Susanville — Zoning

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

Susanville's zoning rules live in Title 17 (Zoning) of the municipal code and establish the city's zone districts, maps, permitted uses, and site development controls. The code defines principal zones such as R-1, R-4, C-1, M, resource zones like AR-1 and AE-20, and special zones including PD (Planned Development) and PF, and it requires zone maps to be adopted and maintained by the Community Development Department (see § 17.04.010 — § 17.04.080) . Applicants should review the local development standards and parking rules early (first references: Susanville Development Standards and Susanville Parking) and expect projects to trigger design review where applicable (Susanville Design Review) .

District-by-district breakdown

Below are the city’s principal zones with the ordinance citations, the purpose statement, a short list of typical permitted uses, and the most decision-relevant dimensional standards. All citations reference the Susanville zoning code text in the uploaded ordinance file.

Notes on reading this section

• Where the ordinance lists “permitted uses” vs. “uses requiring a use permit,” I indicate the typical status and point to the controlling code section (for example, § 17.12.020 for R‑1 permitted uses) .
• For project-level rules like parking, setbacks, landscaping and sign rules, consult the related municipal chapters and the city's design guidelines; I link to the first mention of the local pages above and later indicate the code sections that require compliance.

R-1 — Single‑Family Residential

• Purpose: Provide for urban-sized lots for single-family homes; maximum density 7 dwellings/acre (§ 17.12.010) .
• Typical permitted uses: single‑family residences, manufactured home on foundation, accessory buildings, ADUs (attached/detached/junior) — see § 17.12.020 and cross‑reference § 17.104.100 for ADU rules (first ADU mention links to Susanville ADUs) .
• Key dimensional standards (summary): Front setback 15 ft, Side 5 ft / Corner side 10 ft, Rear 15 ft, Max lot coverage 40%, Max height 35 ft for main building (see § 17.12.060 and related subsections) .
• Where it applies: Residential neighborhoods mapped R-1; default standards applied to single‑family projects unless a different zone is shown on the zoning map (§ 17.04.060 and the R‑1 chapter) .

R-2 / R-3 / R-3(A) — Two‑ and Small‑Multi‑Family Residential

• Purpose: Allow duplexes, triplexes and small multi‑unit residential forms; see § 17.04.060 listings for R-2, R-3, R-3(A) .
• Typical permitted uses: duplex/triplex, small multifamily, accessory uses; some uses require administrative permit or use permit as listed in the respective chapter (see chapters for R‑2/R‑3 text) .
• Standards: Vary by subzone; where not specified the code defaults to the R‑1/R‑4 standards or requires reference to the specific R chapter. Verify minimum lot area per unit and yard rules in the applicable R chapter (see § 17.24.060 for R‑4 as example) .

R-4 — Multifamily Residential

• Purpose: Provide for higher density multifamily (detailed in § 17.24.010) .
• Typical permitted uses: Duplex, triplex, fourplex, multifamily dwellings, limited supportive uses; some higher‑intensity residential uses require a use permit (see § 17.24.040) .
• Key standards: 2,000 sq ft per dwelling unit (min), minimum lot sizes: 6,000 sq ft interior / 7,000 corner, Lot coverage: triplex 40% / fourplex 50% / 5+ units 60%, Front setback 15 ft, Side 5 ft / Corner side 10 ft, Rear 15 ft, Max height 35 ft (main) — see § 17.24.060 .
• Where it applies: Higher‑density residential areas and mixed‑use sites (development subject to multifamily standards in § 17.104.110 where triggered) .

MHP — Mobile Home Park

• Purpose and standards reside in Chapter 17.28; manufactured/mobile home park design standards and permitted accessory uses are set there (see Chapter 17.28) .

C-1 — Neighborhood Commercial

• Purpose: Serve neighborhood businesses; see § 17.32.010 and permitted uses § 17.32.020 .
• Typical permitted uses: Small retail, service businesses, offices, restaurants (subject to size limits).
• Key dimensional standards (selected): Minimum building site 10,000 sq ft, Primary use max 5,000 sq ft (unless use permit), Front setback 10 ft (or match nearby residential where adjacent), Max height one story / 20 ft (see § 17.32.050) .
• Where it applies: Along collectors/arterials and neighborhood centers; design and façade standards may be stricter in the UBD (see below) .

C-2 / UBD / C-O / C-M — General, Uptown, Office, Commercial‑Light Industrial

• Purpose: C‑2 for larger shopping; UBD (Uptown Business District) area has special architectural/design emphasis; C‑M allows commercial‑light industrial uses (see § 17.04.060 and individual chapters) .
• Typical uses: Shopping centers (C‑2), office uses (C‑O), mixed commercial/office and limited production (C‑M). UBD includes design controls for storefronts and public-facing facades (§ 17.40.050 design standards for UBD) .
• Standards: C‑2 and M zones set larger lot and height allowances (see respective chapters); height up to 45 ft in industrial/commercial areas with proximity limits adjacent to residential (§ 17.56.050 / § 17.96.030) .

M-L / M — Industrial (Light and General)

• Purpose: Allow industrial activities; § 17.56 et seq. lists permitted industrial uses and performance requirements (noise limits, storage, screening) .
• Typical uses: Manufacturing, processing, equipment/service yards; adult‑oriented uses are limited and conditional where allowed (§ 17.120.050) .
• Standards: Minimum building site 20,000 sq ft (M), lot width min 65 ft interior / 75 ft corner, front yard 10 ft (or match adjacent residential where present), max height 45 ft but limited to 1 story/20 ft within 40 ft of residential — see § 17.56.050 .
• Special performance: Landscaping buffers and outdoor storage screening are required where industrial abuts non‑industrial uses (§ 17.56.050.C.5) .

PF — Public Facilities

• Purpose: Public service buildings, utilities and community facilities; standards summarized in Chapter 17.60 (architectural/site plan review often applies) .

PD — Planned Development (Overlay or Standalone)

• Purpose: Allow flexible, integrated developments that do not fit conventional zones; PD can be an overlay or separate zone and may alter site standards of the underlying zone (§ 17.64.010 — § 17.64.040) .
• Typical process/uses: Uses within a PD require a planned development use permit; the PD ordinance or development plan must specify allowed uses, site standards and may require a development plan submittal and architectural/site plan review (§ 17.64.020 — § 17.64.060) .
• Key rules: Minimum PD size one acre unless the Planning Commission and Council find a smaller site is appropriate; all PDs must reference an underlying zone for default standards if not otherwise specified (§ 17.64.040) .

U — Unclassified (Holding)

• Purpose: Default holding zone applied to territory not otherwise zoned; new uses must still be consistent with the General Plan (Chapter 17.68) .

AR‑1, AE‑20, O‑S — Resource / Agricultural / Open Space

• AR‑1 (Agricultural Residential): Minimum parcel size 1/2 acre, height 35 ft, lot coverage 40%, yards 30 ft front/side/rear and special setbacks such as a 550 ft setback from the city sewage treatment plant for residential dwellings (§ 17.71.060) .
• AE‑20 (Exclusive Agricultural): Intended for intensive agricultural uses; see Chapter 17.72 for allowed operations and protections for agriculture .
• O‑S (Open Space) / OS: Permits agricultural and outdoor recreation, parks and related public facilities; yard 30 ft and max height 35 ft, see § 17.76.020 — § 17.76.050 for standards .

Quick standards table (decision‑relevant snapshot)

How the zoning map and district boundaries work

• The zoning map series ("zone maps") shows district designations and is adopted or amended by ordinance and maintained by the Community Development Department (§ 17.04.070) .
• If there is uncertainty about a mapped boundary, the code gives interpretation rules (follow centerlines for streets, use map scale for plotted boundaries) and empowers the Planning Commission to determine boundaries in ambiguous cases (§ 17.116.020) .
• For a proposed use not expressly listed in a zone, the Community Development Director may find it similar and allow it as permitted or as a use requiring a use permit (§ 17.116.030) .

Checklist — what an applicant must satisfy (high‑level)

• Confirm the parcel's zoning on the official city zone maps and read the district chapter (§ 17.04.070) .
• Confirm whether the proposed use is listed as permitted, permitted with administrative permit, or requires a use permit; if unlisted, request a land‑use interpretation under § 17.116.030 .
• Demonstrate compliance with the zone’s site development standards (setbacks, lot coverage, height) in the applicable zone chapter (examples: § 17.12.060 for R‑1, § 17.24.060 for R‑4) .
• Provide parking calculations and layout consistent with the city's parking rules (Susanville Parking) and the zone’s parking cross‑references (§ 17.100.010 et seq., as cited in many district chapters) .
• Where required, prepare architectural/site plans for design review (Susanville Design Review) and comply with the City of Susanville Design Guidelines referenced in many district chapters (§ 17.40.050, § 17.64.060) .
• If applying for or working within a PD overlay, submit a development plan and use permit materials specified in § 17.64.030 — § 17.64.060 .
• Check overlays/combining districts (e.g., B, DR, H, F‑2, PD) that may alter lot sizes, design review or flood restrictions (listed in § 17.04.060.C) and review Susanville Overlay Districts .
• Confirm building permit technical compliance with the California Building Standards Code when preparing construction documents (California Building Standards Code). Not a zoning determination, but required for permits.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

Susanville’s zoning code (Title 17) organizes the city into named zones (for example R‑1, R‑4, C‑1, M) and several overlays; each zone lists what you can build, what requires a use permit, and the key setbacks, heights and lot coverage to follow — consult the zone chapter for your parcel and get a land‑use interpretation if your proposed use isn’t listed (§ 17.04.060, § 17.116.030) .

Source References

• Title 17, Zoning: Chapters and introductory provisions, including adoption, scope and establishment of zones (§ 17.04.010 — § 17.04.080)
• R‑1 Single‑Family Residential chapter (§ 17.12.010 — § 17.12.060)
• R‑4 Multifamily Residential chapter (§ 17.24.060, § 17.24.040)
• C‑1 Neighborhood Commercial chapter (§ 17.32.050)
• Industrial M district standards (§ 17.56.050)
• PD Planned Development chapter (§ 17.64.010 — § 17.64.060)
• AR‑1 and AE‑20 resource zone chapters, including AR‑1 site standards (§ 17.71.060) and AE‑20 purpose (Chapter 17.72)
• OS / Open Space standards (§ 17.76.020 — § 17.76.050)
• Zone map adoption and maintenance (§ 17.04.070)
• Zone district boundary and land‑use interpretation rules (§ 17.116.020, § 17.116.030)
• Design review and development design standards references (e.g., § 17.40.050, § 17.64.060)

Retrieved passages

• Susanville Zoning Code (§ 17.64.020.) High relevance show source text
• Susanville Zoning Code (title apply) High relevance show source text
• Susanville Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Susanville Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Susanville Zoning Code (Chapter 17.64.) High relevance show source text
• Susanville Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Susanville Zoning Code (§ 2) High relevance show source text
• Susanville Zoning Code (§ 15.3) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Title 17, Zoning: Chapters and introductory provisions, including adoption, scope and establishment of zones (**§ 17.04.010** — **§ 17.04.080**) (Title 17)
• R‑1 Single‑Family Residential chapter (**§ 17.12.010** — **§ 17.12.060**) (§ 17.12.010)
• R‑4 Multifamily Residential chapter (**§ 17.24.060**, § 17.24.040) (§ 17.24.060)
• C‑1 Neighborhood Commercial chapter (**§ 17.32.050**) (§ 17.32.050)
• Industrial M district standards (**§ 17.56.050**) (§ 17.56.050)
• PD Planned Development chapter (**§ 17.64.010** — **§ 17.64.060**) (§ 17.64.010)
• AR‑1 and AE‑20 resource zone chapters, including AR‑1 site standards (**§ 17.71.060**) and AE‑20 purpose (**Chapter 17.72**) (§ 17.71.060)
• OS / Open Space standards (**§ 17.76.020** — **§ 17.76.050**) (§ 17.76.020)
• Zone map adoption and maintenance (**§ 17.04.070**) (§ 17.04.070)
• Zone district boundary and land‑use interpretation rules (**§ 17.116.020**, **§ 17.116.030**) (§ 17.116.020)
• Design review and development design standards references (e.g., **§ 17.40.050**, **§ 17.64.060**) (§ 17.40.050)
• Susanville_ZoningCode.md

• Official Susanville code library