Loomis Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 25, 2026 · AI-generated overview · General information, not legal advice · detailsless

Compiled with AI research tools from official sources. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Overview

Loomis regulates land use through its Zoning Title in the municipal code — Title 13 (“Zoning”) — which implements the General Plan and protects the town’s rural, small‑town character (§ 13.10.010). The official zoning map divides the town into established districts and governs how boundaries are interpreted on the ground (§ 13.20.020). Citywide standards for setbacks, landscaping, parking, and signs apply alongside district‑specific rules (§§ 13.30.110, 13.34.050, 13.36, 13.38). Most nonresidential and multifamily projects also go through design review (§ 13.62.040).

Most consequential for housing capacity: the RH‑20 district requires a minimum 20 du/ac and allows up to 25 du/ac by right (no CUP or other discretionary action) (§ 13.24.020(G)).

How Loomis’s code is organized

Loomis’s zoning framework lives in Title 13 and is structured so you can quickly locate the rule that applies to your site:

• Purpose and authority for zoning are in §§ 13.10.010–13.10.020; conflicts with specific plans/development agreements are resolved in § 13.10.040.
• Districts and the zoning map are in Division 2, starting with § 13.20.020 (districts established; boundary interpretation). Residential, commercial, industrial, and public district rules appear in Chapters 13.24–13.28 (see § 13.22.010).
• Cross‑cutting development standards (e.g., development standards, parking, landscaping, signs) are in Division 3: setbacks/height framework (§ 13.30.020), landscaping (§ 13.34.050), parking/loading (Ch. 13.36), and signs (Ch. 13.38).
• Specific use regulations (e.g., multifamily housing, ADUs, residential accessory structures) are in Division 4 (e.g., §§ 13.42.250, 13.42.260, 13.42.270). Where a Division 4 standard conflicts with a base‑district rule, Division 4 controls (§ 13.30.020).
• Procedures (applications, completeness, CEQA, decisions, appeals) are in Division 6 and related chapters: application review (§ 13.60.050), CEQA (§ 13.60.060), permit procedures (§ 13.62.010), and design review (§ 13.62.040). Decision‑making/appeals framework is referenced in § 13.60.030 and Division 7 (by cross‑reference in § 13.62.040(H)).
• Definitions that matter for processing (including “Urban Lot Split” and “Accessory dwelling unit”) are in § 13.80.020.

Zoning district families

Loomis’s zoning map uses the following families and symbols (Table 2‑1; § 13.20.020):

• Residential districts

  • RA (Residential Agricultural): very low‑density with agriculture; max density 1 du/4.6 ac (§ 13.24.020(A)).
  • RE (Residential Estate): large‑lot single‑family + agriculture; max 1 du/2.3 ac (§ 13.24.020(B)).
  • RR (Rural Residential): large‑lot single‑family; max 1 du/ac (§ 13.24.020(C)).
  • RS (Single‑Family Residential): neighborhoods of single‑family homes; density set by a numeric suffix (e.g., RS‑2, RS‑5) ranging from 0.5 du/ac to 2–6 du/ac; RS‑5 applies only downtown (§ 13.24.020(D)).
  • RM (Medium Density Residential): 6–10 du/ac (§ 13.24.020(E)).
  • RH (High Density Residential): 10–15 du/ac (§ 13.24.020(F)).
  • RH‑20: multifamily at a minimum of 20 du/ac and up to 25 du/ac by right to facilitate affordable housing; alternative standards to Tables 2‑4 and § 13.42.250 may be considered (§ 13.24.020(G)).

• Commercial districts

  • CO (Office Commercial), CG (General Commercial), CC (Central Commercial), CT (Tourist/Destination Commercial) (Table 2‑1; § 13.20.020). Allowed uses/permits are organized in Table 2‑6 (§ 13.26.040).

• Industrial districts

  • BP (Industrial/Business Park), ILT (Limited Industrial), IL (Light Industrial) (Table 2‑1; § 13.20.020). Development standards include setbacks, coverage, and height in Table 2‑10 (§ 13.28.040).

• Special purpose

  • PI (Public/Institutional) (Table 2‑1; § 13.20.020). Dimensional standards are in Table 2‑11 (§ 13.28.040).

Permit “letters” you’ll see on use tables:

• P permitted (zoning clearance),
• MUP minor use permit,
• UP use permit,
• S governed by a specific use regulation (§§ 13.24.040, 13.26.040).

Citywide development standards

Loomis applies district rules together with Division 3 standards.

• Setbacks and measurement

  • Setbacks are measured from property lines; special rules cover averaging on developed residential blocks, corner/flag lots, and double frontage parcels (§ 13.30.110(C)). Certain low‑profile elements are exempt (e.g., fences ≤6 ft outside front/street side, at‑grade patios ≤18 inches) (§ 13.30.110(B)(3)).
  • Residential block “averaging” may require deeper fronts than the base minimum, matching the prevailing pattern (§ 13.30.110(C)(1)(a)–(b)).

• Landscaping and screening

  • Minimum landscaped strip width is 8 ft in residential, commercial, and BP districts and 5 ft in ILT/IL; street‑tree and shrub counts are specified; turf is capped at 50% of landscaped area, with location limits (§ 13.34.050(A)(2), (B)(2)(d), (B)(4)).
  • Irrigation must be automatic and water‑efficient; mulch and soil conditioning are required (§ 13.34.050(C)–(D)). See landscaping and screening.

• Parking and loading

  • Parking design/location and loading follow Chapter 13.36; required residential spaces cannot occupy required setbacks except as allowed for paved driveways (§ 13.30.110(D)(3); see parking).

• Signs

  • Signs must comply with Chapter 13.38 (referenced repeatedly, e.g., §§ 13.30.110(D)(1)(a), 13.26.070(A)(2)(e)). See signage.

• Industrial and PI dimensional benchmark examples (§ 13.28.040, Tables 2‑10/11):

  • BP: typical front setback 25 ft; side setback 25 ft (or 50 ft when adjacent to residential); lot coverage 35–60%; height 30 ft/2 stories (limited to 1 story next to residential).
  • ILT: side adjacent to residential 25 ft, otherwise “none required”; lot coverage 50%; height standard referenced to § 13.30.050.
  • IL: no setbacks required (if provided, 5 ft min); lot coverage 50%; height 35 ft/2 stories.
  • PI: lot coverage 50%; height 30 ft/2 stories; setbacks as established through approvals/design review.

Specific plans & overlays

Loomis implements certain location‑specific standards directly in Title 13:

• CT (Tourist/Destination Commercial) corridor. Initial development requires a Master Development Plan (§ 13.26.070(A)(1)) addressing allowed uses (per Table 2‑6), internal circulation, architecture, signs, infrastructure, and phasing (§ 13.26.070(A)(2)). Design must protect the Secret Ravine corridor and buffer Brace Road to maintain rural character; some uses are limited by proximity to Brace Road/residential zones (§ 13.26.070(B)–(C)).
• RS‑10a near H. Clark Powers School. Density must “feather” lower along site edges, and drainage design may not increase post‑development runoff (§ 13.24.070).
• Clustered residential development. In RA/RE/RR/RS, the town may allow clustering on smaller lots in exchange for permanent open space (e.g., 40–60% required open space depending on zone), without increasing total density (§ 13.24.080, Table 2‑6).

Overlay districts beyond the above were not identified in the source materials. Verify any site‑specific overlay with the town and see overlay districts.

Building permits & review

• Who does what. The Town Council, Planning Commission, Planning Director, and Planning & Building Department constitute the planning agency (§ 13.70.020).
• Finding your permit path. Determine your district and consult the relevant use table (residential § 13.24.040, commercial § 13.26.040, industrial § 13.28.010). “P” uses proceed with zoning clearance; “MUP/UP” require discretionary permits (§ 13.22.010).
• Completeness & CEQA. The Director has 30 days to deem applications complete (Gov. Code 65943; § 13.60.050(A)(1)). After completeness, the town performs CEQA review (exempt/ND/EIR) (§ 13.60.060).
• Design review. Required for all nonresidential projects, multifamily, mixed‑use, and certain single‑family developments; the Commission reviews projects needing a UP/variance/MDP, otherwise the Director (§ 13.62.040(B)–(C)). Decisions bundle with other land use permits and may include conditions (§ 13.62.040(F)–(G)).
• Use permit findings. Discretionary permits must be compatible with surroundings and not detrimental to health/safety; additional reasonable conditions may be imposed (§ 13.62.050(F)–(G)).
• Building code. Building permits are administered under the town’s building titles; ADU provisions expressly require plan check for zoning and building compliance with Title 11 (Buildings and Construction) and Title 12 (Development) (§ 13.42.270(B)). All construction must meet the California Building Standards Code.

State housing law in Loomis

• ADUs and JADUs. Loomis implements state California ADU law via § 13.42.270:
  • Ministerial review; the town must act within 60 days for ADUs/JADUs accompanying an existing dwelling (§ 13.42.270(B)(1)).
  • Locations: allowed on lots zoned for residential use (and certain legal nonconforming residential sites) (§ 13.42.270(D)); no minimum lot area (§ 13.42.270(E)).
  • One ADU (attached/detached/converted) plus one JADU per lot (with different allowances on multifamily lots) (§ 13.42.270(F), (G)(3)).
  • Size/height/setbacks: detached up to 1,200 sf; attached up to 1,200 sf or 50% of primary floor area (with guaranteed minimums of 850–1,000 sf by bedroom count); base height 16 ft with 4‑ft side/rear setbacks; downtown ADUs may be up to 25 ft (§ 13.42.270(G)(1), (4)–(6)).
  • Design: architectural compatibility and shielded/down‑aimed lighting are required (§ 13.42.270(G)(8)).
• SB 9 urban lot splits. Projects performing an “Urban Lot Split” (defined in § 13.80.020) are explicitly exempted from the town’s design review process (§ 13.62.040(I)). See broader California housing laws.
• Affordable and special‑needs housing. Supportive and transitional housing are permitted in residential districts consistent with how similar residential uses are treated (§ 13.24.040, Table 2‑2). Emergency shelters are permitted in certain commercial districts, subject to the specific use regulation (§ 13.26.040, Table 2‑6; § 13.42.245).
• Density and incentives. Multifamily projects with 5+ units that provide affordable rents, and supportive/transitional housing, are permitted an increased density of 20 du/ac (§ 13.42.250(A)). The RH‑20 district provides ministerial density between 20–25 du/ac (§ 13.24.020(G)).
• Cannabis businesses. Commercial cannabis activity and deliveries are prohibited in Loomis (§ 13.46.030).

Quick district snapshot (residential densities)

• RA: max 1 du/4.6 ac; agriculture encouraged (§ 13.24.020(A)).
• RE: max 1 du/2.3 ac (§ 13.24.020(B)).
• RR: max 1 du/ac (§ 13.24.020(C)).
• RS: 0.5–6 du/ac, by map suffix; RS‑5 only downtown (§ 13.24.020(D)).
• RM: 6–10 du/ac (§ 13.24.020(E)).
• RH: 10–15 du/ac (§ 13.24.020(F)).
• RH‑20: 20–25 du/ac by right (§ 13.24.020(G)).

Source References

• Loomis Zoning Code: §§ 13.10.010, 13.10.020, 13.10.040; 13.20.010, 13.20.020 (Table 2‑1); 13.22.010; 13.24.020, 13.24.040, 13.24.070, 13.24.080; 13.26.040, 13.26.070; 13.28.010, 13.28.040 (Tables 2‑10/11); 13.30.020, 13.30.110; 13.34.050; 13.36; 13.38; 13.42.250, 13.42.260, 13.42.270; 13.46.010, 13.46.030; 13.60.030, 13.60.050, 13.60.060; 13.62.010, 13.62.040, 13.62.050; 13.64; 13.70.020; 13.80.020.