Municipal Code Section 9.02.020
Permitted Use Table and Zoning
CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION
October 13, 2026
1 Outline
General Plan & Zoning Code • Zoning Map • Permitted Uses Table 1723456
Car Washes
Fast Food Restaurants
Self-Storage Facilities
Service (Gas) Stations
Discussion of Potential Impacts
Questions
2 General Plan
• California Law requires all cities to
adopt and update a General Plan
• General Plan must address:
Land Use
Circulation/Transportation
Housing
Conservation
Open Space
Noise
Safety
Environmental Justice
3 Zoning
• Title 9 of the Moreno Valley Municipal
Code
• Legal framework
• Key Purposes:
• Promote Compatibility
• Manage Growth
• Protect Public Health
• How Zoning Shapes Development:
• Permitted Uses
• Development Standards
• Design Guidelines
4 5
Zoning
Map
Permitted Use Table
Municipal Code Section 9.02.020 • Pursuant to Section 9.01.030 of the Municipal Code“… No use of land, and
no use, construction, maintenance,
operation, reconstruction or
enlargement of any building or
structure shall be allowed unless
permitted under the express
provisions of this title or by other
applicable ordinances of the city…”
6 How are Uses Permitted?
• X – Indicates stated use is permitted subject to zoning requirements.
• C – Indicates stated use is allowed with a conditional use permit.
• O – Indicates a use is permitted unless the use is located 300’ or less from a residential zone or use, in which case the use is allowed with a conditional use permit.
• A – Indicates a use is permitted with an adult business use permit, providing the requirements of Section 9.09.030 are met.
• S – Indicates a use is permitted, providing the
requirements of 9.09.280 (Smoke Shops) of this title are met. A conditional use permit is required if dictated by the distance criteria.
• M – Indicates a use is allowed with a conditional use permit, providing the requirements of 9.09.290
(Commercial Cannabis Activities) are met.
7 “Bad Use” vs. “Bad Location”
Appearance Compatibility Environmental
Impacts
Hours of
Operation
Noise Pedestrian
Safety
Percieved
Crime
Traffic
Is it the Use? Or how it is operated or located?
8 Car Washes
9 • Municipal Code does not have an official
definition for Car Wash.
• Permitted in the BF, COMU, NC, CC, and I
districts.
• If new construction proposed, Plot Plan
with Planning Commission review required.
• Municipal Code does not contain any
specific development standards for Car
Washes.
Car Washes
Demand
Vehicle Ownership
High Vehicle Use
Consumer
Preference
Membership Model
Limited Water use at
Home
Commuter Demand
Locations
High-Growth Areas
Population/Job
Centers
High Visibility
High Traffic Counts
Commercial
Corridors
Retail Centers
Potential Impacts
Water use
Noise
Lighting
Traffic stacking
Benefits
Property Tax
Revenue
Serves Community
Needs
Convenience
Significant
Investment
Local Service
Availability
Job Creation
10 Car Washes
• Moreno Valley has 12 stand-alone
long-tunnel car washes.
• MoVal residents visit car washes
inside the City ~47,000 times per
month.
• MoVal residents visit car washes
outside the City ~17,000 times per
month. 11
Car Washes
Key Questions:
Should the City regulate the number of car washes? Or focus on location, water efficiency, traffic circulation, and operational standards? If residents are leaving to get their vehicle washed, what other spending are we losing on that trip?
12 Fast Food Restaurants
13 • Municipal Code Section 9.15.030 has two definitions associated with Fast Food Restaurants.
• Fast Food Restaurants without drive-throughs are
permitted in the BF, H-OC, COMU, DC, NC, CC, BPX, MUN,
MUC, and MUI districts.
• Fast Food Restaurants with drive-throughs are permitted in the BF, H-OC, COMU, DC, NC, CC, BPX, MUN, MUC, and
MUI districts.
• If a Fast Food Restaurant with a drive-through is
proposed within 300’ of a residential zone or use, then a conditional use permit is required.
• Municipal Code Section 9.09.080 contains specific
development standards for Fast Food Restaurants with
drive-throughs.
Restaurant (fast food).
"Fast food restaurant" means any establishment whose principal business is the sale of foods, frozen desserts or beverages in readyto-consume individual servings, for consumption either within the restaurant building or for carry-out, and where either: (1) foods, frozen desserts or beverages are usually served in paper, plastic, or other disposable containers, and where customers are not served their food, frozen desserts or beverages by a restaurant employee at the same table or counter where the items are consumed; or (2) the establishment includes a drive-up or drive-through service facility or offers curb service
Restaurant (drive-through).
"Drive-through restaurant" means a place of business which sells food products or beverages, and which delivers such food products or beverages to customers outside of the building in which they are prepared by means of a service window, counter, or similar method or device.
Fast Food Restaurants - Existing
14 Fast Food Restaurants
Demand
Convenience and
Speed
Familiar Brands
Commuter Patterns
Household
Schedules
Affordability
Consumer
Spending Behavior
Locations
High Traffic Counts
High Visibility
Corner Parcels
Population/Job
Centers
Commercial
Corridors
Daytime Population
Potential Impacts
Traffic
Stacking
Signs and
Architecture
Health Concerns
Pedestrian
Conflicts
Low Wages (Not in
CA)
Benefits
Sales Tax Revenue
Serves Community
Needs
Employment
Supports nearby
businesses
Consumer Choice
Convenience
15 Fast Food Restaurants • Top 25 Fast Food Locations outside of Moreno Valley
• $10m in Retail Leakage in this category
• More than 500,000 trips exist to the Top
25 Locations outside of Moreno Valley
per year
16 Key Question:
Should the City regulate which food choices are appropriate? Or establish standards for where and how those businesses operate?
Self-Storage Facilities
17 • Municipal Code Section 9.15.030 defines selfstorage facilities. • Indoor facilities are conditionally permitted in the
BF, COMU, and CC districts and permitted in the I
district.
• Outdoor facilities are conditionally permitted in the BF and CC districts and permitted in the I district.
• Municipal Code Section 9.09.140 contains specific
development standards for Self-Storage facilities.
Mini-warehouse (self-storage warehouse).
A "mini-warehouse" means a facility containing separate storage spaces leased or rented to individual tenants who have access to such space for the purpose of storing and removing personal property.
Mini-warehouses are also known as self-storage warehouses and selfservice storage facilities. A mini-warehouse is not to be construed as a small, conventional warehouse.
Self-Storage Facilities - Existing
18 Self-Storage Facilities
Demand
Smaller Homes and
Apartments
Business Storage
Needs
Population Growth
Military relocation
Household
Transitions
Seasonal Storage
Locations
High-Growth Areas
Dense Populations
Limited Supply
Freeways
Odd-Shaped Parcels
High Visibility
Potential Impacts
Few Employees
Limited Activity
Limited Revenue
Generation
Facility Aesthetics
Occupy Prime
Commercial Land
Land-Use Rigidity
Benefits
Property Tax
Revenue
Serves Community
Needs
Use of Difficult-toDevelop Parcels
Low Infrastructure
Demand
Limited Activity
Requires Less Public
Services
19 Self-Storage Facilities
Key Question:
Is a self-storage facility a poor economic use? Or is it sometimes the highest and best use the market will support for that parcel?
20 Service/Gas Stations
21 • Municipal Code Section 9.15.030 defines Service/Gas Stations.
• Permitted in the BF, H-OC, COMU, NC, CC, VC, OC, O,
P, I, LI, BP, and BPX districts.
• If a Service Station is proposed within 300’ of a
residential zone or use, then a conditional use permit
is required
• Municipal Code Section 9.09.200 contains specific
development standards for Service Stations.
Automobile service station or gasoline service station
means a retail place of business engaged in supplying goods and services essential to the normal operation of automobiles, whose primary use is the dispensing of automotive fuel and motor oil Service/Gas Stations
22 Service/Gas Stations
Demand
Vehicle Ownership
High Vehicle Use
Convenience Stores
Green-tech Alternatives
Coffee/Food
Travel Oriented Services
Locations
High Traffic Counts
Population/Job Centers
High Visibility
Corners w/ Multiple
Access Points
Proximity to Freeways
Convenient Locations
Potential Impacts
Environmental Concerns
Traffic
Lighting
Concerns with Sensitive
uses
Underground Storage
Tanks
Benefits
Property / Sales Tax
Revenue
Serves Community Needs
Essential Transportation
Infrastructure
Significant Investment
Commercial Anchor
Convenience
23 Service/Gas Stations
• More than 215,000 trips exist to
Locations outside of Moreno Valley
each month
• $106m in Retail Leakage in this
category
24 Key Question:
Should the City prohibit the use? Or establish standards that meet today’s market demand and allow properties to adapt over time?
Discussion of Potential Impacts
25 What Happens When Cities Restrict a Use?
Demand does not necessarily disappear
• Residents still need clean cars, convenient food options, storage and fuel
Supply will shift to accommodate Demand
• To Neighboring Cities, different corridors, less suitable locations, or regional alternatives
Revenue and Jobs will move. What replaces them?
• Vacant land pays very little taxes
• These uses provide $X and Y Jobs
• A “higher-quality” mix of uses or shopping center may never materialize as three of these uses are key tenants in commercial centers. 26
Opportunity Cost Question
What is the Economic Cost of saying no?
For every Use restriction studied, ask:
1. What use is being prohibited?
2. What Demand does that use satisfy?
3. What is likely to occupy the property instead?
4. How long might the property remain vacant?
5. What investment might be lost?
6. What revenues might be lost?
7. Does the restriction make neighboring jurisdictions more attractive?
8. Does it increase development costs?
9. Does it reduce the City’s competitive position? 27
Opportunity Cost Question 2
What else can the developer do to make the same
profit?
• Developer Profit Margin: 15-20% (CAGR over 3-5 years) • Elevated costs & interest rates have started to compress actual realized margins.
• Market Options:
• 18-month Certificate of Deposit (CD): 4.55% APR
• 3-year CD: 4.80% APR
• 6-month US Treasury Bill: 4.41% APR
• 12-month US Treasury Bill: 4.59% APR
These Market Options are providing a
substantial rate-of-return with very low Risk.
28 Cumulative Restrictions
One Restriction May
seem harmless, but
multiple can
substantially reduce a
City’s commercial
development landscape.
29 Three Core Takeaways
Benefits and Cost
Reduced Supply does not Affect
Demand
Regulate Impacts vs Prohibit
Uses
30 Questions?
THANK YOU
31