL) .

Kern’s district chapters explicitly reference the County’s application procedures in §§ 19.102.040–.060 (plot plans) and §§ 19.102.070–.120 (site development plan review), which govern filing, notice, and action by the review authority, as cross‑referenced throughout the code (see citations below) .

Triggers, Submittals, and Outcomes (Quick Table)

Related provisions you’ll address through design review include development standards, parking, signage, and landscaping and screening.

District-by-District: How Design Review Works

H (Airport Approach Height Combining) district

• Purpose and where it applies: Applied as a combining zone around public airports and airstrips to protect air traffic and limit hazards (e.g., glare, radio interference, reflective materials). The district imposes lighting and surface reflectivity controls and requires careful siting and heights near runways per the code’s design standards .
• When site development plan review is required: For any use/building/structure/plant/tree, except construction of single‑family dwellings and permitted residential accessory structures on existing lots of record, a site development plan review is required before establishment of the use. Reviews may be folded into a precise development plan or CUP if one is required by the base zone, so no separate H review is needed in that case; see § 19.76.130 .
• Key dimensional/design standards:
  • FAA “no‑hazard” letter required if any structure or vegetation will exceed 35 ft in height; include FAA conditions in plans per § 19.76.140(E) .
  • Design standards include downward‑directed, shielded lighting; non‑reflective building surfaces; and controls on electrical/radio interference per § 19.76.125(A)–(C) .
• Typical permitted uses: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

SP (Special Planning) district

• Purpose and where it applies: A flexible zoning district used for master‑planned or mixed developments that must be “demonstratively superior” to standard zoning and consistent with the General Plan; minimum area 5 acres; see § 19.52.150(C) .
• When site development plan review is required: To create/use an SP district, the County must review and approve a site development plan per § 19.52.130, with submittals specified in § 19.52.140; the SP district is then adopted by ordinance with its own standards per § 19.52.160; construction must commence within 3 years unless extended per § 19.52.170 .
• Key dimensional/design standards:
  • Heights, setbacks, parking, signage, and landscaping are established through the approved SP plan and must follow the procedures in §§ 19.52.130–.180. Parking, signs, and landscaping sections explicitly defer to these SP procedures in § 19.52.100–.120 .
  • Projects must show creative, compatible design, superior open space, and other qualitative factors listed in § 19.52.150(B) .
• Typical permitted uses: Determined by the adopted SP ordinance and plan. Not found in retrieved materials.

CL (Cluster) district

• Purpose and where it applies: A combining district to enable clustered layouts with common open space. Development must be “demonstratively superior” to what base zoning would yield, considering open space and unique design features under § 19.58.150 .
• When site development plan review is required: Required for any use or development in the CL district, and processed by the planning director, planning commission, or Board depending on whether a zone change is also requested; see § 19.58.130 and § 19.58.140 for submittal details .
• Key dimensional/design standards:
  • The approved plan sets setbacks, lot design, circulation, landscaping, utilities, and any deviations from base-zone standards; see § 19.58.140(D)–(H) .
• Typical permitted uses: Not found in retrieved materials.

Plot Plan Review — What You’ll Be Asked to Show

• Trigger and scope: Required for most permitted uses and development before building or grading permits are issued; exemptions include one single-family dwelling on a single lot, some small additions (≤50% GFA) unless creating new dwelling units, and changes between permitted uses that need no building permit; see § 19.80.040 .
• Submittals: Scaled plan with grading, existing/proposed buildings, parking, road improvements, proposed landscaping, phasing, and—if multifamily—building elevations per § 19.80.050 .
• Processing and expiration: Reviewed concurrently with building/grading permits; plot plan approvals expire after 1 year unless building permits are issued, and are not required if the use already needs a CUP or precise development plan per § 19.80.070 .

How Other Standards Plug Into Design Review

• In H areas, lighting must be shielded and non-hazardous to air traffic and building surfaces non‑reflective per § 19.76.125(A)–(B); radio/electrical interference is restricted in § 19.76.125(C) .
• SP and CL reviews fold in project‑level standards (setbacks, circulation, open space, and design quality) through their site development plan submittals and “superior design” findings in § 19.52.150 and § 19.58.150 .
• Signage and off‑street parking compliance are checked during these reviews; chapter cross‑references to signs and parking appear in district provisions that require adherence to those chapters during plan review (see code cross‑references to parking Chapter 19.82 and signs Chapter 19.84) . For broader context on related content, see signage and parking.

For a high‑level context on how these processes relate to overall entitlements, see the Kern County zoning & planning overview and development standards. If your project cannot meet a standard, relief—if any—would be sought under variances and exceptions. Note that construction compliance with the California Building Standards Code is a separate track from zoning/design review and is not covered here.

Checklist

• Confirm your parcel is in unincorporated Kern County and identify base zone and any mapped H, SP, or CL overlays.
• Determine whether you need a plot plan review (most permitted projects) per § 19.80.040, or a site development plan review (H, SP, CL) per the applicable district section .
• Prepare required submittals: scaled plan, grading, buildings, circulation/parking, landscaping, utilities, phasing, and (where applicable) elevations per § 19.80.050 or the site plan contents in § 19.52.140/§ 19.58.140/§ 19.76.140 .
• If in an H area and any element exceeds 35 ft, obtain the FAA letter required by § 19.76.140(E); address lighting and material restrictions in § 19.76.125 .
• If applying for SP or CL, demonstrate “superior” site design and open space per § 19.52.150 or § 19.58.150 and be prepared for adoption/conditions by ordinance (SP) per § 19.52.160 .
• Confirm whether your use already requires a CUP or precise development plan (in which case separate plot plan review may not be required) per § 19.80.070 and § 19.76.130 .
• Track approval timelines and expirations (e.g., plot plan expiration at 1 year; SP start within 3 years) per § 19.80.070 and § 19.52.170 .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

In unincorporated Kern County, “design review” happens through either a plot plan review (a checklist‑style review for most permitted projects) or a site development plan review (used in special districts/overlays like H, SP, or CL). Your plan must show how buildings, parking, landscaping, lighting, and circulation meet the zoning rules; some areas add extra conditions (for example, FAA letters and lighting controls near airports). If your zone requires a CUP or precise plan, the County often folds the design review into that process.

Information Gaps

• A comprehensive list of permitted uses and base‑zone dimensional standards for H, SP, and CL was not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
• Full procedural details in §§ 19.102.040–.060 and §§ 19.102.070–.120 were referenced but not included in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Source References

• § 19.80.040 (Plot plan review—Required), § 19.80.050 (Contents), § 19.80.070 (Review, approval, expiration)
• § 19.76.125 (H district design standards), § 19.76.130 (Site development plan review—Required), § 19.76.140 (Application—Contents; FAA letter)
• § 19.52.130–.170 (SP district: procedures, submittals, standards, adoption, time limits)
• § 19.58.130–.150 (CL district: procedures, submittals, standards)
• Cross‑references to parking (Ch. 19.82) and signage (Ch. 19.84) during plan review

Retrieved passages

• Kern County Zoning Code (§ 97) High relevance show source text
• Kern County Zoning Code (§ 7115.08) High relevance show source text
• Kern County Zoning Code (§ 92) High relevance show source text
• Kern County Zoning Code (§ 200) High relevance show source text
• Kern County Zoning Code (Section 19.08.160) High relevance show source text
• Kern County Zoning Code (§ 7175.10) High relevance show source text
• Kern County Zoning Code (§ 23) High relevance show source text
• Kern County Zoning Code (Section 19.76.125) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• § 19.80.040 (Plot plan review—Required), § 19.80.050 (Contents), § 19.80.070 (Review, approval, expiration) (§ 19.80.040)
• § 19.76.125 (H district design standards), § 19.76.130 (Site development plan review—Required), § 19.76.140 (Application—Contents; FAA letter) (§ 19.76.125)
• § 19.52.130–.170 (SP district: procedures, submittals, standards, adoption, time limits) (§ 19.52.130)
• § 19.58.130–.150 (CL district: procedures, submittals, standards) (§ 19.58.130)
• Cross‑references to parking (Ch. 19.82) and signage (Ch. 19.84) during plan review
• KernCounty_ZoningCode.md

• Official Kern County code library