2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-1 City of Marysville
3 LAND USE +
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
ELEMENT
The Land Use and Community Development Element sets forth the policy framework to shape physical development within the City’s Planning Area, which includes the approximately 3.7 square miles within the existing City limits, as well as the approximately
4.2 square miles of land area that is within the existing City Sphere of Influence, but outside the current City limits.
The goals, objectives, policies, and programs in this Element will be used by the City in its decision making on public and private project approvals. This Element will guide reinvestment and help to prioritize infrastructure projects and other public investments.
This Element also will be used to direct changes to the City’s Municipal Code following adoption of the updated General Plan.
3.1 Background + Context
3.1.1 Introduction
The goals, policies, and implementation programs presented in this Element provide a guide for the City to facilitate infill development and investment, spur economic development, prioritize infrastructure improvements, ensure public safety, preserve important historic resources, and maintain sustainable fiscal conditions. The contents of this Element reflect strong community consensus for the vision of Marysville in 2050 and also incorporates the community’s ideas from the City’s Bounce Back Vision + Implementation Plan, which focuses on revitalization and realizing the many important advantages and opportunities before Marysville today.
2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-2 City of Marysville
3.1.2 Statutory Requirements
The Land Use and Community Development Element sets forth the foundation for future land use and development in Marysville. California Government Code Section 65302(a) states that a Land Use Element:
“… designates the proposed general distribution and general location and extent of the uses of the land for housing, business, industry, open space, including agriculture, natural resources, recreation, and enjoyment of scenic beauty, education, public buildings and grounds, solid and liquid waste disposal facilities, greenways, as defined in Section 816.52 of the Civil Code, and other categories of public and private uses of land. The location and designation of the extent of the uses of the land for public and private uses shall consider the identification of land and natural resources… [and] shall include a statement of the standards of population density and building intensity recommended for the various districts and other territory covered by the plan.“
3.1.3 Relationship to Other Elements
This Element is drafted in a way that considers the important relationships among land use, community design, development patterns, transportation, public health, and economic development. For example, the City‘s economic development goals and fiscal sustainability will depend on development patterns that allow for efficient and cost-effective infrastructure and public service provision. Land use and transportation policies that encourage walking, bicycling, and use of public transit also support public health and local economic goals, and can reduce household transportation costs.
The Land Use and Community Development Element delineates areas for parks, open space, and resource conservation for parks, open space, and resource conservation – complementing policy in the Open Space, Conservation, and Recreation Element. The Land Use and Community Development Element identifies land for residential uses and policies for expanding housing opportunities, consistent with the Housing Element. The City‘s ability to achieve transportation‐related goals depends on development patterns that support a variety of travel modes, such as compact, mixed-use development that facilitates multi‐ modal transportation. Goals and policies for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit use identified in the Circulation Element will not produce the desired results without a supportive mix, density, and arrangement of land uses as identified in this Element.
The Environmental Justice Element explores improving quality of life among communities, most importantly disadvantaged communities, to facilitate the City’s goal of encouraging development that lessens environmental pollution as discussed in this Element. Since some land uses generate more vehicular traffic than others, and some land uses produce 2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-3 City of Marysville
higher levels of stationary source noise, there is also a close relationship between the Land Use and Community Development Element and the Noise Element.
3.1.4 City Limits, Planning Area, and Sphere of Influence The guidance in this Element and the balance of the 2050 General Plan is primarily focused on the existing City limits – essentially the same area that is protected from Yuba and Feather River floodwaters by ring levees.1 However, consistent with Government Code Section 65300, the City has also organized this General Plan to addresses “land outside areas its boundaries which… bears relation to its planning.” One important component of long-range planning is the “sphere of influence” or SOI. The sphere of influence is used under California law to guide long-range physical planning, with a focus on ensuring adequate and efficient public services – representing a geographic area that is the probable future physical boundary and service area of the agency.2 According to the State General Plan Guidelines “The plan must cover the territory within the boundaries of the adopting city or county as well as “any land outside its boundaries which in the planning agency’s judgment bears relation to its planning” (Gov. Code § 65300). For cities, this means all territory within the city limits, both public and private, though the planning area may also include territory outside the current city limits. When establishing its planning area, each city should consider using its sphere of influence as a starting point and then adjusting the area based on factors such as its location in a watershed.
Marysville’s existing Sphere of Influence includes developed and undeveloped properties south and east of the existing City limits – portions of the unincorporated Yuba County community of Linda that is served by other agencies currently (Exhibit 3-1). This area includes approximately 2,700 acres of total land area that is developed with residential, commercial, and public uses. It is important that the City stay abreast of activities within this area for potential impact on the City of Marysville. Future annexation of this area would have potential benefits to both the city and existing residents and businesses by increasing the city’s tax base, could have benefits related to improving the efficiency of public services, and would involve long-term costs associated with an expanded service area.
The General Plan itself does not establish the sphere of influence. Sphere of Influence changes are adopted through a separate process that would often follow a general plan update. Sphere of Influence changes can be recommended by the City and must be approved by a separate agency known as the Yuba Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO).
1 The City also regulates land use within another important boundary known as the Downtown Marysville Specific Plan Area. Please refer to the Downtown Marysville Specific Plan, under separate cover, for more detail.
2 For more detail, please refer to the Yuba Local Agency Formation Commission Policies, Standards, and Procedures: https://www.yubalafco.org/files/92f4b7778/adopted_yuba_lafco_policies.pdf. 2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-4 City of Marysville
Exhibit 3-1. City Limits, Downtown Specific Plan Area, and Existing Sphere of Influence 2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-5 City of Marysville
3.2 Existing Development and Development Pattern
Marysville is home to approximately 12,600 residents and 7,000 jobs, with a broad mix of housing types, retail and commercial services, parks and open space, assembly and fabrication facilities, and civic uses. Marysville is rich in cultural and historic character, and offers access to abundant open spaces. The city’s geographic and geophysical advantages led to its early development, serving as the northernmost point accessible by paddleboat between the San Francisco and Sierra gold fields in the 1840s. When the gold economy diminished, surrounding rich soils provide the basis for an economy driven by agriculture.
Post-World War II automobile and highway-driven expansion represented competitive disadvantages for this walkable, authentic city. Marysville is rich in character, but poor in large, vacant properties adjacent to high-volume roadways.
The city is protected from the floodwaters of the Feather and Yuba Rivers by ring levees that prevented outward expansion and promoted a compact development pattern.
Consequently, typical suburban development – that generates high volumes of vehicular traffic and devotes large spaces to temporary vehicle storage and unused areas planted with turf grass – is not a great fit for Marysville.
The community is mostly built out, though there are tremendous opportunities for infill development and reinvestment within the historic fabric created by the city’s grid street network. The current lack of large vacant properties or “greenfield” development opportunities means that the development that does occur in Marysville must be land efficient, vibrant, multi-story, compact development that makes smart use of the land available. Since compact development is also more cost effective to serve, increases property values, leads to more economic development, and offers residents the freedom to access services without a car, the land constraints that are sometimes viewed as a constraint for Marysville will, with the right planning and design, actually generate substantial benefits for the whole community – the city’s residents, employees, property owners, and business owners.3
3.2.1 Residential Areas
Residential neighborhoods in Marysville are mostly focused in two areas: the historic residential area northwest of the Downtown and East Marysville. The historical residential neighborhood is bounded on the east by F Street, on the south by 5th Street, on the north 3 For more information, please see: Litman, Todd. 2023 (May 9th). Evaluating Economic Savings and Benefits of Compact Development. Available: https://www.vtpi.org/sg_save.pdf. Urban Land Institute. 1999. The Impact of the New Urbanism on Prices of Single-Family Homes. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2013 (June). Our Built and Natural Environments: A Technical Review of the Interactions Among Land Use, Transportation, and Environmental Quality. Coriolis Consulting Corp. 2003. Do Development Cost Charges Encourage Smart Growth and High Performance Building Design? Ford, Jonathan. 2010 (January 13th). Morris Beacon Design. Smart Growth & Conventional Suburban Development An infrastructure case study completed for the EPA. Available: https://archive.epa.gov/epa/sites/production/files/2014- 07/documents/mbd-epa-infrastructure.pdf.
2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-6 City of Marysville
by 14th Street and the west by the Feather River levee. There are homes from the turn of the century, homes built during the 1930s and 1940s, and some multi-family dwellings in this area. East Marysville is separated from the Downtown area by an elevated railway track. East Marysville comprises almost exclusively single-family detached homes, along with schools, parks, and commercial services along State Highway 20. During the public engagement conducted to support the 2050 General Plan, there was strong consensus that the City should not seek to transform, but rather improve walkability, encourage investment in existing properties, and add neighborhood-serving uses in East Marysville.
3.2.2 Commercial Districts
Commercial retail and services and professional offices are located Downtown, along State Highway 70 and State Highway 20, and in the vicinity of the hospital. The historic D Street corridor offers cafes, galleries, boutiques, personal services, and specialty stores.
Professional offices are distributed throughout the commercial areas of Marysville, with a concentration in the area surrounding the Yuba County court facilities. The State Highway 70 and 20 corridors currently cater to the traveling public with retail, restaurants, convenience retail, and fueling stations.
Above: D Street in Downtown Marysville
2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-7 City of Marysville
3.2.3 Community Serving Facilities
Marysville is home to a diverse range of community and public facilities that serve residents, businesses, and visitors, including schools, courthouse facilities, government services and offices, parks, and other public facilities. Marysville Joint Unified School District operates public schools within and outside of Marysville, including Lindhurst High School and Marysville High School. The California Department of Transportation District 3 office is east of B Street and south of 9th Street. The Superior Court of Yuba County, Yuba County Jail, Yuba County Government Center, Yuba County Water Agency, and Yuba County Library, as well as City Hall City offices and services, are all in Marysville. The City also boasts several recreational facilities and parks, including Ellis Lake, Riverfront Regional Park Complex, Bryant Field, Yuba Park, Veterans Park, and Miners Skatepark.4 Other public uses, such as Tri-Counties Community Center and Marysville Youth and Civic Center, are open to all residents to use. Another important regional serving amenity in Marysville is the Adventist Health and Rideout Regional Medical Center, which is a nonprofit providing physicians’ offices, an emergency department, trauma center, and acute care hospital occupying six square blocks just west of Downtown Marysville.
Above: Veterans Park
4 Please see the Open Space, Conservation, and Recreation Element for more detail on parks and open space. 2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-8 City of Marysville
Exhibit 3-2. Community Serving Facilities in Marysville 2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-9 City of Marysville
3.3 Historic Resources
The historic buildings and development pattern of Marysville are important to the unique sense of place and character of the community. Located at the junction of the Feather and Yuba rivers, present-day Marysville is within what was historically the northwestern boundary of the traditional lands of the Nisenen (Southern Maidu). Please see the Open Space, Conservation, and Recreation Element for the City’s policies related to archaeological resources and tribal cultural resources.
During the California Gold Rush, settlement was initially focused along the Yuba River's northern banks, with canvas tents and a few adobe buildings at the foot of D Street built by Theodor Cordua, an early settler, in the 1840s. In 1849, Marysville was platted by French surveyor, Augustus Le Plongeon, with a street grid with alleyways typical of American towns, but with several public squares and parks throughout inspired by French cities (Exhibit 3-3). By 1856, the town had a population of almost 10,000 and more than 200 brick buildings had been constructed. Many commercial brick buildings exist today.
Examples of residential brick buildings include the Ramirez House (The Castle) at 220 5th Street, which was constructed in 1851, and the Mary Aaron Museum/Warren P. Miller House at 704 D Street, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These two residential buildings are within the historical area of development focused between 1st through 8th and A through F streets that comprise a mix of commercial, industrial, civic, religious, educational, hotel, and residential buildings in Downtown and Chinatown.5
3.3.1 Marysville’s Chinatown
Marysville’s Chinatown was the first of more than 30 Chinatowns established during the Gold Rush and served as the cultural, economic, social, and political hub for Marysville and the smaller Chinese communities in the region. Established in 1849-50 as a stop on the way to the gold fields, some Chinese settlers remained in Marysville and established businesses, some of which catered to travelers to the mines. The first Chinese-owned business was set up on First Street between A and B streets. Today, Marysville’s Chinatown is the last surviving Gold Rush-era Chinese settlement in the region, and two organizations, the Hop Sing Tong Association and Marysville Chinese Community, Inc., continue the cultural heritage of the region with the annual Bok Kai Festival (Bomb Day). The Bok Kai Temple is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and located at the intersection 5 This historic context relies on the following reference documents: Britton & Rey. 1856. Official Map of the City of Marysville California. Chinese American Museum of Northern California. 2012. “Introduction to Marysville’s Chinatown.” Available: https://chineseamericanmuseum.com/marysvillechinatown/. Accessed April 2023. City of Marysville. 1978. Marysville Historic Building Survey. Hopkins T.L. and Delamere, H. 2007.
Images of America: Marysville. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. Napoli, Donald S. 1998. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Marysville Historic Commercial District. August 24. Available:
https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/99000692. Accessed April 2023. Tom, L. and Tom, B. 2020. Gold Country’s Last Chinatown: Marysville, California. Charleston, SC: The History Press. 2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-10 City of Marysville
of 1st and D streets. As the oldest operating Taoist temple in California, it has been serving the Chinese community since 1880. The cultural history is also reflected in the Chinese School at 226 1st Street, which now serves as a museum, the Phoenix Restaurant at 223 2nd Street, the Suey Sing Society building at 305 1st Street built in 1912 and remodeled in 1937, and the 1918-constructed Hop Sing Society Building at 109 C Street, among others.
Downtown was centered on D and E streets as the shopping district. Major retailers such as Sears and Roebuck, Montgomery Ward (412 E Street), Woolworth (420 D Street), JC Penney, and others drew shoppers to Marysville. Known as “The Hub,” through the first half of the 20th century, Marysville was the economic center of the region for shopping, entertainment, and jobs. However, in the second half of the 20th century, major retailers either closed or moved their operations across the Feather River to Yuba City.
3.3.2 Historic Building Survey and Historic Preservation Ordinance In the post-World-War II period, Downtown Marysville changed dramatically. Storefronts were modernized, facades of buildings altered, and half of the buildings between 1st and 6th streets and C and E streets were demolished to make way for surface parking lots and three large buildings as part of a redevelopment project begun in 1977. In response to the “significant losses of fine structures and areas have occurred in recent years due to both commercial development and neglect,” and the “increasing concern that this architecture would fall prey to the development pressures experienced to a much greater degree elsewhere,” the City adopted a historic preservation ordinance. The City set out to identify buildings with historic, architectural, or engineering significance and provide some level of protection to them and to identify buildings that are “significant in the cultural fabric of the city.” Every building within the City limits constructed prior to 1930 was surveyed in 1978.6 Of the 163 buildings, structures, and objects that were identified as significant resources to the City’s history in 1978, 33 buildings have been demolished as of 2023, resulting in a 20- percent loss of the identified resources.
Once a commercial and entertainment corridor, E Street was transformed into State Highway 70, a mostly four-lane road with center turn lanes that traverses past the 1927- constructed State Theater and the 1926-constructed, 5-story Marysville Hotel. The Adventist Health and Rideout Medical Center redeveloped the area between 3rd to 5th and H to F streets. Though there have been substantial changes to the built environment, D Street remains the center of the Downtown shopping district. 6 City of Marysville. 1978. Marysville Historic Building Survey. 2050 GENERAL PLAN 11 City of Marysville
Exhibit 3-3. Britton & Rey. 1856. Official Map of the City of Marysville California City of Marysville 3-12 2050 GENERAL PLAN
3.3.1 Marysville Historic Commercial District
In the past decades, 19thcentury buildings throughout Downtown and Chinatown deteriorated through neglect, were demolished, or were removed for redevelopment. An estimated 200 buildings within the commercial area of Marysville were demolished between the 1940s and 1990s alone. However, in 1998, a sufficient number of surviving buildings were collectively identified as the Marysville Historic Commercial District that contributed to the feeling of a traditional downtown through the arrangement of the buildings, which are immediately contiguous and fronting the sidewalk, the predominance of retail uses, the uniformity of scale, and the retention of original design and fabric, especially above the storefronts (Exhibit 3-4). Despite substantial remodeling to several buildings and the demolition of others, the district has maintained its historic character.
The Marysville Historic Commercial District's period of significance (1854-1948) includes the time when the most important events occurred in Marysville's commercial development:
the expansion of trade in response to the Gold Rush, the establishment of an important business center for Chinese immigrants, the changing of the customer base to match the diversification of the local population, and the growth of building during the 1920s to capitalize on agricultural expansion in Yuba and Sutter counties. Historic buildings remain that illustrate all of these developments. The opening date of 1854 represents the approximate construction date of the historic district's earliest remaining buildings. The closing date, 1948, indicates the downturn of local commerce and development by that time. The district reflects the period through a collection of contributing buildings that retain their architectural integrity during the period of significance.
The Marysville Historic Commercial District, as two discontiguous districts that span approximately 14 blocks bound by 1st, 6th, C, and E streets, was formally listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The City commissioned a reconnaissance-level survey of the historic district in 2021 of the original 59 buildings that were identified as contributors to the district, finding that 8 have been demolished and 1 has been altered to such an extent that it is no longer recommended as a contributor.
3.3.2 Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse
Historic preservation and adaptive reuse of buildings can enhance the aesthetic character and distinctiveness of a place, and can be a cultural, commercial, and tourist draw. Historic districts can also be a vehicle for education, preserving physical remnants of the past that can be augmented with interpretive information and appeal to visitors, as well as connecting the local population to the history of their community.
Not only do historic buildings contribute to Marysville’s small-town feel, but so do the traditional downtown arrangement of streets, alleys, and buildings, the minimal setback of buildings from the sidewalk, the predominance of retail uses, the uniformity of scale, and the retention of original design and materials.
2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-13 City of Marysville
Above: 414 4th Street
City of Marysville 3-14 2050 GENERAL PLAN
Exhibit 3-4. Marysville Historic Commercial District and Contributing Resources 2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-15 City of Marysville
3.4 Airport Land Use Compatibility
Airports affect the use of property, and at the same time, land uses can affect airports in that incompatible land uses can restrict airport operations. The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) serves as the Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) for airports in Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba counties. Acting in this capacity, SACOG has prepared Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans for each airport within its jurisdiction to promote compatibility between surrounding land uses and nearby airports. The airport influence areas of the Yuba County Airport, Sutter County Airport, and Beale Air Force Base overlap with Marysville City limits. When delineating airport influence areas, four areas of compatibility are considered, which are addressed in the compatibility plan: noise, safety, airspace protection, and overflight.
State law requires land use plans, including general plans, to be consistent with applicable airport land use compatibility plans. Local agencies are required to submit any proposed action to update or amend a land use plan or zoning ordinance within an airport influence area to the ALUC for consistency determination prior to adoption.
Above: Beale Air Force Base
Source: Beale Air Force Base, https://www.beale.af.mil/Library/Newcomer-Info/ City of Marysville 3-16 2050 GENERAL PLAN
Exhibit 3.5. Airport Influence Areas
2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-17 City of Marysville
3.5 Utilities
Public utilities such as drainage facilities, electric facilities, sewer, and water lines are the framework that supports physical development. Their availability plays an important part in determining the pattern of land uses within the community, as well as the direction and intensity of growth. The ability to provide sufficient utilities and service systems is important to the well-being of the community.
In order to achieve goals for public and environmental health and efficiencies, the City can plan for public facilities and infrastructure sized and located to support planned land uses and development patterns. The City can use its public facilities and infrastructure planning, in part, to encourage development patterns that achieve the City’s other goals – for land use, community development, economic development, and environmental sustainability.
3.6 Potential Urban Growth Areas
Expansion of Marysville outside its current city limits could occur to the north, south, and/or east (Exhibit 3-6). Important considerations include the provision of adequate flood protection and the feasibility of extending public services and facilities without affecting the level of service within exiting city limits.
As noted previously, the General Plan does not explicitly recommend areas for annexation or expansions to the current Sphere of Influence. The last time the City’s SOI was adjusted was in 2012, following the adoption of a new Yuba County General Plan. As a part of this General Plan, areas to the north and northeast of Marysville were designated “Natural Resources” under the County’s General Plan. These areas north and northeast of the City limits had been within the City’s previous SOI, but as a part of the County’s General Plan update, and with the “Natural Resources” land use designation, the County confirmed that appropriate uses in this area would include natural resources, agriculture, and other open space-oriented uses. In 2012, Yuba Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) adopted a change to the City’s SOI to include areas of unincorporated Yuba County south and southeast of the city, and to remove the areas to the north and northeast of the city from the City’s SOI, as shown in Exhibit 3-1.
7 Among the determinations made to support
adoption of Marysville’s SOI, LAFCO noted the lack of flood protection for areas within the previous SOI, as well as the presence of prime farmland that should not be converted for development. LAFCO also determined that most of the new City SOI was designated for residential and commercial development, and that this area could help to meet the City’s future needs for housing.
7 The change to the City’s SOI in 2012 was a limited sphere change that does not affect the spheres or services areas for the Linda County Water District, Linda Fire Protection District, or Reclamation District 784, and LAFCO determined that domestic and industrial water, wastewater, fire, and EMS services will continue to be provided by the present service providers and not the City of Marysville.
City of Marysville 3-18 2050 GENERAL PLAN
Exhibit 3-6. Potential Sphere of Influence and Urban Expansion Areas 2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-19 City of Marysville
3.7 Land Use Classifications
Land use classifications indicate the intended use of each parcel of land in the city and are expressed spatially on the General Plan Land Use Diagram. The land use classifications and Land Use Diagram communicate the desired organization of uses in the city and are meant to be broad enough to give the City flexibility in implementation but clear enough to provide sufficient direction to carry out the General Plan. The General Plan includes eight land use classifications, described below, mapped in Exhibit 3-7 and summarized in Table 3-1.
3.8 Density and Intensity
In addition to allowable uses, the General Plan land use classifications establish the maximum development intensity and density allowed within each classification. Density is expressed in the number of dwelling units per gross acre and intensity is expressed using floor area ratio.
3.8.1 Dwelling Unit Per Acre (du/ac)
The term, density, reflects the relative efficiency of land in supporting residential development. It is expressed in the General Plan as the number of dwelling units per gross acre (du/ac), including any areas within a given property that would be devoted to new streets, undevelopable easements, and other undevelopable portions of land.
City of Marysville 3-20 2050 GENERAL PLAN
3.8.2 Floor to Area Ratio (FAR)
Development intensity is a ratio between the proposed building space and the land area.
The floor area ratio (FAR) is used to regulate intensity. FAR is the total building space (excluding structured parking) divided by the size of the lot. FAR is used to regulate nonresidential developments, as well as mixed-use developments that propose both residential and non-residential uses.
0.25 FAR 0.25 FAR 0.25 FAR
0.5 FAR 0.5 FAR 0.5 FAR
1.0 FAR 1.0 FAR 1.0 FAR
GENERAL PLAN UPDATE 3-21 AECOM | City of Marysville
Exhibit 3-6. Land Use Diagram: Land Use Diagram
2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-22 City of Marysville
Table LU+CD-1. Land Use Designations, Allowable Land Use, Density, and Intensity Land Use
Classification Intent and Allowable Land Use Allowable Density + Intensity Downtown Specific Plan
Intent: A walkable streetscape with a mix of vibrant shops, restaurants, services, entertainment, cultural uses, and housing in well-maintained historic buildings and new, primarily multi-story buildings. Provides for a wide range of uses, including “horizontal” (same site) and “vertical” (same building) mixed-use developments. Mixed-use projects may use FAR to regulate intensity of combined residential and nonresidential sites or may use the floor area ratio (FAR) and density (units per acre) separately for the nonresidential and residential portions of the project.
Allowable Uses: Low-, medium-, and higher-density dwelling units; eating and drinking establishments; lodging; cultural and entertainment; offices and commercial services; research, assembly, and fabrication; social services and shelters; public facilities and civic uses; and other similar and complementary uses.
10 to 57 units per gross
acre for residential-only
projects
0.5 to 3.50 FAR for
mixed-use and nonresidential projects
Neighborhood
Intent: A variety of housing types and complementary non-residential uses in an environment that feels safe for pedestrians and cyclists, and where inviting parks and open spaces promote social interaction and engagement. Neighborhood streets have a dense tree canopy that shades the sidewalks, are highly connected, and prioritize bicycle and pedestrian use, while allowing low-speed vehicular movements.
Allowable Uses: Single-family residential (attached or detached), accessory dwelling units (ADUs), duplexes, triplexes, row homes, townhomes, multi-family dwellings, as well as complementary non-residential uses, such as live-work spaces, home-offices and workspaces, small lodging, small local-serving retail and services, small offices, eating and drinking establishments, medical services and assisted living, open space, public facilities and civic uses; and other similar and complementary uses. 8 to 25 units per gross
acre for residential-only
projects
0.75 FAR for mixed-use
and non-residential
projects
Urban Neighborhood
Intent: A mix of residential, commercial, and institutional uses in a walkable, vibrant setting with a range of amenities and services that cater to the needs of residents while also providing opportunities for economic development.
Allowable Uses: Multi-family dwellings, townhomes, and other types of housing, including mixed-use buildings, retail and services, offices, lodging, medical services and assisted living, open space, public facilities and civic uses; and other similar and complementary uses. 8 to 52 units per gross
acre for residential-only
projects
1.3 FAR for mixed-use
and non-residential
projects
Fabrication and Services
Intent: Districts that offer diverse job opportunities, accommodate the expansion of existing businesses, are attractive to new businesses, and promote economic development, while being located and designed to ensure compatibility with surrounding uses.
Allowable Uses: General retail, shopping centers, and other types of markets; commercial services; eating and drinking establishments; hardware stores and home improvement centers; offices; medical facilities; commercial recreation; fueling and service stations; vehicle sales and repair; general and light industrial; warehouses; corporation yards; research parks; private trade schools and other educational facilities; parks and open space; social services and shelters; public facilities, infrastructure, and other public uses; and other similar and complementary uses.
0.2 to 1.0 FAR
Open Space & Public Lands
Intent: Preserved natural resources and recreational opportunities, accessible spaces that promote exercise, green spaces for social interaction, and public lands for community gatherings, educational use, and cultural purposes. The Open Space and Public Lands classification is applied to some existing civic uses, as well as to areas prone to flooding and therefore inappropriate for placement of permanently occupied buildings.
Allowable Uses: Farms, natural areas, golf courses, trails, rest areas, scenic areas, playgrounds, waterfront recreation, passive and active parks, community centers, maintenance sheds, amphitheaters and other entertainment and public gathering venues, wildlife sanctuaries, campgrounds, picnic areas, barbecues, restrooms, facilities to host periodic and occasional public events, public facilities, infrastructure, and other similar and complementary uses.
Since this classification
primarily accommodates
open lands with few
buildings and other
structures, projects are
not evaluated according
to their proposed
development intensity.
2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-23 City of Marysville
3.9 Goals, Policies, and Implementation Strategies
Goal LU+CD-1: Enhanced quality of life, unique identity, and sense of community.
Policy LU+CD-1.1: Provide the opportunity for children to grow, young households to become established, for people to raise families, and for seniors to stay in the community as they age.
Policy LU+CD-1.2: Re-design, re-route, and/or manage portions of State Highways 70 and 20 to reduce speeds, reduce impacts related to noise and exhaust, improve aesthetics, add street trees, add safe bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and make other improvements necessary to have these state highways function more as main streets for Marysville.
Policy LU+CD-1.3: Actively partner with residents, including historically underrepresented perspectives, and prioritize investments that ensure a healthy environment for all people, while offering inclusive economic development opportunities.
Policy LU+CD-1.4: Enhance connections to East Marysville, and facilitate new neighborhood commercial services, bicycle and pedestrian enhancements, landscape improvements, and compatible public and private investments.
Goal LU+CD-2: Sustainable fiscal conditions, robust
economic development, and improved
match between local jobs and the local
labor force
Policy LU+CD-2.1: Facilitate public-private partnerships to encourage economic development and improve fiscal sustainability, including partnering with private developers to foster infill development of prominent, underutilized properties.
Policy LU+CD-2.2: Encourage development that improves the balance between local jobs and housing, including new commercial, industrial, home-based businesses, business incubators, and development that generates net revenues and produces local jobs.
Policy LU+CD-2.3: Offer flexible development standards, entitlement streamlining, and, if feasible, reduced development impact fees for developments that directly 2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-24 City of Marysville
provide a substantial economic benefit, through the creation of highquality jobs for local residents.
Policy LU+CD-2.4: Support residential development that is priced, sized, and located to serve the needs of local employers and workers.
Policy LU+CD-2.5: Provide assistance to local businesses to improve their viability and facilitate expansion.
Policy LU+CD-2.6: Support the establishment and programming of venues that host regular and special events – particularly those that celebrate the local cultural heritage and diverse population, highlight the historic character of the city, facilitate outdoor recreation, and draw regional visits and local spending.
Policy LU+CD-2.7: Collaborate with organizations engaged in art, cultural, and recreation to organize, promote, and coordinate regular and special events in Marysville.
Policy LU+CD-2.8: Expand local hospitality and lodging choices with amenities desired by visitors.
Policy LU+CD-2.9: Use tax-exempt financing, low-interest loans, and infrastructure investments to support projects that further economic development and fiscal health.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 2.1.
The City will manage land use and employment development strategically, through coordinated use of regulations (and policies); acquisition of property, consolidation of property, and public investments in infrastructure to encourage employment development. The City will coordinate with other service agencies and funding entities on infrastructure planning and funding to create incentives that will attract and speed infill development. The City will maintain fee programs that provide incentives for infill development and projects that create high-quality local jobs.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 2.2.
The City will engage the local business community to assist with retention and expansion, including through sharing data, connecting with regional employer incentive programs, and facilitating local use of programs offered through the Yuba Sutter Economic Development Corporation and the Capital Region Small Business Development Center.
2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-25 City of Marysville
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 2.3.
The City will coordinate with county, regional, and state economic development professionals and organizations to identify businesses seeking to locate in the region, communicate the City’s competitive advantages, and generate dialogue leading to the establishment of businesses new to Marysville.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 2.4.
The City will seek funding for, and implement local, targeted lease assistance programs; frontage and accessibility improvements; and technical assistance on financing for buildings, expansion, equipment, and cash flow management.
Goal LU+CD-3: Mixed-use infill development and
reinvestment in an active and vibrant
Downtown
Policy LU+CD-3.1: Facilitate, incentivize, and accelerate compact, infill, mixed-use development – particularly on underutilized or vacant sites Downtown and in the Medical Arts District.
Policy LU+CD-3.2: Expand commercial, cultural, lodging, and entertainment uses and special events Downtown and housing opportunities in and around the Downtown area.
Policy LU+CD-3.3: Encourage development that is supportive of, and oriented to rail transit, including but not limited to higher-density residential uses and employment uses that would be accessed by rail commuters.
Policy LU+CD-3.4: Facilitate the transition of underutilized light industrial and other nonresidential uses that have a relatively low employment density to higher density housing and uses that accommodate higher employment densities.
Policy LU+CD-3.5: Collaborate with property owners of automobile-oriented uses in the Medical Arts District to find alternative sites in Marysville and convert these properties to housing, offices, medical-related, and other nonautomobile-oriented uses.
Policy LU+CD-3.6: Promote infill development around Lake Ellis that is oriented to the lake, including uses with outdoor seating that offers views of the lake.
Policy LU+CD-3.7: Partner with other agencies to upgrade infrastructure necessary to support reinvestment in Marysville.
2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-26 City of Marysville
Policy LU+CD-3.8: Support specific plans, redevelopment plans, corridor plans, and other small area plans that promote infill development and reinvestment, particularly Downtown and in the Medical Arts District.
Policy LU+CD-3.9: Employ performance-based standards to address important aspects of land use compatibility (air, noise, vibration, truck traffic, light, odors, and glare) without impeding mixed-use infill development.
Policy LU+CD-3.10: Collaborate with other public agencies to identify surplus property that can support compact, infill development of additional housing and employment opportunities in Marysville and engage developers interested in assembling properties for infill development.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 3.1.
The City will update and maintain the Municipal Code, including Title 18 Zoning, and will adopt a Downtown Specific Plan that provides clear and concise guidance for development and eliminate barriers to infill development.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 3.2.
The City will survey infill developers, housing developers, interested property owners, and other relevant parties to identify constraints to reinvestment and infill development and the most helpful incentives to remove constraints to infill development. The City will provide incentives intended to induce and accelerate development Downtown and in the Medical Arts District, which may include streamlined entitlement and environmental review, public/private partnerships, fee structures that create incentives for infill and compact development, reduced parking requirements, design flexibility, obtaining grant funds that can reduce the overall cost of development by funding infrastructure upgrades or frontage improvements, and other feasible approaches. The City will identify infrastructure deficiencies in areas targeted for reinvestment and seek funding or establish financing approaches to address these deficiencies.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 3.3.
The City will collaborate with other service providers to update development impact fees to implement the 2050 General Plan, and will incorporate a fee structure that reflects reduced demand and associated infrastructure costs related to density, intensity, and mixing different land uses in proximity. The development impact fee structure shall reflect the presence of existing infrastructure in infill settings and should also be reduced when the City is successful in obtaining grant funding for infrastructure improvements that would support planned infill development.
2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-27 City of Marysville
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 3.4.
The City will proactively track grant funding available through regional, state, federal, and nonprofit programs that could be used to make public infrastructure improvements, plant and maintain trees, support compact housing development, clean brownfields to ready for infill development, or that otherwise could help to attract and accelerate infill development Downtown and in the Medical Arts District.
Goal LU+CD-4: Community design and development
patterns that promote walking and bicycling
Policy LU+CD-4.1: Design new development to provide direct and convenient pedestrian and bicycle access to nearby parks, trails, commercial and public services, and transit stops.
Policy LU+CD-4.2: Locate new buildings close to the sidewalk and oriented to the primary street frontage or to the side where direct pedestrian access is provided.
Policy LU+CD-4.3: Limit new surface parking, but where it is provided, locate parking areas behind or to the side of buildings, and break any larger parking areas into multiple smaller lots, with trees planted to shade parking areas.
Exhibit 3-2. Parking Development Scenarios
Policy LU+CD-4.4: Design new developments so that parking areas and garages are not the dominant visual element of site frontage.
Policy LU+CD-4.5: Use porches, stoops, balconies, windows, and other elements that provide "eyes on the street” onto yards, entrances, streets, and other public and semi-public places.
Street Parking Scenario Side Parking Scenario Rear Parking Scenario 2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-28 City of Marysville
Policy LU+CD-4.6: Prohibit fences and walls along public streets where they would present barriers to casual surveillance.
Policy LU+CD-4.7: Maintain and expand the street tree canopy with trees selected and located to provide a shade canopy at maturity with a focus on sidewalks, bikeways, and places where people gather.
Policy LU+CD-4.8: Support projects to improve existing developed properties by adding pedestrian connections, public art, shade trees and other landscaping, by converting parking areas to outdoor eating or other useful purposes, and by making other improvements to the public realm that improve the quality of design in existing neighborhoods and business districts.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 4.1.
The City will update the zoning ordinance and adopt a Downtown Specific Plan following adoption of the 2050 General Plan. The standards included in these regulatory documents will require bicycle and pedestrian friendly development, including development that places buildings close to the property frontage and sidewalk, standards that allow public gathering and outdoor seating areas, particularly along commercial and mixed-use corridors and around Ellis Lake, that eliminate or reduce off-street parking requirements for new development and require that any surface parking is located behind or to the side of proposed buildings, and that allow the temporary use of parking areas for public gathering and commerce.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 4.2.
The City will develop, maintain, and implement design standards for retail development to ensure retail districts have well-developed landscape buffers, decorative treatments to building facades, have windows and entries oriented to the public realm, and a variety of building heights and roof lines.
Goal LU+CD-5: A preserved historic built environment with significant reinvestment
Policy LU+CD-5.1: Renovate and reuse historic buildings that have architectural value.
Policy LU+CD-5.2: Avoid substantive adverse changes to historical resources, where feasible.
Policy LU+CD-5.3: Design and locate new development adjacent to historical resources so that building placement and massing do not adversely affect the setting of adjacent historic buildings.
2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-29 City of Marysville
Policy LU+CD-5.4: Encourage private property owners to maintain historic buildings and renovate historical resources, if needed, consistent with applicable standards maintained by the Secretary of the Interior for the treatment of historic properties.
Policy LU+CD-5.5: Retain as many character-defining features as possible in the renovation of historic buildings.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 5.1.
The City will provide information to property owners regarding tax incentives and other federal and state programs, including the State Historical Building Code, to encourage the rehabilitation of historic structures.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 5.2.
The City will coordinate with the owners of historic buildings and potential users and tenants of space within these buildings with the goal of facilitating the adaptive reuse of such buildings.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 5.3.
The City will consider the benefits associated with establishing Marysville’s Chinatown as a distinct historic district from the balance of the Marysville Historic Commercial District and pursue the establishment of such a district if there are material benefits.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 5.4.
The City will update and maintain development standards for historical resources and development adjacent to historical resources that preserve important aspects of the City’s historic character, while also promoting reinvestment.
Goal LU+CD-6: Preserved and enhanced residential
neighborhoods
Policy LU+CD-6.1: Promote walkability and pedestrian safety in residential neighborhoods by improving street lighting, installing crosswalks and sidewalks, and reducing vehicular speeds.
Policy LU+CD-6.2: Encourage renovation, remodeling, additions, and redevelopment of homes and accessory units to add diversity and opportunity to the housing stock.
Policy LU+CD-6.3: Guide land use change so that gathering places, services, and recreational spaces are within walking or biking distance for Marysville residents. 2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-30 City of Marysville
Policy LU+CD-6.4: Engage neighborhood organizations, community groups, and residents to help tailor services and improvements to the needs and preferences of each neighborhood.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 6.1.
The City will update and maintain codes that simplify the permitting process for residential renovations, additions, and new accessory dwelling units.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 6.2.
The City will proactively seek grant funding for, and collaborate with other service providers and nongovernmental organizations to invest in parks and other public facilities, improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and add street trees within residential neighborhoods.
Goal LU+CD-7: High-quality, efficient, and effective public infrastructure, facilities, and services.
Policy LU+CD-7.1: Collaborate with neighboring jurisdictions and other service providers to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public services, facilities, and utilities.
Policy LU+CD-7.2: Maintain information on the condition and capacity of infrastructure required to serve infill development, and improve infrastructure as funding is available.
Policy LU+CD-7.3: The City will support development of new community facilities in locations within one-half mile of lower-income communities and public transit.
Policy LU+CD-7.4: Coordinate with Yuba County Water Agency to improve stormwater filtration and detention features that can accommodate the drainage and water quality needs of infill development.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 7.1.
The City will coordinate with public and private utility providers to identify efficiencies in serving existing or new development and in identifying needs for new or expanded utility facilities.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 7.2.
The City will prepare and maintain water, drainage, and sewer infrastructure master plans, in coordination with other service agencies, as appropriate, that identify, prioritize, and provide planning level cost estimates for improvements required to serve existing development and development anticipated during the General Plan planning horizon.
2050 GENERAL PLAN 3-31 City of Marysville
Goal LU+CD-8: Protection of persons, structures, and nearby airports from incompatible developments
within Airport Influence Areas.
Policy LU+CD-8.1: Submit to the Airport Land Use Commission, and condition, as necessary, proposed land use actions within an Airport Influence Area or Airport Overflight Zone to ensure that the development is consistent with the applicable Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan.
Policy LU+CD-8.2: Maintain communication with representatives of Beal Air Force Base to ensure land use compatibility, present Marysville as a welcoming community, and identify local changes that can enhance the competitiveness of Marysville as a place of residence for Base personnel.
Goal LU+CD-9: Efficient and sustainable growth and
expansion
Policy LU+CD-9.1: Consider changes to the Sphere of Influence and annexation that further General Plan goals, and that have been determined to produce long-term fiscal benefits to the City.
Policy LU+CD-9.2: Annexation requests shall provide an analysis of infrastructure and public facilities demand, shall identify the financing necessary for infrastructure and public facilities, and shall assess and report on short- and long-term fiscal impacts to the City.
LU+CD Implementation Strategy 9.1.
The City will study the fiscal, economic, administrative, and service level benefits and costs associated with annexation of areas within the existing Sphere of Influence, and potential changes to the existing Sphere of Influence. This study will produce recommendations for changes boundaries, strategies for public services, improvements to infrastructure and public facilities, costs associated with serving areas outside the existing City limits, financing strategies, and potential public service efficiencies that could be available through annexation and changes to the Sphere of Influence.