Pomona — Design Review

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

Design review in Pomona is implemented through the Zoning & Development Code’s discretionary “Development Plan” and related site plan/architectural review mechanisms. The process is intended to protect neighborhood character, require cohesive site design (landscaping, parking, pedestrian access, signs, materials), and allow the City to place conditions on appearance and site layout; the controlling provisions appear in the Development Plan / Discretionary Review rules and in overlay- and use-specific provisions. See the City’s broader planning menu for context: Pomona zoning & planning overview and Pomona Zoning.

What the code calls “Design Review”

The Zoning & Development Code treats what many cities call "design review" primarily as a Development Plan or site plan and architectural/staff review under the Discretionary Review rules. Key controlling text is in § 1160 (Discretionary Review / Development Plan) and the Development Plan purpose and applicability language at § 1160.G; design-related subrequirements for landscaping are at § 1300.K. These provisions describe what the City may review (building placement, parking, landscaping, materials, signs, etc.) and when a Development Plan (site plan & design review) is required.

The Code also places site-design/architectural review requirements inside some Overlay Districts (for example, the Fairplex Overlay District) where conditionally permitted uses that involve permanent structures are specifically made subject to "site design and architectural review and approval by the Development Services Director" prior to building permits. See § 820 / Fairplex Overlay language.

When a project triggers site plan & design review it is processed under the City’s application filing and hearing rules (see § 1110 / Summary of filing and processing) and the summary of review authority in § 1100.

Because design review in Pomona is embedded in the Development Plan / discretionary review framework, the review can be administrative (Director) or heard before bodies up to the City Council depending on the review authority table in § 1100 and the particular entitlement requested.

District-by-district summary (Design Review applicability and code references)

Below are the districts specifically named in the Development Plan applicability table and the code text that ties design review to those districts. For each district I list what the retrieved materials show about WHEN a Development Plan / design review is required; where the Code text needed to describe purposes, typical permitted uses, or full dimensional standards was not returned in the search results I note that explicitly so you can verify with the jurisdiction.

• Residential Neighborhood District (RND)

  • Purpose: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
  • Typical permitted uses: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
  • Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
  • Where design review applies: A Development Plan (site design / architectural review) is required for new construction of 4 or more housing units or for new non-residential construction greater than 22,500 sq ft (cumulative). See § 1160 (Development Plan applicability).

• Urban Neighborhood District (UND)

  • Purpose: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
  • Typical permitted uses: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
  • Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
  • Where design review applies: Listed among districts subject to Development Plan thresholds in § 1160; specific trigger thresholds in the development-plan table apply as shown in the Code (see § 1160 applicability table).

• Activity Center District (ACD)

  • Purpose / uses / dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
  • Where design review applies: Included in the Development Plan applicability table; any project meeting the district's thresholds is subject to Development Plan review per § 1160.

• Transit Oriented District (TOD)

  • Purpose / uses / dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
  • Where design review applies: Included in the Development Plan applicability framework. See § 1160.

• Workplace District (WD)

  • Purpose / uses / dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
  • Where design review applies: Included in the Development Plan applicability framework. See § 1160.

• Special Campus District (SCD)

  • Purpose / uses / dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
  • Where design review applies: Included in the Development Plan applicability framework. See § 1160.

• Parkland District (PLD)

  • Purpose / uses / dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
  • Where design review applies: Included in the Development Plan applicability framework. See § 1160.

• Neighborhood Edge District (NED)

  • Purpose / uses / dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.
  • Where design review applies: A Development Plan is required for new construction of housing units on a property greater than one acre in usable size or for new non-residential construction greater than 22,500 sq ft (cumulative). See § 1160.

Note: the Code applies site/architectural review in other places besides the Development Plan framework (for example, overlay districts and ADU rules). For accessory dwelling units (ADUs) the Code contains a specific section § 830 that explains ADU purpose and standards; ADU-specific design-review rules or limits are handled there (see § 830), but the ADU section also references State ADU law. Always check both the ADU section and Development Plan rules when an ADU might trigger site review. Link for ADU context: Pomona ADUs.

Quick reference table — Common triggers and decision standards

How the City evaluates design (practical guidance)

• The Development Plan package should demonstrate how the project meets the items listed in § 1160.G.1 (compatibility, building siting, parking layout, circulation, landscaping, materials/colors, and signage). Staff will use those criteria to approve, modify, or deny an application and may impose conditions.
• Landscape documents are part of the required package for any project requiring site plan and design review; landscape plans and a complete Landscape Documentation Package are reviewed under § 1300.K and must be approved before issuance of building permits or grading permits. Link for landscape rules: Pomona Landscaping and Screening.
• For overlay districts (for example, the Fairplex Overlay), conditionally permitted permanent structures are subject to administrative site and architectural review (Development Services Director). If your site is in an overlay, consult the overlay section for the specific review route — see Pomona Overlay Districts.

Checklist — what to include in a Development Plan / site design submission

• Completed application form and application fee (follow filing rules in § 1110)
• Site plan showing building footprint, lot lines, setbacks, parking layout, drive aisles, loading, and pedestrian circulation (addresses § 1160.G.1.1–4)
• Exterior elevations and materials/ color board showing exterior materials, colors, roof forms and architectural details (addresses § 1160.G.1.10)
• Sign program or proposed signage details if applicable (addresses § 1160.G.1.12 and the Sign chapter) — see Pomona Signage
• Landscape and irrigation plans meeting the Landscape Documentation Package requirements; prepared by licensed professionals as required by § 1300.K; include plant list, irrigation, and maintenance narrative — no building permit until approved. See Pomona Landscaping and Screening.
• Parking plan showing required parking counts and layout (including accessible spaces) — parking standards and landscape-in-parking requirements are in § 1300/parking chapters. See Pomona Parking.
• Grading/drainage plan if the project includes grading (check grading/permits references and § 1160 findings)
• Project narrative describing consistency with the General Plan and neighborhood compatibility (Decision findings reference consistency with the General Plan in § 1160).

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

If your project is big enough (for example, new multi-family buildings with 4+ units, large commercial buildings, or certain overlay-specific conditional uses) Pomona will require a Development Plan — the City’s version of design/site/architectural review — that looks at building placement, parking, landscaping, materials, and signage and may be processed administratively or at a public hearing. The controlling rules live in § 1160 (Development Plan / Discretionary Review) and the landscape submittal rules in § 1300.K; overlay districts (for example, the Fairplex Overlay) can create additional design-review steps.

Source References

• Development Plan (purpose, review topics, applicability): § 1160 / Development Plan language and applicability table.
• Summary of review authority and filing procedures: § 1100 and § 1110 (Application Filing & Processing).
• Overlay-specific design review (example — Fairplex Overlay): Design Review Compliance reference in § 820 (Fairplex Overlay).
• Landscape plan submittal requirements and Landscape Documentation Package (required where site plan & design review applies): § 1300.K and related Landscape sections. See also § 1300 general applicability.
• Use, form, and frontage modules referenced in the Code that determine dimensional standards (examples shown: House Narrow, Special Modules): module excerpts in Parts 3–7 (retrieved snippets). For district-specific dimensional tables, verify the full code.

If you want, I can extract the exact district Use Module and Form Module tables for any of the named districts (RND, UND, ACD, TOD, WD, SCD, PLD, NED) from the full Code and build a project-specific pre-submittal checklist — tell me which address or parcel and I’ll pull the district rules and the exact dimensional standards. Verify parcel-specific interpretation with the City: Verify with the jurisdiction.

Retrieved passages

• Pomona Zoning Code High relevance show source text
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• Pomona Zoning Code (section is) High relevance show source text
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• Pomona Zoning Code (Section any) Medium relevance show source text
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• Pomona Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Development Plan (purpose, review topics, applicability): **§ 1160** / Development Plan language and applicability table. (§ 1160)
• Summary of review authority and filing procedures: **§ 1100** and **§ 1110** (Application Filing & Processing). (§ 1100)
• Overlay-specific design review (example — Fairplex Overlay): Design Review Compliance reference in **§ 820** (Fairplex Overlay). (§ 820)
• Landscape plan submittal requirements and Landscape Documentation Package (required where site plan & design review applies): **§ 1300.K** and related Landscape sections. See also **§ 1300** general applicability. (§ 1300.K)
• Use, form, and frontage modules referenced in the Code that determine dimensional standards (examples shown: House Narrow, Special Modules): module excerpts in Parts 3–7 (retrieved snippets). For district-specific dimensional tables, verify the full code.
• Pomona_ZoningCode.md

• Official Pomona code library