Attachment No. 5 (Part No. 1) - Land Use, Zoning, and Urban Design

15.1 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

Land Use,
Zoning, and
Urban Design

15.2 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

Every General Plan contains an element on land use policy and a land use map. Fontana’s land use element sets forth the policy framework over the next 20 years for the physical development of Fontana. It is the guide for decision makers on the pattern, distribution, density and intensity of land uses that, overtime, will help the city achieve the Fontana vision for the future. The land use map is not a zoning map but provides the foundation for zoning and guides the Planning Commission and City Council when they are called upon to exercise their discretion in making rulings on rezoning and similar issues.

Land use patterns and decisions are influenced by population and economic growth (which create market demand), transportation access and opportunities, the availability of infrastructure, environmental constraints, and quality of life potential reflected in school quality, parks and recreational opportunities, and cultural amenities. Most development decisions are made by the private sector, but those decisions occur within a public sector framework created by the General Plan, including the Land Use Plan, the Zoning and Development Code, and other development regulations. Land use decision making is also influenced by state priorities and public investments, incentives and disincentives. These regulatory and incentive frameworks will not, by themselves, cause development of a specific type to happen, but they can encourage it. A system of well-organized land uses

15.3 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

Creates the possibility of more choice in transportation, supports consumer- oriented businesses, provides neighborhoods attractive to the workforce, uses infrastructure efficiently, mitigates adverse impacts, and improves the compatibility of diverse land uses.

The Fontana Land Use Plan aims to direct the most efficient, functional, cost- effective and aesthetically pleasing way to meet demand for various land uses within the 20-year time horizon of the General Plan. After the closure of the Kaiser Steel Mill in the 1980s, the City focused on development of unbuilt land through the specific plan process, primarily for residential uses but also for light industrial uses. Specific plans take the place of zoning for a designated geographic area and include detailed development and infrastructure requirements. In Fontana, they have often been used for developments by a single owner. At the time of the last General Plan in 2003, a significant amount of land remained to be entitled and developed, north of the 210 Freeway. More than a decade later, much of the land in Fontana has been built out or entitled. Over the next 20 years, Fontana’s growth will focus increasingly on redevelopment.

15.4 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

A. Land Use in the Fontana Forward
Vision and Principles

C. Findings and Challenges

FINDINGS
Land Use
• Fontana is a maturing suburban community but will continue to change as it continues to develop.
• Growth will increasingly come through redevelopment in the coming decades:
> Older industrial sites: adaptive reuse
> Central area of Fontana: infill and revitalization
> Infill and revitalization of land and buildings on arterial streets: Foothill, Sierra, and Valley
> Older retail sites: shopping center redevelopment
> Older subdivisions: revitalization and development in the longer term

Ensure fairness and opportunity for all parts of the city.

Make every neighborhood a “neighborhood of choice”
with excellent infrastructure, services and amenities.

Pursue high-quality development. Make public
investments a model of excellent design and maintain
high-quality design standards for new development.
•
entertainment centers. Fontana’s opportunities attract new residents, support successful businesses, and encourage empty nesters to stay and

Connect people and places. Provide efficient transportation choices, including pedestrian, bicycle, and transit
opportunities, along with well-maintained streets, to
connect people to city destinations.

15.5 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

• Master planned communities developed through the specific plan process since the 1980s and predominantly in southern and northern areas of Fontana are not expected to experience land use changes over the next 20 years.
• The majority of remaining undeveloped land in Fontana has been entitled through the specific plan process.
• Major areas still to be developed include:
> Approximately 269 acres of undeveloped land along
the southern edge of I -15 between Duncan Canyon
and the northern edge of Fontana.
> Approximately 101 acres in the Ventana Specific Plan
near the Duncan Canyon interchange are expected
to be developed with both commercial and
residential uses by a development company chosen
in 2016 through the request for proposal process by
the City.
> The major arterial corridors of the central area of
Fontana—Foothill Boulevard, Sierra Avenue, and
Valley Boulevard—include approximately 260 acres
of unbuilt land and many underutilized parcels of
land with low-value buildings or improvements.
> Central areas of Fontana between Foothill Boulevard
and I-10 also include vacant (approx. 665 acres) or
underutilized land that is appropriate for infill
development.
• Fontana’s Sphere of Influence (SOI) encompasses
5,906 acres consisting of 660 acres in the northern area of Fontana of which 85.67acresaredevelopable; 5,090
acres in the western section of the SOI, which includes residential, commercial and industrial land uses; and
156 acres in the eastern SOI. Fifty-three percent of the SOI acres are designated for industrial land uses.

For general law cities, like Fontana, zoning codes must be consistent with the city’s general plan and comply with many other state laws. • There are three basic types of zoning: conventional (“Euclidean”) zoning, form-based zoning, and hybrid zoning.
> Conventional zoning: In its pure form, conventional zoning separates zoning districts for residential, commercial, and industrial land uses and regulates the dimensions of development, such as lot size and coverage; type, size, and height of buildings; width and length of streets and sidewalks; amount and size of off -street parking. The separation of land u ses and dimensional specifications make conventional zoning inflexible but easy to implement.

However, it focuses more on what is not allowed than on what is desired.

Fontana’s existing zoning system is fundamentally conventional, EXHIBIT 15.1

DISTRIBUTION OF EXISTING LAND USES IN
THE CITY OF FONTANA (2016)

CATEGORY
AREA
(ACRES) PERCENT
Residential 13,837 41.4%
Commercial 1,988 5.9%
Industrial 7,430 22.2%
Open space 1,572 4.7%
Transportation/Utility ROW 43 0.1%

15.6 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

B. Goals and Policies

GOALS POLICIES
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with separated land uses in single -use districts and dimensional prescriptions, but the use of Specific Plans has also introduced site design flexibility and design standards of various types.
> Form-based zoning: Form-based zoning focuses more on building form— the physical character of the building and how it addresses the street and public realm—than on land uses. Form-based codes are a reaction to conventional zoning’s separation of land uses, making it impossible to build mixed-use neighborhoods and districts, and its neglect of the public realm, sometimes resulting in visually - and functionally-impoverished public environments that can be unattractive, and functional for only one type of user. Form-based codes use many visuals to give a positive vision of what is desired, rather than focusing on what should be excluded. > Hybrid zoning: Codes that combine aspects of conventional and form - based zoning are called hybrid codes. Because of its familiarity, ease of administration, and long institutional history, conventional zoning will remain in force in many communities, particularly where there are well- established areas of single land uses. However, form-based codes are increasingly used for districts and corridors where a mixture of uses and a lively public realm are desired.
• Modern zoning codes strive for as much simplicity, transparency and streamlining as is consistent with safeguarding the public’s interest in quality development. Citizens should be able to understand zoning requirements and development standards —not just d evelopers and their consultants. Unlike many modern zoning codes, Fontana’s does not include illustrations that show what is required or preferred, and what is not permitted.
• Because of Fontana’s extensive use of Specific Plans to guide development since the 1980s, land use regulation in a substantial portion of the city is governed by Specific Plans. Almost all of North Fontana, half of the area between SR-210 and Foothill Blvd, and two-thirds of South Fontana are covered by Specific Plans whose allocation of land uses, densities, and design standards are treated as zoning. Exhibit 15.3 Previous Zoning shows how the use of Specific Plans for planned development has affected the city’s zoning map. Most specific plans are either residential or non-residential. There are a few that are nominally “mixed use,” but in fact include separated land uses within the Specific Plan.
• The City has established zoning overlay districts for Downtown, the hospital area, and three major corr idors—Sierra, Foothill and Arrow:

Boulevard Overlay and Downtown Overlay Districts. Because of the limited development activity in recent years, the impact of design standards in these overlay districts has been limited, though it can be seen in the landscaping at a few locations of new commercial development. Valley Boulevard does not have an overlay district.
• There are several other overlay districts serving a variety of purposes:
>
special regulations to accommodate auto sales for 138
acres along South Highland Avenue between SR-210 to the north, Mango

15.8 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

EXHIBIT 15.2 PREVIOUS LAND USE

15.9 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

Avenue to the east, Citrus Avenue to the west, and variable locations to the south.

This area has attracted vehicle dealerships.
>
an overlay district for 10 named intersections where walkable mixed use development is to be encouraged, design review required, and certain development standards and design guidelines to be observed within 300 feet of the center of the intersection. This overlay has not had the impact desired. >
required by the Housing Element to allow shelters and
transitional housing to serve homeless persons. The underlying zoning is industrial.

There have been no proposed projects for homeless shelters or transitional housing. >
regulations for hospital and medical uses applied around Kaiser Hospital.
>
to regulate safe building on steep slopes over 10% in North and South Fontana.
>
focused on providing for standards that buffer adjacent development from utility corridors.
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designated parcels eligible to apply
for the overlay east of Sierra Avenue and north of SR-210. This has resulted in approval of a number of warehouses between SR-210 and Duncan Canyon Road. >
areas of northern and southern Fontana subject to
regulations to mitigate risk from wildfire.

Urban Design
• Urban design focuses on the physical character of cities and towns in three dimensions—how the different elements of spaces, such as buildings, sidewalks, roads, parks, and parking lots, relate to one another. Through the arrangement of these elements, urb an design affects how spaces function in facilitating, directing or obstructing people’s activities and experiences within the physical environment. It is not simply about visual style or aesthetic preferences. Urban design today focuses on creating places where people want to be and that people care about: welcoming, safe, attractive, accessible, comfortable, and sociable.
• The overall community design of Fontana reflects its development history and a strong reliance on master planned development models through Specific Plans for large residential communities, shopping centers, and the warehouse industry. Most of today’s city follows the 20th century suburban development model of separated land uses, limited connectivity between developments, and site design organized around the car.
• Residential districts. In Fontana, older residential areas and smaller subdivisions tucked between other land uses are designed with houses set back and facing the street.

Ranch-style houses from the 1960s to 1980s are very common in the central part of the city. Older houses have separate garages located toward the rear of the lot, while more recent houses present driveway

15.10 EXHIBIT 15.3 EXISTING ZONING

Previous Zoning Map

15.11 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

garage doors as the dominant feature of their frontage. There are also some remaining large lots of 11,000 square feet or less, with a small house, sometimes on streets that lack sidewalks or curbs.

Planned development areas in Fontana are typically inward looking.

>
Stand-
alone retail can be found on Foothill
Boulevard and on Sierra Boulevard
between Ceres Avenue and
Marygold Avenue.
>
Older neighborhood centers
include the Foothill Boulevard locations of Fontana Plaza and Fontana Park Plaza, a center on Baseline Avenue at Cherry, and a neighborhood center in Southridge at Cherry and Live Oak.
>
A few newer, small retail clusters have also emerged on Foothill at the Citrus Avenue intersection, where the classic suburban retail intersection has a Walgreens, a gas station, a McDonald’s, and a small strip center, all of which, except for the McDonald’s, have parking at the corner behind sidewalks and landscaped setbacks.
>
The large neighborhood centers are located in
North and South Fontana: Palm Court at Sierra and Slover;the Sierra Lakes Parkway big box mall at SR-210; the Falcon Ridge Town Center along I-15; and a special case, the “auto mall,” just south of SR-210.

Although all four types are designed to accommodate the car, the newer developments have sidewalks along the streets and along the buildings and much superior landscaping. They tend to locate stores at the perimeter and parking in the center. However, they typically do not provide pedestrian amenities from the sidewalks to the buildings or through the parking lots.
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Modern warehouse districts are characterized by

large boxes (often white) on well-landscaped streets. The interface between

15.12 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

these modern warehouse areas and residential areas is typically buffered by arterial streets and commercial areas. Industrial districts also include older areas with a variety of businesses, many focused on trucking. In these areas, and in the southern industrial areas between I-10 and Jurupa Avenue, there are many transition areas where industrial and older residential areas are not well buffered.
•
many
set
back far from the street, with parking lots and other paved areas along the street. In addition to projecting a low quality, semi-vacant image to the street, this pattern discourages all modes of transportation other than the

CHALLENGES
• Retrofitting existing development in the city to create urban design conditions that enhance connectivity and promote safe and attractive walking and biking. Fontana’s development patterns present challenges for more transportation choice—enhanced public transportation, walking, and bicycling.
• Developing infill and new mixed-use areas in the city and underutilized corridors, including housing to support non-residential uses, services and attractions.
•
of online retail,
and to provide more diversity within office developments. The best opportunities arise with redevelopment of non -residential properties because retail and commercial businesses are sensitive to changing consumer
redevelopment can promote retrofits of existing properties to make them more pedestrian-friendly, connected, and well-designed for all users.

D. What the Community Said
Public opinion survey
• When asked for opinions on future priorities for housing, respondents gave these combined ratings for high- and medium-priority items:

15.13 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

Community workshops and meeting input

• Numerous community members emphasized the need for open spaces, neighborhood amenities and businesses that target the senior community. • Manyindicatedastronginterestinconvertingexistingvacantandunderutilize d properties to more valuable and productive uses.

E. Policies and Actions
to Achieve the Goals
The goals, policies and actions of this General Plan are consistent with State of California planning priorities.

State Frameworks Promote Compact Development
The goals, policies and actions of this General Plan are consistent with State of California climate -change policy frameworks. The State has adopted policies and legislation that affect land use policies on the local level that are intended to reduce the impact of climate change on the state. Climate change has been the subject of multiple executive orders (EOs) and legislation. • EO S-03-05 established long-term targets for 2020 and 2050 for emissions reductions in California, and EOS -13-08 established climate change adaptation and resilience as a priority.

15.14 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

EXHIBIT 15.4 CONSOLIDATED PUBLIC INPUT ON PLACEMAKING QUALITIES

15.15 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

• State goals include reduction of petroleum use by up to 50 percent by 2030, and increasing use of renewable energy to 50 percent by 2030. • The State has set greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions-reduction requirements through numerous mechanisms, including land use and transportation planning. (See AB 32, SB 375, and SB 743 as examples).
• The AB 32 Scoping Plan includes sections on local government and the importance of local action to help achieve statewide climate goals. • The Safeguarding California Plan, Cal-Adapt, Climate Change Handbook for Regional Water Planning, and the Adaptation Planning Guide provide guidance for resilience and adaptation efforts. The General Plan Guidelines, published by the Office of Planning and Research, focus on how the General Plan can achieve both GHG emission reductions and resilience to climate change impacts and lead to healthier communities.

The state frameworks promote compact and infill development as a way to reduce GHG emissions, as well as transit-oriented development. The 2016- 2040 SCAG Regional Transportation Plan includes Transit-Oriented Development, Downtown Revitalization, Livable Corridors and Neighborhood Mobility Areas

State Of California Planning Priorities for Municipalities

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(called “Connected Neighborhoods” in this General Plan) as strategies for compact development. Livable Corridors are mixed-use centers along corridors where activities are concentrated and transportation alternatives are available. Neighborhood Mobility Areas are an approximately 3 -mile radius around community destinations such as parks, schools, and shopping areas.

San Bernardino County’s General Plan
The goals, policies, and actions of the Fontana General Plan are consistent with the adopted San Bernardino Countywide Vision. During the Fontana Forward process for creating this general plan, San Bernardino County also began a process to update its General Plan with a target adoption date of 2018.

The Countywide Plan is intended to “go well beyond a traditional general plan to become a comprehensive Countywide Plan that complements and informs the Countywide Vision by taking into account all services —not just land-use planning—provided by County Government, and the unique values and priorities of each unincorporated community. It will serve as a guide for County decision- making, financial planning, and communications.” No countywide documents had been issued by March 2017. However, the Fontana Forward General Plan will be consistent with the Countywide Vision adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2011 :
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EXHIBIT 15.5 LIVABLE CORRIDOR

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EXHIBIT 15.6 CONNECTED NEIGHBORHOOD

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Goal 1: The Strategic Policy Map and the Land Use Map guide land-use decision making.

POLICIES
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ACTIONS

 The Strategic Policy Map (Exhibit 15.7) shows the policy approach underlying the General Plan’s Land Use Map (Exhibit 15.8). These broad policy directions are based on the community engagement process

15.18 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

and the development of the other plan elements. They reflect the land use priorities that together underlie the policy framework in the updated General Plan. The key features of the Strategic Policy Map are:
• Connected Neighborhoods. This is an adaptation of the Neighborhood Mobility Areas concept to the areas of Fontana that have been developed through master -planned subdivisions in specific plans, predominantly in the northern and southern areas of Fontana. Few significant changes are expected in the land use patterns in these areas and any changes will continue to be governed by the land use regulations and development standards in the specific plans. For these areas the General Plan focuses on creating more opportunities and options to connect to local destinations, such as parks, schools, and shopping through safe pedestrian and bicycle routes and trails.
• i3—Infill + Infrastructure + Interconnection Neighborhoods. These are the residential and mixed-use parts of the city that expanded from the historic core into walkable neighborhoods. The focus in these areas is to enhance the attractive ness of these neighborhoods with upgraded infrastructure and conditions for pedestrians and bicycling and new types of infill housing. While specific plans filled up the undeveloped lands in the southern and northern areas of Fontana from the 1980s to today, the central part of the city received less housing and infrastructure investment. Residents supported public investment in the city’s Civic Center since 2008 and now want to see the downtown revitalized. Upgrading conditions and providing more hous ing variety will help support a more exciting downtown.
• Downtown. This General Plan includes a Downtown Area Plan that promotes mixed-use and compact development. There is broad- based support in Fontana for revitalizing downtown. By building upon the existing assets, creating new zoning that accommodates higher densities and a mixture of uses with design that supports walkability and a lively public realm, Downtown can become a vibrant center of entertainment, the arts, shopping, and business— as well as a neighborhood that can attract young adults and empty nesters.
• Livable Corridors. This strategic policy strategy is also a transit- oriented development strategy. Major corridors like Foothill and Valley Boulevards and Sierra Avenue are currently characterized by underutilized and vacant lots. The bus transit along Sierra and Foothill, is expected to provide the opportunity to bring multi-family housing to the areas within walking distance of transit stops and promote mixed-use development.
• Walkable Village Areas. These locations have vacant land and offer the opportunity for a new kind of mixed-use subdivision and site design that offers a variety of housing types and walkable connections to mixed use and neighborhood-serving retail and service areas.

15.19 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

EXHIBIT 15.7 STRATEGIC POLICY MAP

Bus stop, planned

April 2017
Data sources: City of Fontana, 2016; Esri, 2016

15.20 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

• Light Industry. Warehousing, trucking, manufacturing and support industries are focused especially along regional transportation routes. Some of these areas need upgrades in order to increase or maintain competitiveness.
• Annexation. Several areas are proposed for annexation. Annexation of the area along Arrow Boulevard west of downtown will, over time, support the development of transit-oriented development and the central city and downtown as a mixed -use concentration of activities. Also recommended for annexation is the small residential area bounded by San Bernardino, Locust, Randall, and Alder Avenues and the area remaining along Foothill Boulevard between Almeria and Hemlock.

 Many land use categories in the Land Use Map (Exhibit 15.8) have not changed in definition, density or location. In a few cases, new locations have been designated using existing land use categories and, in one case, an error in the 2016 Previous Land Use Map has been corrected by designating the Arboretum Specific Plan as Residential Planned Community (RPC) rather than Residential Multifamily (RMF). In the case of Regional Mixed Use, the land use category has a new definition and density range. The Land Use Map also has two new mixed-use land use categories and one new name for a specific kind of residential land use category.

(See Exhibit 15.8, Land Use Map).
 Too much land is currently designated as commercial in Fontana. C-G is the default land use designation along corridors, resulting in low - density, low -value development with considerable vacant or underutilized property. Even though the population will grow in the future, brick and mortar retailing has already been affected by on-line shopping and other trends, suggesting that commercial development will not expand to serve more population in the same way as in the late 20th century. Shoppers are increasingly looking for an interesting and fun experience while shopping, which also includes a better experience in the physical design and function of retail areas (Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga is an example of “experiential retail”). Individual retail stores increasingly have smaller footprints but retailers are focusing more on providing a good experience.

15.21 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

It can be amended only
four times a year. Each land use category
or designation is intended to provide a
range of densities or building types.

The
Land Use Map should be
understood within that time
horizon. Changes from the previous
land uses in this Land Use Map focus on
the areas that are the most strategically
important for achieving the General
Plan’s vision over the next two decades
and where changes are most likely to
occur. The Land Use Map takes into
account the land use distribution
already in place and the likelihood and
desirability that certain land uses will
persist. The Land Use Map and the
definitions in the General Plan replace
the previous land use map as a guide
for development.

It does not represent or replace the City’s
zoning and development regulations. It
does not directly address
design issues and has no direct impact on
the function and appearance of land uses.

The land use categories in the map may
be represented in the zoning code by
more than one zoning district. The land
use categories that have been used in
Fontana since the 2003 General Plan have
a designated range of residential densities
(dwelling units per acre or du/acre) or
intensity of non- residential uses (FAR—
floor area ratio). The previous Fontana
land use categories correspond very
closely to zoning districts, and people
often view the maps interchangeable, but
they are distinct. For simplicity’s sake, the
new Land Use Map retains the majority of
the 2003 land use categories where land
uses are unlikely to change, such as in the
specific plan neighborhoods. Definitions in
some cases have been simplified. Several
new land use categories for mixed-use
have been created and the definition of
one earlier mixed-use category has been
modified.

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EXHIBIT 15.8 LAND USE MAP

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Fontana in the future should have a set of concentrated commercial areas, including downtown, that serve local residents and visitors.

The residential land use designations support
densities of 2 to 50 dwelling units per acre (du/
ac).
• R-E: Residential Estates (2 du/ac). This low-
density designation reflects natural,
environmental, and other constraints
adjacent to the hillside areas in Fontana, as
well as the lack of infrastructure in the area.

Development in R-E areas is intended to
evoke a rural feeling.
• R-PC: Residential Planned Community (3-6.4
du/ac). The R-PC land use category is used
for master-planned communities with
specific plans and requires a mini- mum of
145 acres or minimum 10,000sf lots. Because
most vacant development sites of that size
have already been developed, it is not
expected that there will be additional
residential specific plans. R-PC will continue
as a “legacy” land use category linked to the
zoning and density approved in the specific
plans.
• R-SF: Single-Family Residential (2.1-5
du/ac). Detached single-family housing.
• R-M: Medium-Density Residential (5.1-12
du/ac). This land use category
accommodates single-family detached
housing up to 7.6 du per acre and single-
family attached or multi-family housing up to
12 du per acre.
• R-MF: Multi-Family Residential (12.1-24
du/ac). This category includes multi- family
developments, from duplexes
and townhouses to condos and rental
apartments, at densities up to 24 du per
acre with required amenities.
• R-MFMH: Multi-Family Medium/High (24.1–
39 du/ac). Higher-density multi- family
development up to 39 du per acre is
allowed in this land use category.
• R-MFH: Multi-Family High (39.1–50 du/ ac).

This is the highest-density residential
category in Fontana, allowing up to 50 du per
acre. It was created in response to the State
of California requirements of the Housing
Element.
• R-T: Residential Trucking (2 du/ ac). This
land use category provides for locations
where properties combine residential and
small scale, owner- operated trucking
businesses at a density of 2 du per acre.

In the Southwest Industrial Park (SWIP)
specific plan, three small, unique areas are
zoned as Residential Trucking District (RTD),
but in the previous Land Use Map, they are
were designated R-E (Residential Estate) land
use because of the maximum density of 2 du
per acre. However, these areas are very
different in many other respects from the R-E
land use category, which is predicated on the
environmental benefit of low-density
residential zoning.

• C-C: Community Commercial (0.1–1 FAR).

Retail, malls, wholesale, auto dealerships
and offices, including medical offices and
clinics, that can serve a broader, regional
population.

• I-L: Light Industrial (0.1–0.6 FAR).

Employee-intensive uses, including

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business parks, research and development,
technology centers, corporate and support
office uses, clean industry, supporting retail
uses, truck and equipment sales and related
services are allowed. Warehouses that are
designed in ways that limit off-site impacts
are also permitted.
• I-G: General Industrial (0.1-0.6 FAR).

Uses such as manufacturing,
warehousing, fabrication, assembly,
processing, trucking, equipment,
automobile and truck sales and services
are allowed in this category.
• P-PF: Public Facilities. This land use
designation is for properties in public or
quasi-public ownership, such as existing
schools; the facilities of agencies such as
the City, County, water and sewer
districts, and fire protection districts; and
hospitals and quasi-public institutions.
• P-R: Recreational Facilities. Regional and
local parks, and any recreational facility
operated by a public or quasi-public agency
fall into this land use category.
• P-UC: Public Utility Corridors. Locations in
the planning area that contain easements for
public utilities are in this land use category.

• OS: Open Space. This category includes
natural areas; publicly owned areas with
slopes of 20% or greater or subject to
wildfire; uses including quarries, flood
control channels, ground water percolation
basins and agriculture. Only
structures related to the management of
resources are permitted.

Three new mixed-use categories have
been added to the Land Use Plan
(Exhibit 15.8) in this General Plan:
, and

• RMU-Regional Mixed Use. The Regional
Mixed Use land use category is intended
for a mixture of land uses on relatively
large tracts of land located in proximity to
regional transportation routes (such as I-
15), and supporting regional markets. This
category accommodates a wide range of
retail, commercial, office, medium density
residential, civic, open space and job- rich
light manufacturing uses without adverse
impacts on surrounding uses. The mixture
of uses can be “vertical,” that is, in one
structure, or “horizontal,” meaning
different land uses adjacent or in close
proximity. The intent of this land use
category is to provide the potential for a
jobs-housing balance, where employees
can live near their jobs; to create well-
designed districts that provide walkable
environments and connectivity among
subdistricts; and to deploy urban design
and building design strategies that
harmonize the mixture of uses. The RMU
land use category has a residential density
of 12 to 24 du/acre and commercial
intensity of 0.1 to 1.0 FAR.

Development planning, zoning, and criteria
for the RMU land use category. The previous
zoning requirements for RMU should be
replaced by zoning guided by an Area Plan.

On the Land Use Map, the major area
designated as the RMU land use is located on
the south side of the I-15 freeway, east of
the Duncan Canyon interchange and the
Ventana Specific Plan area. The previous
RMU zoning is highly specific in terms of
how much of each land use must be

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in a project, and other requirements.

Planners report that the requirements have
played a role in discouraging development in
RMU areas.

In order to develop base zoning, the City
ideally should create one or more Area
Plans for the areas designated as RMU in
order to shape development and set
expectations. The Area Plan should be
organized to provide a set of interconnected
walkable, mixed use environments, with
residential development that can range from
garden apartments, townhouses, and other
“missing middle” housing models to
multifamily development, surrounding or
incorporating employment, commercial,
retail, and entertainment centers. The
Downtown Code associated with the
Downtown Area Plan in this General Plan,
can serve as a source of zoning concepts for
the walkable environments that are
envisioned for the RMU area.

The advantage of creating an Area Plan
before establishing new zoning is that it
will show how the City envisions an
interconnected overall mixed-use
environment that can include both
horizontal and vertical mixed use. While
mixed-use development is becoming more
common in California and elsewhere in
the country, it requires more complicated
development planning and complex
financing. An Area Plan could provide
opportunities for developers who specialize
in one kind of land use to participate in
development consistent with horizontal
mixed use as identified in the Area Plan, as
well as identifying locations where more
complex horizontal mixed use and vertical
mixed use development is expected. The
Area Plan would include
design standards and guidelines that show
how the various land uses, centers, and
vertical mixed use developments would be
connected and harmonized.

Use of a PUD (Planned Unit Development)
process, which has a one-acre minimum,
could also be a suitable process for
development under an RMU Area Plan.

This could allow variations in residential,
non-residential, and vertical mixed use
densities, as long as they further the goals
of the overall RMU Area Plan.

Another approach to distributing density in
an RMU Area Plan is to use a
Development Opportunity Reserve (DOR) in
all or part of the Area Plan. Because the
zoning for the RMU land use category will
provide for more density than at present,
this added density can be put into a “Reserve
Account” rather than be distributed among
development parcels. The density can then
be allocated to preferred uses and
development projects through a conditional
permitting process that demonstrates that
they meet community goals as expressed in
the Area Plan.

Basic principles and criteria to guide
development in the RMU land use
category include:
> Develop the area on this General
Plan’s principle of “Connected
Neighborhoods,” creating mixed-
use subdistricts with a core of
employment, neighborhood retail and
services, civic, and entertainment uses
that are interconnected and can be
accessed by walking or biking.
> Locate non-residential uses in proximity to
freeways, with no residential uses within
1,000 feet of a freeway for health reasons
(impacts of airborne particulate matter).

15.26 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

> Use design strategies—for example
incremental changes in height, density,
intensity of use, landscaping—rather than
walls to transition from higher to lower
densities and intensities.
> Limit cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets.
> Include a diversity of housing types and lot
sizes. Maximum densities can be
averaged to encourage a variety of lot
sizes.
> In residential and mixed-use areas that
include residences, limit block sizes to 600
feet or smaller to improve connectivity.
> Include a market study as part of the Area
Plan.

Walkable Mixed-Use Downtown and
Corridors (WMXU-1), Walkable Mixed Use
Urban Village (WMXU-2) and Walkable Mixed
Use Urban Village (WMXU-3). The Land Use
Map establishes three new mixed- use
categories for Walkable Mixed Use.

These land use categories are very different in
character from the land use categories that
have been retained from the Previous Land use
Map (Exhibit 15.2). They do not easily
correspond with conventional, single- use and
separated zoning districts.
• Walkable Mixed-Use Downtown and
Corridors (WMXU-1). This land use category
is intended to provide for the creation of
areas that allow residents and visitors to
walk, bike, and take transit to other uses for
work, study, shopping, entertainment,
recreation, and civic activities, and to
provide compact residential development
within walking distance of planned public
transit stops and neighborhood shopping
areas.

Uses include a variety of medium- to high-
density residential types, retail and
services, office, entertainment, education,
civic, and open space. Both vertical and
horizontal mixed use is acceptable. Light
industrial uses are generally not included,
except for conditional allowable of small-
scale, artisan style businesses that
operate
without adverse urban design and other
impacts, such as heavy truck traffic, on
neighboring uses. WMXU- 1 residential
densities range from 24 to 39 du per
acre and non-residential uses have a
maximum Floor Area Ratio of 2.0. The
WMXU-1 designation is located along
Sierra Avenue, much of Foothill
Boulevard, and the segment of Valley
Boulevard between Cypress and
Palmetto. The designation was created
to cover the half-mile walking distance
radii (known as “walksheds”) from
planned public transit stops.

A form-based zoning code for the Down-
town Area Plan district is being prepared to
accompany this General Plan. When ad-
opted, it will serve as the Downtown Code
and provide the foundation for additional
zoning in the WMXU-1 land use area along
the corridors.

• Walkable Mixed-Use Urban Village (WMXU-
2). This land use designation is intended to
provide an alternative to conventional
subdivision development with a mixture of
housing types, neighborhood-serving retail,
open space and civic uses, and site design
that provides for multi-modal connectivity
internal to the site and external to connect
with adjacent areas. WMXU-2 residential
densities range from 12 to 24 du per acre,
and non-residential uses
can have up to an FAR of 1.0. Residents can
walk or bike to neighborhood destinations.
•
| Walkable Mixed-Use Urban Village
(WMXU-3). This land use designation is
intended to provide a variety of housing
intended for the Downtown area and adjacent
areas. The intent is to allow for higher density
housing mixed with commercial uses to create
a regional and local destination. WMXU-3
residential density range is 2.1-70 du per acre
with a FAR ratio up to 2.0 for ground floor
commercial development.

15.27 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

The WMXU land use category is intended to provide
flexibility in zoning and development in:
• Fontana’s downtown and on vacant and
underutilized lots in adjacent areas.

Along the Sierra and Foothill corridors with
planned transit stops.

Along Valley Boulevard around the intersection
with Sierra Avenue.

At and near key intersections where new housing
development could be designed to allow safe and
convenient walking to nearby shopping or
neighborhood destinations like schools and parks.

“Walkable” in this land use category means that it is
structured by the walking distance from destinati ons
like the civic center, downtown attractions, shopping
and restaurants, planned public transit stops, and
neighborhood destinations. The maximum distance
people are willing to walk on a regular basis is 1/2 mile or ten minutes—as long as they experience the walk as
safe, comfortable, and convenient.

15.28 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

15.29 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

WMXU-1 is organized around walking access to
downtown and along Fontana’s three underutilized
corridors: Foothill Boulevard, Sierra Avenue within
Central Fontana, and Valley Boulevard centered
around the Sierra intersect ion. This land use category provides the opportunity for a combination of
commercial development and well -designed multi -
family housing to support that development. The
mixture of uses can be “vertical” —housing or offices
above ground -floor commercial deve lopment—or
“horizontal,” where housing and commercial uses
could be located adjacent to one another. Zoning
consistent with the purpose of WMXU -1 should
include design requirements for a compatible mixture
of uses and densities in this area and should ensure that a proper transition in density occurs adjacent to streets with single-family houses.

WMXU-2 is intended for new subdivisions of housing
that are designed to make it easy to walk to shopping
(which may be part of the subdivision) or to
destinations like parks and schools that are located
within walking distance. These subdivisions will use
design strategies rather than walls to connect to streets and adjacent development. They can als o have a
mixture of housing densities and open spaces, so that
there are appropriate transitions between different
housing types such as multi -family, townhouses,
single-family houses, and commercial areas.

WMXU-3 is intended for new development i n the
central area of the Downtown and adjacent areas.

Higher density housing is proposed to along and near
the major corridors such as Sierra Avenue, Arrow
Boulevard and Orange Way. Mixed use developme nt
is encouraged to create a vibrant commercial
destination. Vertical housing is likely given the
anticipated density. Attractive architecture and
landscaping is anticipated to create amenities for
pedestrian activity.

Vertical mixed use building with housing above retail
A walkable block with housing, commercial space and parking Neighborhood scale housing for urban villages

15.30 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

The zoning for the WMXU land use categories will be
based on zoning to be created for the Downtown Area
Plan, which will be ready for adoption soon after the
General Plan is adopted. This zoning will incorporate
what is known as form-based zoning.

Form-based zoning is designed to guide design of
buildings and places so that developers and builders
know what the City wants and the City can have
confidence that the result will fit in with the overall plan for the area. Form -based zoning is especially
appropriate for mixed-use areas. It uses physical form
(rather than separation of uses) as an organizing
principle. Form -based codes address the relationship
between building facades and public places like
sidewalks, streets and plazas, the form and mass of
buildings in relation to one another, and the scale and types of streets and blocks. Form -based regulations
and standards are presented in both words and clearly
drawn diagrams and other visuals. The WMXU -1
zoning will be drafted to implement the Downtown
Area Plan as a Downtown Code, and elements of this
zoning will also be appropriate for the corridors.

WMXU-2 and WMXU -3 zoning will be a modified
version of Fontana’s form-based zoning, current design
guidelines, and residential planned communities
zoning.

Multi-family or student housing next to a path
Street-facing shops and restaurants create a sense of place.

Public plazas make walkable districts enjoyable.

15.31 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

• Each land use is in a separate area.

Bedroom communities are empty during
the day, and office parks are empty
during the night.

Dead-end cul-de-sacs prevent walkability.

Car traffic and congestion increase
because every trip requires driving.

It encourages inefficient use of land,
resources, and assets.

Different land uses are mixed vertically
and horizontally.

Active uses at all times of day increase safety.

More intersections per square mile
promotes walking to a variety of
destinations.

It reduces car traffic and congestion because
walking and biking are options for
neighborhood, in-town, and some
commuting trips.

It promotes efficient use of land, resources,
and assets.

15.32 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

EXHIBIT 15.10

SUMMARY OF DENSITY RANGES AND ACREAGE OF LAND USE CATEGORIES IN THE LAND USE PLAN

CATEGORY

DENSITY
RANGE
(DU/AC)

DENSITY
RANGE
(FAR)
TOTAL
ACRES
R-E Residential Estate 2.0 — 764
R-PC Residential Planned Community 3.0–6.5 — 6,583
R-SF Single-Family Residential 2.1–5.0 — 6,877
R-M Medium-Density Residential 5.1–12 — 891
R-MF Multi–Family Residential 12.1–24.0 — 142
R-MFMH Multi-Family Medium/High Residential 24.1–39.0 — 71 R-MFH Multi-Family High Residential 39.1–50 — 76
R-T Trucking Residential 2.0 — 70
RMU Regional Mixed Use 12.0–24.0 0.1-1.0 507
WMXU-1 Walkable Mixed Use 1 3.0–39.0 0.2-2.0 1,419
WMXU-2 Walkable Mixed Use 2 2.10–24.0 0.2-1.0 160

WMXU-3 Walkable Mixed Use 3 2.1-70 0.2-2.0 478
C-C Community Commercial — 0.1-1.0 271
C-G General Commercial — 0.1-1.0 899
I-L Light Industrial — 0.1-0.6 4,628
I-G General Industrial — 0.1-0.6 3,898
P-PF Public Facilities — 0.1 1,213
P-R Recreation Facilities — 0.1 996
P-UC Public Utility Corridors — — 1,119
OS Open Space — — 1,599
N/A N/A 1,912
33,454

 There is an opportunity to improve the eastern gateway into downtown by creating residential nodes that can support neighborhood-serving retail. Some multi -family development already exists. New multi - family development should be designed with transitions and connections to adjacent development, facing the street with parking located mostly out of view, and pedestrian improvements to enhance walking connections to retail.

 Multi-family housing that is designed to have two front doors—one on a vehicular street and one on the Pacific Electric Trail—will help increase the perception and reality of safety along the Pacific Electric Trail because it provides “eyes on the trail” and on the street. Direct access to the Pacific Electric Trail, as well as easy walking access from nearby blocks, should be viewed as an important amenity and

15.33 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

marketed as such, including information about the safety measures (numbered lights for 911 access) included in the trail’s design.

 This designation replaces the C-G land use designation. Multi -family development in this gateway area to downtown will provide support for downtown revitalization and downtown commerce, rather than potential competition if this gateway area were to be occupied by commercial development.

 Community Commercial (C-C) can function as a transitional land use.

For example, on Citrus Avenue, a C-C designation on a few lots in the Auto Specific Plan just north of residential development can mitigate any impacts of the regional auto dealerships near the corner of Citrus and South Highland. In other cases, an intersection with C-C land uses can serve surrounding residents without the impacts of larger scale C- G retail.

 Hybrid zoning combines aspects of conventional zoning, with which people are already familiar, with aspects of form-based zoning to result in better site design and connectivity.

 In many cases the zoning will be in the legacy specific plans. However, there may be value in making changes that could enhance connectivity for separated land uses.

Goal 2: Fontana development patterns support a high quality of life and economic prosperity.

POLICIES
•
•
•
•

15.34 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

•

ACTIONS

 They are generally to be
conserved unless a majority of
neighborhood residents
requests changes.

 Preparation of an Area Plan, including a market study, for this area will allow the City to take a proactive approach, rather than simply react to proposals from developers. The area should have a variety of complementary land uses and activities that take advantage of its location. Care should be taken with the location of residential uses, which should not be allowed less than 500 feet from the freeway because of the health effects of airborne particulate matter.

 Encourage new pedestrian- and transit-oriented development around

15.35 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

Kaiser Hospital, including medical
related employment uses, housing,
and supportive commercial uses.

Activities should include:
• Work collaboratively with
Kaiser and other property owners to
prepare a vision plan, mixed -use
zoning standards and design
guidelines for the Fontana Medical
District.
• Promote and brand the Medical
District to attract investors,

development partners, and businesses.

 The piecemeal development of this area has created a jumble of land uses and problematic adjacencies. The land use plan has designated an area at the southern end of Sierra Avenue as WMXU-2 because of the opportunity for multi -family residential along with commercial uses, possibly in a vertical mixed-use configuration. This area needs more detailed study and planning in order to create a combination of complementary residential, civic, commercial and other nonresidential uses.

 Fontana’s regulations require a minimum of 145 acres for specific plans.

As most of Fontana’s unbuilt land has been developed
or entitled, use of the specific plan is no longer needed and the existing specific plans will become legacy
Specific Plans.

 Encourage appropriate and carefully planned infill housing at a range of densities around the edge of downtown, to support its revitalization while protecting neighborhoods from over -scaled new buildings (See the section in Chapter 14: Downtown Area Plan on design approaches for “in-town” neighborhoods close to downtown.)

 Develop an infrastructure program to upgrade drainage, sidewalks, bicycle routes, lighting, trees and shade structures, along neighborhood streets that connect to downtown, the Metrolink station, parks, and schools.
 Further refine the existing tiered development fee structure to create incentives for new development within the central area of Fontana. See EXHIBIT 15.10

FONTANA CENTRAL AREA INFILL PARCELS AND ESTIMATED

LAND VALUES
UNBUILT PROPERTIES NEAR: ACRES ESTIMATED VALUE
Foothill Boulevard 467 $166,409,353
Foothill Boulevard and Sierra Avenue 14 $4,006,377
Sierra Avenue 391 $122,889,940
Sierra Avenue and Valley Boulevard 14 $10,212,159
Valley Boulevard 348 $65,623,735
1,233

15.36 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

Chapter 4 for infill housing and housing improvement items.  Develop pedestrian and bicycle routes to connect neighborhoods to city destinations within the central area of the city.

Goal 3: Downtown is a dynamic center of activity, with new housing options, walkable environments, and a mixture of uses attracting residents and visitors.

POLICIES
•
•
•

ACTIONS

 See Chapter 14—Downtown Area Plan.

 Prioritize available public improvement funding for streetscape and public realm improvements in the Downtown.

 Consider forming a Downtown Parking and Mobility District to manage and coordinate shared parking arrangements, transit, and potential bike sharing, aligned with the Livable Corridors strategy.

15.37 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

 The Downtown Manager should attend the regular meetings of any downtown business associations and advisory groups and coordinate City initiatives with the groups’ promotional and management activities.  If the Downtown Manager does not have a strong background in architecture and urban design, consider retaining the services of a “consulting town architect/urban designer” to support timely and high quality design review services and assist property owners and businesses in shaping new investments, both small and large.

Goal 4: Compact, walkable, mixed -use centers are located at key locations along corridors to be served by public transit in the future and at intersections where neighborhood retail and diverse housing options can succeed.

POLICY
•

ACTIONS

15.38 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

Goal 5: High -quality job - producing
industrial uses are concentrated in a
few locations where there is easy
access to regional transportation
routes.

POLICIES
•
•

15.39 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

•

ACTIONS

Goal 6: The expansion of Fontana’s city limits through annexation has improved the entrance corridors.

POLICY
•

ACTIONS

 In Fontana’s Sphere of Influence
(SOI) west of the city limits, much of
the land is industrial, but there are also
many residential streets, some of
which do not have public sewer lines,
despite small lot sizes. Residents of this
part of the SOI who attended a public
meeting had mixed opinions about
annexation,
with some in favor and some opposed. The greatest barrier to annexation is that providing public sewer lines and sewer service would be prohibitively expensive for the City, given wastewater arrangements that the Speedway and other large property owners have made.

Goal 7: Public and private development meets high design standards.

POLICIES
•

ACTIONS

15.40 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

F. Getting Started

ACTION RESPONSIBLE PARTY
Adopt the form-based Downtown Code Planning Department, City Council
Prepare and adopt form-based/hybrid zoning for all
areas within Walkable Mixed Use land use categories
Planning Department, City
Council
Create an Area Plan for the area south of the I-15 freeway that is in the Regional Mixed Use land use category and revise RMU zoning.

Planning Department, City
Council

15.41 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

In the broadest terms, urban design is the process that shapes physical environments at a variety of scales,
from regions and cities as a whole, to city districts or neighborhoods, down to individual lots. Urban design
focuses on the physical character of spaces in three
dimensions. It is not, as sometimes thought, simply
about visual appearance or style. Urban design affects
many aspects of how we experience places, including
how the different elements of spaces, such as buildings, sidewalks, roads, parking lots, and parks, relate to one another; how spaces function in facilitating, directing or obstructing people’s activities; and how spaces express aesthetic values. A few basic, interrelated urban design principles are the foundation of good urban design in
public projects and in the development standards for
private projects.
• Focus on creating human-scaled
environments. Places should be designed
primarily at a scale that is comfortable for people,
rather than at a scale primarily focused on vehicles.

This is true even for major arterials like Foothill
Boulevard, Valley Boulevard and Sierra Avenue.
• Focus on streets as three-dimensional
shared spaces. Streets are the most
important public spaces in any city and are made up
of the travel right-of-way (including sidewalks) and
the land, landscaping,
and buildings that line the travel way. Except for
limited-access freeways and highways, the travel
way in city and suburban environments should
be shared

and accessible to vehicles, bicyclists and
pedestrians. The vertical elements at the edge
of the street—buildings and street trees—
should create a sense of enclosure.
• Create walkable environments. Everyone is a
pedestrian at some point during every day, at a
minimum at the beginning and end of every vehicle
trip. Walkable environments— connected, safe,
comfortable, appealing—are important in both the
public and semipublic realms and are emphasized
throughout
this plan. Walkability depends on a variety of
design choices, such as block size.

Smaller blocks provide more intersections and more
opportunities for direct routes to destinations. In
commercial areas, visual interest, safe crossings,
shelter from sun and

15.42 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

rain (trees, canopies, colonnades, galleries),
human-scaled lighting, and other amenities can
keep people walking. Re-knit the
urban fabric through safe and comfortable
pedestrian and bicycle routes, improved lighting,
landscaping, and public art to reduce barriers
created by highways and arterial roads.
• Plant trees. Planting trees along streets and roads
and in parking lots is one of the easiest ways to
enhance the public realm, create comfortable
environments, and reduce heat and stormwater
impacts. Trees should be chosen for their suitability
to the task. For example, street trees along
sidewalks should be chosen to have canopies
sufficiently high and broad to provide shade to
pedestrians. Parking lots should be broken into
small parking fields shaded by trees. One best-
practice rule of thumb for hot and windy climates
like Fontana’s is to plant enough trees to ensure
that fifty percent of the
parking lot will be shaded when the trees reach
maturity.
• Bring buildings to the street. In both the older
and newer parts of the city, buildings should be
located at the sidewalk, behind a small landscaped
or hardscape setback, or, in a few cases along major
arterials, behind limited, single-loaded parking.
(Out-parcel buildings at the street as part of newer
shopping centers is one way to follow this
principle.) Locate building entries to promote safe
pedestrian movement across streets;
to relate to crosswalks and pathways that lead to
public transportation stops; and to encourage
walking, biking and public transit use for
employment and other travel around the city.
• Parking is necessary but should not
dominate street frontage. Put parking to
the side, to the rear, in structures or
underground, with clear signage to direct
motorists to it. Rear parking should not,

however, result in buildings that turn their
backs on the street frontage. It may be awhile
before parking structures are economically
feasible in Fontana, except if using public funds
is deemed a worthwhile investment to attract
visitors to the downtown, for example. Parking
structures should have active ground-floor uses
on the street frontage, if possible, or design
elements such as screens and vines to give the
ground floor more aesthetic appeal.

15.43 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23,2023 City Resolution 2023-

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Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.1

Land Use,
Zoning, and
Urban Design

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.2 Every General Plan contains an element on land use policy and a future land use map. Fontana’s land use element sets forth the policy framework over the next 20 years for the physical development of Fontana. It is the guide for decision makers on the pattern, distribution, density and intensity of land uses that, overtime, will help the city achieve the Fontana vision for the future. The land use map is not a zoning map but provides the foundation for zoning and guides the Planning Commission and City Council when they are called upon to exercise their discretion in making rulings on rezoning and similar issues.

Land use decision making is also influenced by state priorities and public investments, incentives and disincentives. These regulatory and incentive frameworks will not, by themselves, cause development of a specific type to happen, but they can encourage it. A system of well-organized land uses

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.3 Creates the possibility of more choice in transportation, supports consumer- oriented businesses, provides neighborhoods attractive to the workforce, uses infrastructure efficiently, mitigates adverse impacts, and improves the compatibility of diverse land uses.

The Fontana Future Land Use Plan aims to direct the most efficient, functional, cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing way to meet demand for various land uses within the 20-year time horizon of the General Plan. After the closure of the Kaiser Steel Mill in the 1980s, the City focused on development of unbuilt land through the specific plan process, primarily for residential uses but also for light industrial uses. Specific plans take the place of zoning for a designated geographic area and include detailed development and infrastructure requirements. In Fontana, they have often been used for developments by a single owner. At the time of the last General Plan in 2003, a significant amount of land remained to be entitled and developed, north of the 210 Freeway. More than a decade later, much of the land in Fontana has been built out or entitled. Over the next 20 years, Fontana’s growth will focus increasingly on redevelopment.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.4 A. Land Use in the Fontana Forward
Vision and Principles

C. Findings and Challenges

FINDINGS
Land Use
• Fontana is a maturing suburban community but will continue to change as it continues to develop.
• Growth will increasingly come through redevelopment in the coming decades:
> Older industrial sites: adaptive reuse
> Central area of Fontana: infill and revitalization
>Infill and revitalization of land and buildings on arterial streets: Foothill, Sierra, and Valley.
> Older retail sites: shopping center redevelopment
> Older subdivisions: revitalization and development in the longer term

Pursue high-quality development. Make public investments a model of excellent design and maintain high-quality design standards for new development.
• Fontana 5.0 is a complete and flourishing community of opportunity — with excellent quality of life and city services, high educational achievement and jobs for Fontana residents, transportation choices to connect city destinations, and local entertainment centers. Fontana’s opportunities attract new residents, support successful businesses, and encourage empty nesters to stay and their children to settle in their home town.

Connect people and places. Provide efficient
transportation choices, including pedestrian, bicycle, and transit opportunities, along with well-maintained streets, to connect people to city destinations.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.5 • Master planned communities developed through the specific plan process since the 1980s and predominantly in southern and northern areas of Fontana are not expected to experience land use changes over the next 20 years.
• The majority of remaining undeveloped land in Fontana has been entitled through the speciftc plan process.
• Major areas still to be developed include:
> Approximately 269 acres of undeveloped land along
the southern edge of I-15 between Duncan Canyon
and the northern edge of Fontana.
> Approximately 101 acres in the Ventana Specific Plan
near the Duncan Canyon interchange are expected
to be developed with both commercial and
residential uses by a development company chosen
in 2016 through the request for proposal process by
the City.
> The major arterial corridors of the central area of
Fontana—Foothill Boulevard, Sierra Avenue, and
Valley Boulevard—include approximately 260 acres
of unbuilt land and many underutilized parcels of land with low-value buildings or improvements.
> Central areas of Fontana between Foothill Boulevard and I -10 also include vacant (approx. 665 acres) or underutilized land that is appropriate for infill development.
• Fontana’s Sphere of Influence (SOI) encompasses 5,906 acres consisting of 660 acres in the northern area of Fontana of which 85.67acres are developable; 5,090 acres in the western section of the SOI, which includes residential, commercial and industrial land uses; and 156 acres in the eastern SOI. Fifty -three percent of the SOI acres are designated for industrial land uses.

Zoning
• While General Plans are long -term policy documents, zoning codes are immediate regulatory documents, designed to implement the general plan, in part, by regulating allowed, conditionally allowed, and prohibited land uses. For general law cities, like Fonta na, zoning codes must be consistent with the city’s general plan and comply with many other state laws.
• There are three basic types of zoning: conventional (“Euclidean”) zoning, form-based zoning, and hybrid zoning.
> Conventional zoning: In its pure form, conventional zoning separates zoning districts for residential, commercial, and industrial land uses and regulates the dimensions of development, such as lot size and coverage; type, size, and height of buildings; wid th and length of streets and sidewalks; amount and size of off-street parking. The separation of land uses and dimensional specifications make conventional zoning inflexible but easy to implement. However, it focuses more on what is not allowed than on what

EXHIBIT 15.1

DISTRIBUTION OF EXISTING LAND USES IN
THE CITY OF FONTANA (2016)

CATEGORY
AREA
(ACRES) PERCENT
Residential 13,837 41.4%
Commercial 1,988 5.9%
Industrial 7,430 22.2%
Open space 1,572 4.7%
Transportation/Utility ROW 43 0.1%

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.6 B. Goals and Policies

GOALS POLICIES
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Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.7

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.8 is desired. Fontana’s existing zoning system is fundamentally conventional, with separated land uses in single-use districts and dimensional prescriptions, but the use of Specific Plans has also introduced site design flexibility and design standards of various types. > Form-based zoning: Form-based zoning focuses more on building form— the physical character of the building and how it addresses the street and public realm —than on land uses. Form -based codes are a reaction to conventional zoning’s separation of land uses, making it impossible to build mixed-use neighborhoods and districts, and its neglect of the public realm, sometimes resulting in visually - and functionally -impoverished public environments that can be unattractive, and functional for only one type of user. Form-based codes use many visuals to give a positive vision of what is desired, rather than focusing on what should be excluded. > Hybrid zoning: Codes that combine aspects of conventional and form - based zoning are called hybrid codes. Because of its familiarity, ease of administration, and long institutional history, conventional zoning wi ll remain in force in many communities, particularly where there are well - established areas of single land uses. However, form -based codes are increasingly used for districts and corridors where a mixture of uses and a lively public realm are desired.
• Modern zoning codes strive for as much simplicity, transparency and streamlining as is consistent with safeguarding the public’s interest in quality development. Citizens should be able to understand zoning requirements and development standards —not jus t developers and their consultants. Unlike many modern zoning codes, Fontana’s does not include illustrations that show what is required or preferred, and what is not permitted.
• Because of Fontana’s extensive use of Specific Plans to guide development since the 1980s, land use regulation in a substantial portion of the city is governed by Specific Plans. Almost all of North Fontana, half of the area between SR -210 and Foothill Blvd, and two -thirds of South Fontana are covered by Specific Plans whose allocation of land uses, densities, and design standards are treated as zoning. Exhibit 15.3 Existing Zoning shows how the use of Specific Plans for planned development has affected the city’s zoning map. Most specific plans are ei ther residential or non -residential.

There are a few that are nominally “mixed use,” but in fact include separated land uses within the Specific Plan.
• The City has established zoning overlay districts for Downtown, the hospital area, and three major corrid ors—Sierra, Foothill and Arrow:

Boulevard Overlay and Downtown Overlay Districts. Because of the limited development activity in recent years, the impact of design standards in these over lay districts has been limited, though it can be seen in the landscaping at a few locations of new commercial development. Valley Boulevard does not have an overlay district.
• There are several other overlay districts serving a variety of purposes:
> Auto Center Overlay: special regulations to accommodate auto sales for 138 acres along South Highland Avenue between SR -210 to the north, Mango
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.9 EXHIBIT 15.2 EXISTING PREVIOUS LAND USE

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.10 EXHIBIT 15.3 EXISTING ZONING
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018

City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.11 Avenue to the east, Citrus Avenue to the west, and variable locations to the south. This area has attracted vehicle dealerships. >
an overlay district for 10 named intersections
where walkab le mixed use development is to be encouraged, design review required, and certain development standards and design guidelines to be observed within 300 feet of the center of the intersection.

This overlay has not had the impact desired.
>
required by the Housing Element to allow
shelters and transitional housing to serve homeless persons. The underlying zoning is industrial. There have been no proposed projects for homeless shelters or transitional housing.
>
regulations for hospital and medical uses applied
around Kaiser Hospital.
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to regulate safe building on steep slopes over 10% in
North and South Fontana.
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focused on providing for standards that buffer
adjacent development from utility corridors.
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designated parcels
eligible to apply for the overlay east of Sierra Avenue and north of SR - 210. This has resulted in approval of a number of war ehouses between SR-210 and Duncan Canyon Road.
>
areas of northern and southern Fontana subject
to regulations to mitigate risk from wildfire.

Urban Design
• Urban design focuses on the physical character of cities and towns in three dimensions —how the different elements of spaces, such as buildings, sidewalks, roads, parks, and parking lots, relate to one another. Through the arrangement of these elements, urban design affects how spaces function in facilitating, directing or obstructing people’s activities and experiences within the physical environment. It is not simply about visual style or aesthetic preferences. Urban design today focuses on creating pl aces where people want to be and that people care about:
welcoming, safe, attractive, accessible, comfortable, and sociable. • The overall community design of Fontana reflects its development history and a strong reliance on master planned development models through Specific Plans for large residential communities, shopping centers, and the warehouse industry. Most of today’s city follows the 20th century suburban development model of separated land uses, limited connectivity between developments, and site design organized around the car. • Residential districts. In Fontana, older residential areas and smaller subdivisions tucked between other land uses are designed with houses set back and facing the street. Ranch-style houses from the 1960s to 1980s are very common in the central part of the city. Older houses have separate garages located toward the rear of the lot, while more recent houses present driveway

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.12 Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018 City Council Resolution 2018-096 City Council Resolution 2018-097
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.13

garage doors as the dominant feature of their frontage. There are also some remaining large lots of 11,000 square feet or less, with a small house, sometimes on streets that lack sidewalks or curbs.

Planned development areas in Fontana are typically inward looking.

Development along arterials in newer areas is usually walled or fenced, with large amounts of landscaping in more expensive areas. Many residential developments have six- to eight-foot fences, and the majority of single-family homes along main arterials have their back and side yards facing the arterial street. In addition, a number of residential developments are gated communities.
• Commercial districts. With the exception of downtown Fontana’s few retail blocks with buildings built to the sidewalk, retail and services like eating and
drinking establishments in
Fontana take four forms:
>
Stand-
alone retail can be found on Foothill
Boulevard and on Sierra Boulevard
between Ceres Avenue and Marygold
Avenue.
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Older neighborhood centers
include the Foothill Boulevard locations of Fontana Plaza and Fontana Park Plaza, a center on Baseline Avenue at Cherry, and a neighborhood center in Southridge at Cherry and Live Oak.
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A few newer, small retail clusters have also emerged on Foothill at the Citrus Avenue intersection, where the classic suburban retail intersection has a Walgreens, a gas sta tion, a McDonald’s, and a small strip center, all of which, except for the McDonald’s, have parking at the corner behind sidewalks and landscaped setbacks.
>
The large neighborhood centers are located in
North and South Fontana: Palm Court at Sierra and Slover; the Sierra Lakes Parkway big box mall at SR-210; the Falcon Ridge Town Center along I-15; and a special case, the “auto mall,” just south of SR-210.

Although all four types are designed to accommodate the car, the newer developments have sidewalks along the streets and along the buildings and much superior landscaping. They tend to locate stores at the perimeter and parking in the center. However, they typically do not provide pedestrian amenities from the sidewalks to the buildings or through the parking lots. • Industrial districts. Modern warehouse districts are characterized by very large boxes (often white) on well-landscaped streets. The interface between

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.14 these modern warehouse areas and residential areas is typically buffered by arterial streets and commercial areas. Industrial district s also include older areas with a variety of businesses, many focused on trucking. In these areas, and in the southern industrial areas between I -10 and Jurupa Avenue, there are many transition areas where industrial and older residential areas are not well buffered.
• Arterial corridors. Due to the large block and parcel structure along many main corridors, some residential, commercial and industrial developments are set back far from the street, with parking lots and other paved areas along the street. In addition to projecting a low quality, semi-vacant image to the street, this pattern discourages all modes of transportation other than the car.

CHALLENGES
• Retrofttting existing development in the city to create urban design conditions that enhance connectivity and promote safe and attractive walking and biking. Fontana’s development patterns present challenges for more transportation choice—enhanced public transportation, walking, and bicycling.
• Developing infill land new mixed-use areas in the city and underutilized corridors, including housing to support non-residential uses, services and attractions.
• Retrofttting auto-oriented, suburban-style retail and office development patterns to provide experiences that meet shoppers’ needs and expectations, especially in competition with the convenience of online retail, and to provide more diversity within office developments. The best opportunities arise with redevelopment of non -residential properties because retail and commercial businesses are sensitive to changing consumer preferences and redevelop in more rapid cycles. Regulations and guidelines for redevelopment can p romote retrofits of existing properties to make them more pedestrian-friendly, connected, and well-designed for all users.

D. What the Community Said
Public opinion survey
• When asked for opinions on future priorities for housing, respondents gave these combined ratings for high- and medium-priority items:
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87%
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87%
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84%
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82%

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.15 >
75%
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74%
Community workshops and meeting input

E. E. Policies and Actions
to Achieve the Goals
The goals, policies and actions of this General Plan are consistent with State of California planning priorities.

State Frameworks Promote Compact Development
The goals, policies and actions of this General Plan are consistent with State of California climate-change policy frameworks. The State has adopted policies and legislation that affect land use policies on the local level that are intended to reduce the impact of climate change on the state. Climate change has been the subject of multiple executive orders (EOs) and legislation. • EO S-03-05 established long-term targets for 2020 and 2050 for emissions reductions in California, and EOS -13-08 established climate change adaptation and resilience as a priority.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.16 EXHIBIT 15.4 CONSOLIDATED PUBLIC INPUT ON PLACEMAKING QUALITIES

February 2016
Data sources: City of Fontana, 2015; San
Bernardino County, 2015; Esri, 2015

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.17 • State goals include reduction of petroleum use by up to 50 percent by 2030, and increasing use of renewable energy to 50 percent by 2030. • The State has set greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions-reduction requirements through numerous mechanisms, including land use and transportation planning. (See AB 32, SB 375, and SB 743 as examples).
• The AB 32 Scoping Plan includes sections on local government and the importance of local action to help achieve statewide climate goals. • The
and the
provide
guidance for resilience and adaptation efforts. The General Plan Guidelines, published by the Office of Planning and Res earch, focus on how the General Plan can achieve both GHG emission reductions and resilience to climate change impacts and lead to healthier communities.

The state frameworks promote compact and infill development as a way to reduce GHG emissions, as well as transit-oriented development. The 2016 - 2040 SCAG Regional Transportation Plan includes Transit -Oriented Development, Downtown Revitalization, Livable Corridors and Neighborhood Mobility Areas

State Of California Planning Priorities for Municipalities

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.18 (called “Connected Neighborhoods” in this General Plan) as strategies for compact development. Livable Corridors are mixed -use centers along corridors where activities are concentrated and transportation alternatives are available. Neighborhood Mobility Areas are an approxi mately 3 -mile radius around community destinations such as parks, schools, and shopping areas.

The Countywide Plan is intended to “go well beyond a traditional general plan to become a comprehensive Countywide Plan that complements and informs the Countywide Vision by taking into account all services—not just land-use planning—provided by County Government, and the unique values and priorities of each unincorporated community. It will serve as a guide for County decision- making, financial planning, and communications.” No countywide documents had been issued by March 2017. However, the Fontana Forward General Plan will be consistent with the Countywide Vision adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2011 :
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EXHIBIT 15.5 LIVABLE CORRIDOR

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.19

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.20 EXHIBIT 15.6 CONNECTED NEIGHBORHOOD

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Goal 1: The Strategic Policy Map and the Future Land Use Map guide land-use decision making.

POLICIES
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ACTIONS

 The Strategic Policy Map (Exhibit 15.7) shows the policy approach underlying the General Plan’s Future Land Use Map (Exhibit 15.8).

These broad policy directions are based on the community engagement process

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.21 and the development of the other plan elements. They reflect the land use priorities that together underlie the policy framework in the updated General Plan. The key features of the Strategic Policy Map are:
• Connected Neighborhoods. This is an adaptation of the Neighborhood Mobility Areas concept to the areas of Fontana that have been developed through master -planned subdivisions in specific plans, predominantly in the northern and southern areas of Fontana.

Few significant changes are expected in the land use patterns in these areas and any changes will continue to be governed by the land use regulations and development standards in the specific plans. For these areas the General Plan focuses on creating more opportunities and options to connect to local destinations, such as parks, schools, and shopping through safe pedestrian and bicycle routes and trails. • —Infill + Infrastructure + Interconnection Neighborhoods. These are the residential and mixed -use parts of the city that expanded from the historic core into walkable neighborhoods. The focus in these areas is to enhance the attractiveness of these neighbor hoods with upgraded infrastructure and conditions for pedestrians and bicycling and new types of infill housing. While specific plans filled up the undeveloped lands in the southern and northern areas of Fontana from the 1980s to today, the central part of the city received less housing and infrastructure investment. Residents supported public investment in the city’s Civic Center since 2008 and now want to see the downtown revitalized. Upgrading conditions and providing more housing variety will help suppo rt a more exciting downtown.
• Downtown. This General Plan includes a Downtown Area Plan that promotes mixed-use and compact development. There is broad-based support in Fontana for revitalizing downtown. By building upon the existing assets, creating new zoning that accommodates higher densities and a mixture of uses with design that supports walkability and a lively public realm, Downtown can become a vibrant center of entertainment, the arts, shopping, and business—as well as a neighborhood that can attract young adults and empty nesters. • Livable Corridors. This strategic policy strategy is also a transit- oriented development strategy. Major corridors like Foothill and Valley Boulevards and Sierra Avenue are currently characterized by underutilized and vacant lots. The bus transit along Sierra and Foothill, is expected to provide the opportunity to bring multi-family housing to the areas within walking distance of transit stops and promote mixed- use development.
• Walkable Village Areas. These locations have vacant land and offer the opportunity for a new kind of mixed -use subdivision and site design that offers a variety of housing types and walkable connections to mixed use and neighborhood -serving re tail and service areas.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.22 EXHIBIT 15.7 STRATEGIC POLICY MAP

Bus stop, planned

April 2017
Data sources: City of Fontana, 2016; Esri, 2016
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.23 • Light Industry. Warehousing, trucking, manufacturing and support industries are focused especially along regional transportation routes.

Some of these areas need upgrades in order to increase or maintain competitiveness.
• Annexation. Several areas are proposed for annexation. Annexation of the area along Arrow Boulevard west of downtown will, over time, support the development of transit-oriented development and the central city and downtown as a mixed-use concentration of activities.

Also recommended for annexation is the small residential area bounded by San Bernardino, Locust, Randall, and Alder Avenues and the area remaining along Foothill Boulevard between Almeria and Hemlock.

 Many land use categories in the Future Land Use Map (Exhibit 15.8) have not changed in definition, density or location. In a few cases, new locations have been designated using existing land use categories and, in one case, an error in the 2016 Existing Land Use Map has been corrected by designating the Arboretum Specific Plan as Residential Planned Community (RPC) rather than Residential Multifamily (RMF).

In the case of Regional Mixed Use, the land use category has a new definition and density range. The Future Land Use Map also has two new mixed-use land use categories and one new name for a specific kind of residential land use category. Exhibit

15.9 shows the areas on the Future Land Use Map which are different from the 2016 Existing Land Use Map.

(See Exhibit 15.8, Future Land Use Map).
 Too much land is currently designated as commercial in Fontana. C-G is the default land use designation along corridors, resulting in low - density, low-value development with considerable vacant or underutilized property. Even though the population will grow in the future, brick and mortar retailing has already been affected by on-line shopping and other trends, suggesting that commercial development will not expand to serve more population in the same way as in the late 20th century. Shoppers are increasingly looking for an interesting and fun experience while shopping, which also includes a better experience in the physical design and function of retail areas (Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga is an example of “experiential retail”). Individual retail stores increasingly have smaller footprints but retailers are focusing more on providing a good experience.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.24 . It
can be amended only four times a year.

Each land use category or designation is
intended to provide a range of densities
or building types.

The
Future Land Use Map should be
understood within that time
horizon. Changes in existing land uses
in this Future Land Use Map focus on
the areas that are the most strategically
important for achieving the General
Plan’s vision over the next two decades
and where changes are most likely to
occur. The Future Land Use Map takes
into account the land use distribution
already in place and the likelihood and
desirability that certain land uses will
persist. The Future Land Use Map and
the definitions in the General Plan
replace the previous land use map as a
guide for development.
. It does not represent or replace the
City’s zoning and development
regulations. It does not directly address
design issues and has no direct impact on
the function and appearance of land uses.

The land use categories in the map may
be represented in the zoning code by
more than one zoning district. The land
use categories that have been used in
Fontana since the 2003 General Plan have
a designated range of residential densities
(dwelling units per acre or du/acre) or
intensity of non- residential uses(FAR—
floor area ratio). The existing Fontana
land use categories correspond very
closely to zoning districts, and people
often view the map interchangeable, but
they are distinct. For simplicity’s sake, the
new Future Land Use Map retains the
majority of the 2003 land use categories
where land uses are unlikely to change,
such as in the specific plan
neighborhoods. Definitions in some cases
have been simplified. Several new land
use categories for mixed-use have been
created and the definition of one earlier
mixed-use category has been modified.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.25 EXHIBIT 15.8 FUTURE LAND USE MAP

Approved and
Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018 City Council Resolution 2018-096 City Council Resolution 2018-097

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.26 EXHIBIT 15.9 LAND USE CATEGORY CHANGES IN THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP (2018)

As of 2016
Data sources: City of Fontana, 2016; Esri, 2016

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.27 Fontana in the future should have a set of concentrated commercial areas, including downtown, that serve local residents and visitors.

The residential land use designations support
densities of 2to 50 dwelling units per acre(du/
ac).
• R-E: Residential Estates (2 du/ac). This low-
density designation reflects natural,
environmental, and other constraints
adjacent to the hillside areas in Fontana, as
well as the lack of infrastructure in the area.

This land use category provides for
locations where properties combine
residential and small scale, owner-
operated trucking businesses at a density
of 2 du per acre.

In the Southwest Industrial Park (SWIP)
specific plan, three small, unique areas are
zoned as Residential Trucking District (RTD),
but in the current previous Land Use Map,
they are designated R-E (Residential Estate)
land use because of the maximum density of
2 du per acre. However, these areas are very
different in many other respects from the R-E
land use category, which is predicated on the
environmental benefit of low-density
residential zoning.

• C-C: Community Commercial (0.1–1 FAR).

This district is for retail, including shopping
centers, and similar enterprises that serve
residents as well as offices, including medical
offices and clinics.
• C-G: General Commercial (0.1–1 FAR). Retail,
malls, wholesale, auto dealerships and
offices, including medical offices and clinics,
that can serve a broader, regional
population.

• I-L: Light Industrial (0.1–0.6 FAR).

Employee-intensive uses, including

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.28 business parks, research and development,
technology centers, corporate and support
office uses, clean industry, supporting retail
uses, truck and equipment sales and related
services are allowed. Warehouses that are
designed in ways that limit off-site impacts
are also permitted.
• I-G: General Industrial (0.1-0.6 FAR).

Uses such as manufacturing, warehousing,
fabrication, assembly, processing, trucking,
equipment, automobile and truck sales and
services are allowed in this category.
• P-PF: Public Facilities. This land use
designation is for properties in public or
quasi-public ownership, such as existing
schools; the facilities of agencies such as
the City, County, water and sewer
districts, and fire protection districts; and
hospitals and quasi-public institutions.
• P-R: Recreational Facilities. Regional and
local parks, and any recreational facility
operated by a public or quasi-public agency
fall into this land use category.
• P-UC: Public Utility Corridors. Locations in
the planning area that contain easements for
public utilities are in this land use category.

There are Three new mixed-use categories
have been added to the Land Use Plan(Exhibit

15.8). In this General Plan:
is a category that exists in the current
land use map but has
not attracted development interest under
current requirements. Two new mixed-use
categories have been added to the Future Land
Use Plan (Exhibit 15.8) in this General Plan:
and
(New definition) RMU-Regional Mixed
Use. The Regional Mixed Use land use
category is intended for a mixture of land
uses on relatively large tracts of land
located in proximity to regional
transportation routes (such as I-15), and
supporting regional markets. This
category accommodates a wide range of
retail, commercial, office, medium density
residential, civic, open space and job- rich
light manufacturing uses without adverse
impacts on surrounding uses.

The mixture of uses can be “vertical,” that
is, in one structure, or “horizontal,”
meaning different land uses adjacent or in
close proximity. The intent of this land use
category is to provide the potential for a
jobs-housing balance, where employees
can live near their jobs; to create well-
designed districts that provide walkable
environments and connectivity among
subdistricts; and to deploy urban design
and building design strategies that
harmonize the mixture of uses. The RMU
land use category has a residential density
of 12 to 24 du/acre and commercial
intensity of 0.1 to 1.0 FAR.

Development planning, zoning, and criteria
for the RMU land use category. The existing
previous zoning requirements for RMU
should be replaced by zoning guided by an
Area Plan. On the Future Land Use Map, the
major area designated as the RMU land use is
located on the south side of the I-15 freeway,
east of the Duncan Canyon interchange and
the Ventana Specific Plan area. The previous
Existing RMU zoning is highly specific in
terms of how much of each land use must be

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.29

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.30 in a project, and other requirements.

Planners report that the requirements have
played a role in discouraging development in
RMU areas. Until new zoning is developed
for the RMU area, the current zoning will
remain.

In order to develop base zoning, the City
ideally should create one or more Area
Plans for the areas designated as RMU in
order to shape development and set
expectations. The Area Plan should be or-
ganized to provide a set of interconnected
walkable, mixed use environments, with
residential development that can range from
garden apartments, townhouses, and other
“missing middle” housing models to
multifamily development, surrounding or
incorporating employment, commercial,
retail, and entertainment centers. The
Downtown Code associated with the
Downtown Area Plan in this General Plan,
can serve as a source of zoning concepts for
the walkable environments that are
envisioned for the RMU area.

Use of a PUD (Planned Unit Development)
process, which has a one-acre minimum,
could also be a suitable process for
development under an RMU Area Plan.

This could allow variations in residential,
non-residential, and vertical mixed use
densities, as long as they further the goals
of the overall RMU Area Plan.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.31 > Use design strategies—for example
incremental changes in height, density,
intensity of use, landscaping—rather than
walls to transition from higher to lower
densities and intensities.
> Limit cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets.
> Include a diversity of housing types and lot
sizes. Maximum densities can be
averaged to encourage a variety of lot
sizes.
> In residential and mixed-use areas that
include residences, limit block sizes to 600
feet or smaller to improve connectivity.
> Include a market study as part of the Area
Plan.

Walkable Mixed-Use Downtown and
Corridors (WMXU-1) and Walkable Mixed Use
Urban Village (WMXU-2) and Walkable Mixed
Use Urban Village (WMXU-3). The Future
Land Use Map establishes two new mixed- use
categories for Walkable Mixed Use.

These land use categories are very different in
character from the land use categories that
have been retained from the Existing Land use
Map (Exhibit 15.2). They do not easily
correspond with conventional, single- use and
separated zoning districts.
•
| Walkable Mixed-Use Downtown and
Corridors (WMXU-1). This land use category
is intended to provide for the creation of
areas that allow residents and visitors to
walk, bike, and take transit to other uses for
work, study, shopping, entertainment,
recreation, and civic activities, and to
provide compact residential development
within walking distance of planned public
transit stops and neighborhood shopping
areas.

Uses include a variety of medium- to high-
density residential types, retail and
services, office, entertainment, education,
civic, and open space. Both vertical and
horizontal mixed use is acceptable. Light
industrial uses are generally not included,
except for conditional allowance of small-
scale, artisan-style businesses that
operate without adverse urban design and
other impacts, such as heavy truck traffic, on
neighboring uses. WMXU-1 residential
densities range from 24 to 39 du per acre and
non-residential uses have a maximum Floor
Area Ratio of 2.0. The WMXU-1 designation is
located along Sierra Avenue, much of Foothill
Boulevard, and the segment of Valley
Boulevard between Cypress and Palmetto.

The designation was created to cover the half-
mile walking distance radii (known as
“walksheds”) from planned public transit
stops.A form-based zoning code for the
Down- town Area Plan district is being
prepared to accompany this General Plan.

When ad- opted, it will serve as the
Downtown Code and provide the foundation
for additional zoning in the WMXU-1 land use
area along the corridors.
• NEW | Walkable Mixed-Use Urban Village
(WMXU-2). This land use designation is
intended to provide an alternative to
conventional subdivision development with a
mixture of housing types, neighborhood-
serving retail, open space and civic uses, and
site design that provides for multi-modal
connectivity internal to the site and external
to connect with adjacent areas. WMXU-2
residential densities range from 12 to 24 du
per acre, and non-residential uses
can have up to an FAR of 1.0. Residents can
walk or bike to neighborhood destinations.
•
| Walkable Mixed-Use Urban Village
(WMXU-3). This land use designation is
intended to provide a variety of housing
intended for the Downtown area and
adjacent areas. The intent is to allow for
higher density housing mixed with
commercial uses to create a regional and
local destination. WMXU-3 residential
density range is 2.1-70 du per acre with a
FAR ratio up to 2.0 for ground floor
commercial development.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.32 The WMXU land use category is intended to provide
flexibility in zoning and development in:
• Fontana’s downtown and on vacant and
underutilized lots in adjacent areas.

Along the Sierra and Foothill corridors with planned
transit stops.

Along Valley Boulevard around the intersection with
Sierra Avenue.

At and near key intersections where new housing
development could be designed to allow safe and
convenient walking to nearby shopping or
neighborhood destinations like schools and parks.

“Walkable” in this land use category means that it is
structured by the walking distance from destinations
like the civic center, downtown attractions, shopping
and restaurants, planned public transit stops, and
neighborhood destinations. The maximum distance
people are willing to walk on a regular basis is 1/2 mile or ten minutes—as long as they experience the walk as safe, comfortable, and convenient.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.33

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.34 WMXU-1 is organized around walking access to
downtown and along Fontana’s three underutilized
corridors: Foothill Boulevard, Sierra Avenue within
Central Fontana, and Valley Boulevard centered around
the Sierra intersection. This land use category provides the opportunity for a combination of commercial
development and well-designed multi-family housing
to support that development. The mixture of uses can
be “vertical” —housing or offices above ground -floor
commercial development —or “horizontal,” where
housing and commercial uses could be located adjacent
to one another. Zoning consistent with the purpose of
WMXU-1 should include design requirements for a
compatible mixture of uses and densities in this area and should ensure that a proper transition in density occurs adjacent to streets with single-family houses.

WMXU-2 is intended for new subdivisions of housing
that are designed to make it easy to walk to shopping
(which may be part of the subdivision) or to destinations like parks and schools that are located within walking
distance. These subdivisions will use design strategies rather than walls to connect to streets and adjacent
development. They can also have a mixture of housing
densities and open spaces, so that there are appropriate transitions between different housing types such as
multi-family, townhouses, single -family houses, and
commercial areas.

WMXU-3 is intended for new development in the
central area of the Downtown and adjacent areas.

Higher density housing is proposed to along and near
the major corridors such as Sierra Avenue, Arrow
Boulevard and Orange Way. Mixed use development
is encouraged to create a vibrant commercial
destination. Vertical housin g is likely given the
anticipated density. Attractive architecture and
landscaping is anticipated to create amenities for
pedestrian activity.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.35

Vertical mixed use building with housing above retail

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.36 The zoning for the WMXU land use categories will be
based on zoning to be created for the Downtown Area
Plan, which will be ready for adoption soon after the
General Plan is adopted. This zoning will incorporate
what is known as form-based zoning.

Form-based zoning is designed to guide design of
buildings and places so that developers and builders
know what the City wants and the City can have
confidence that the result will fit in with the overall plan for the area. Form -based zoning is especially
appropriate for mixed-use areas. It uses physical
form(rather than separation of uses) as an organizing
principle. Form -based codes address the relationship
between building facades and public places like
sidewalks, streets and plazas, the form and mass of
buildings in relation to one another, and the scale and types of streets and blocks. Form -based regulations
and standards are presented in both words and clearly
drawn diagrams and other visuals. The WMXU -1
zoning will be drafted to implement the Downtown
Area Plan as a Downtown Code, and elements of this
zoning will also be appropriate for the corridors.

WMXU-2 and WMXU-3 zoning will be a modified
version of Fontana’s form-based zoning, current design
guidelines, and residential planned communities
zoning.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.37 • Each land use is in a separate area.

Bedroom communities are empty during
the day, and office parks are empty during
the night.

Dead-end cul-de-sacs prevent walkability.

Car traffic and congestion increase because
every trip requires driving.

It encourages inefficient use of land, resources,
and assets.

Different land uses are mixed vertically and
horizontally.

Active uses at all times of day increase safety.

More intersections per square mile promotes
walking to a variety of destinations.

It reduces car traffic and congestion because
walking and biking are options for
neighborhood, in-town, and some
commuting trips.

It promotes efficient use of land, resources, and
assets.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 15.38 EXHIBIT 15.10

SUMMARY OF DENSITY RANGES AND ACREAGE OF LAND USE CATEGORIES IN THE FUTURE LAND USE PLAN

Fontana City CouncilJuly 25, 2023

Fontana City Council
July 25, 2023