MUNICIPAL CODE TEXT AMENDMENT
TA-25-158
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING | FEBRUARY 9, 2026 | ITEM: 5.2 1 SUMMARY
2 ❑Municipal Code Text Amendment No.TA-25-158 is a staffinitiated proposal to modify various sections of the Lathrop Municipal Code.
❑The proposed amendments include integration of current City policies, Housing Element Program Implementation,
State law, and best practices within the Planning
profession.
BACKGROUND
3 ❑Staff regularly review and monitors various
department policies, procedures, and the Zoning
Ordinance for areas that need improvement and
consistency with State Law.
❑From 2013-2024, the City approved similar efforts
and updated various sections of the Municipal Code.
AMENDMENTS
4 ❑Chapter 17.04 General Provisions
The proposed amendment will clarify what is considered an Accessory Structure, define a Battery Energy Storage
System (BESS), and modify the small and large residential care home definitions.
AMENDMENTS
5 ❑Chapter 17.30 Specialized Housing Regulations:
The proposed amendment will create a new chapter to include Low Barrier Navigation Centers, Transitional and Supportive Housing, Residential Care Facilities, Farm Worker and Employee Housing, Streamlined Affordable Housing Approvals, Emergency Shelters, and Reasonable Accommodation for Persons with Disabilities. This is in compliance with the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element.
AMENDMENTS
6 ❑Chapters 17.32, 17.36, 17.57, & 17.62
The proposed amendment to these chapters will require a Conditional Use Permit to allow a group home of 7 or more persons in compliance with the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element.
AMENDMENTS
7 ❑Chapter 17.58 Lathrop Gateway Business Park Zoning
Districts
This proposed amendment will update the Permitted and Conditionally Permitted Use lists, add Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) as a Conditional Use with distance
requirements, and fix a typographical error.
AMENDMENTS
8 ❑Chapter 17.61 River Islands Zoning Districts
The proposed amendment will update the Permitted Use
description to remove schools within the Open Space (OS/PRI) Zoning Designation, update the Permitted Use Table, and update the multi-family parking requirements in compliance with the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element.
AMENDMENTS
9 ❑Chapter 17.64 Home Occupations
The proposed amendment will update the chapter to provide a “Purpose” section to clearly define the intent of the chapter and to be consistent with other chapters of the Lathrop Municipal Code.
AMENDMENTS
10 ❑Chapter 17.74 & 17.126
The proposed amendment will relocate these chapters from the Lathrop Municipal Code (LMC), to the new proposed
Chapter 17.30 Specialized Housing Regulations.
AMENDMENTS
11 ❑Chapter 17.76 Off-Street Parking and Loading
The proposed amendment will update the bicycle, passenger vehicle, parking standards, and multi-family parking
requirements in compliance with the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element.
AMENDMENTS
12 ❑Chapter 17.80 Accessory Dwelling Units
The proposed amendment will update several sections of the chapter to be consistent with State Law.
AMENDMENTS
13 ❑Chapter 17.92 Landscaping and Screening Standards
The proposed amendment will clarify various drought tolerant landscaping materials eligible to count towards the landscaping requirement calculation.
AMENDMENTS
14 ❑Chapter 17.100 Site Plan Review
The proposed amendment will add a section to allow the Planning Commission or City Council to grant a greater time extension for Site Plan Review applications for qualifying projects due to the size and scale or amount of off-site improvements.
AMENDMENTS
15 ❑Chapter 17.108 Administrative Approval of Certain Uses The proposed amendment will clarify that any temporary use on a commercial or industrial property will require a
Temporary Use Permit (TUP).
AMENDMENTS
16 ❑Chapter 17.112 Conditional Uses
The proposed amendment will update a reference code section clarifying that any proposed projects located within the Central Lathrop Phase 2 area (north of Dos Reis Road and South of De Lima Road) will require approval of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) from the City Council per the City’s 2022 General Plan Update.
AMENDMENTS
17 ❑Chapter 17.116 Nonconforming Uses and Structures
The proposed amendment will update various sections
of the chapter to clarify alterations and additions to
nonconforming uses.
AMENDMENTS
18 ❑Chapter 17.124 Amendments
The proposed amendment will add public hearing notice requirements to be consistent with State law.
State law requires a 20-day notice instead of the
standard 10-day when there is an amendment to the
allowed land uses.
CEQA
19 ❑The proposed Municipal Code Amendment is exempt
according to CEQA Article 5 Section 15061 by the “Common Sense Exemption”.
❑The amendment does not change the zoning designation on any individual property and does not affect existing land use or density.
PLANNING COMMISSION
20 ❑On January 21, 2026, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposed Municipal Code Text
Amendment.
❑Following deliberation, the Planning Commission voted in favor to recommend the City Council adopt an Ordinance
to Approve the proposed amendments.
RECOMMENDATION
21 ❑Conduct a Public Hearing; and
❑Introduce an Ordinance adopting various
amendments to the Lathrop Municipal Code
(LMC) to modernize, simplify, and streamline
various sections of Title 17, Zoning.