Westmorland — Design Review

Last reviewed: July 6, 2026

Overview

In Westmorland, there is no standalone “Design Review Board” or chapter. Instead, design, appearance, and site-planning issues are handled through the base zoning districts, supplemental development standards, and discretionary approvals the Planning Commission can attach to permits (notably Conditional Use Permits) to address fencing, buffers, and site surfacing. The City also uses special provisions for certain uses (for example, second units/ADUs and mobile home parks) that embed architectural compatibility or plot plan submittals into the approval pathway. See the adopted Zoning Map framework for where each zone applies (§ 2.03; City Clerk maintains the certified map) .

The most important practical rule: Westmorland manages “design review” through zone-specific standards and Planning Commission conditions on approvals (especially CUPs under § 5.02) rather than a separate design-review board or chapter .

How “Design Review” Works Here (Processes you’ll actually touch)

• Conditional Use Permits (CUPs): The Planning Commission may impose additional conditions “necessary to protect the public health, safety and general welfare,” including special yards/buffers, fencing/walls, and surfacing of parking areas (§ 5.02(b)) . This is Westmorland’s most common mechanism for design- and site-related conditions.
• Classification of Use: When a use isn’t listed, the Commission can classify it if it is similar in “size, scale, design and impact” to permitted uses and is compatible citywide (§ 5.01(c)(iv)) .
• Second units (ADUs): The code requires that a second unit be “compatible with the architectural style, materials, and colors” of the primary dwelling (§ 6.01) ; approvals are processed administratively or via CUP depending on circumstances noted in the residential chapters and § 6.01 . See ADUs.
• Mobile home parks: A plot plan package with specified details must be submitted; the Planning Commission reviews and may approve, conditionally approve, or deny (§ 4.10(xix) Submittal Requirements) .
• Carports encroaching the R‑1 front setback: Allowed only “subject to Planning Commission review and approval” and visibility criteria (§ 3.01(d) Front Yard) .
• Signage: Signs must comply with the city’s sign standards (§ 4.08) and may be conditioned through permits; see Signage (§ 4.08, table of contents) .
• Environmental review: Projects not categorically/statutorily exempt undergo CEQA procedures per the City’s process (§§ 4.11–4.12) .
• Density bonus: For eligible housing, the City can reduce or modify “architectural design requirements” (among other standards) as concessions to achieve affordability (§ 6.04) .

District-by-District: What actually triggers review and what standards matter

R-1 — Single Family Zone

• Purpose: Low-density single-family neighborhoods (§ 3.01(a)) .
• Typical permitted uses: Single-family dwellings and accessory buildings (§ 3.01(b)) .
• Key dimensional standards: 20 ft front setback (Planning Commission may approve an open-frame carport encroachment if sightlines preserved), 5 ft side (8 ft street side on corners), 20 ft rear, 35 ft max height, 50% lot coverage (§ 3.01(d)) .
• Where it applies: As mapped citywide; all newly annexed land initially zones to R‑1 until a final plan is adopted (§ 2.05) .
• Design review touchpoints:
  • Carports in the front yard need Planning Commission approval (§ 3.01(d)) .
  • Second units/ADUs must be architecturally compatible with the primary dwelling (§ 6.01) .

R-2 — Low/Medium Density Multi-Family Zone

• Purpose: Multi-family at low/medium densities, protected from incompatible uses (§ 3.02(a)) .
• Typical permitted uses: Everything permitted in R‑1, plus two- and three-family dwellings (§ 3.02(b)) .
• Key standards: 2,000 sf lot area per unit; 20 ft front; 5 ft sides (8 ft street side); 20 ft rear; 35 ft height; 50% coverage (§ 3.02(d)) .
• Design review touchpoints: CUPs for larger multi-family (4+ units) can carry design/site conditions (§ 3.02(c), § 5.02) .

R-4 — High Density Multi-Family Zone

• Purpose: Higher-density multi-family areas (§ 3.03(a)) .
• Typical permitted uses: Single-family dwellings; mobile home parks allowed subject to § 4.10 (§ 3.03(b)) .
• Key standards: 1,500 sf per unit; 15 ft front; 5 ft sides (8 ft on corners); 20 ft rear; 35 ft height; 50% coverage (§ 3.03(d)) .
• Design review touchpoints:
  • Mobile home parks require a plot plan and Planning Commission action (§ 4.10(xix)) .
  • CUPs for multi-family (4+ units) can carry design/site conditions (§ 3.03(c), § 5.02) .

C — Commercial Zone

• Purpose: Retail, office, service and highway-oriented businesses that serve the community (§ 3.05(a)) .
• Typical permitted uses: Retail, offices/clinics, commercial recreation, hotels/motels, parking lots, transportation terminals (§ 3.05(b)) .
• Key standards: 7,500 sf lot minimum; 10 ft front; sides/rear: none except added setbacks where abutting “R” zones; 35 ft max height; 80% lot coverage; off-street parking per § 4.05 (§ 3.05(d)) .
• Design review touchpoints:
  • Where abutting an “R” zone at the rear, a minimum rear yard applies “or as required by the Planning Commission” (§ 3.05(d)(vi))—a discretionary design/site interface tool .
  • CUPs for heavier commercial uses can include design/site conditions (§ 5.02) .

I — Industrial Zone

• Purpose: Manufacturing, assembly, wholesale/warehouse with large storage areas (§ 3.06(a)) .
• Typical permitted uses: Manufacturing/assembly; wholesale/warehouse; certain vehicle-related industrial uses (§ 3.06(b)) .
• Key standards: 15 ft front; 10 ft street-side corner; 15 ft on any side abutting an “R” zone; other yards as stated; (§ 3.06(d)) .
• Design review touchpoints: CUPs for high-impact or hazardous storage may add buffers/screening conditions (§ 3.06(c), § 5.02) .

OS — Open Space Zone

• Purpose: Natural resource preservation, managed resource production, recreation, and public safety (§ 3.07(a)) .
• Typical permitted uses: Agriculture, habitat areas, hazard-management areas, parks/utility easements (§ 3.07(b)) .
• Key standards: Stated uses/permit pathways; CUPs for certain public facilities (§ 3.07(c)) .
• Design review touchpoints: CUPs can carry site and design conditions to protect sensitive lands (§ 5.02) .

-RV — Recreational Vehicle Park Overlay

• Purpose: Allow RV parks in suitable areas, applied in addition to the underlying zone; more stringent regulations control where conflicts exist (§ 3.04(a)) .
• Typical permitted uses: RV parks and related accessory/operational uses, all subject to a CUP (§ 3.04(c)) .
• Key standards: 1.5 ac lot min; 15 ft front; landscaped side/rear buffers abutting “R”; 10 ft RV-to-RV separation; 80% coverage; required recreation area and facilities (§ 3.04(d)) .
• Design review touchpoints: CUP plus overlay standards function as de facto design review for park layout, landscaping, and screening (§ 3.04(c)–(d); § 5.02) .

Design-Related Triggers and Who Decides

Checklist

• Identify your base zoning district and any overlay districts on the parcel; confirm on the certified Zoning Map file with the City Clerk (§ 2.03) .
• Verify core dimensional standards (setbacks, height, lot coverage) in your zone and whether special adjacency rules apply (e.g., commercial next to residential) (§§ 3.01–3.07) .
• Determine whether your use is permitted, needs a CUP, or needs a “Classification of Use” finding if unlisted (§§ 5.01–5.02) .
• If proposing a carport in an R‑1 front setback, prepare materials for Planning Commission review to show an open-frame design that preserves sightlines (§ 3.01(d)) .
• For mobile home parks, assemble the required plot plan package for Commission action (§ 4.10(xix)) .
• If proposing a second unit, document architectural compatibility with the primary dwelling and check the current approval pathway (§ 6.01) and applicable ADU policies .
• Prepare a parking plan consistent with § 4.05 and any CUP conditions; see Parking (§ 4.05) .
• Confirm whether your project triggers CEQA review and follow the City’s procedures (§§ 4.11–4.12) .
• If seeking affordability incentives, consider density bonus concessions that may modify architectural design requirements (§ 6.04) .
• Ensure any signs comply with Signage standards (§ 4.08) .
• If strict standards create hardship, evaluate variances and exceptions (§ 5.04) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

Westmorland doesn’t run a separate “design review” board. Instead, design and site details get reviewed through normal zoning approvals. That can mean Planning Commission conditions on CUPs, specific rules like R‑1 carport encroachments, compatibility requirements for second units, or plot-plan review for mobile home parks. Check your zone rules, be ready to show how your design fits, and expect the Commission to add reasonable buffers, fencing, or layout tweaks as needed.

Source References

• § 2.03 Zoning Map; § 2.05 Newly Annexed Territory (map maintenance; default R‑1 on annexation)
• §§ 3.01–3.07 Zone purposes, permitted uses, and development standards (R‑1, R‑2, R‑4, C, I, OS)
• § 3.01(d) R‑1 front yard; carport encroachment subject to Planning Commission approval
• § 3.04 -RV Overlay; property development standards for RV parks; CUP required
• § 4.05 Off-Street Parking Requirements
• § 4.08 Signs (table of contents reference)
• § 4.10(xix) Mobile Home Park Development Standards — Plot Plan submittals; Planning Commission action
• §§ 4.11–4.12 Environmental review procedures (CEQA)
• § 5.01 Classification of Use — similarity findings include “size, scale, design and impact”
• § 5.02 Conditional Use Permits — authority to impose design/site conditions
• § 5.03 Nonconforming Uses; § 5.04 Variances (process/conditions)
• § 6.01 Second Dwelling Units — architectural compatibility standard
• § 6.04 Density Bonus — may modify architectural design requirements as concessions

Retrieved passages

• Westmorland Zoning Code (Section 3.01) High relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (SECTION 4.01) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 4.5 (Section 4.5) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (chapter is) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 4.7 (Section 4.7) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (SECTION 5.03) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (Chapter 5) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (Section 4.5) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (Section 4.5) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (Section 4.5) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (Section 4.5) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (Section 18907) Medium relevance show source text
• CFC § 000 (chapter to) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (Section 18907) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (Article V.) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (ARTICLE I.) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• § 2.03 Zoning Map; § 2.05 Newly Annexed Territory (map maintenance; default R‑1 on annexation) (§ 2.03)
• §§ 3.01–3.07 Zone purposes, permitted uses, and development standards (R‑1, R‑2, R‑4, C, I, OS) (§ 3.01)
• § 3.01(d) R‑1 front yard; carport encroachment subject to Planning Commission approval (§ 3.01)
• § 3.04 -RV Overlay; property development standards for RV parks; CUP required (§ 3.04)
• § 4.05 Off-Street Parking Requirements (§ 4.05)
• § 4.08 Signs (table of contents reference) (§ 4.08)
• § 4.10(xix) Mobile Home Park Development Standards — Plot Plan submittals; Planning Commission action (§ 4.10)
• §§ 4.11–4.12 Environmental review procedures (CEQA) (§ 4.11)
• § 5.01 Classification of Use — similarity findings include “size, scale, design and impact” (§ 5.01)
• § 5.02 Conditional Use Permits — authority to impose design/site conditions (§ 5.02)
• § 5.03 Nonconforming Uses; § 5.04 Variances (process/conditions) (§ 5.03)
• § 6.01 Second Dwelling Units — architectural compatibility standard (§ 6.01)
• § 6.04 Density Bonus — may modify architectural design requirements as concessions (§ 6.04)
• Westmorland_ZoningCode.md