Paso Robles City Council
September 17, 2024

Warranted clarity for development
standards that can be modified by
review authorities and the
findings required for approval
Section 21.16.020 – Development Plan Modifications
Section 21.17.020 – Site Plan Modifications
 Added a modification process to revise zoning standards under Development Plan and Site Plan review process.
o See Table 21.16-1 for Development Plan
Modifications
o Table 21.17-1 for Site Plan Modifications
 Established what merits a Development Plan and Site Plan modification.
 Established findings for different modifications.

Special Conditions Overlays
changed to Special Planned
Developments
Chapter 21.11 - Special Planned Developments
 Established the Special Planned Development zoning
overlay from what used to be the Planned Development
(PD) Overlay.
o The SPD zoning overlay functions similar to the
current intent of the PD overlay as a negotiated
exchange through which the City can offer
flexibility of certain development standards in
exchange for specific project amenities (e.g.,
recreational facilities, usable open space, special
design features).
o This change distinguishes between SPDs,
Development Plans, and Planned Developments.
o The “Planned Development Overlay” will still
exist on the Zoning Map and there are no changes
to existing zones with a PD overlay. This
designation in the Zoning Code will require
applicants to submit an application for a
Development Plan, regardless of the size of the
project.

Temporary use permits warranted
clearer standards for most uses
allowed
Chapter 21.20 - Temporary Use Permits
 Added standards for food trucks/trailers, including
standard that food trucks/trailers must be located on
private property with existing commercial uses.
 Added standards for sidewalk vending to align with State law.
 Added standards for circuses, carnivals, fairs, festivals, and concerts.
 Timeframes:
o Seasonal stands can last up to 90 days.
o Circuses, concerts, etc. can last up to 30 days.
 Changed from CUP to TUP to allow recreational vehicle to be used as a caretaker residence for seasonal stands (i.e. pumpkin or Christmas tree lot) and for construction
project with an approved and active building permit.

Home occupation standards
unclear leading to challenging
Chapter 21.21 - Home Occupation Permits

code enforcement in
neighborhoods
 Added uses to the list of what is allowed including
handcraft or artwork production, specialized repairs for household items, daycare for up to 14 children, personal trainers who have no more than 1 student onsite at a
given time, and pet sitting.
 Added uses to the list of what is not allowed including medical practices including chiropractic services, mobile car repair, massage, kennels, wine-tasting, and
automotive dealerships.

Article 3: Zones, Allowable Uses, and Development Standards Article 3 contains the land use regulations specific to each of the zoning districts and includes the land use table defining where uses are allowed in the city. In the land use table, the biggest changes were consolidating similar land uses into general categories and then utilizing definitions to better define the land uses, thus shortening the table. For the regulations applicable to individual zones, there is no central theme with the recommended changes. Various zones were lacking user-friendly development standards and/or some standards seemed too onerous. Additionally, there were some zones that were lacking any development standards at all. The following table shows the key changes to Article 3.

There have been no changesto Article 3 since the Planning Commission’s recommendation to City Council at their August 13, 2024 meeting.

Article 3

EXISTING CODE PROPOSED CHANGE
Table 21.32-1 Zoning District Use Regulations
Use table has many unique uses,
many not defined
 Consolidated similar uses into general categories (e.g. general retail, heavy industrial)
 Added definitions for each land use (listed in Article 9)  Added performance standards and specific regulations
for certain uses (Also addressed in Article 6)
 Removed line items for non uses (canopies, infrastructure support, nonconforming uses – these are addressed in
other parts of the Code)
Commercial Kitchen use
warranted clarity
Separated Commercial Kitchen out in the Use table and add a new definition (in Article 9)
Communal Housing use warranted
clarity
Separated Communal housing, an emerging housing type, out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9) Senior Housing has a section in the
Zoning code but is not referenced
in the Use Table
Added Senior Housing to the land use table and add a new definition (in Article 9)
Spaceport use warranted clarity Separated Spaceport out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9)
Electrical Generation and Storage
Facilities warranted clarity
Separated Electrical Generation and Storage Facilities out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9). Added siting and operation standards (in Article 6).

Wineries, Breweries, and
Distilleries: Wineries exist in use
table, but definition does not exist
Consolidated wineries and breweries under one new definition and use, Wineries, Breweries, and Distilleries.

Restricted Retail use warranted
clarity
Separated Restricted Retail out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9). Added performance and location standards (in Article 6).

Restaurant Removed limit to 5,000 square feet for restaurants outside Downtown
Personal Services -Restricted use
warranted clarity
Separated Personal Services - Restricted out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9). Added performance and location standards in Article 6.

Two-Unit Dwelling (SB 9) has a
section in the Zoning Code (with
applicable standards), but is not
referenced in the land use table
Added Two-Unit Dwelling to the land use table. Renamed “Urban Dwelling Unit” consistent with City of Atascadero.

Food Truck use warranted clarity Separated Food Truck out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9).

Food Truck Court use warranted
clarity
Separated Food Truck Court out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9).

Industrial – Artisan use warranted
clarity
Separated Industrial - Artisan out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9).

Amphitheatre/Stadium use
warranted clarity
Separated Amphitheatre/Stadium out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9).

OP District land uses There are two distinct areas zoned OP with different characteristics – south of First Street and 12th Street (west of Vine Street)
The following uses would be allowed in the district, but not on 12th Street:
 Financial Institutions
 Food and Beverage Sales
 Medical Services – Clinic, Urgent Care
 Restaurants
 Retail – General
 Transit Facility
 Vehicle Charging Station
 Veterinarian
Regional Commercial district: floor
area limitation on office uses
Removed 10% of floor area limitation on Offices in RC zoning district
Composting Facilities allowed with
CUP in AP only
Allowed Composting Facilities in additional zoning districts (C-3 and PF) with CUP
RV Parks allowed with CUP in RC,
AP, and POS
Allowed RV Parks in additional zoning districts (C-2, C-3, RL, M, and AG) with CUP and additional site planning standards Rural Recreation and Camping was
referenced in the AG zoning
Added to land use table and also allow this use in POS zoning district

district, but not consistently
referenced in use table
Process for allowing Vehicle Sales
is different for new or used cars
Combined new and used car sales into single definition and require CUP in AG, C1, C2, C3, RC, M, and AP districts
Theaters allowed use in C-1 Theaters in C-1 zoning district changed to be allowed with CUP Heavy industrial allowed use in C3, M, PM, and AP districtsHeavy Industrial in industrial zoning districts changed to be allowed with CUP
Self storage allowed in AP and PM
zoning districts
Self Storage not allowed in AP and PM zoning districts
Bed and Breakfast Inns allowed
uses in commercial zoning districts
Bed and Breakfast Inns in commercial zoning districts changed to be allowed with CUP
Airport/Helipad allowed with CUP
in PF zoning district
Airport/Helipad in PF not allowed
Small and large assembly refined
definition
New definitions for small and large assembly and various zones where each is allowed.

Changes to Development Standards in Applicable Zones
Chapter 21.33 - RA Zone
City Engineer allowed to modify
minimum lot size in R-A zoning
district
Removed
R-A minimum lot size 3-10 acres Changed to 3 acres
Height = 30 ft for habitable; 50 ft
for non-habitable
Removed non-habitable; limit all to 30 feet
Chapter 21.33 - R1 Zone
B-3, B-4, B-5 detached accessory
structure front setback is 15 feet
Revised front setback from 15 ft to 20 ft to match main structure RS Zoning District There are no development standards for RS zone for which one parcel is currently zoned in the northwest portion of the City.

Updated development standards have been added for this zone.

RV shelters allowed with a CUP in
rear or side setback
Changed from CUP to Development Plan Modification
Detached accessory structures
must be located in the rear of the
lot
Detached accessory structures to be located behind front and street side of primary structure
Gross floor area of detached
accessory structures not to exceed
50 percent of the gross floor area,
including any attached garage, of
the main building, except by
approval of a conditional use
permit.
 Clarified the calculation is cumulative for all accessory structures.
 Changed from CUP to Development Plan Modification
Every single-family dwelling is
required to have a minimum
width and depth of 24 feet
Removed

Second stories are required to be
set back 10 feet from the side
property line
Removed. Retained existing regulations based on lot width and apply to full building instead of just ground floor. Result:

Lots less than 65 ft: 5 ft setback
Lots 65 ft or wider: 5 ft on one side and 10 ft on the other side Minimum building separations are
10 feet
Reduced to 6 ft
Warranted enhanced objective
design standards for single family
development
Added requirement for all new single family dwellings to:
 Provide an entryway feature
 10% minimum transparency on front and street-side
façades
 Roofs must be gable, hipped, or shed (no flat roofs)
 Applicants may request a Site Plan Modification (DRC) to modify standards.

Chapter 21.33 - Multi-Family Zones (R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5) Minimum building separations are
up to 20 feet on main buildings
with 3 stories
Reduced to 10 feet applied to all buildings (main and accessory) Open Space:
 375 sf of usable shared
open space required
 Private open space can be
counted as 1.5 times the
value of shared open
space
 Amount of open space
and recreational
amenities determined
through development
review process for senior
projects
 Set clear standard for open space required for senior apartments, rather than at Planning Commission
discretion (200 sf per unit, either private or shared)
1, 2, or 3 tot lots required for
multifamily based on number of
units
Allowed playgrounds to be combined to one larger playground as an option, and require shade.

Rooftop open space excluded
from counting towards required
open space
Allowed for rooftop open space to count toward open space requirements.

Standard requiring residential fire
sprinklers
Removed. It is redundant and addressed in State Building Code.

Detached accessory structures are
limited to 50 percent of the gross
floor area for buildings with 10
units
Clarify the 50% limit is cumulatively applied to all detached accessory structures; reduced threshold from 10 to 4 or fewer units, where detached accessory structures are more likely to apply. Applicants may apply for an exception through a
Development Plan Modification (Planning Commission approval).

No minimum lot size  Added minimum lot sizes for R-3 (10,000 SF), R-4 (15,000 SF), and R-5 (20,000 SF) with reference to Government
Code Section 66499.40 (which allows small lot
subdivisions in multi-family zones)

 Added language that minimum lot size must allow no less than one full density unit per lot
Setback requirements required
clarification due to complexity
 Simplified Setbacks
 Modified setbacks for detached accessory structures: 3 ft from property lines and 5 ft from alleys, consistent with R-1 zone.
 Adjacent to R-1, setback is 20 feet for second stories and above.

Miscellaneous Zoning Districts (R2, B-3, R-3-10, R-3-O, R-4-20, and R-5-20)
There are no development standards for these zones. Standards added to Section 21.33.060.

Chapter 21.34 – Office Professional Zone
OP zoning district had many
complex standards and guidelines
that are covered elsewhere in the
Code
 Simplified standards
 Removed guidelines and sections covered elsewhere in
Code (like historic preservation)
 Made accessory structure height consistent with other zoning districts (15 ft instead of 20 ft)
No language on allowed density,
CUP was required for multi-family
residential, but existing
multifamily units are considered
nonconforming (internal conflict)
Added maximum density (12 du/ac), consistent with T3-F zoning district
Parking required at a ratio of 1
space for every 200 sf of gross floor
area for offices
Removed requirement for more than standard required parking for office. Now required at 4 per 1,000 sf of floor area.

Adaptive reuse allows PC approval
of less parking
Parking reductions would go through the Development Plan Modification process, consistent with other zoning districts Development standards for multifamily required clarificationClarified standards for new multi-family residential uses in OP (comply with R-3 and ODS standards) with CUP
Detached accessory structures
limited to 50% of primary
structure, allowed height is 20 ft
Clarified cumulative gross floor area of detached accessory structures limited to 50% and height of 15 ft, consistent with multi-family and single-family zoning districts
Chapter 21.33 - R-3-O Zoning District
R-3-O Zoning District applies to five
parcels, with an intent to allow
residential and office uses but
office was not allowed in the Use
Table.

Applied multi-family development standards (Section 21.33.050) and allowed uses permitted in the OP district, which allows offices and additional residences through approval of a conditional use permit.

R-3-O zoning district has no
development standards or a
defined purpose.

Added purpose statement for the zoning district.

Chapter 21.34 - Commercial, Industrial, and Airport Zones Many did not include purpose
statements
Added individual purpose statements for each zoning district.

Adjacent to R-1: Setbacks Required
(5 ft side and 10 ft rear)
Added solid 6 ft fence requirement
Added landscape buffer
Height limit of 50 ft for nonhabitable buildings in CP and RC zoning districts
Removed height limit for non-habitable buildings and defer to projections section, which allows for extra height for specific structures
No development standards in AP Added new standards (based on previous approvals):
 Minimum Lot Size: 10,000 sf
 Minimum Lot Width: 50 ft
 Height: 60 ft
Chapter 21.35 – Public Facilities, Parks and Open Space, and Agricultural Zones Height limit of 50 ft for nonhabitable buildings in AGRemoved height limit and defer to projections section (Section

21.41.130), which allows for extra height for specific structures AG standards Removed some standards, including allowance for firing shotgun, allowing fur bearing animal farming, real estate disclosure sample form (will be a handout), and move animal husbandry regulations to Article 6 (Standards for Specific Land Uses and Activities) POS zoning district refers to R-1
development standards
Simplified interior side setback to 10 ft on both sides, instead of 5 ft on one side and 10 ft on the other
Silent on residential adjacent
zoning districts
Required 5 ft interior, 10 ft rear, and 20 ft setback for 2-story buildings adjacent to residential zoning districts
Chapter 21.36 - Overlay Zones
MU Overlay
Language required clarification
about allowing stand-alone
residential in MU overlay
Clarified to allow stand-alone residential, not only mixed uses.

No standards on minimum
dimension for private and shared
open space
Added minimum dimensions for private and shared open space Can be misinterpreted to allow MU
in MF zones
Modified to remove residential districts and clarify standards for residential uses in commercial zones where the overlay has been applied
Private open space can be counted
as 1.5 times the value of shared
open space
Removed incentive for private open space (currently counts as more than shared). Allow projects to provide all private, all shared, or a combination.

Other Overlays
Resort Lodging Overlay Renamed to Lodging Overlay
Historical and Architectural
Preservation Overlay
Renamed to Historic Preservation Overlay
Hillside Overlay Removed and revise to regulating hillside development based on property slope, not mapped areas (standards in Article 8).

Article 4: Regulations and Standards Applicable to All Zones Article 4 contains the regulations that are applicable to all zones, such as rules of measurement, fence and wall standards, objective design standards for mixed and multi-family residential uses, open space

requirements, parking standards, landscaping standards, and sign standards. Of these, some notable changes include adding a minimum percent live plant requirement to all development, and allowing residential porches to project into the front and side setbacks.

Another notable change found in this Article is the addition of Objective Design Standards (ODS) which is a newly established section in response to changes within State law that require local governments to establish objective design standards to facilitate high-quality site planning and building design and to accelerate housing production through the clear communication of design objectives and efficient permitting processes. Most of the ODS section is new language for the City of Paso Robles. Some of the standards being proposed were synthesized from language in the Multi-Family Residential Development Standards from the current Zoning Code (currently Chapter 21.16i). Since most of the City’s existing standards could benefit from enhanced objectivity, the intent was to establish clearer objective standards.

The remaining summary of significant changes to Article 4 are shown in the table below.

There have been no changesto Article 4 since the Planning Commission’s recommendation to City Council at their August 13, 2024 meeting.

Article 4

EXISTING CODE PROPOSED CHANGE
Does not provide clear or
consistent rules of measurement
Chapter 21.41 – Rules of Measurement
 Created a new section for measuring distances, height, slope, and lot width and depth.
 For measuring slope, eliminated conflicting
measurements that were in old code and instead added 2
alternative ways to measure.

Requires minimum yard size for
rear yard in 5-sided lots in R1
district
Section 21.41.120 – Determining Setbacks
 Eliminated the requirement for rear yard to be 1,200
square feet in area (See Figure 21.41.120-1).

Covered porches cannot project
into setbacks
Section 21.41.120 – Determining Setbacks
 Added allowed porch projections:
o 6 feet into front setback
o 3 feet into street side setback
Limited projections allowed,
section lacks clarity
Section 21.41.130 – Projections into Setbacks
 New table summarizing allowed encroachments:
o Allow patio covers and covered porches to
encroach into rear yard setback (to within 10 feet
of rear property line). Lot coverage requirements
still apply.
o Allow uncovered porches, decks, stoops, stairs to
encroach 6 feet into a front setback and 2 feet
into side setbacks.

Standards for small structures
warrant clarification
Chapter 21.43 – Awnings, Canopies, and Patio Covers
 Added standards to detached patio covers and canopies in Residential zones.
o Limit on number (3)

o Detached canopies and patio covers count
toward lot coverage (code was silent before)
o May not be located in front yard, street side yard,
or driveway
 Allow for patio covers detached 1 ft from the main
structure to have setbacks associated with attached patio covers.

Fence standards in multiple
locations. Modification process
undefined.

Chapter 21.44 – Fences, Walls, and Hedges
 Continue to allow DRC to approve height of residential front yard fence from 3 feet to 4 feet as a Minor
Modification (Article 2).
 Changed process from Planning Commission to DRC (Site Plan Modification) for review of commercial front yard
fence changes up to 6 ft.
 Added examples of acceptable decorative materials.
 Required Development Plan Modification for review of
increase in commercial fence height from 6 to 8 ft.
 Removed allowance for Residential or Office Professional to have 8 ft high fence along arterial streets.
 Made changes to the definition of “front yard” as it
applies to fencing. New diagrams added to Article 4 (See Figure 21.44.030-1) and to Article 9 (See Figure

21.92.250-1).

Limited landscaping requirements Chapter 21.45 - Landscaping  Added a minimum percent live plant requirement to
ensure required landscaping is not all rocks or mulch.
 Added modification option for both Site Plan Review
(Minor Modification) and Development Plan (Major
Modification).

Limited screening requirements Chapter 21.47 - Mechanical and Equipment Screening  Added requirements for location (behind the front façade of a building) and screening mechanical equipment on
roofs and at grade, and also specific standards for
screening backflow devices.

Parking standards could benefit
from enhanced rules regarding
measurement, additional clarity on
how to address nonconforming
sites, and reasonable requirements
for many uses
Section 21.48.030 – Required Parking Spaces
 Added new calculation for determining required parking for nonresidential uses.
o When a change in use, expansion of a use, or
expansion of floor area creates an increase of 20
percent or more in the number of required onsite parking or loading spaces, on-site parking and loading shall be provided.
 Clarified parking requirement if a room has potential of being a bedroom (e.g. “office”).
 Expanded list of uses with specified parking ratio:
o Calculation of automotive repair required parking
measured by building area, not by service bay

o Added caretaker unit: 1 space
o Added residential care general/assisted living: 1
parking space per 5 rooms
o Added a reduced parking ratio for multi-family
residential when studio or 1-bedroom units are
600 sf or less. The other multi-family residential
standards stayed the same.
o Supportive, transitional housing to be same as
other residential uses.
o Hotel parking calculation based on guest rooms
o Remove additional required parking for offices in
the OP Zone.
o Self-storage parking rate.
 Parking Modification
o Matched mixed use/multiple use parking
reduction with what is allowed in Uptown/Town
Centre Specific Plan.
o 20% parking reduction with parking demand
study completed by licensed Traffic Engineer.

Parking lot standards lacking
several desired requirements
Section 21.48.100 – Parking Area Design and Development Standards
 Parking lot surface material modifications:
o Residential: Allowed large 1-acre+ lots to use
non-permanent material, only if in rear half of lot,
screened, and upon approval of a Site Plan
Modification.
o Nonresidential: Required any non-permanent
material request to require a Development Plan
Modification (with findings).
 Changed threshold for landscaping in parking lots from 4 to 6 parking spaces.
 Required parking lot perimeter curbing
 Added required parking for electric vehicles consistent with State law
Driveway standards lacking several
desired requirements
Section 21.48.110 – Driveway Standards
 Prohibited the establishment of new driveways that
require cars to back out onto arterial or greater roads, unless it is determined to be infeasible by the City
Engineer.
 Maximum driveway approach width can be 30 feet. Code
was silent before.
 Driveway materials: Clarified decomposed granite is not considered a permanent surface.

State rules require development
standards for multi-family
residential and mixed-use projects
to be objective. Current code
Chapter 21.50 - Objective Design Standards
 Replaced existing Objective Design Standards (ODS) for multi-family residential uses with new ODS for multifamily and mixed-use projects

includes many subjective
standards.
o Tiered standards that increase with size of project
o Standards include windows, roofs, wall plane
variation, and exterior building materials
Limited standards for refuse
collection areas; State
requirements have changed
Chapter 21.51 – Refuse and Recycling Areas
 Added threshold for when to require an enclosure for bins and containers
 Replaced trash enclosure design guidelines with new
standards applicable for all projects.
 Now require full roofs for all enclosures (previously required trellis for MFR but was silent for all other uses).  Prohibit chain link as a material when visible from a public right-of-way or abutting residential.
 Prohibit enclosure in front and street side setback
(previously silent on all setbacks).

Sign standards could benefit from
organization, rules of
measurement, and updating in
accordance with current legal
landscape.

Chapter 21.52 - Signs
 Defined calculation of sign area: no more than 8 corners.  Consolidated construction signs under temporary signs and applying temporary sign standards.
 Consolidating monument signs under freestanding signs  Billboards and all signs in the public right-of-way moved to Title 19 and Title 11, respectively.
 Large sites allowed one additional taller freestanding sign – threshold reduced from 20 acres to 10 acres.
 Nonconforming signs: Existing Code does not allow
change of copy without making sign conforming. Changes
proposed to allow change of copy through design review
process.
 Required sign program for 5+ tenants (currently Code
references sign programs but without a threshold to
clarify when they are required).
 Modifications table for signs Table 21.52.060-2
Standards for swimming pools are
in multiple sections of the code
and require enhanced alignment
Chapter 21.53 – Swimming Pools
 Align pool fence height with building code (5 feet), not made of fabric/mesh.
 Separation for pools established at 10 feet from a primary building.
 Pools not allowed in street side setback in R1
 Pools not allowed closer to front property line than the nearest residence in R1
Undergrounding required only in
multi-family zoning districts
Chapter 21.54 - Underground Utilities
 Clarified that undergrounding of service lines is required in all districts consistent with GP Goal LU-2 Action Item 3.

Article 5: Special Regulations
Article 5 lists the special regulations for certain developments including Accessory Dwelling Units, historic preservation, and affordable housing density bonuses. Although much of Article 5 contains language from the existing Zoning Code, the City Council will find that there are some substantive changes for review.

Some of the more notable changes in this Article were to the Chapter on Accessory Dwelling Units (“ADUs”). Over the years, there have been a number of changes to State law that the City has incorporated into the Zoning Code. Where State law is silent, the City has inserted standards that are most appropriate to the City of Paso Robles, such as allowing a reduced setback between an ADU and the primary structure.

For a list of significant changes to Article 5, see the table below.

There have been no changesto Article 5 since the Planning Commission’s recommendation to City Council at their August 13, 2024 meeting.

Article 5

KEY CHANGES DETAILS
Chapter 21.58 - Accessory Dwelling
Units
 Reorganization of the chapter to be more user-friendly including differentiation between "Statewide Exemption
ADUs” and “Local ADUs” and which standards apply to
each;
 Addition of a maximum size for a garage attached to an ADU; and
 Reduced front setback to be the same as for a primary residence.
 Separation between ADU and primary structure reduced
from 10 feet to 6 feet.
 Clarified the maximum number of ADUs in mixed-use and multi-family zones:
o At least 25% converted OR no more than 2
detached.
 Clarified “interior ADUs” can be converted from existing space, not including porches, patio covers, or similar.

Chapter 21.59 - Adult Business
Uses
 No substantive changes.

Chapter 21.60 - Cannabis  No substantive changes.

Chapter 21.61 - Density Bonus  Changed to conform with State law.

Chapter 21.62 - Historic
Preservation
 Simplified resource classifications (Historic Resources Inventory, Historic Districts, and Landmarks only).
 Allowed the Planning Commission to consider Certificates of Appropriateness for alterations to locally designated historical resources.
 Reserved review of state or nationally designated
resources (Landmarks) and all demolitions of historic
resources to the City Council.

Chapter 21.63 - Murals  No substantive changes.

Chapter 21.64 - Short-Term Rentals  No substantive changes.

Chapter 21.65 - Urban Dwelling
Units
 Renamed “Two-Unit Projects” “Urban Dwelling Units”

 Introduced list of development standards the City would modify so as not to preclude the ability for up to two 800- square foot units on a lot similar to ADUs
 Changed height and setbacks to be more consistent with ADUs
Chapter 21.66 - Wireless
Communication Facilities
 Changed to conform with Federal law requiring
ministerial approval of minor modifications to existing facilities.

Article 6: Standards for Specific Land Uses and Activities Article 6 provides standards for particular uses, including performance standards and development standards that are tailored to the use rather than the zone. Similar to other Articles, much of Article 6 is existing text from the current code that has now been reorganized into its own section.

One of the more notable changes to Article 6 is cleaning up the commercial animal keeping standards, which were not comprehensively listed. A new table has been added showing the maximum density limitations for different types of animals, including instances that trigger a higher level of review such as a Conditional Use Permit.

Another noticeable change was providing food truck standards where none previously existed. These standards include the permit requirements for food trucks such as when a Temporary Use Permit, Site Plan, or Conditional Use Permit would be required, the operational requirements such as obtaining written approval from the property owner, obtaining a business license and health permit, and general provisions for things like noise and hours of operation so that the uses do not present a nuisance. The remaining summary of significant changes to Article 6 are shown in the table below.

There have been no changesto Article 6 since the Planning Commission’s recommendation to City Council at their August 13, 2024 meeting.

Article 6

KEY CHANGES DETAILS
Animal husbandry standards listed
in AG district standards, but
allowed in additional zones
Section 21.69.050 – Animal Keeping, Commercial
 Clarified commercial animal keeping standards and
maximum density limitations for different types of
animals.
 Standards were distinguished between low-density and
high-density, with the latter requiring approval by the appropriate review authority.

No standards for solar electrical
generation and storage uses
Section 21.69.080 – Electricity Generation and Storage Facilities  Added a new section for electricity generation
regulations. Also defined in Article 9 and added to the land use table in Article 3.

No standards for food trucks Section 21.69.120 - Food Trucks  Added a new section for food truck regulations. Also
defined in Article 9 and added to the land use table in Article 3.

Limited standards for
manufactured homes outside a
mobile home park
Section 21.69.130 - Manufactured Homes
 Applied architectural standards for single-family
residences
 Added requirement that the structure be no more than
36 inches over the ground
Does not state allowed density for
assisted living facilities
Section 21.69.200 – Residential Care Facilities
Codified density interpretation for assisted living facilities (beds per acre). Beds/Acre has been determined based on Census data from the 2022 5-year estimates that assumes 2.6 people per household multiplied by the allowed density of the zone and rounded to the nearest whole number.

Section 21.16J.230. Right to farm
regulations listed in AG district
standards, but should apply more
broadly
Section 21.69.220 - Right to Farm
 Right to Farm moved to its own section.
 Local option real estate transfer disclosure statement removed from code, becomes handout
Article 7: Nonconformities
Article 7 establishes uniform provisions for the regulation of nonconforming land uses, nonconforming development (including structures and improvements), and nonconforming lots that were lawfully established but do not comply with the current requirements of the zoning code. The intent of this Article is to protect public health, safety, and the general welfare while allowing reasonable use of private property. Although much of Article 7 contains language from the existing zoning code, the City Council will find that there are some substantive changes for review, which are shown in the table below.

There have been no changesto Article 7 since the Planning Commission’s recommendation to City Council at their August 13, 2024 meeting.

Article 7

KEY CHANGES DETAILS
General fixes  Removed amortization requirements, which are difficult to enforce.
 Reorganized to clarify different procedures for
nonconforming uses, structures, and lots.

Warranted clarification on whether
existing nonconforming lots may
have lot lines adjusted
Chapter 21.75 - Nonconforming Lots
 Added allowance that lot line adjustments to
nonconforming lots that do not increase the deviation
between the existing nonconforming situation and the
Code requirement or create a new nonconforming
situation are allowed.

Legally nonconforming structures
damaged by a force majeure
(where the destruction affects
more than 50% of the fair market
value) must be rebuilt to code.

Chapter 21.76 - Nonconforming Structures
 Changed to allow rebuilding dependent on the square
footage of destruction rather than fair market value
(which is difficult to assess).

 Allowed damage to reach 75% of the square footage of
structures and still allow rebuilding of nonconformity.  Legally nonconforming building or structure damaged by a purposeful act of destruction, where destruction affects more than 50% of the square footage of structures, must be rebuilt in conformance with the code.
 Changed process from Conditional Use Permit to
Development Plan Modification.

Right to reestablish a
nonconforming use extinguished at
6 months
Chapter 21.77 - Nonconforming Uses
 Nonconforming use abandonment increased to 12
months.

Structures containing a legally
nonconforming uses damaged by a
force majeure, where the
destruction affects more than 50%
of the fair market value, must be
rebuilt to code.

Section 21.77.020 - Destruction of a Structure Containing a Nonconforming Use
 Required structures containing legally nonconforming
uses damaged by a force majeure, where the destruction
affects more than 50 percent of the gross floor area of the structure(s), must be rebuilt to code.

Code does not explicitly state when
nonconforming parking should be
addressed
Section 21.78.010 - Nonconforming Parking
 For commercial uses, any building addition or increase in the intensity of use of any building, structure, or premises shall provide parking for such addition or increase in
intensity.
 For single-family residential unit with only one covered parking space, additions of up to 500 SF or 20% of the
existing structure (whichever is less) are allowed without adding a second covered parking space.
 For single-family residential units with no parking spaces, any addition to the unit requires at least one parking
space in a garage or carport (with exceptions for ADUs
and two-unit projects).

Code does not explicitly state when
nonconforming fences should be
addressed
Section 21.78.020 - Nonconforming fences
 Required:
o Draft states legal fence nonconformities may be
maintained for single family residences in all
circumstances.
o Multi-family fences made to conform when
density is increased.
o Nonresidential fences made to conform with
increased intensity of use or addition of 1,000
square feet.

Code does not explicitly state when
nonconforming landscaping should
be addressed
Section 21.78.030 - Nonconforming landscaping
 Non-residential development made to conform with
additions of 25% of the square footage of existing
buildings
 Residential development made to conform with additions of 50% of the square footage of existing buildings

Article 8: Environmental Hazards
Article 8 covers grading, noise, surface mining, oaks, and other environmental hazards and standards to protect natural resources. One of the more notable changes in this Article is the expansion of the hillside development standards, which had previously been included as an overlay zone with most standards listed in the single-family residential section of the code. Proposed standards would include all uses, including nonresidential development. Additionally, the changes include removing the hillside overlay and instead basing the regulations on lots with slopes over 10%. For a list of significant changes, refer to the table below.

There have been no changesto Article 8 since the Planning Commission’s recommendation to City Council at their August 13, 2024 meeting.

Article 8

EXISTING CODE PROPOSED CHANGE
Chapter 21.81 - Hillside Development
Regulations apply to areas within the
Hillside development district and lots with
slopes over 10%
Removed Hillside overlay; instead regulate any lot with slope over 10%
Most substantive hillside standards were
listed in the single-family zoning district
section of the Zoning Code
Applied hillside standards to all zoning districts
Remove extra information, definitions,
and ambiguous or conflicting standards
Simplified and removed ambiguous language and internal
conflicts
Regulations separated for new lots and
existing lots
Combined regulations for existing and new lots, applying regulations uniformly
Requirements for density for PD Overlay
in addition to lot size by slope
 Clarify intent of PD Overlay in Article 3 and modify
to remove specific standards
 Remove separate and conflicting density unique
to PD overlay
 Retain lot size and width requirements by slope
(move to Article 3 under single-family
development standards)
Landscaping is required for erosion
control and street tree planting.

Added requirement to plant one tree for every 1,000
square feet of graded area.

Grading and retaining wall standards
apply only to residential development
 Revise so grading and retaining wall standards
apply to any parcel with slope greater than 10%.
 No changes to height and distancing of retaining
walls for residential uses
 Clarify these standards also apply to multifamily
 Add regulations for retaining wall heights and
grading heights in nonresidential zoning districts
Individual pad grading allowed on lots
with average slope less than 15%, may be
allowed by DRC over 15%
 Foundation type dictated by existing slope of
“area of disturbance” instead of average slope of
the lot

o <15% slope: pad grading allowed
o 15-35% required stem walls/no pad
grading
o No area of disturbance on areas with
>35% slope
o Clarified process for modifications
Chapter 21.82 - Lighting and Illumination
No unique section on lighting. Some zones
and sections mention lighting briefly.
• Require lighting to be dark-sky compliant or
equivalent
• Add standards for height of fixtures, design, and
shielding (minimum 2-inch shielding)
• Allow for modification of lighting standards
through Development Plan Modification
Chapter 21.83 - Noise
No purpose statement Added a purpose statement
Existing provision to revisit noise control
program every 3 years
Removed
Existing provision to allow legal
nonconforming uses for 12 months, now
expired
Removed
Existing exemption process Revised to align with Development Plan Modification Other Removed explanatory text that does not include
regulations, and sections covered in other Articles of the Code (appeals, severability, etc.) to simplify
Article 9: Terms and Definitions
Article 9 contains the definitions for technical terms and phrases used in the Zoning Code as a means of providing consistency in their interpretation. Generally, the Zoning Code has lacked sufficient definitions, which has made it difficult for both the public and staff to interpret the code at times. The majority of this Article is new, but where definitions were carried forward, most have been reworked to ensure they are clear and easy to interpret.

There has been one change to Article 9 since the Planning Commission’s recommendation to City Council at their August 13, 2024 meeting, including redefining the definition for Kennel in conjunction with changes made in Article 2.

Article 9

KEY CHANGES DETAILS
New land use definitions  Added definitions that didn’t previously exist.

Existing land use definitions  Clarified worded definitions that could benefit from enhancements and updating.

Zoning Map
There are several inconsistencies reflected on the Zoning Map that will be cleaned up in conjunction with the Zoning Code Update, as these changes go hand in hand. The table below provides a summary of the changes to the Zoning Map.

There have been no changesto the Zoning Map since the Planning Commission’s recommendation to City Council at their August 13, 2024 meeting.

Zoning Map

EXISTING PROPOSED CHANGE
Hillside District Overlay Removed overlay from the map in conjunction with changes to Article 8 and instead regulate based on actual slope: Hillside regulations apply to any parcel with an average slope greater than 10%.

Special conditions attached to certain
properties.

Removed special conditions overlays D and E (as reflected in Article 1) that no longer apply and rename those being kept as “Special Planned Development Overlays”.

3. Updates to Titles 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 19, and 22 in Relation to Title 21 Various Titles of the Paso Robles Municipal Code are being updated to align with the changes proposed in the revised Zoning Code. Most of the proposed Municipal Code Title amendments are to correct Zoning Code cross-references that will be outdated if Title 21 is amended. These include sections within Titles 2, 3, 5, 9, 12, 14 and 22. There have been no changes to these Titles since the Planning Commission’s recommendation to City Council at their August 27, 2024 meeting.

More substantive changes are proposed in Titles 7, 8, 10, and 19 and are discussed below along with an explanation if any of these Titles underwent changes since the August 27, 2024 Planning Commission meeting.

Title 7 Health and Sanitation
Changes to Title 7 include repealing in its entirety Chapter 7.24 (Mobilehomes and Mobilehome Parks).

These changes are proposed since the Zoning Code handles the provisions for Mobilehome Parks, making this section of Title 7 duplicative. Further, Title 21 contains applicable standards including but not limited to the allowed zones the use can be established, development standards, review authority, location of parking, and definitions.

Public comments have since been received regarding the changes to Chapter 7.24 regarding street widths for mobile home parks and trash enclosures in mobile home parks. These concerns were forwarded to the City Attorney’s office for input to ensure these issues are addressed and would not prevent mobile home park standards/ordinances from being adopted.

Regarding street width, the existing text of Paso Robles Municipal Code (PRMC) Section 7.24.050(a)(4)’s minimum street width requirements for mobile home parks were removed and not mentioned in Chapter

21.69 of the Zoning Code Update. However, because those standards are codified by state law, these

standards for developers remain governed by state law. For instance, Section 7.24.050(a)(4) of the PRMC required roadways within mobile home parks to be at least 30 feet wide for two-way traffic and 25 feet in width for one-way traffic, which mirrored what Housing and Community Development (HCD) mandates in its regulations. (See 25 CCR § 1106.) Additionally, HCD explicitly requires the person obtaining the permit to construct the mobile home park to develop in accordance with the aforementioned chapter of the Code of Regulations. (See 25 CCR § 1102.) Therefore, any mobile home park developer would be required as a matter of law to comply with these width requirements, even if not explicitly included in the PRMC.

Regarding trash enclosures, Section 7.24.050(a)(10) of the PRMC currently requires trash disposal areas to be fenced and obscured from obvious view. The Zoning Code Update proposes fencing standards for such enclosures to match the requirements of its corresponding zoning district. Moreover, under Section

21.51.030(A) of the Zoning Code Update, the specific enclosure requirements will depend on the “Garbage Enclosure Standards” adopted by the City Solid Waste and Recycling Manager and/or City Engineer. HCD regulations merely require that mobile home parks be free from accumulation of garbage and requires the park operator to ensure covered containers for safe garbage disposal. (See 25 CCR § 1120.) The Zoning Code’s mandate to require fenced trash disposal areas furthers HCD’s goal of safe garbage disposal within mobile home parks and is within the City’s regulatory police powers over the health and safety of its residents.

In summary, the concerns above regarding street width and trash enclosures in mobile home parks do not warrant any changes beyond what staff has prepared in order to comply with the State’s standards for mobile home parks. Developers of mobile homes are still required to comply with any and all applicable standards mandated by state law. Furthermore, the proposed changes do not affect a mobile home owner’s rights to file a complaint with HCD against park owners or management for violations of the Mobilehome Residency Law of California.

Therefore, there have been no changes to Title 7 since the Planning Commission’s recommendation to City Council at their August 27, 2024 meeting.

Title 8 Animal Control
Changes to Title 8 in relation to the updates to Title 21 are being made to clean up conflicting code references and inconsistencies. Section 8.16.050 of Title 8 has historically prohibited bee keeping, a section in the code that was established in 1976 (Ordinance 386). Section 21.16J.190 of Title 21 was later updated in 1995 (Ordinance 684) to allow bee keeping subject to the standards of the County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office. Being that these two code sections conflict with one another, the proposed changes will bring the two sections into conformance and with updated references to the new chapter in Title 21.

There have been no changes to Title 8 since the Planning Commission’s recommendation to City Council at their August 27, 2024 meeting.

Title 10 Vegetation
Changes to Title 10 in relation to the updates to Title 21 are being made to clean up conflicting code references, make grammatical changes, clarify the definitions and duties of the Community Development Director and Public Works Director, and overall provide consistency with textual changes in Title 21 related to the development review process for oak tree removals.

The existing review authority responsible for considering oak tree removals is the City Council. Title 10 would change so that, in addition to the City Council, the Development Review Committee and Planning Commission will now be able to consider removal requests depending on the number of oak trees proposed for removal. More specifically, the Development Review Committee will be able to review single oak tree removal requests when there is no development occurring. This streamlines the process for a homeowner who may have a tree in poor condition, but who has no intention of developing the area where the removal is requested. The Planning Commission will be the review authority for up to nine oak tree removals when there is development proposed. And finally, the City Council will be the review authority for ten or more trees where development is proposed. In all cases, the applicants will continue to be held to the same oak tree removal findings and the applications will continue to require an Arborist report for the review authority’s consideration. Additionally, the process will continue to allow an appellant to appeal any decision.

There have been some changes to Title 10 since the Planning Commission’s recommendation to City Council at their August 27, 2024 meeting. More specifically, the Planning Commission directed staff to include the review authority table and definition from Title 21 into Title 10 for ease of using Title 10.

Title 19 Signs
Changes to Title 19 consist of repealing the text, changing the title to Billboards, and bringing the standards from Title 21 into Title 19 so they are not duplicative. Additionally, there have been some updated purpose and applicability statements incorporated into Title 19 to establish a clear vision for the longevity of billboard signs. Some substantive changes include adjusting the distancing requirement between billboards from 1,000 feet to 3,500 feet and adding standards to regulate nonconforming billboard signs where there were previously none. By moving the development standards from Title 21 to Title 19, the changes eliminate the potential for duplicative and/or conflicting standards. Additionally, even with the separation standard being increased and new standards included for nonconforming signs, these changes are will not adversely affect legal non-conforming billboard signs but will help provide appropriate separation requirements for any potential future billboard signs.

There have been no changes to Title 19 since the Planning Commission’s recommendation to City Council at their August 27, 2024 meeting.

4. Environmental Analysis
The zone code text amendments, map amendments, and Municipal Code Title amendments discussed in the following paragraphs do not qualify as a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because said amendments do not have the potential to result in either a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. (See State CEQA Guidelines, § 15378 [defining “project”].) The amendments do not approve any specific development project, and future development projects for specific land uses would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine if they qualify as a “project” subject to further environmental review under CEQA. Accordingly, the amendments do not qualify as a “project” subject to CEQA. (State CEQA Guidelines, § 15060(c)(2)-(3).) Alternatively, even if the zone code text amendments, map amendments, and Municipal Code Title amendments did qualify as a project under CEQA, they are exempt from CEQA because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the zone code text amendments may have a significant effect on the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines, § 15061(b)(3).)
Article 1 Enactment, Applicability, and Enforcement
The changes in Article 1 consist mostly of reorganizing the structure and grammatical changes to the text.

There are two overlays within Article 1 that are proposed to be repealed. The two overlays are labeled “SPD” (aka “Special Plan Development”) Overlays, formerly called Special Conditions Overlays D and E.

Overlay D applies to a developed property where the Food 4 Less shopping center is located, at the northeast corner of Niblick and Creston Roads. Overlay D was originally intended to prevent adverse effects on the downtown. Since this shopping center is fully developed, the overlay no longer serves its original purpose. Overlay E applies to parcels at the northwest corner of Creston and Rolling Hills Roads.

The overlay was also intended to prevent any adverse effects on the downtown area, since the parcels were zoned to allow commercial uses at the time the overlay was established. The parcels within Overlay E have since been rezoned R4, for multi-family residential uses, eliminating the potential for commercial competition against the downtown.

Reorganization of the structure of Article 1 and grammatical changes to the text will not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make the document more user-friendly.

Removal of Overlays D and E will not result in any environmental impacts, since they do not permit increased development density, entitle any specific development, or otherwise have potential to result in any impact on the environment. Moreover, any future development or redevelopment of the sites would be required to submit development applications and would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine if it is a “project” under CEQA and require an environmental review process. Therefore, the Article 1 zoning code text amendments are exempt from CEQA under State CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), since it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the zoning code text amendments may have a significant effect on the environment.

Article 2 Code Administration and Permits
The changes in Article 2 can be categorized into the following: reorganization of the structure and grammatical fixes to the text; clarifications regarding the permit processes including establishing procedures for permits for which the process was unclear; clarifications regarding review authority which is now summarized in a table; and the establishment of a modification process to allow development

approaches that are not permitted as a matter of right, but which may be considered compatible and appropriate when conditions are applied by the review authority.

Reorganization of the structure of Article 2 and grammatical changes to the text will not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make the document more user-friendly.

Similarly, clarifications regarding the permit processes and clarifications to the review authority for each permit type will not result in any environmental impacts as these clarifications do not directly entitle any specific development, or otherwise have potential to result in any impact on the environment.

The establishment of a modification process at a discretionary level is new to the Zoning Code, but will not result in any environmental impacts, since the process will not allow increased development density, entitle any specific development, or otherwise have potential to result in any impact on the environment. These modifications are for development standards only and will require special consideration by the respective review authority including making specified findings which will be listed in the Zoning Code.

The modification process at the legislative level will be carried forward from the current Zoning Code. The existing code allows the City Council to approve different development standards by approving a zoning overlay. With the update, the Council’s authority is carried forward with mostly clarifications. Instead of “limiting” the types and intensities of land uses within any base zoning district, the Council would be able to “modify” the types and intensities/density of land uses within any base zoning district via a legislative action, but with the caveat that the action be coupled with an allocation of surplus density units for any increase in the land uses density (as available by the remaining surplus units established via Resolution 20-186). This change in the code is regarding the process and to clarify the City Council’s authority when it comes to allowed modifications and does not change any zoning by itself. Therefore, this text amendment is exempt from CEQA under State CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), since it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the zoning code text amendments may have a significant effect on the environment.

Article 3 Zones, Allowable Uses, and Development Standards In Article 3, the land use table was updated by consolidating similar land uses into general categories and then adding various definitions into Article 9 to better define the land uses. Additional changes within the table included updates to clarify the zones in which certain land uses are permitted, conditionally permitted, or not permitted. Other changes to Article 3 include updating the regulations applicable to individual zones, as many zones were lacking user-friendly development standards, some zones included onerous standards, and some zones lacked any development standards at all.

The changes to the land use table will not result in any environmental impacts, since the changes do not permit increased development density, entitle any specific development, or otherwise have potential to result in any impact on the environment.

Regarding the changes to the regulations applicable to individual zones, a restructuring of the text took place, but there was no substantial change in the substance of the text. These changes will not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make the document more userfriendly.

Additional changes in Article 3 included updated development standards in response to changes in State law, to make development more streamlined, to reduce barriers to housing entitlement and permitting processes, and to provide flexibility and innovation.

These changes do not permit increased development density, entitle any specific development, or otherwise have potential to result in any impact on the environment and are therefore exempt from CEQA under State CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), since it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the zoning code text amendments may have a significant effect on the environment.

Article 4 Regulations and Standards Applicable to All Zones Article 4 contains the regulations that are applicable to all zones. Substantive changes in Article 4 are similar to the changes made to Article 3 in that the text was restructured and development standards were updated in response to changes in State law, to make development more streamlined, to reduce barriers to housing entitlement and permitting processes, and to provide flexibility and innovation.

Regarding the restructuring of the text in Article 4, these changes will not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make the document more user-friendly.

For the updated development standards, most of these are tailored to make development more streamlined while providing flexibility in innovation. The Objective Design Standards (ODS) section within Article 4 is being established in response to changes within State law that require local governments to establish objective design standards to facilitate high-quality site planning and building design and to accelerate housing production through the clear communication of design objectives and efficient permitting processes. The development standards will apply to multi-family and mixed-use projects. Most of the ODS section is new for the City of Paso Robles. The intent was to establish clear objective standards consistent with state law requirements. Overall, the changes to the development standards do not permit increased development density, entitle any specific development, or otherwise have potential to result in any impact on the environment and are therefore exempt from CEQA under State CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), since it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the zoning code text amendments may have a significant effect on the environment.

Article 5 Special Regulations
Article 5 lists the special regulations for certain developments including accessory dwelling units, historic preservation, and affordable housing density bonuses. Most of Article 5 contains regulations that are regulated by the State, which limits local government’s ability to make substantive changes. Therefore, the changes in Article 5 consist mostly of reorganizing the structure and grammatical changes to the text.

These changes will not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make the document more user-friendly.

More substantive changes that were made to Article 5 are to conform with recent changes to State law, or establishing development standards if it was unclear or not defined by State law. Overall, these changes do not permit increased development density, entitle any specific development, or otherwise have potential to result in any impact on the environment. Therefore, these zoning code text amendments are exempt from CEQA under State CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), since it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the zoning code text amendments may have a significant effect on the environment.

Article 6 Standards for Specific Land Uses and Activities

Article 6 provides standards for particular uses, including performance standards and development standards that are tailored to the use rather than the zone. Similar to other Articles, much of Article 6 is existing text from the current code that has now been reorganized into its own section. The more substantive changes to this article include updated standards and added standards where none existed.

One of the key changes to Article 6 that is more substantive pertains to determining density limits for Assisted Living Facilities. Currently, the Zoning Code does not limit density for this type of use. This is because the facilities operate more like a hospital, where individual units may have more than one bed, and they do not always have in-unit cooking, dishwashing, or clothes-washing facilities as these can be done by facility staff at a larger level. In order to prevent unlimited density from happening with these land uses, the Zoning Code will now establish density limitations based on beds per acre instead of number of units per acre. Further, the development review process for an Assisted Living Facility will require a Conditional Use Permit at which time the application will be reviewed for the number of rooms and/or occupants so that it does not exceed the density limits. These changes to the Zoning Code do not permit increased development density, but rather, limit the density relative to units per acre. Additionally, the changes do not entitle any specific development or otherwise have potential to result in any impact on the environment and are therefore exempt from CEQA under State CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), since it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the zoning code text amendments may have a significant effect on the environment.

Article 7 Nonconformities
Article 7 establishes uniform provisions for the regulation of nonconforming land uses, nonconforming development (including structures and improvements), and nonconforming lots that were lawfully established but do not comply with the current requirements of the zoning code.

Substantive changes to Article 7 include clarifying the regulations applicable to nonconformities to be clearer and more user-friendly. Some standards were also added where none previously existed. These changes will not result in any environmental impacts since they do not permit increased development density, entitle any specific development, or otherwise have potential to result in any impact on the environment.

Article 8 Environmental Hazards
Article 8 contains environmental standards such as those for grading, noise, surface mining, oaks, and other environmental hazards and standards to protect natural resources. The majority of the changes in Article 8 consisted of restructuring the text and grammatical changes. These changes to the text will not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make the document more user-friendly.

One of the more notable changes in this Article is the expansion of the hillside development standards, which had previously been included as an overlay zone with most standards listed in the single-family residential section of the code. The proposed standards would be expanded to include all uses, including nonresidential development. The expansion of the hillside grading standards is intended to protect environmental resources by ensuring that mass grading of hillsides does not occur, that the area of disturbance is within the flattest area of a lot, and that grading of a lot is minimized to the extent feasible.

Therefore, requiring enhanced standards to be incorporated into the design of development will further protect environmental resources and prevent impacts to the environment.

Article 9 Definitions

Article 9 contains the definitions for technical terms and phrases used in the Zoning Code. The majority of this Article is new, but where definitions were carried forward, most have been reworked to ensure they are clear and easy to interpret. Establishing definitions for technical terms does not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make the document more user-friendly.

Zoning Map Amendments
There are several inconsistencies reflected on the Zoning Map that will be cleaned up in conjunction with the Zoning Code Update, as these changes go hand in hand. First, the removal of the Hillside District Overlay in conjunction with changes to Article 8 is a cleanup item since the original overlay was applied to a specific area and did not include steep lots outside of this overlay. The new standard established by Article 8 regulates hillside grading more narrowly based on average slope. Because this standard is more specific, the overlay is no longer needed, but will be more effective at protecting steeply sloping lots.

Second, removing Special Overlays D and E is consistent with changes in Article 1 to the extent these overlays are no longer relevant in either the Code or the Map.

The above changes to the Zoning Map are clean-up items to provide consistency with the Zoning Code Update. There are no rezones occurring with these changes. Further, any future development or redevelopment of the sites would be required to submit development applications and would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine if it is a “project” under CEQA and require an environmental review process. Therefore, the Zoning Map changes are exempt from CEQA under State CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), since it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the map amendments may have a significant effect on the environment.

Title 2 Administration and Personnel
Changes to Title 2 in relation to the updates to Title 21 are being made to clean up conflicting code references. There is some text related to the duties of the Planning Commission that is proposed to be deleted as it would be duplicative to what is in Title 21. Altogether, these changes to the text will not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make Title 2 and Title 21 consistent.

Title 3 Revenue and Finance
Changes to Title 3 in relation to the updates to Title 21 are being made to clean up conflicting code references. These changes to the text will not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make Title 3 and Title 21 consistent.

Title 5 Permits and Regulations
Changes to Title 5 in relation to the updates to Title 21 are being made to clean up conflicting code references. These changes to the text will not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make Title 5 and Title 21 consistent.

Title 7 Health and Sanitation
Changes to Title 7 include repealing in its entirety Chapter 7.24 (Mobilehomes and Mobilehome Parks).

These changes are proposed since the Zoning Code handles the provisions for Mobilehome Parks, making this section of Title 7 duplicative. Further, Title 21 contains applicable standards including but not limited to the allowed zones the use can be established, development standards, review authority, location of parking, and definitions.

Overall, these changes to the text will not result in any environmental impacts as these standards are necessary clean up items to prevent duplicative standards in multiple sections of the Paso Robles Municipal Code. Further, these changes will not entitle any specific development, or otherwise have potential to result in any impact on the environment.

Title 8 Animal Control
Changes to Title 8 in relation to the updates to Title 21 are being made to clean up conflicting code references and inconsistencies. Section 8.16.050 of Title 8 has historically prohibited bee keeping, a section in the code that was established in 1976 (Ordinance 386). Section 21.16J.190 of Title 21 was later updated in 1995 (Ordinance 684) to allow bee keeping subject to the standards of the County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office. Being that these two code sections conflict with one another, the proposed changes will bring the two sections into conformance and with updated references to the new chapter in Title 21. These changes to the text will not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make Title 8 and Title 21 consistent and does not establish any new uses as bee keeping was previously established by the Zoning Code.

Title 9 Public Safety
Changes to Title 9 in relation to the updates to Title 21 are being made to clean up conflicting code references. These changes to the text will not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make Title 9 and Title 21 consistent.

Title 10 Vegetation
Changes to Title 10 in relation to the updates to Title 21 are being made to clean up conflicting code references, make grammatical changes, clarify the definitions and duties of the Community Development Director and Public Works Director, and overall provide consistency with textual changes in Title 21 related to the development review process.

Substantive changes to the text include changes to the review authority responsible for considering oak tree removals which are also referenced in the Development Review process laid out in Title 21, something that was recommended by Planning Commission to City Council on August 13, 2024 as part of their action regarding the Zoning Code update. More specifically, the Development Review Committee will now be reviewing single oak tree removal requests when there is no development occurring. This streamlines the process for a homeowner who may have a tree in poor condition, but who has no intention of developing the area where the removal is requested. The Planning Commission will be the review authority for up to nine oak tree removals when there is development proposed. And finally, the City Council will be the review authority for ten or more trees where development is proposed. In all cases, the applicants will continue to be held to the same oak tree removal findings and the applications will continue to require an Arborist report for the review authority’s consideration. Additionally, the process will continue to allow an appellant to appeal any decision.

The changes to the text in Title 10 will not result in any environmental impacts as most of the changes are clarifications to make Title 10 and Title 21 consistent. The changes to the review authority for oak tree removals will not permit increased development density, entitle any specific development, or otherwise have potential to result in any impact on the environment since these changes are intended solely to streamline the development review process. Oak tree removal findings are still required by the review authority and will not be reduced to make it easier to receive approval.

Title 12 Vehicles and Traffic

Changes to Title 12 in relation to the updates to Title 21 are being made to clean up conflicting code references. These changes to the text will not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make Title 12 and Title 21 consistent.

Title 14 Water and Sewers
Changes to Title 14 in relation to the updates to Title 21 are being made to clean up conflicting code references that exist in both Title 21 and Chapter 7.24 (Title 7), the latter of which is also being repealed as described above. These changes to the text will not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make Titles 7, 14, and 21 consistent.

Title 19 Signs
Changes to Title 19 consist of repealing the text and bringing the standards from Title 21 into Title 19 so they are not duplicative. Additionally, there have been some updated purpose and applicability statements incorporated into Title 19 to establish a clear vision for the longevity of billboard signs. Some substantive changes include adjusting the distancing requirement between billboards from 1,000 feet to 3,500 feet and adding standards to regulate nonconforming billboard signs where there were previously none.

By moving the development standards from Title 21 to Title 19, the changes eliminate the potential for duplicative and/or conflicting standards. Additionally, even with the separation standard being increased and new standards included for nonconforming signs, these changes are will not adversely affect legal non-conforming billboard signs, will not permit increased development density, entitle any specific development, or otherwise have potential to result in any impact on the environment.

Title 22 Subdivisions
Changes to Title 22 in relation to the updates to Title 21 are being made to clean up conflicting code references. These changes to the text will not result in any environmental impacts as these are only minor clarifications to make Title 12 and Title 21 consistent.

5. Semiannual Review of the Zoning Code
The Zoning Code update requires a complete restructuring of the document, which is a substantial endeavor. It is possible there will be areas of the code that are still needing clarification or correcting even though staff has prepared multiple iterations that have gone through a public meeting process. At the August 13, 2024 public hearing, the Planning Commission recommended to City Council that the Zoning Code be reviewed two times per year by the Planning Commission for the first 2 years of its adoption. This recommendation has been incorporated into the findings for approval in the attached Ordinances.

Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. This project was made possible by through two state grants that in total will reimburse the City for approximately 86 percent of the total MIG contract cost.

Absent this funding, the City would not have been able to complete the project to this scope and breadth.

The expense associated with MIG’s work on this project was authorized through a separate, previous contract approval process.

CEQA

As noted above, the zone code text amendments, map amendments, and Municipal Code Title amendments discussed herein do not quality as a “project” under CEQA because the amendments do not have the potential to result in either a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. (See State CEQA Guidelines, § 15378 [defining “project”], § 15060(c)(2)-(3).) Alternatively, even if the said amendments did qualify as a project under CEQA, they are exempt from CEQA because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the amendments may have a significant effect on the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines, § 15061(b)(3).) Recommendation (Option 2)
The Planning Commission and staff recommend:

City Council introduce for 1st reading by title only the Zone Code text Amendments, Map Amendments, and Municipal Code Title Amendments as follows:

A. Ordinance XXXX (A), approving the changes to the Zoning Code (Title 21) and the Zoning Map; B. Ordinance XXXX (B), approving the changes to Title 2 in relation to updates to Title 21; C. Ordinance XXXX (C), approving the changes to Titles 3, 5, 9, 12, 14, and 22 in relation to updates to Title 21;
D. Ordinance XXXX (D), approving the changes to Title 7 in relation to updates to Title 21; E. Ordinance XXXX (E), approving the changes to Title 8 in relation to updates to Title 21; F. Ordinance XXXX (F), approving the changes to Title 10 in relation to updates to Title 21; G. Ordinance XXXX (G), approving the changes to Title 19 in relation to updates to Title 21; Attachments

1. Summary Table of Zoning Code Changes

2. Ordinance XXXX(A): Adopting Zoning Code and Map Amendments a. Exhibit A: Zoning Code (Title 21)
b. Exhibit B: Special Conditions Overlay Map Amendment
c. Exhibit C: Hillside Overlay Map Amendment

3. Ordinance XXXX(B): Adopting Amendments to Title 2

4. Ordinance XXXX(C): Adopting Amendments to Titles 3, 5, 9, 12, 14, and 22

5. Ordinance XXXX(D): Adopting Amendments to Title 7

6. Ordinance XXXX(E): Adopting Amendments to Title 8

7. Ordinance XXXX(F): Adopting Amendments to Title 10

8. Ordinance XXXX(G): Adopting Amendments to Title 19

9. Legal Notice

10. Public Comment Letter - Awalt

11. Public Comment Letter - Voigt

12. Public Comment Letter - Hunter

13. Public Comment Letter -Carrillo

Attachment 1
Article 1

EXISTING CODE PROPOSED CHANGE
Special Conditions Overlays Chapter 21.04 - Special Planned Developments Established  Rename Special Conditions Overlays to Special Planned Developments (SPDs)
 Repeal existing Special Conditions Overlays D and E:
o Overlay D applies to an already developed
commercial property. The overlay was originally
intended to prevent any adverse effects on the
downtown. Since this center is fully developed,
the overlay no longer serves its original purpose.
o Overlay E applies to parcels at the northwest
corner of Creston and Rolling Hills Road. The
overlay was originally intended to prevent any
adverse effects on the downtown, since the
parcels were zoned to allow commercial uses at
the time the overlay was established. These
parcels have since been rezoned for residential,
eliminating the potential for commercial
competition against the downtown area.

Article 2

EXISTING CODE PROPOSED CHANGE
Some applications require a higher
level of approval than reasonable/
necessary
Chapter 21.08 – Planning Authorities
 Clarified the review authority for different application types.
o Table 21.08.070-1: Review Authority summarizes
different types of actions and the applicable
review authority for each action.
o Updated references from “Director” to “Zoning
Administrator” in tandem with clarifying Zoning
Administrator duties vs. Director duties
 Changed the review authority for oak tree removals
depending on the number and condition of the trees.

Additional oak tree removal thresholds will be included in Title 10.
o Designate the City Council to be the review
authority for oak tree removals for 10 or more
oak trees.
o Designate the Planning Commission to be the
review authority for oak tree removals between
1 and 9 oak trees with a development
application.
o Designate the Development Review Committee
as the review authority for single oak tree
removals when no development application is
included.

Attachment 1
Warranted clarity for how the
Development Review Committee
operates
Section 21.08.040 Development Review Committee
 Clarified the Development Review Committee’s
composition is made up of three members of the Planning Commission; required the Director to establish a rotating schedule for all Commissioners to serve equal time on the DRC throughout each calendar year.

No standards for Housing
Accountability Act (State law)
Section 21.09.080 - Housing Accountability Act
 Added streamlined review section to comply with State law.

Warranted clarity for development
standards that can be modified by
review authorities and the findings
required for approval
Section 21.16.020 – Development Plan Modifications
Section 21.17.020 – Site Plan Modifications
 Added a modification process to revise zoning standards under Development Plan and Site Plan review process.
o See Table 21.16-1 for Development Plan
Modifications
o Table 21.17-1 for Site Plan Modifications
 Established what merits a Development Plan and Site
Plan modification.
 Established findings for different modifications.

Special Conditions Overlays Chapter 21.11 - Special Planned Developments  Established the Special Planned Development zoning
overlay from what used to be the Planned Development
(PD) Overlay.
o The SPD zoning overlay functions similar to the
current intent of the PD overlay as a negotiated
exchange through which the City can offer
flexibility of certain development standards in
exchange for specific project amenities (e.g.,
recreational facilities, usable open space, special
design features).
o This change distinguishes between SPDs,
Development Plans, and Planned Developments.
o The “Planned Development Overlay” will still
exist on the Zoning Map and there are no changes
to existing zones with a PD overlay. This
designation in the Zoning Code will require
applicants to submit an application for a
Development Plan, regardless of the size of the
project.

Temporary use permits warranted
clearer standards for most uses
allowed
Chapter 21.20 - Temporary Use Permits
 Added standards for food trucks/trailers, including
standard that food trucks/trailers must be located on
private property with existing commercial uses.
 Added standards for sidewalk vending to align with State law.
 Added standards for circuses, carnivals, fairs, festivals, and concerts.

Attachment 1
 Timeframes:
o Seasonal stands can last up to 90 days.
o Circuses, concerts, etc. can last up to 30 days.
 Changed from CUP to TUP to allow recreational vehicle to be used as a caretaker residence for seasonal stands (i.e. pumpkin or Christmas tree lot) and for construction
project with an approved and active building permit.

Home occupation standards
unclear leading to challenging code
enforcement in neighborhoods
Chapter 21.21 - Home Occupation Permits
 Added uses to the list of what is allowed.
 Added uses to the list of what is not allowed.

Article 3

EXISTING CODE PROPOSED CHANGE
Table 21.32-1 Zoning District Use Regulations
Use table has many unique uses,
many not defined
 Consolidated similar uses into general categories (e.g. general retail, heavy industrial)
 Added definitions for each land use (listed in Article 9)  Added performance standards and specific regulations
for certain uses (Also addressed in Article 6)
 Removed line items for non uses (canopies, infrastructure support, nonconforming uses – these are addressed in
other parts of the Code)
Commercial Kitchen use warranted
clarity
Separated Commercial Kitchen out in the Use table and add a new definition (in Article 9)
Communal Housing use warranted
clarity
Separated Communal housing, an emerging housing type, out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9) Senior Housing has a section in the
Zoning code but is not referenced
in the Use Table
Added Senior Housing to the land use table and add a new definition (in Article 9)
Spaceport use warranted clarity Separated Spaceport out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9)
Electrical Generation and Storage
Facilities warranted clarity
Separated Electrical Generation and Storage Facilities out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9). Added siting and operation standards (in Article 6).

Wineries, Breweries, and
Distilleries: Wineries exist in use
table but definition does not exist
Consolidated wineries and breweries under one new definition and use, Wineries, Breweries, and Distilleries.

Restricted Retail use warranted
clarity
Separated Restricted Retail out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9). Added performance and location standards (in Article 6).

Restaurant Removed limit to 5,000 square feet for restaurants outside Downtown
Personal Services -Restricted use
warranted clarity
Separated Personal Services - Restricted out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9). Added performance and location standards in Article 6.

Attachment 1
Two-Unit Dwelling (SB 9) has a
section in the Zoning Code (with
applicable standards), but is not
referenced in the land use table
Added Two-Unit Dwelling to the land use table. Renamed “Urban Dwelling Unit” consistent with City of Atascadero.

Food Truck use warranted clarity Separated Food Truck out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9).

Food Truck Court use warranted
clarity
Separated Food Truck Court out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9).

Industrial – Artisan use warranted
clarity
Separated Industrial - Artisan out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9).

Amphitheatre/Stadium use
warranted clarity
Separated Amphitheatre/Stadium out in the land use table and added a new definition (in Article 9).

OP District land uses There are two distinct areas zoned OP with different characteristics – south of First Street and 12th Street (west of Vine Street)
The following uses would be allowed in the district, but not on 12th Street:
 Financial Institutions
 Food and Beverage Sales
 Medical Services – Clinic, Urgent Care
 Restaurants
 Retail – General
 Transit Facility
 Vehicle Charging Station
 Veterinarian
Regional Commercial district: floor
area limitation on office uses
Removed 10% of floor area limitation on Offices in RC zoning district
Composting Facilities allowed with
CUP in AP only
Allowed Composting Facilities in additional zoning districts (C-3 and PF) with CUP
RV Parks allowed with CUP in RC,
AP, and POS
Allowed RV Parks in additional zoning districts (C-2, C-3, RL, M, and AG) with CUP and additional site planning standards Rural Recreation and Camping was
referenced in the AG zoning
district, but not consistently
referenced in use table
Added to land use table and also allow this use in POS zoning district
Process for allowing Vehicle Sales
is different for new or used cars
Combined new and used car sales into single definition and require CUP in AG, C1, C2, C3, RC, M, and AP districts
Theaters allowed use in C-1 Theaters in C-1 zoning district changed to be allowed with CUP Heavy industrial allowed use in C3, M, PM, and AP districtsHeavy Industrial in industrial zoning districts changed to be allowed with CUP
Self storage allowed in AP and PM
zoning districts
Self Storage not allowed in AP and PM zoning districts

Attachment 1
Bed and Breakfast Inns allowed
uses in commercial zoning districts
with CUP
Bed and Breakfast Inns in commercial zoning districts changed to be allowed with CUP
Airport/Helipad allowed with CUP
in PF zoning district
Airport/Helipad in PF not allowed
Small and large assembly refined
definition
New definitions for small and large assembly and various zones where each is allowed.

Changes to Development Standards in Applicable Zones
Chapter 21.33 - RA Zone
City Engineer allowed to modify
minimum lot size in R-A zoning
district
Removed
R-A minimum lot size 3-10 acres Changed to 3 acres
Height = 30 ft for habitable; 50 ft
for non-habitable
Removed non-habitable; limit all to 30 feet
Chapter 21.33 - R1 Zone
B-3, B-4, B-5 detached accessory
structure front setback is 15 feet
Revised front setback from 15 ft to 20 ft to match main structure RS Zoning District There are no development standards for RS zone for which one parcel is currently zoned in the northwest portion of the City.

Updated development standards have been added for this zone.

RV shelters allowed with a CUP in
rear or side setback
Changed from CUP to Development Plan Modification
Detached accessory structures
must be located in the rear of the
lot
Detached accessory structures to be located behind front and street side of primary structure
Gross floor area of detached
accessory structures not to exceed
50 percent of the gross floor area,
including any attached garage, of
the main building, except by
approval of a conditional use
permit.
 Clarify the calculation is cumulative for all accessory structures.
 Changed from CUP to Development Plan Modification
Every single-family dwelling is
required to have a minimum width
and depth of 24 feet
Removed
Second stories are required to be
set back 10 feet from the side
property line
Removed. Retain existing regulations based on lot width and apply to full building instead of just ground floor. Result:

Lots less than 65 ft: 5 ft setback
Lots 65 ft or wider: 5 ft on one side and 10 ft on the other side Minimum building separations are
10 feet
Reduced to 6 ft
Warranted enhanced objective
design standards for single family
development
Added requirement for all new single family dwellings to:
 Provide an entryway feature
 10% minimum transparency on front and street-side
façades

Attachment 1
 Roofs must be gable, hipped, or shed (no flat roofs)
 Applicants may request a Site Plan Modification (DRC) to modify standards.

Chapter 21.33 - Multi-Family Zones (R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5) Minimum building separations are
up to 20 feet on main buildings
with 3 stories
Reduced to 10 feet applied to all buildings (main and accessory) Open Space:
 375 sf of usable shared
open space required
 Private open space can be
counted as 1.5 times the
value of shared open space
 Amount of open space and
recreational amenities
determined through
development review
process for senior projects
 Set clear standard for open space required for senior apartments, rather than at Planning Commission
discretion (200 sf per unit, either private or shared)
1, 2, or 3 tot lots required for
multifamily based on number of
units
Allow playgrounds to be combined to one larger playground as an option, and require shade.

Rooftop open space excluded from
counting towards required open
space
Allow for rooftop open space to count toward open space requirements.

Standard requiring residential fire
sprinklers
Removed. It is redundant and addressed in State Building Code.

Detached accessory structures are
limited to 50 percent of the gross
floor area for buildings with 10
units
Clarify the 50% limit is cumulatively applied to all detached accessory structures; reduced threshold from 10 to 4 or fewer units, where detached accessory structures are more likely to apply. Applicants may apply for an exception through a
Development Plan Modification (Planning Commission approval).

No minimum lot size  Added minimum lot sizes for R-3 (10,000 SF), R-4 (15,000 SF), and R-5 (20,000 SF) with reference to Government
Code Section 66499.40 (which allows small lot
subdivisions in multi-family zones)
 Added language that minimum lot size must allow no less than one full density unit per lot
Setback requirements required
clarification due to complexity
 Simplified Setbacks
 Modified setbacks for detached accessory structures: 3 ft from property lines and 5 ft from alleys, consistent with R-1 zone.
 Adjacent to R-1, setback is 20 feet for second stories and above.

Miscellaneous Zoning Districts (R2, B-3, R-3-10, R-3-O, R-4-20, and R-5-20)
There are no development standards for these zones. Standards added to Section 21.33.060.

Attachment 1
Chapter 21.34 – Office Professional Zone
OP zoning district had many
complex standards and guidelines
that are covered elsewhere in the
Code
 Simplified standards
 Removed guidelines and sections covered elsewhere in
Code (like historic preservation)
 Made accessory structure height consistent with other zoning districts (15 ft instead of 20 ft)
No language on allowed density,
CUP was required for multi-family
residential, but existing
multifamily units are considered
nonconforming (internal conflict)
Added maximum density (12 du/ac), consistent with T3-F zoning district
Parking required at a ratio of 1
space for every 200 sf of gross floor
area for offices
Removed requirement for more than standard required parking for office. Now required at 4 per 1,000 sf of floor area.

Adaptive reuse allows PC approval
of less parking
Parking reductions would go through the Development Plan Modification process, consistent with other zoning districts Development standards for multifamily required clarificationClarified standards for new multi-family residential uses in OP (comply with R-3 and ODS standards) with CUP
Detached accessory structures
limited to 50% of primary
structure, allowed height is 20 ft
Clarified cumulative gross floor area of detached accessory structures limited to 50% and height of 15 ft, consistent with multi-family and single-family zoning districts
Chapter 21.33 - R-3-O Zoning District
R-3-O Zoning District applies to five
parcels, with an intent to allow
residential and office uses but
office was not allowed in the Use
Table.

Apply multi-family development standards (Section 21.33.050) and allow uses permitted in the OP district, which allows offices and additional residences through approval of a conditional use permit.

R-3-O zoning district has no
development standards or a
defined purpose.

Added purpose statement for the zoning district.

Chapter 21.34 - Commercial, Industrial, and Airport Zones Many did not include purpose
statements
Added individual purpose statements for each zoning district.

Adjacent to R-1: Setbacks Required
(5 ft side and 10 ft rear)
Added solid 6 ft fence requirement
Added landscape buffer
Height limit of 50 ft for nonhabitable buildings in CP and RC zoning districts
Removed height limit for non-habitable buildings and defer to projections section, which allows for extra height for specific structures
No development standards in AP Added new standards (based on previous approvals):
 Minimum Lot Size: 10,000 sf
 Minimum Lot Width: 50 ft
 Height: 60 ft
Chapter 21.35 – Public Facilities, Parks and Open Space, and Agricultural Zones Height limit of 50 ft for nonhabitable buildings in AGRemoved height limit and defer to projections section (Section

21.41.130), which allows for extra height for specific structures

Attachment 1
AG standards Removed some standards, including allowance for firing shotgun, allowing fur bearing animal farming, real estate disclosure sample form (will be a handout), and move animal husbandry regulations to Article 6 (Standards for Specific Land Uses and Activities) POS zoning district refers to R-1
development standards
Simplified interior side setback to 10 ft on both sides, instead of 5 ft on one side and 10 ft on the other
Silent on residential adjacent
zoning districts
Required 5 ft interior, 10 ft rear, and 20 ft setback for 2-story buildings adjacent to residential zoning districts
Chapter 21.36 - Overlay Zones
MU Overlay
Language required clarification
about allowing stand-alone
residential in MU overlay
Clarified to allow stand-alone residential, not only mixed uses.

No standards on minimum
dimension for private and shared
open space
Added minimum dimensions for private and shared open space Can be misinterpreted to allow MU
in MF zones
Modified to remove residential districts and clarify standards for residential uses in commercial zones where the overlay has been applied
Private open space can be counted
as 1.5 times the value of shared
open space
Removed incentive for private open space (currently counts as more than shared). Allow projects to provide all private, all shared, or a combination.

Other Overlays
Resort Lodging Overlay Renamed to Lodging Overlay
Historical and Architectural
Preservation Overlay
Renamed to Historic Preservation Overlay
Hillside Overlay Removed and revise to regulating hillside development based on property slope, not mapped areas (standards in Article 8).

Article 4

EXISTING CODE PROPOSED CHANGE
Does not provide clear or
consistent rules of measurement
Chapter 21.41 – Rules of Measurement
 Created a new section for measuring distances, height, slope, and lot width and depth.
 For measuring slope, eliminated conflicting
measurements that were in old code and instead added
2 alternative ways to measure.

Requires minimum yard size for
rear yard in 5-sided lots in R1
district
Section 21.41.120 – Determining Setbacks
 Eliminated the requirement for rear yard to be 1,200
square feet in area (See Figure 21.41.120-1).

Covered porches cannot project
into setbacks
Section 21.41.120 – Determining Setbacks
 Added allowed porch projections:
o 6 feet into front setback
o 3 feet into street side setback

Attachment 1
Limited projections allowed,
section lacks clarity
Section 21.41.130 – Projections into Setbacks
 New table summarizing allowed encroachments:
o Allow patio covers and covered porches to
encroach into rear yard setback (to within 10 feet
of rear property line). Lot coverage requirements
still apply.
o Allow uncovered porches, decks, stoops, stairs to
encroach 6 feet into a front setback and 2 feet
into side setbacks.

Standards for small structures
warrant clarification
Chapter 21.43 – Awnings, Canopies, and Patio Covers
 Added standards to detached patio covers and canopies in Residential zones.
o Limit on number (3)
o Detached canopies and patio covers count
toward lot coverage (code was silent before)
o May not be located in front yard, street side yard,
or driveway
 Allow for patio covers detached 1 ft from the main
structure to have setbacks associated with attached patio covers.

Fence standards in multiple
locations. Modification process
undefined.

Chapter 21.44 – Fences, Walls, and Hedges
 Continue to allow DRC to approve height of residential front yard fence from 3 feet to 4 feet as a Minor
Modification (Article 2).
 Changed process from Planning Commission to DRC (Site Plan Modification) for review of commercial front yard
fence changes up to 6 ft.
 Added examples of acceptable decorative materials.
 Required Development Plan Modification for review of
increase in commercial fence height from 6 to 8 ft.
 Removed allowance for Residential or Office Professional to have 8 ft high fence along arterial streets.
 Made changes to the definition of “front yard” as it
applies to fencing. New diagrams added to Article 4 (See Figure 21.44.030-1) and to Article 9 (See Figure

21.92.250-1).

Limited landscaping requirements Chapter 21.45 - Landscaping  Added a minimum percent live plant requirement to
ensure required landscaping is not all rocks or mulch.
 Added modification option for both Site Plan Review
(Minor Modification) and Development Plan (Major
Modification).

Limited screening requirements Chapter 21.47 - Mechanical and Equipment Screening  Added requirements for location (behind the front façade of a building) and screening mechanical equipment on

Attachment 1
roofs and at grade, and also specific standards for
screening backflow devices.

Parking standards could benefit
from enhanced rules regarding
measurement, additional clarity on
how to address nonconforming
sites, and reasonable requirements
for many uses
Section 21.48.030 – Required Parking Spaces
 Added new calculation for determining required parking for nonresidential uses.
o When a change in use, expansion of a use, or
expansion of floor area creates an increase of 20
percent or more in the number of required onsite parking or loading spaces, on-site parking and loading shall be provided.
 Clarified parking requirement if a room has potential of being a bedroom (e.g. “office”).
 Expanded list of uses with specified parking ratio:
o Calculation of automotive repair required
parking measured by building area, not by service
bay
o Added caretaker unit: 1 space
o Added residential care general/assisted living: 1
parking space per 5 rooms
o Added a reduced parking ratio for multi-family
residential when studio or 1-bedroom units are
600 sf or less. The other multi-family residential
standards stayed the same.
o Supportive, transitional housing to be same as
other residential uses.
o Hotel parking calculation based on guest rooms
o Remove additional required parking for offices in
the OP Zone.
o Self-storage parking rate.
 Parking Modification
o Matched mixed use/multiple use parking
reduction with what is allowed in Uptown/Town
Centre Specific Plan
o 20% parking reduction with parking demand
study completed by licensed Traffic Engineer
Parking lot standards lacking
several desired requirements
Section 21.48.100 – Parking Area Design and Development Standards
 Parking lot surface material modifications:
o Residential: Allowed large 1-acre+ lots to use
non-permanent material, only if in rear half of lot,
screened, and upon approval of a Site Plan
Modification.
o Nonresidential: Required any non-permanent
material request to require a Development Plan
Modification (with findings).
 Changed threshold for landscaping in parking lots from 4 to 6 parking spaces.

Attachment 1
 Required parking lot perimeter curbing
 Added required parking for electric vehicles consistent with State law
Driveway standards lacking several
desired requirements
Section 21.48.110 – Driveway Standards
 Prohibit the establishment of new driveways that require cars to back out onto arterial or greater roads, unless it is determined to be infeasible by the City Engineer.
 Maximum driveway approach width can be 30 feet. Code
was silent before.
 Driveway materials: Clarified decomposed granite is not considered a permanent surface.

State rules require development
standards for multi-family
residential and mixed-use projects
to be objective. Current code
includes many subjective
standards.

Chapter 21.50 - Objective Design Standards
 Replaced existing Objective Design Standards (ODS) for multi-family residential uses with new ODS for multifamily and mixed-use projects o Tiered standards that increase with size of
project
o Standards include windows, roofs, wall plane
variation, and exterior building materials
Limited standards for refuse
collection areas; State
requirements have changed
Chapter 21.51 – Refuse and Recycling Areas
 Added threshold for when to require an enclosure for
bins and containers
 Replaced trash enclosure design guidelines with new
standards applicable for all projects.
 Now require full roofs for all enclosures (previously required trellis for MFR but was silent for all other uses).  Prohibit chain link as a material when visible from a public right-of-way or abutting residential.
 Prohibit enclosure in front and street side setback
(previously silent on all setbacks).

Sign standards could benefit from
organization, rules of
measurement, and updating in
accordance with current legal
landscape.

Chapter 21.52 - Signs
 Defined calculation of sign area: no more than 8 corners  Consolidated construction signs under temporary signs and applying temporary sign standards
 Consolidating monument signs under freestanding signs  Billboards and all signs in the public right-of-way moved to Title 19 and Title 11, respectively.
 Large sites allowed one additional taller freestanding sign – threshold reduced from 20 acres to 10 acres.
 Nonconforming signs: Existing Code does not allow
change of copy without making sign conforming. Changes
proposed to allow change of copy through design review
process.
 Require sign program for 5+ tenants (currently Code
references sign programs but without a threshold to
clarify when they are required).

Attachment 1
 Modifications table for signs Table 21.52.060-2
Standards for swimming pools are
in multiple sections of the code
and require enhanced alignment
Chapter 21.53 – Swimming Pools
 Align pool fence height with building code (5 feet), not made of fabric/mesh.
 Separation for pools established at 10 feet from a primary building.
 Pools not allowed in street side setback in R1
 Pools not allowed closer to front property line than the nearest residence in R1
Undergrounding required only in
multi-family zoning districts
Chapter 21.54 - Underground Utilities
 Clarified that undergrounding of service lines is required in all districts consistent with GP Goal LU-2 Action Item 3.

Article 5

KEY CHANGES DETAILS
Chapter 21.58 - Accessory
Dwelling Units
 Reorganization of the chapter to be more user-friendly including differentiation between "Statewide Exemption
ADUs” and “Local ADUs” and which standards apply to
each;
 Addition of a maximum size for a garage attached to an ADU; and
 Reduced front setback to be the same as for a primary residence.
 Separation between ADU and primary structure reduced
from 10 feet to 6 feet.
 Clarified the maximum number of ADUs in mixed-use and multi-family zones:
o At least 25% converted OR no more than 2
detached.
 Clarified “interior ADUs” can be converted from existing space, not including porches, patio covers, or similar.

Chapter 21.59 - Adult Business
Uses
 No substantive changes.

Chapter 21.60 - Cannabis  No substantive changes.

Chapter 21.61 - Density Bonus  Changed to conform with State law.

Chapter 21.62 - Historic
Preservation
 Simplified resource classifications (Historic Resources Inventory, Historic Districts, and Landmarks only).
 Allowed the Planning Commission to consider Certificates of Appropriateness for alterations to locally designated historical resources.
 Reserved review of state or nationally designated
resources (Landmarks) and all demolitions of historic
resources to the City Council.

Chapter 21.63 - Murals  No substantive changes.

Attachment 1
Chapter 21.64 - Short-Term
Rentals
 No substantive changes.

Chapter 21.65 - Urban Dwelling
Units
 Renamed “Two-Unit Projects” “Urban Dwelling Units”
 Introduced list of development standards the City would modify so as not to preclude the ability for up to two 800- square foot units on a lot similar to ADUs
 Changed height and setbacks to be more consistent with ADUs
Chapter 21.66 - Wireless
Communication Facilities
 Changed to conform with Federal law requiring
ministerial approval of minor modifications to existing facilities.

Article 6

KEY CHANGES DETAILS
Animal husbandry standards listed
in AG district standards, but
allowed in additional zones
Section 21.69.050 – Animal Keeping, Commercial
 Clarified commercial animal keeping standards and
maximum density limitations for different types of
animals.
 Standards were distinguished between low-density and
high-density, with the latter requiring approval by the appropriate review authority.

No standards for solar electrical
generation and storage uses
Section 21.69.080 – Electricity Generation and Storage Facilities  Added a new section for electricity generation
regulations. Also defined in Article 9 and added to the land use table in Article 3.

No standards for food trucks Section 21.69.120 - Food Trucks  Added a new section for food truck regulations. Also
defined in Article 9 and added to the land use table in Article 3.

Limited standards for
manufactured homes outside a
mobile home park
Section 21.69.130 - Manufactured Homes
 Applied architectural standards for single-family
residences
 Added requirement that the structure be no more than
36 inches over the ground
Does not state allowed density for
assisted living facilities
Section 21.69.200 – Residential Care Facilities
Codified density interpretation for assisted living facilities (beds per acre). Beds/Acre has been determined based on Census data from the 2022 5-year estimates that assumes 2.6 people per household multiplied by the allowed density of the zone and rounded to the nearest whole number.

Section 21.16J.230. Right to farm
regulations listed in AG district
standards, but should apply more
broadly
Section 21.69.220 - Right to Farm
 Right to Farm moved to its own section.
 Local option real estate transfer disclosure statement removed from code, becomes handout
Article 7

KEY CHANGES DETAILS

Attachment 1
General fixes  Removed amortization requirements, which are difficult to enforce.
 Reorganized to clarify different procedures for
nonconforming uses, structures, and lots.

Warranted clarification on
whether existing nonconforming
lots may have lot lines adjusted
Chapter 21.75 - Nonconforming Lots
 Added allowance that lot line adjustments to
nonconforming lots that do not increase the deviation
between the existing nonconforming situation and the
Code requirement or create a new nonconforming
situation are allowed.

Legally nonconforming structures
damaged by a force majeure
(where the destruction affects
more than 50% of the fair market
value) must be rebuilt to code.

Chapter 21.76 - Nonconforming Structures
 Changed to allow rebuilding dependent on the square
footage of destruction rather than fair market value
(which is difficult to assess).
 Allowed damage to reach 75% of the square footage of
structures and still allow rebuilding of nonconformity.  Legally nonconforming building or structure damaged by a purposeful act of destruction, where destruction affects more than 50% of the square footage of structures, must be rebuilt in conformance with the code.
 Changed process from Conditional Use Permit to
Development Plan Modification .

Right to reestablish a
nonconforming use extinguished
at 6 months
Chapter 21.77 - Nonconforming Uses
 Nonconforming use abandonment increased to 12
months.

Structures containing a legally
nonconforming uses damaged by a
force majeure, where the
destruction affects more than 50%
of the fair market value, must be
rebuilt to code.

Section 21.77.020 - Destruction of a Structure Containing a Nonconforming Use
 Required structures containing legally nonconforming
uses damaged by a force majeure, where the destruction
affects more than 50 percent of the gross floor area of the structure(s), must be rebuilt to code.

Code does not explicitly state
when nonconforming parking
should be addressed
Section 21.78.010 - Nonconforming Parking
 For commercial uses, any building addition or increase in the intensity of use of any building, structure, or premises shall provide parking for such addition or increase in
intensity.
 For single-family residential unit with only one covered parking space, additions of up to 500 SF or 20% of the
existing structure (whichever is less) are allowed without adding a second covered parking space.
 For single-family residential units with no parking spaces, any addition to the unit requires at least one parking
space in a garage or carport (with exceptions for ADUs
and two-unit projects).

Attachment 1
Code does not explicitly state
when nonconforming fences
should be addressed
Section 21.78.020 - Nonconforming fences
 Required:
o Draft states legal fence nonconformities may be
maintained for single family residences in all
circumstances.
o Multi-family fences made to conform when
density is increased.
o Nonresidential fences made to conform with
increased intensity of use or addition of 1,000
square feet.

Code does not explicitly state
when nonconforming landscaping
should be addressed
Section 21.78.030 - Nonconforming landscaping
 Non-residential development made to conform with
additions of 25% of the square footage of existing
buildings
 Residential development made to conform with additions of 50% of the square footage of existing buildings
Article 8

EXISTING CODE PROPOSED CHANGE
Chapter 21.81 - Hillside Development
Regulations apply to areas within the
Hillside development district and lots with
slopes over 10%
Removed Hillside overlay; instead regulate any lot with slope over 10%
Most substantive hillside standards were
listed in the single-family zoning district
section of the Zoning Code
Applied hillside standards to all zoning districts
Remove extra information, definitions,
and ambiguous or conflicting standards
Simplified and remove ambiguous language and internal
conflicts
Regulations separated for new lots and
existing lots
Combined regulations for existing and new lots, applying regulations uniformly
Requirements for density for PD Overlay
in addition to lot size by slope
 Clarify intent of PD Overlay in Article 3 and modify
to remove specific standards
 Remove separate and conflicting density unique
to PD overlay
 Retain lot size and width requirements by slope
(move to Article 3 under single-family
development standards)
Landscaping is required for erosion
control and street tree planting.

Added requirement to plant one tree for every 1,000
square feet of graded area.

Grading and retaining wall standards
apply only to residential development
 Revise so grading and retaining wall standards
apply to any parcel with slope greater than 10%.
 No changes to height and distancing of retaining
walls for residential uses
 Clarify these standards also apply to multifamily

Attachment 1
 Add regulations for retaining wall heights and
grading heights in nonresidential zoning districts
Individual pad grading allowed on lots
with average slope less than 15%, may be
allowed by DRC over 15%
 Foundation type dictated by existing slope of
“area of disturbance” instead of average slope of
the lot
o <15% slope: pad grading allowed
o 15-35% required stem walls/no pad
grading
o No area of disturbance on areas with
>35% slope
o Clarified process for modifications
Chapter 21.82 - Lighting and Illumination
No unique section on lighting. Some zones
and sections mention lighting briefly.
• Require lighting to be dark-sky compliant or
equivalent
• Add standards for height of fixtures, design, and
shielding (minimum 2-inch shielding)
• Allow for modification of lighting standards
through Development Plan Modification
Chapter 21.83 - Noise
No purpose statement Added a purpose statement
Existing provision to revisit noise control
program every 3 years
Removed
Existing provision to allow legal
nonconforming uses for 12 months, now
expired
Removed
Existing exemption process Revised to align with Development Plan Modification Other Removed explanatory text that does not include
regulations, and sections covered in other Articles of the Code (appeals, severability, etc.) to simplify
Article 9

KEY CHANGES DETAILS
New land use definitions  Added definitions that didn’t previously exist.

Existing land use definitions  Clarified worded definitions that could benefit from enhancements and updating.

Zoning Map

EXISTING PROPOSED CHANGE
Hillside District Overlay Removed overlay from the map in conjunction with changes to Article 8 and instead regulate based on actual slope: Hillside regulations apply to any parcel with an average slope greater than 10%.

Special conditions attached to certain
properties.

Removed special conditions overlays D and E (as reflected in Article 1) that no longer apply and rename those being kept as “Special Planned Development Overlays”.

Attachment 2
ORDINANCE NO. XXXX N.S. (A)

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EL PASO DE ROBLES ADOPTING A COMPREHENSIVE, REPEAL AND REPLACE OF THE TITLE 21 ZONING CODE AMENDMENT RZN 23-02 REGARDING UPDATES TO THE EL PASO DE ROBLES ZONING CODE

AND ZONING MAP AND FINDING THE ACTION EXEMPT FROM CEQA UNDER STATE CEQA GUIDELINES SECTIONS 15060(c)(2) AND (c)(3) AND 15061(b)(3) WHEREAS, the City of El Paso de Robles, California (the “City”) is a municipal corporation, duly organized under the constitution and laws of the State of California; and WHEREAS, the Zoning Code has not been comprehensively updated since the 1970s. Over the years, revisions have been made to address evolving land use and development practices, incorporate Specific Plans and new zoning districts, and address changes in State law; and WHEREAS, MIG, Inc. (MIG), an independent consultant, was retained by the City to assist with comprehensive updates to the Zoning Code; and
WHEREAS, the main objectives of the update to the Zoning Code include:
a. Providing intuitive and user-friendly development regulations; b. Eliminating conflicts to create an internally consistent document; c. Complying with recent legislation and case law; and
d. Modernizing the Zoning Code to reflect best practices, with a focus on streamlining housing entitlement and permitting processes, plus providing for flexibility and innovation; and WHEREAS, in pursuit of these objectives, the City desires to amend its Zoning Code, currently codified as Title 21 of the El Paso De Robles Municipal Code; and WHEREAS, the early stages of the Zoning Code update process included initial data collection, conducting stakeholder interviews, and providing a diagnostic summary of issues concerning the Zoning Code, including recommendations for reorganizing the Code; and WHEREAS, from there, staff worked collaboratively with MIG in reorganizing the Zoning Code into 9 articles, updating each, and bringing them through a series of public study sessions to ensure public input and thoroughness of the edits being proposed; and WHEREAS, on October 22, 2022, the Planning Commission held a study session and as part of the meeting reviewed a portion of Article 1 and portions of Articles 3, 6, and 9 of the Zoning Code; and WHEREAS, on September 26, 2023, the Planning Commission held a study session and as part of the meeting reviewed Article 2 and a portion of Article 4; and WHEREAS, on November 28, 2023, the Planning Commission held a study session and as part of the meeting reviewed Articles 5 and 7 and a portion of Article 4; and WHEREAS, on February 13, 2024, the Planning Commission held a study session and as part of the meeting reviewed additional portions of Article 4; and

Attachment 2
WHEREAS, on March 26, 2024, the Planning Commission held a study session and as part of the meeting reviewed Article 8 and portions of Article 3; and WHEREAS, the City published a complete draft of all Zoning Code Articles on June 14, 2024, to encourage public participation and input on the changes being proposed throughout the Zoning Code; and
WHEREAS, on July 9, 2024, the Planning Commission held a study session and reviewed a complete draft of the Zoning Code; and
WHEREAS, concurrently with the Zoning Code update process, updates to Titles 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 19, and 22, have been made to clean up code references that will be outdated if Title 21 is amended; and
WHEREAS, on August 13, 2024, the Planning Commission held a public hearing for amendments to Title 21 and amendments to the Zoning Map including removing special conditions overlays D and E as well as removing of Hillside District Overlay, and on six successive votes of 6-0-1 (one Commissioner absent), recommended the City Council approve said amendments; and WHEREAS, on August 27, 2024, the Planning Commission held a public hearing for amendments to Municipal Code Titles 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, and 19, and on five successive votes of 5-0-2 (two Commissioners absent), recommended the City Council approve said amendments; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that these updates to the Zoning Code, Zoning Map, and updates to Titles 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 19, and 22 do not qualify as a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines, § 15060, subd. (c)(2)-(3), and are exempt from CEQA under State CEQA Guidelines, § 15061(b)(3); and
WHEREAS, a duly noticed public hearing was conducted by the City Council on September 17, 2024, to consider the facts as presented in the staff report prepared for this Zoning Code update, Zoning Map amendments, and Municipal Code amendments, and to afford the public an opportunity to comment upon such items.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EL PASO DE ROBLES DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. All of the above recitals are true and correct and are incorporated herein by reference.

Section 2. Findings for Approval. Based on the facts and analysis presented to it, including all written and oral testimony, the City Council hereby finds and determines:
a. RZN 23-02 is consistent with the following Goals and Policies of the General Plan – Land Use Element Policy LU-2B Action Item 1: By defining and implementing updated zoning standards through the proposed Zoning Code, the City ensures that zoning regulations are not only up-to-date but also promote the enhancement and conformity of existing structures throughout the City. Housing Element Policy H-3.3: By updating the Zoning Code and Zoning Map, the proposed updates ensure that the City remains current in recent legislation, particularly as it relates to housing, thereby helping remove and

Attachment 2
reduce governmental constraints while facilitating compliant and effective housing development throughout the City.
b. The proposed amendments will not adversely impact the public health, safety, and welfare, because the proposed amendments are designed primarily for organizational purposes and to enhance clarity, consistency, and compliance with state and federal laws, thereby providing a more predictable and efficient regulatory framework for all community stakeholders. By establishing clearer standards and processes, this Zoning Code update helps protect public interests, facilitate responsible growth, and maintain the integrity of communities throughout the City. Moreover, the enhanced provisions relating to housing helps support the provision of adequate housing in the City of El Paso de Robles, which in turn contributes positively to the overall welfare of the City and its residents.

Section 3. The Council hereby adopts the language attached hereto as Exhibits A, B, and C, and incorporated herein by reference.

Section 4. Environmental Determination. The City Council finds that this Zoning Code does not quality as a “project” under CEQA because the Zoning Code text amendments do not have the potential to result in either a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. (See State CEQA Guidelines, § 15378 [defining “project”], § 15060(c)(2)-(3).) Alternatively, even if the Zoning Code amendments did qualify as a project under CEQA, they are exempt from CEQA because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the zone code text amendments may have a significant effect on the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines, § 15061(b)(3).)
Section 5. Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this ordinance is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance.

Section 6. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect 30 days after its passage and adoption as provided by Government Code section 36397.

Section 7. Publication. The City Clerk shall certify as to the adoption of this Ordinance and shall cause a summary thereof to be published at least five (5) days prior to the meeting at which the proposed Ordinance is to be adopted and shall post a certified copy of the proposed Ordinance in the Office of the City Clerk. Within fifteen (15) days of the adoption of the Ordinance, the City Clerk shall cause a summary of the Ordinance to be published, including the vote for and against the same, in accordance with Government Code Section 36937.

INTRODUCED at a regular meeting of the City Council held on September 17, 2024, for first reading by the City Council of the City of El Paso de Robles, and adopted on the ___ day of ______, 2024, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

Attachment 2
John R. Hamon, Jr., Mayor
ATTEST:

Melissa Boyer, City Clerk
Exhibit A –Title 21 Zoning Code Amendment
Exhibit B – Zoning Map Amendment for the Special Conditions Overlays D and E Exhibit C – Zoning Map Amendment for the Hillside Development Overlay

Comprehensive
Zoning Code Update

CITY COUNCIL HEARING DRAFT
September 2024
Exhibit A

Table of Contents
toc-i
Table of Contents
Article 1: Enactment, Applicability, and Enforcement
Chapter 21.01. Purpose and Applicability of the Zoning Code..........................................................................1-1

21.01.010. Title ................................................................................................................................................1-1

21.01.020. Purpose and Authority....................................................................................................................1-1

21.01.030. Relationship to Prior Ordinances....................................................................................................1-1

21.01.040. Relationship to General Plan and CEQA........................................................................................1-1

21.01.050. Relationship to Specific Plans ........................................................................................................1-1

21.01.060. Prior Rights and Violations .............................................................................................................1-2

21.01.070. Exemptions for City Projects ..........................................................................................................1-2

21.01.080. Violation Constitutes a Public Nuisance .........................................................................................1-2

21.01.090. Enforcement ...................................................................................................................................1-2

21.01.100. Severability.....................................................................................................................................1-2 Chapter 21.02. Interpretation of the Zoning Code...............................................................................................1-2

21.02.010. Purpose..........................................................................................................................................1-2

21.02.020. Rules of Interpretation ....................................................................................................................1-3

21.02.030. Procedures for Interpretation..........................................................................................................1-3

21.02.040. Uses Not Classified ........................................................................................................................1-4

21.02.050. Illustrations .....................................................................................................................................1-4 Chapter 21.03. Zoning Districts ............................................................................................................................1-4

21.03.010. Establishment of Zoning Districts ...................................................................................................1-4 Chapter 21.04. Special Planned Developments Established .............................................................................1-6

21.04.010. Purpose..........................................................................................................................................1-6

21.04.020. Special Planned Development Overlay A.......................................................................................1-6

21.04.030. Special Planned Development Overlay B.......................................................................................1-6

21.04.040. Special Planned Development Overlay C.......................................................................................1-6

21.04.050. Special Planned Development Overlay D.......................................................................................1-7

21.04.060. Special Planned Development Overlay E.......................................................................................1-7

21.04.070. Special Planned Development Overlay F.......................................................................................1-7

21.04.080. Special Planned Development Overlay G. .....................................................................................1-7

21.04.090. Special Planned Development Overlay H.......................................................................................1-8

21.04.100. Special Planned Development Overlay I. .......................................................................................1-8

21.04.110. Special Planned Development Overlay J. ......................................................................................1-9

21.04.120. Reserved......................................................................................................................................1-11 Chapter 21.05. Specific Plans Established........................................................................................................1-11

Table of Contents
toc-ii

21.05.010. Adopted Specific Plans.................................................................................................................1-11 Chapter 21.06. Zoning Map .................................................................................................................................1-12

21.06.010. Zoning Map ..................................................................................................................................1-12

21.06.020. Rights-of-way and Vacated Boundary Lines.................................................................................1-12

21.06.030. Uncertainty of Boundaries ............................................................................................................1-13

21.06.040. Classification of Annexed Lands ..................................................................................................1-13 Chapter 21.07. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................1-13 ARTICLE 2: CODE ADMINISTRATION AND PERMITS
Chapter 21.08. Planning Authorities ....................................................................................................................2-1

21.08.010. Purpose And Applicability...............................................................................................................2-1

21.08.020. City Council ....................................................................................................................................2-1

21.08.030. Planning Commission.....................................................................................................................2-2

21.08.040. Development Review Committee ...................................................................................................2-3

21.08.050. Zoning Administrator ......................................................................................................................2-4

21.08.060. Community Development Director..................................................................................................2-6

21.08.070. Permit Review Authority Summary.................................................................................................2-6

21.08.080. Additional Permits May be Required ..............................................................................................2-9

21.08.090. Noncomplying Permits....................................................................................................................2-9 Chapter 21.09. Application Processing and Common Procedures ...................................................................2-9

21.09.010. Purpose and Applicability ...............................................................................................................2-9

21.09.020. Multiple Permit Applications ...........................................................................................................2-9

21.09.030. Application Preparation and Filing..................................................................................................2-9

21.09.040. Application and Other Related Fees.............................................................................................2-10

21.09.050. Eligible Applicants ........................................................................................................................2-11

21.09.060. Initial Application Review..............................................................................................................2-11

21.09.070. Environmental Review..................................................................................................................2-13

21.09.080. Housing Accountability Act Streamlined Review..........................................................................2-13

21.09.090. Procedures for Applications filed under California Government Code Section 65913.4 (SB 35) .2-17

21.09.100. Administrative File Close-Out Program ........................................................................................2-20 Chapter 21.10. Amendments to the General Plan, Zoning Code, and Zoning Map........................................2-20

21.10.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................2-20

21.10.020. Review Authority...........................................................................................................................2-21

21.10.030. Initiation of Amendment................................................................................................................2-21

21.10.040. Application Processing .................................................................................................................2-21

21.10.050. Planning Commission Hearing and Recommendation .................................................................2-22

Table of Contents
toc-iii

21.10.060. City Council Hearing and Action...................................................................................................2-22

21.10.070. Required Findings ........................................................................................................................2-22

21.10.080. General Plan Consistency Required for Zoning Amendments .....................................................2-23 Chapter 21.11. Special Planned Developments (SPD)......................................................................................2-23

21.11.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................2-23

21.11.020. Application Processing .................................................................................................................2-23

21.11.030. Planning Commission Hearing and Recommendation .................................................................2-24

21.11.040. City Council Hearing and Action...................................................................................................2-24

21.11.050. Allowed Modifications to Development Standards........................................................................2-25

21.11.060. Required Findings ........................................................................................................................2-26

21.11.070. Special Planned Developments Established ................................................................................2-26 Chapter 21.12. Development Agreements .........................................................................................................2-27

21.12.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................2-27

21.12.020. Application Filing, Processing, and Review..................................................................................2-27

21.12.030. Contents of Development Agreement ..........................................................................................2-28

21.12.040. Hearings, Recommendation, and Action. .....................................................................................2-29

21.12.050. Required Findings ........................................................................................................................2-30

21.12.060. Execution and Recordation ..........................................................................................................2-30

21.12.070. Effect of Approved Agreement .....................................................................................................2-31

21.12.080. Enforcement and Continuing Validity ...........................................................................................2-31

21.12.090. Periodic Review............................................................................................................................2-31

21.12.100. Amendment and Cancellation of Development Agreements ........................................................2-33 Chapter 21.13. Development Agreements Established ....................................................................................2-33

21.13.010. City Council Adopted Development Agreements..........................................................................2-33

21.13.020. Olsen – South Chandler Ranch Specific Plan Development Agreement......................................2-34

21.13.030. Olsen – South Chandler Ranch Specific Plan Planning Area 9 Development Agreement ...........2-34

21.13.040. Olsen – South Chandler Ranch Specific Plan – Our Town Development Agreement..................2-34

21.13.050. Paso Robles Gateway Annexation Development Agreement ......................................................2-34

21.13.060. Beechwood Specific Plan Development Agreement ....................................................................2-34 Chapter 21.14. Specific Plans .............................................................................................................................2-34

21.14.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................2-34

21.14.020. Initiation of Specific Plans.............................................................................................................2-35

21.14.030. Specific Plan Project Review........................................................................................................2-36

21.14.040. Hearings, Recommendation, and Action ......................................................................................2-36

21.14.050. Required Findings ........................................................................................................................2-37

21.14.060. Adoption of a Specific Plan...........................................................................................................2-37

21.14.070. Post Decision Procedures ............................................................................................................2-38

Table of Contents
toc-iv

21.14.080. Specific Plans Established ...........................................................................................................2-38 Chapter 21.15. Development Review..................................................................................................................2-38

21.15.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................2-38

21.15.020. Types of Development Review Established .................................................................................2-38

21.15.030. Development Review Authority Summary ....................................................................................2-39

21.15.040. Application Filing, Processing, and Review..................................................................................2-41

21.15.050. Public Meetings and Notice..........................................................................................................2-43

21.15.060. Development Review Criteria .......................................................................................................2-43

21.15.070. Conditions of Approval .................................................................................................................2-43

21.15.080. Post Decision Procedures ............................................................................................................2-44 Chapter 21.16. Development Plans ....................................................................................................................2-44

21.16.010. Development Plan Requirements.................................................................................................2-44

21.16.020. Development Plan Modifications ..................................................................................................2-46

21.16.030. Master Development Plan ............................................................................................................2-49 Chapter 21.17. Site Plans ....................................................................................................................................2-50

21.17.010. Site Plan Review Requirements ...................................................................................................2-50

21.17.020. Site Plan Modifications .................................................................................................................2-51 Chapter 21.18. Plot Plans ....................................................................................................................................2-53

21.18.010. Plot Plan Review Requirement.....................................................................................................2-53

21.18.020. Plot Plan Review Code Consistency ............................................................................................2-54 Chapter 21.19. Conditional Use Permits and Administrative Use Permits .....................................................2-54

21.19.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................2-54

21.19.020. Review Authority...........................................................................................................................2-54

21.19.030. Application Processing .................................................................................................................2-54

21.19.040. Notice and Hearing.......................................................................................................................2-55

21.19.050. Required Findings ........................................................................................................................2-55

21.19.060. Conditions of Approval .................................................................................................................2-56

21.19.070. Permit to Run with the Land .........................................................................................................2-57

21.19.080. Conditional Use Permit/Development Plan Combined Action ......................................................2-57

21.19.090. Post Decision Procedures ............................................................................................................2-57 Chapter 21.20. Temporary Use Permits .............................................................................................................2-57

21.20.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................2-57

21.20.020. Exempt Temporary Uses..............................................................................................................2-57

21.20.030. Allowed Temporary Uses .............................................................................................................2-58

21.20.040. Uses Requiring Special Regulatory Provisions ............................................................................2-58

21.20.050. Application Processing .................................................................................................................2-59

21.20.060. Action by the Zoning Administrator...............................................................................................2-59

Table of Contents
toc-v

21.20.070. Findings For Approval and Revocation ........................................................................................2-60

21.20.080. Conditions of Approval .................................................................................................................2-60

21.20.090. Permit Duration.............................................................................................................................2-60

21.20.100. Condition of Site Following Temporary Use .................................................................................2-60 Chapter 21.21. Home Occupation Permits.........................................................................................................2-61

21.21.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................2-61

21.21.020. Compliance with Standards and Conditions.................................................................................2-61

21.21.030. Excluded Operations ....................................................................................................................2-63

21.21.040. Business License Required..........................................................................................................2-64

21.21.050. Application Filing, Processing, and Review..................................................................................2-64

21.21.060. Required Findings And Decision ..................................................................................................2-64

21.21.070. Permit Expiration ..........................................................................................................................2-65

21.21.080. Inspections ...................................................................................................................................2-65

21.21.090. Acknowledgement by Applicant....................................................................................................2-65

21.21.100. Permit Not Transferable ...............................................................................................................2-65

21.21.110. Changes in Home Occupation......................................................................................................2-65

21.21.120. Post-Decision Procedures ............................................................................................................2-65 Chapter 21.22. Variances ....................................................................................................................................2-65

21.22.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................2-65

21.22.020. Application Filing, Processing, and Review..................................................................................2-66

21.22.030. Required Findings ........................................................................................................................2-66

21.22.040. Precedents ...................................................................................................................................2-67

21.22.050. Conditions of Approval .................................................................................................................2-67

21.22.060. Permit to Run with the Land .........................................................................................................2-67

21.22.070. Post Decision Procedures ............................................................................................................2-67 Chapter 21.23. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................2-67 Chapter 21.24. Entitlement Implementation, Extensions, Modifications, and Revocations.........................2-67

21.24.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................2-67

21.24.020. Effective Dates of Entitlements.....................................................................................................2-67

21.24.030. Time to Implement and Time Extensions .....................................................................................2-69

21.24.040. Permit Modifications .....................................................................................................................2-70

21.24.050. Revocations and Suspensions .....................................................................................................2-71 Chapter 21.25. Appeals and Calls for Review ...................................................................................................2-72

21.25.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................2-72

21.25.020. Review Authority...........................................................................................................................2-72

21.25.030. Filing and Processing of Appeals .................................................................................................2-73

21.25.040. Filing and Processing of Calls for Review ....................................................................................2-74

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Chapter 21.26. Public Hearings and Notice.......................................................................................................2-74

21.26.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................2-74

21.26.020. Public Hearing Procedures...........................................................................................................2-74

21.26.030. Notice Requirements for Hearings ...............................................................................................2-75

21.26.040. Notice Requirements for Development Review Committee Meetings ..........................................2-76 Chapter 21.27. Reasonable Accommodations ..................................................................................................2-76

21.27.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................2-77

21.27.020. Application Filing, Processing, and Review..................................................................................2-77

21.27.030. Findings and Decision ..................................................................................................................2-78

21.27.040. Rescission of Approval of Reasonable Accommodation ..............................................................2-78

21.27.050. Post Decision Procedures ............................................................................................................2-78 Chapter 21.28. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................2-78 Chapter 21.29. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................2-79 Chapter 21.30. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................2-79 Chapter 21.31. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................2-79 Article 3: Zoning Districts, Allowable Uses, and Development Standards Chapter 21.32. Land Use Regulations in Zoning Districts .................................................................................3-1 Chapter 21.33. Residential Zoning Districts (R-A, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5)......................................................3-12

21.33.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................3-12

21.33.020. Land Use Regulations ..................................................................................................................3-13

21.33.030. Development Standards in Single-Family Residential Zoning Districts (R-A and R-1).................3-13

21.33.040. Additional Development Standards in Single-Family Residential Zoning Districts .......................3-16

21.33.050. Development Standards in Multi-Family Residential (R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5) Zoning Districts ..........3-19

21.33.060. Additional Development Standards in Multi-Family Residential Zoning Districts..........................3-21

21.33.070. Development Standards in the Multi-Family Residential / Office Professional (R-3-O) Zoning Districts.........................................................................................................................................3-26

21.33.080. Additional Regulations for Properties Adjacent to Single-Family Residential (R-1) Zoning Districts.........................................................................................................................................3-26 Chapter 21.34. Commercial, Industrial, and Airport Zoning Districts (OP, CP, C-1, C-2, C-3, RC, RL, M, PM, AP)...................................................................................................................................3-26

21.34.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................3-26

21.34.020. Land Use Regulations ..................................................................................................................3-27

21.34.030. Development Standards...............................................................................................................3-28

21.34.040. Additional Regulations for Properties Adjacent to Residential Zoning Districts ............................3-30

21.34.050. Additional Development Standards and Regulations in OP Zoning District..................................3-30

21.34.060. Additional Development Standards and Regulations in CP and RC Zoning Districts...................3-31

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21.34.070. Additional Development Standards and Regulations in C-2, C-3, and PM Zoning Districts .........3-32

21.34.080. Additional Development Standards and Regulations in RL Zoning District ..................................3-33

21.34.090. Additional Regulations in the AP Zoning District. .........................................................................3-33 Chapter 21.35. Public Facilities, Parks And Open Space, Open Space, and Agricultural Zoning Districts (PF, POS, OS, AG)..............................................................................................................................3-33

21.35.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................3-33

21.35.020. Land Use Regulations ..................................................................................................................3-34

21.35.030. Development Standards...............................................................................................................3-34

21.35.040. Additional Regulations for Properties Adjacent to Residential Zoning Districts ............................3-35

21.35.050. Additional Development Standards and Regulations in PF Zoning District ..................................3-35

21.35.060. Additional Development Standards and Regulations in POS Zoning District ...............................3-35

21.35.070. Additional Development Standards and Regulations in AG Zoning District..................................3-36 Chapter 21.36. Overlay Zoning Districts (HOS, HP, MU, PD, L, SPD, SP) .......................................................3-39

21.36.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................3-39

21.36.020. Highway-Oriented Sign Overlay ...................................................................................................3-39

21.36.030. Historic Preservation Overlay .......................................................................................................3-39

21.36.040. Lodging Overlay ...........................................................................................................................3-40

21.36.050. Mixed-Use Overlay.......................................................................................................................3-41

21.36.060. Planned Development Overlay.....................................................................................................3-43

21.36.070. Special Planned Development Overlay ........................................................................................3-43

21.36.080. Specific Plan Overlay ...................................................................................................................3-43

21.36.090. Office Professional Overlay ..........................................................................................................3-43 Chapter 21.37. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................3-45 Chapter 21.38. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................3-45 Chapter 21.39. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................3-45 Chapter 21.40. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................3-45 Article 4: Regulations and Standards Applicable to All Zoning Districts Chapter 21.41. Rules of Measurement .................................................................................................................4-1

21.41.010. Purpose and Applicability ...............................................................................................................4-1

21.41.020. Fractions.........................................................................................................................................4-1

21.41.030. Measuring Distances......................................................................................................................4-1

21.41.040. Measuring Height ...........................................................................................................................4-2

21.41.050. Measuring Lot Width and Depth .....................................................................................................4-3

21.41.060. Determining Average Slope............................................................................................................4-4

21.41.070. Determining Developable Area.......................................................................................................4-5

21.41.080. Determining Density .......................................................................................................................4-5

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21.41.090. Determining Floor Area ..................................................................................................................4-6

21.41.100. Determining Lot Coverage..............................................................................................................4-7

21.41.110. Determining Parking Requirement .................................................................................................4-7

21.41.120. Determining Setbacks ....................................................................................................................4-7

21.41.130. Projections Into Setbacks ...............................................................................................................4-9

21.41.140. Determining the Front and Side of Corner Lots............................................................................4-10 Chapter 21.42. Accessory Structures ................................................................................................................4-11

21.42.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................4-11

21.42.020. Permit Requirements....................................................................................................................4-11

21.42.030. Development Standards...............................................................................................................4-11 Chapter 21.43. Awnings, Canopies, and Patio Covers .....................................................................................4-11

21.43.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................4-11

21.43.020. Permit Requirements....................................................................................................................4-12

21.43.030. Development Standards...............................................................................................................4-12 Chapter 21.44. Fences, Walls, and Hedges .......................................................................................................4-14

21.44.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................4-14

21.44.020. Permit Requirements....................................................................................................................4-14

21.44.030. Development Standards...............................................................................................................4-14 Chapter 21.45. Landscaping and Open Space ..................................................................................................4-16

21.45.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................4-16

21.45.020. General Provisions .......................................................................................................................4-17

21.45.030. Water Efficient Landscaping.........................................................................................................4-18 Chapter 21.46. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................4-18 Chapter 21.47. Mechanical Equipment and Screening.....................................................................................4-18

21.47.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................4-18

21.47.020. General Provisions .......................................................................................................................4-19 Chapter 21.48. Parking and Loading Regulations ............................................................................................4-20

21.48.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................4-20

21.48.020. General Provisions .......................................................................................................................4-21

21.48.030. Required Parking Spaces.............................................................................................................4-22

21.48.040. Parking Reductions and Modifications .........................................................................................4-23

21.48.050. Off-Site Parking ............................................................................................................................4-24

21.48.060. Bicycle Parking.............................................................................................................................4-24

21.48.070. Motorcycle Parking.......................................................................................................................4-24

21.48.080. Parking for Electric Vehicles.........................................................................................................4-24

21.48.090. Parking for Storage of Commercial Vehicles, Recreational Vehicles, and Boats .........................4-25

21.48.100. Parking Area Design and Development Standards ......................................................................4-25

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21.48.110. Driveway Standards .....................................................................................................................4-29

21.48.120. Off-Street Loading Requirements.................................................................................................4-31 Chapter 21.49. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................4-31 Chapter 21.50. Objective Design Standards for Mixed-Use and Multi-Family Development ........................4-31

21.50.010. Purpose........................................................................................................................................4-31

21.50.020. Applicability ..................................................................................................................................4-31

21.50.030. Alternative Review Process/Modifications....................................................................................4-32

21.50.040. Relationship to Other Standards and Requirements ....................................................................4-32

21.50.050. Building Design and Articulation...................................................................................................4-32

21.50.060. Requirements for All Awnings, Balconies, Roofs, Mechanical Equipment, and Detached Accessory Structures.....................................................................................................................................4-40

21.50.070. Frontage Standards......................................................................................................................4-43

21.50.080. Building Materials and Colors.......................................................................................................4-47

21.50.090. Transition to Adjacent R-1 Zoning District ....................................................................................4-48 Chapter 21.51. Refuse and Recycling Areas .....................................................................................................4-49

21.51.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................4-49

21.51.020. General Provisions .......................................................................................................................4-49

21.51.030. Development Standards...............................................................................................................4-50 Chapter 21.52. Signs............................................................................................................................................4-51

21.52.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................4-51

21.52.020. Definitions.....................................................................................................................................4-52

21.52.030. Signs Exempt from Permit Requirements.....................................................................................4-55

21.52.040. Prohibited Signs ...........................................................................................................................4-56

21.52.050. Signs on Public Right-of-Way or Public Property. ........................................................................4-57

21.52.060. Sign Permit, Sign Program, and Modification Requirements........................................................4-57

21.52.070. Sign Measurement .......................................................................................................................4-59

21.52.080. Permanent Signs..........................................................................................................................4-62

21.52.090. Temporary Signs ..........................................................................................................................4-66

21.52.100. Nonconforming Signs – Copy Changes .......................................................................................4-67

21.52.110. Administration and Enforcement ..................................................................................................4-67

21.52.120. Murals...........................................................................................................................................4-68 Chapter 21.53. Swimming Pools.........................................................................................................................4-69

21.53.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................4-69

21.53.020. Development Standards...............................................................................................................4-69 Chapter 21.54. Underground Utilities.................................................................................................................4-69

21.54.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................4-69

21.54.020. General Provisions .......................................................................................................................4-69

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Chapter 21.55. Visibility at Intersections ...........................................................................................................4-70

21.55.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................4-70

21.55.020. General Provisions .......................................................................................................................4-70 Chapter 21.56. Water Efficient Landscaping .....................................................................................................4-70

21.56.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................4-70

21.56.020. Definitions.....................................................................................................................................4-71

21.56.030. Turf limitations for New Construction and Rehabilitated Landscapes...........................................4-72

21.56.040. Landscape and Irrigation System Design and Information Requirements....................................4-73 Chapter 21.57. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................4-75 Article 5: Special Regulations
Chapter 21.58. Accessory Dwelling Units............................................................................................................5-1

21.58.010. Purpose and Applicability ...............................................................................................................5-1

21.58.020. Definitions.......................................................................................................................................5-1

21.58.030. Application review...........................................................................................................................5-2

21.58.040. ADU Classifications........................................................................................................................5-3

21.58.050. Requirements for All ADUs.............................................................................................................5-4

21.58.060. Additional Requirements for Local ADUS.......................................................................................5-9

21.58.070. Impact Fees..................................................................................................................................5-10

21.58.080. Nonconforming zoning code conditions, building code violations, and unpermitted structures......................................................................................................................................5-11 Chapter 21.59. Adult Business Uses..................................................................................................................5-11

21.59.010. Purpose and Findings...................................................................................................................5-11

21.59.020. Definitions.....................................................................................................................................5-14

21.59.030. General Requirements .................................................................................................................5-16

21.59.040. Development and Performance Standards...................................................................................5-20 Chapter 21.60. Cannabis .....................................................................................................................................5-26

21.60.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................5-26

21.60.020. Definitions.....................................................................................................................................5-26

21.60.030. General Regulations.....................................................................................................................5-27

21.60.040. Violations......................................................................................................................................5-31 Chapter 21.61. Density Bonus ............................................................................................................................5-32

21.61.010. Purpose........................................................................................................................................5-32

21.61.020. Applicability ..................................................................................................................................5-32

21.61.030. Density increase and other incentives/concessions .....................................................................5-33

21.61.040. Physical constraints and parking waivers.....................................................................................5-33

21.61.050. Retention of density bonus units. .................................................................................................5-33

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21.61.060. Application procedure for density increase or other incentives/concessions................................5-34 Chapter 21.62. Historic Preservation .................................................................................................................5-34

21.62.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................5-34

21.62.020. Administrative and Review Authorities – Powers and Duties .......................................................5-35

21.62.030. Criteria for Designation of Historic Resources..............................................................................5-37

21.62.040. Established Historic Resources....................................................................................................5-39

21.62.050. Procedure for Designation of Historic Resources.........................................................................5-39

21.62.060. Rescinding or Amending Designation ..........................................................................................5-40

21.62.070. Historic Resource Evaluations......................................................................................................5-40

21.62.080. Alteration, Demolition, or Relocation of a Historic Resource ........................................................5-41

21.62.090. Preservation Incentives ................................................................................................................5-44

21.62.100. Maintenance.................................................................................................................................5-44 Chapter 21.63. Murals..........................................................................................................................................5-46

21.63.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................5-46

21.63.020. General Regulations.....................................................................................................................5-46

21.63.030. Neighborhood Involvement...........................................................................................................5-47

21.63.040. Registration ..................................................................................................................................5-47

21.63.050. Violations......................................................................................................................................5-47 Chapter 21.64. Short-Term Rentals ....................................................................................................................5-48

21.64.010. Scope, Purpose, and Findings .....................................................................................................5-48

21.64.020. Definitions.....................................................................................................................................5-48

21.64.030. Permit Requirements....................................................................................................................5-50

21.64.040. Occupancy and Guest Limits for Short-Term Rentals ..................................................................5-55

21.64.050. Short-Term Rental Hotline............................................................................................................5-55

21.64.060. Enforcement .................................................................................................................................5-55 Chapter 21.65. Urban Dwelling Units .................................................................................................................5-57

21.65.010. Purpose........................................................................................................................................5-57

21.65.020. Definition. .....................................................................................................................................5-57

21.65.030. Application....................................................................................................................................5-57

21.65.040. Approval. ......................................................................................................................................5-58

21.65.050. Requirements. ..............................................................................................................................5-58

21.65.060. Specific Adverse Impacts. ............................................................................................................5-64

21.65.070. Remedies. ....................................................................................................................................5-64 Chapter 21.66. Wireless Communications Facilities ........................................................................................5-65

21.66.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................5-65

21.66.020. Definitions.....................................................................................................................................5-66

21.66.030. Permit Requirements....................................................................................................................5-66

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21.66.040. Development and Design Standards............................................................................................5-70

21.66.050. Operation and Maintenance .........................................................................................................5-73

21.66.060. City Changes to the Public Right of Way......................................................................................5-74

21.66.070. Satellite dish antennae .................................................................................................................5-74

21.66.080. Abandonment or Discontinuation of Use ......................................................................................5-74

21.66.090. Revocation for Violation................................................................................................................5-75

21.66.100. Removal and Restoration.............................................................................................................5-75

21.66.110. Use of Outside Consultants..........................................................................................................5-76

21.66.120. State or Federal Preemption. .......................................................................................................5-76 Chapter 21.67. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................5-76 Chapter 21.68. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................5-76 Article 6: Standards for Specific Land Uses and Activities Chapter 21.69. Standards for Specific Land Uses and Activities......................................................................6-1

21.69.010. Purpose and Applicability ...............................................................................................................6-1

21.69.020. Accessory Dwelling Units ...............................................................................................................6-1

21.69.030. Adult Business Uses.......................................................................................................................6-1

21.69.040. Animal Keeping, Accessory to Residential Use..............................................................................6-1

21.69.050. Animal Keeping, Commercial .........................................................................................................6-3

21.69.060. Bed and Breakfast Inns ..................................................................................................................6-5

21.69.070. Cannabis ........................................................................................................................................6-6

21.69.080. Electricity Generation and Storage Facilities..................................................................................6-6

21.69.090. Emergency Shelters - General .......................................................................................................6-6

21.69.100. Emergency Shelters - Low Barrier Navigation Centers ..................................................................6-8

21.69.110. Equestrian Facilities .......................................................................................................................6-8

21.69.120. Food Trucks ...................................................................................................................................6-8

21.69.130. Manufactured Homes ...................................................................................................................6-10

21.69.140. Mobile Home Parks ......................................................................................................................6-11

21.69.150. Self Storage Facilities...................................................................................................................6-12

21.69.160. Personal Services - Restricted .....................................................................................................6-13

21.69.170. Outdoor Sales, Displays, and Storage .........................................................................................6-14

21.69.180. Recreational Vehicle Parks ..........................................................................................................6-15

21.69.190. Religious Assembly Facility ..........................................................................................................6-16

21.69.200. Residential Care Facilities ............................................................................................................6-16

21.69.210. Retail – Restricted ........................................................................................................................6-17

21.69.220. Right to Farm................................................................................................................................6-18

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21.69.230. Short-Term Rentals ......................................................................................................................6-20

21.69.240. Tattoo and Body Art Establishments ............................................................................................6-20

21.69.250. Vehicle Fuel Sales and Accessory Service ..................................................................................6-21 Chapter 21.70. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................6-22 Chapter 21.71. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................6-22 Chapter 21.72. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................6-22 Chapter 21.73. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................6-22 Article 7: Nonconformities
Chapter 21.74. General Nonconforming Provisions ...........................................................................................7-1

21.74.010. Purpose and Applicability ...............................................................................................................7-1

21.74.020. Establishment of Legal Nonconforming Status...............................................................................7-1

21.74.030. Proof of Legal Nonconformity .........................................................................................................7-1

21.74.040. Loss of Legal Nonconforming Status..............................................................................................7-2

21.74.050. Public Acquisition that creates a Nonconforming Condition ...........................................................7-2 Chapter 21.75. Nonconforming Lots ....................................................................................................................7-3

21.75.010. Lots Less than Minimum Required Size .........................................................................................7-3 Chapter 21.76. Nonconforming Structures..........................................................................................................7-3

21.76.010. Continuation of Legal Nonconforming Structures ...........................................................................7-3

21.76.020. Residential Structures - Exceptions................................................................................................7-4

21.76.030. Work Under Existing Building Permits............................................................................................7-5 Chapter 21.77. Nonconforming Uses ...................................................................................................................7-5

21.77.010. Continuation of Legal Nonconforming Uses ...................................................................................7-5

21.77.020. Destruction of a Structure Containing a Legal Nonconforming Use ...............................................7-5 Chapter 21.78. Other Nonconforming Provisions...............................................................................................7-5

21.78.010. Nonconforming Parking..................................................................................................................7-5

21.78.020. Nonconformities Regarding Fences ...............................................................................................7-7

21.78.030. Nonconforming Landscaping..........................................................................................................7-7

21.78.040. Nonconforming Lighting..................................................................................................................7-7

21.78.050. Nonconforming Signs .....................................................................................................................7-7 Chapter 21.79. Reserved .......................................................................................................................................7-7 Article 8: Environmental Standards
Chapter 21.80. Floodplain Management ..............................................................................................................8-1

21.80.010. Purpose and Applicability ...............................................................................................................8-1

21.80.020. Statutory Authorization, Findings of Fact, and Methods of Reducing Flood Losses.......................8-1

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21.80.030. Definitions.......................................................................................................................................8-2

21.80.040. General Provisions .........................................................................................................................8-9

21.80.050. Permits Required..........................................................................................................................8-10

21.80.060. Designation of the floodplain administrator ..................................................................................8-11

21.80.070. Duties and Responsibilities of the Floodplain Administrator.........................................................8-11

21.80.080. Standards of Construction............................................................................................................8-13

21.80.090. Standards for Utilities ...................................................................................................................8-16

21.80.100. Standards for Subdivisions and Other Proposed Development ...................................................8-17

21.80.110. Standards for Manufactured Homes.............................................................................................8-17

21.80.120. Standards for Recreational Vehicles ............................................................................................8-18

21.80.130. Floodways ....................................................................................................................................8-18

21.80.140. Variance Procedures for Floodplains ...........................................................................................8-18

21.80.150. Appeals ........................................................................................................................................8-20 Chapter 21.81. Hillside Development .................................................................................................................8-21

21.81.010. Purpose........................................................................................................................................8-21

21.81.020. Applicability ..................................................................................................................................8-21

21.81.030. Definitions.....................................................................................................................................8-21

21.81.040. Hillside Development Standards ..................................................................................................8-22

21.81.050. Modification to Hillside Development Standards ..........................................................................8-25

21.81.060. Creation of New Lots....................................................................................................................8-26 Chapter 21.82. Lighting and Illumination...........................................................................................................8-26

21.82.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................8-26

21.82.020. Lighting Standards........................................................................................................................8-28

21.82.030. Modification to Lighting Standards ...............................................................................................8-29 Chapter 21.83. Noise............................................................................................................................................8-29

21.83.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................8-29

21.83.020. Findings........................................................................................................................................8-30

21.83.030. Definitions.....................................................................................................................................8-30

21.83.040. General Noise Regulations...........................................................................................................8-32

21.83.050. Sound Level Measurement Generally ..........................................................................................8-32

21.83.060. Exterior and Interior Noise Standards ..........................................................................................8-32

21.83.070. Noise standards applicable to short-term rentals .........................................................................8-34

21.83.080. Noise standards specifically applicable to outdoor music venues and events..............................8-34

21.83.090. Prohibited Noise Disturbances .....................................................................................................8-35

21.83.100. Exemptions...................................................................................................................................8-36

21.83.110. Administration...............................................................................................................................8-37

21.83.120. Modification to Noise Standards...................................................................................................8-37

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21.83.130. Violation........................................................................................................................................8-38

21.83.140. Other Remedies ...........................................................................................................................8-38 Chapter 21.84. Oak Tree Preservation ...............................................................................................................8-38 Chapter 21.85. Performance Standards - General ............................................................................................8-38

21.85.010. Purpose and Applicability .............................................................................................................8-38

21.85.020. General Performance Standards for All Uses...............................................................................8-38 Chapter 21.86. Surface Mining and Reclamation..............................................................................................8-40

21.86.010. Purpose........................................................................................................................................8-40

21.86.020. Applicability ..................................................................................................................................8-40

21.86.030. Definitions.....................................................................................................................................8-42

21.86.040. Incorporation of SMARA and Other State Regulations.................................................................8-42

21.86.050. Mineral Resource Management Policies ......................................................................................8-42

21.86.060. Vested Rights ...............................................................................................................................8-42

21.86.070. Required Permit and Approvals....................................................................................................8-43

21.86.080. Process ........................................................................................................................................8-43

21.86.090. Findings for approval....................................................................................................................8-45

21.86.100. Phasing of Reclamation................................................................................................................8-46

21.86.110. Financial Assurances ...................................................................................................................8-46

21.86.120. Interim Management Plans...........................................................................................................8-48

21.86.130. Annual report requirements ..........................................................................................................8-49

21.86.140. Inspections ...................................................................................................................................8-49

21.86.150. Revisions to Reclamation Plans ...................................................................................................8-50

21.86.160. Violations and Penalties ...............................................................................................................8-50

21.86.170. Fees .............................................................................................................................................8-50 Chapter 21.87. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................8-51 Chapter 21.88. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................8-51 Chapter 21.89. Reserved .....................................................................................................................................8-51 Article 9: Terms and Definitions
Chapter 21.90. Purpose .........................................................................................................................................9-1

21.90.010. Purpose and Applicability ...............................................................................................................9-1

21.90.020. Organization ...................................................................................................................................9-1

21.90.030. Other Definition Sections................................................................................................................9-1 Chapter 21.91. Land Use Definitions....................................................................................................................9-2

21.91.010. General Land Use Classifications ..................................................................................................9-2

21.91.020. “A” Definitions.................................................................................................................................9-2

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21.91.030. “B” Definitions.................................................................................................................................9-3

21.91.040. “C” Definitions.................................................................................................................................9-3

21.91.050. “D” Definitions.................................................................................................................................9-5

21.91.060. “E” Definitions.................................................................................................................................9-5

21.91.070. “F” Definitions .................................................................................................................................9-6

21.91.080. “G” Definitions.................................................................................................................................9-6

21.91.090. “H” Definitions.................................................................................................................................9-7

21.91.100. “I” Definitions ..................................................................................................................................9-7

21.91.110. “J” Definitions .................................................................................................................................9-7

21.91.120. “K” Definitions.................................................................................................................................9-8

21.91.130. “L” Definitions .................................................................................................................................9-8

21.91.140. “M” Definitions ................................................................................................................................9-8

21.91.150. “N” Definitions.................................................................................................................................9-9

21.91.160. “O” Definitions.................................................................................................................................9-9

21.91.170. “P” Definitions.................................................................................................................................9-9

21.91.180. “Q” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-10

21.91.190. “R” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-10

21.91.200. “S” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-11

21.91.210. “T” Definitions ...............................................................................................................................9-12

21.91.220. “U” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-13

21.91.230. “V” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-13

21.91.240. “W” Definitions..............................................................................................................................9-14

21.91.250. “X” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-14

21.91.260. “Y” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-14

21.91.270. “Z” Definitions ...............................................................................................................................9-14 Chapter 21.92. General Definitions.....................................................................................................................9-15

21.92.010. “A” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-15

21.92.020. “B” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-16

21.92.030. “C” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-17

21.92.040. “D” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-18

21.92.050. “E” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-19

21.92.060. “F” Definitions ...............................................................................................................................9-20

21.92.070. “G” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-20

21.92.080. “H” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-21

21.92.090. “I” Definitions ................................................................................................................................9-22

21.92.100. “J” Definitions ...............................................................................................................................9-23

21.92.110. “K” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-23

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21.92.120. “L” Definitions ...............................................................................................................................9-23

21.92.130. “M” Definitions ..............................................................................................................................9-24

21.92.140. “N” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-25

21.92.150. “O” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-26

21.92.160. “P” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-26

21.92.170. “Q” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-27

21.92.180. “R” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-27

21.92.190. “S” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-28

21.92.200. “T” Definitions ...............................................................................................................................9-30

21.92.210. “U” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-31

21.92.220. “V” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-31

21.92.230. “W” Definitions..............................................................................................................................9-31

21.92.240. “X” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-32

21.92.250. “Y” Definitions...............................................................................................................................9-32

21.92.260. “Z” Definitions ...............................................................................................................................9-32

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Article 1: Enactment, Applicability, and Enforcement
1 x
Chapter 21.01. Purpose and Applicability of the Zoning Code........................................................................... 1-1

21.01.010. Title.................................................................................................................................................. 1-1

21.01.020. Purpose and Authority ..................................................................................................................... 1-1

21.01.030. Relationship to Prior Ordinances ..................................................................................................... 1-1

21.01.040. Relationship to General Plan and CEQA......................................................................................... 1-1

21.01.050. Relationship to Specific Plans.......................................................................................................... 1-1

21.01.060. Prior Rights and Violations............................................................................................................... 1-2

21.01.070. Exemptions for City Projects............................................................................................................ 1-2

21.01.080. Violation Constitutes a Public Nuisance .......................................................................................... 1-2

21.01.090. Enforcement .................................................................................................................................... 1-2

21.01.100. Severability ...................................................................................................................................... 1-2 Chapter 21.02. Interpretation of the Zoning Code ............................................................................................... 1-2

21.02.010. Purpose ........................................................................................................................................... 1-2

21.02.020. Rules of Interpretation...................................................................................................................... 1-3

21.02.030. Procedures for Interpretation ........................................................................................................... 1-3

21.02.040. Uses Not Classified.......................................................................................................................... 1-4

21.02.050. Illustrations....................................................................................................................................... 1-4 Chapter 21.03. Zoning Districts............................................................................................................................. 1-4

21.03.010. Establishment of Zoning Districts..................................................................................................... 1-4 Chapter 21.04. Special Planned Developments Established.............................................................................. 1-6

21.04.010. Purpose ........................................................................................................................................... 1-6

21.04.020. Special Planned Development Overlay A. ....................................................................................... 1-6

21.04.030. Special Planned Development Overlay B. ....................................................................................... 1-6

21.04.040. Special Planned Development Overlay C........................................................................................ 1-6

21.04.050. Special Planned Development Overlay D........................................................................................ 1-7

21.04.060. Special Planned Development Overlay E. ....................................................................................... 1-7

21.04.070. Special Planned Development Overlay F. ....................................................................................... 1-7

21.04.080. Special Planned Development Overlay G........................................................................................ 1-7

21.04.090. Special Planned Development Overlay H........................................................................................ 1-8

21.04.100. Special Planned Development Overlay I. ........................................................................................ 1-8

21.04.110. Special Planned Development Overlay J......................................................................................... 1-9

21.04.120. Reserved ....................................................................................................................................... 1-11 Chapter 21.05. Specific Plans Established......................................................................................................... 1-11

21.05.010. Adopted Specific Plans.................................................................................................................. 1-11 Chapter 21.06. Zoning Map.................................................................................................................................. 1-12

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21.06.010. Zoning Map.................................................................................................................................... 1-12

21.06.020. Rights-of-way and Vacated Boundary Lines.................................................................................. 1-12

21.06.030. Uncertainty of Boundaries.............................................................................................................. 1-13

21.06.040. Classification of Annexed Lands.................................................................................................... 1-13 Chapter 21.07. Reserved...................................................................................................................................... 1-13

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CHAPTER 21.01. PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY OF THE ZONING CODE

21.01.010. TITLE
The provisions of this Title 21 of the City of El Paso de Robles Municipal Code shall be known and cited as the “City of El Paso de Robles Zoning Code” or “City of Paso Robles Zoning Code” or “Zoning Code”, and shall also be known and cited as the “City of Paso Robles Zoning Ordinance” or “Zoning Ordinance.”

21.01.020. PURPOSE AND AUTHORITY
The purpose of this Title is to promote the growth of the City in an orderly manner and to promote and protect the public health, safety, comfort, and general welfare.

The Zoning Code is enacted based on the authority vested in the City of El Paso de Robles and the State of California, including but not limited to the State Constitution, Planning and Zoning Law (California Government Code Section 65000 et seq.), and the California Health and Safety Code.

21.01.030. RELATIONSHIP TO PRIOR ORDINANCES
The provisions of this Zoning Code, as it existed prior to the effective date of Ordinance No. XXX, are repealed and superseded as provided in the ordinance enacting this Title 21. No provision of this Zoning Code shall validate or legalize any land use or structure established, constructed, or maintained in violation of the Zoning Code as it existed prior to repeal by the ordinance enacting this Zoning Code except as addressed by nonconformities created by this Zoning Code.

21.01.040. RELATIONSHIP TO GENERAL PLAN AND CEQA
A. The Zoning Code and Map effectuated by this Title, as amended from time to time by act of the City Council or initiative of the voters, implements the General Plan and consists of the establishment of various zoning districts, including all the territory within which the use of land and buildings and the height and bulk of buildings are regulated. No building or structure shall be erected, reconstructed, or structurally altered in any manner, nor shall any building or land be used for any purpose other than as allowed by and in compliance with this Title and all other ordinances, laws, and maps referred to in this Title.

B. When a project application pursuant to the provisions of the Zoning Code is determined to be subject to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the application shall be reviewed in accordance with the provisions of the Zoning Code, CEQA (Public Resources Code, Section 21000 et seq.), the CEQA Guidelines (Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Section 15000 et seq.), the Paso Robles CEQA Guidelines, and any environmental guidelines and other applicable rules adopted by the City.

21.01.050. RELATIONSHIP TO SPECIFIC PLANS
A. If a conflict occurs between the requirements of this Zoning Code and standards adopted as part of any applicable specific plan, the requirements of the specific plan shall apply.

B. To maintain and improve the consistency between plans, the adoption or amendment of a specific plan shall be accompanied by corresponding amendments to the General Plan and other plans which affect the same geographic area.

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21.01.060. PRIOR RIGHTS AND VIOLATIONS
All departments, officials, and public employees of the City vested with the duty or authority to issue permits or licenses shall conform to the provisions of this Title, and shall issue no permit or license for uses, building, or purposes in conflict with the provisions of this Title; and any such permit or license issued in conflict with the provisions of this Title shall be null and void. It shall be the duty of the Building Official to enforce the provisions of this Title pertaining to the erection, construction, reconstruction, moving, conversion, alteration or addition to any building or structure.

21.01.070. EXEMPTIONS FOR CITY PROJECTS
Certain activities of the City of Paso Robles may be exempt from the requirements of this Zoning Code by the City Council.

21.01.080. VIOLATION CONSTITUTES A PUBLIC NUISANCE
Any building or structure set up, erected, constructed, altered, enlarged, converted, or moved contrary to the provisions of this Title and any use of any land, building, or premises established, conducted, and/or operated contrary to the provisions of this Title is declared to be unlawful and a public nuisance; and the City Attorney shall, upon order of the City Council, immediately commence action or proceedings for the abatement and removal and enjoinment thereof in the manner prescribed by law, and shall take such other steps and shall apply to such courts as may have jurisdiction to grant such relief as will abate and remove such building or structure, and restrain and enjoin any person, firm, or corporation from setting up, erecting, building, or using any such building contrary to the provisions of this Title.

21.01.090. ENFORCEMENT
The provisions of Chapter 1.02 (Penalties) of Title 1 (General Provisions) shall apply.

21.01.100. SEVERABILITY
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Title is for any reason held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Title. The City Council declares that it has adopted this Title and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, and phrase hereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, or phrases may be declared invalid.

CHAPTER 21.02. INTERPRETATION OF THE ZONING CODE

21.02.010. PURPOSE
The purpose of this Section is to specify the authority and procedures for clarifying any ambiguity in the regulations of this Zoning Code and to ensure consistent interpretation and application of this Zoning Code.

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21.02.020. RULES OF INTERPRETATION
A. Authority. The Community Development Director (“Director") has the authority to interpret provisions of this Zoning Code according to Section 21.08.060 (Community Development Director). Whenever the Director determines that the meaning or applicability of a Zoning Code requirement is subject to interpretation, the Director shall issue a written interpretation consistent with the provisions of Section 21.02.030 (Procedures for Interpretation). The Director may also refer any issue of interpretation to the Planning Commission for a determination.

B. Terminology. When used in this Chapter, the following rules apply to all provision of this Zoning Code:

1. Language. When used in this Zoning Code, the words "shall," "must," "will," "is to," and "are to" are mandatory. "Should" is not mandatory but is strongly recommended, and "may" is permissive.

2. Tense. The present tense includes the past and future tense, and the future tense includes the present.

3. Number. The singular number includes the plural number, and the plural the singular, unless the natural construction of the words indicates otherwise.

4. Calculations. Residential density and other calculations shall be consistent with the provisions of Section 21.41.020 (Fractions).

5. Conjunctions. “And” indicates that all connected items or provisions shall apply. “Or” indicates that the connected items or provisions may apply singly or in any combination. “Either…or” indicates that the connected items and provisions shall apply singly but not in combination. “Includes” and “including” shall mean “including but not limited to.”

6. Local Reference. “City” as used in this Zoning Code means the City of Paso Robles, and all public officials, bodies, and agencies referenced are those of the City unless otherwise stated.

7. Definitions. As defined in Article 9 (Terms and Definitions) and/or as determined/interpreted by the Director.

8. State Law Requirements. References to applicable provisions of State law (such as the California Government Code, Subdivision Map Act, Public Resources Code) shall be construed to refer to the applicable State law provisions, as they may be amended from time to time.

9. Number of Days. Whenever the number of days is specified in this Zoning Code, or in any permit, condition of approval, or notice issued or given as provided in this Zoning Code, the number of days shall be construed as calendar days, unless otherwise specified. When the last of the specified number of days falls on a weekend or City holiday, time limits shall extend to the end of the next working day.

C. Minimum Requirements. When interpreting and applying the regulations of this Zoning Code, all provisions shall be considered to be minimum requirements, unless specifically stated otherwise.

21.02.030. PROCEDURES FOR INTERPRETATION
A. Authority of Director to Interpret; Referral to Planning Commission. Whenever the Director or designee determines that the meaning or applicability of any of the requirements of this Zoning Code is subject to

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interpretation generally, or as applied to a specific case, the Director may issue an official interpretation or refer the question to the Planning Commission for determination.

B. Request for Interpretation. Any party may file a request for an interpretation or determination of this Zoning Code with the Director and shall include with such request the specific provisions in question and any other information necessary to assist the Director in the review.

C. Record of Interpretation/Determinations. All interpretations and determinations by the Director and Planning Commission shall be made in writing, and a permanent record of such interpretations and determinations shall be kept.

D. Appeals. Any interpretation of this Zoning Code by the Director or Planning Commission may be appealed in compliance with Chapter 21.25 (Appeals and Calls for Review).

21.02.040. USES NOT CLASSIFIED
A. Use Not Listed Is Not Allowed. If a use of land is not specifically listed in Article 3 (Zoning Districts, Allowable Uses, and Development Standards), the use shall not be allowed, except as provided below.

B. Director’s Determination. Based on the authority granted in Section 21.02.030 (Procedures for Interpretation), the Director may determine that a land use that is not listed in Article 3 (Zoning Districts, Allowable Uses, and Development Standards) may be allowed. In making this determination, the Director shall first make all of the following findings:

1. The characteristics of, and activities associated with, the use are equivalent to those of one or more of the uses listed in the zoning district as allowable, and will not involve a greater level of activity, density, intensity, traffic generation, parking, dust, odor, noise, emissions, or similar impacts than the uses listed in the zoning district;

2. The use will meet the purpose/intent of the zoning district that is applied to the location of the use; and

3. The use will be consistent with the goals, objectives, and policies of the General Plan and/or any applicable Specific Plan, Planned Development Permit, or Special Planned Development Permit.

C. Applicable Standards and Permit Requirements. When the Director determines that an unlisted land use is equivalent to a listed use, the unlisted use will be treated in the same manner as the listed use in determining where the use is allowed, what permits are required, and what other standards and requirements of this Title apply.

21.02.050. ILLUSTRATIONS
In case of a conflict between the Zoning Code text and any diagram, illustration, graphic, or image contained in the Zoning Code, the text shall take precedence.

CHAPTER 21.03. ZONING DISTRICTS

21.03.010. ESTABLISHMENT OF ZONING DISTRICTS
A. General. The City is divided into zoning districts to allow for orderly, planned development and to implement the General Plan. Table 21.03.010-1 (Zoning Districts Established) identifies all zoning districts. All zoning

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districts shall be listed and appropriately designated on the official Zoning Map. For purpose of the regulations set out in this Title, the following zoning districts are created:

Table 21.03.010-1: Zones Established
Zoning
Map
Symbol
Zoning District Corresponding General Plan
Land Use Designation
Applicable
Zoning Code
Section
Residential Zoning District
R-A Residential Agriculture Residential Suburban Chapter 21.33 R-1 Single Family Residential Residential Single Family Chapter 21.33 R-1/B1,
B2, B3, B4
Single Family Residential / Combining
Building Size District or B District
Residential Single Family Chapter 21.33
R-2 Low Density Multi-Family Residential Residential Multiple Family Chapter 21.33 R-3 Medium Density Multi-Family
Residential
Residential Multiple Family Chapter 21.33
R-3-O Medium Density Multi-Family
Residential/Office
Residential Multiple Family /
Office Professional
Chapter 21.33
R-4 Medium High Density Multi-Family
Residential
Residential Multiple Family /
Mobile Home Park
Chapter 21.33
R-5 High Density Multi-Family Residential Residential Multiple Family Chapter 21.33 Commercial, Industrial, and Airport Zoning District
OP Office Professional Office Professional Chapter 21.34 CP Neighborhood Commercial Neighborhood Commercial Chapter 21.34 C-1 General Retail Commercial Community Commercial Chapter 21.34 C-2 Highway Commercial Neighborhood Commercial Chapter 21.34 C-3 Commercial / Light Industrial Commercial Service Chapter 21.34 RC Regional Commercial Regional Commercial Chapter 21.34 RL Resort / Lodging Resort / Lodging Chapter 21.34
M Industrial Industrial Chapter 21.34
PM Planned Industrial Business Park Chapter 21.34
AP Airport Public Facilities / Business Park Chapter 21.34 Public Facilities, Parks, Open Space, and Agricultural Zoning District AG Agricultural Agriculture Chapter 21.35
POS Parks and Open Space Parks and Open Space Chapter 21.35 OS Open Space Parks and Open Space Chapter 21.35
PF Public Facilities Public Facilities Chapter 21.35
Overlay Zoning Districts
HOS Highway-Oriented Sign Overlay N/A Section 21.36.020 HP Historic Preservation Overlay Historic Preservation Overlay Section 21.36.030 L Lodging Overlay Resort/Lodging Overlay Section 21.36.040 MU Mixed-Use Overlay Mixed Use Overlay Section 21.36.050 PD Planned Development Overlay Planned Development Overlay Section 21.36.060 SPD* Special Planned Development Overlay N/A Section 21.36.070 SP* Specific Plan Overlay Specific Plan Overlay Section 21.36.080 OP Office Professional Overlay Office Professional Overlay Section 21.36.090 * For established Special Planned Developments and Specific Plans, see Chapter 21.04 and 21.05, respectively.

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B. Base Zoning District. Every parcel shall have a base zoning district that establishes the primary type and intensity of land use permitted, along with development regulations for that particular type and intensity of land use.

C. Overlay Zoning District. An overlay zoning district supplements the base zoning district for the purpose of establishing special use or development regulations for a particular area in addition to the provisions of the underlying base zoning district. In the event of conflict between the base zoning regulations and the overlay zoning regulations, the provisions of the overlay zoning district shall apply.

CHAPTER 21.04. SPECIAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENTS ESTABLISHED

21.04.010. PURPOSE
Each Section set forth below contains conditions placed on the use and/or development of certain properties by the ordinances cited therein for Zoning Map amendments for such properties. The conditions listed in each Section are additional to the base zoning district regulations and development projects shall also comply with all other applicable standards and requirements of Title 21 (Zoning) for the zoning district in which a proposed project is located. Where a conflict exists between the provisions set forth in this Chapter and other Title 21 requirements, these provisions shall apply.

21.04.020. SPECIAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY A.

Special Planned Development Overlay A applies to 2501 Theater Drive, a 3.75 acre parcel located approximately 790 feet west of Theater Drive (Parcel B of Parcel Map recorded in Book 35, Page 38 as designated on the official Zoning Map). This parcel is conditioned by Ordinance 529 N.S. to require a conditional use permit for any use. Land uses are limited to those that can safely be served via available easements.

21.04.030. SPECIAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY B.

Special Planned Development Overlay B applies mid-block between Mesa Road, Prospect Avenue, Golden Hill Road and Union Road as designated on the official Zoning Map. Six parcels located south of Mesa Road, are conditioned by Ordinance 560 N.S. as follows:

A. All land uses are subject to approval of a conditional use permit; B. That all fee simple driveway strips from the properties to Prospect Avenue be quitclaimed to those parcels having frontage on Prospect Avenue prior to commercial/light industrial use and/or development of the subject properties;
C. All landlocked parcels either be merged with adjacent parcels that have frontage on either Golden Hill or Mesa Roads or be provided with access, public utility and drainage easements whose adequacy shall be determined by the Planning Commission prior to recordation.

21.04.040. SPECIAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY C.

Special Planned Development Overlay C applies to the Theater Drive Area. All C-2, PD-zoned properties as designated on the official Zoning Map are conditioned to require a Conditional Use Permit to ensure that land uses will not have a significant adverse effect on the economic vitality of the downtown as required by Ordinance 568 N.S.

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21.04.050. SPECIAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY D.

Special Planned Development Overlay D established by Ordinance 568 N.S. is repealed.

21.04.060. SPECIAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY E.

Special Planned Development Overlay E established by Ordinance 568 N.S. is repealed.

21.04.070. SPECIAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY F.

Special Planned Development Overlay F applies to the Commercial Service Area East of Golden Hill Road, South of Union Road and Highway 46 East. All C-3, PD zoned properties, totaling approximately 162 acres, located east of Golden Hill Road, South of Union Road and Highway 46 East as designated on the official Zoning Map are conditioned by Ordinance 560 N.S. as follows:

A. Those properties that abut residentially-zoned land are conditioned to require the following:

1. Construction of a solid wall of decorative masonry materials such as slumpstone or split-faced block, 6 to 8 feet high; and

2. Provision of a thick landscaped screen, at least 10 feet wide to be planted on commercial property, in a location to be approved by the Development Review Committee; recommended screening materials would include trees or tall shrubs which would grow more than 10 feet high such as Eucalyptus Nicholii and Leyland Cypress.

B. All land uses in the C-3, PD-zoned properties are subject to approval of a Conditional Use Permit to ensure that the following occur:

1. Commercial light industrial uses do not create noise, visual and/or land use impacts to neighboring land uses;

2. Commercial uses shall be limited to those which the City Council has determined will not have a detrimental effect on the City's goal of revitalizing the downtown.

21.04.080. SPECIAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY G.

Special Planned Development Overlay G applies to the Residential-Agricultural (R-A) Zoned Properties East and West of Airport Road, North of Highway 46 East as designated on the official Zoning Map. The R-A zoned properties are conditioned by Ordinance 594 N.S. as follows:

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A. The minimum lot size (for creation of new lots via subdivision map, parcel map or lot line adjustment) shall be 20 acres.

B. Two primary dwelling units are permitted on lots that are 20 acres or larger in area.

C. The City may refer to those sections of the County of San Luis Obispo's Land Use Element and Land Use Ordinance that prescribe land use types and intensities, site design, and site development standards for the agriculture category in approving, conditionally-approving, or denying applications for Building Permits, Development Plans, Variances, and Conditional Use Permits.

21.04.090. SPECIAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY H.

Special Planned Development Overlay H applies to 1450 Golden Hill Road, an 11.8 acre site (Lot 2 of PR 06-0272) as designated on the official Zoning Map is conditioned by Ordinance No. 951 N.S. to require a Conditional Use Permit to ensure that uses for the site are limited to senior retirement communities/residential care type uses.

21.04.100. SPECIAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY I.

Special Planned Development Overlay I applies to the 21.4 acre site (Parcel 3 of LLA 07-0293) as designated on the official Zoning Map and is conditioned by Ordinance No. 09-955 N.S. to limit future uses to the following agricultural/recreational related uses, which shall be subject to a Conditional Use permit as noted below:

A. Crop Production and Processing (1)
B. Wineries, Breweries, and Distilleries (1)
C. Tasting Rooms (1)
D. Cultural Institutions (2)
E. Commercial Recreation Facility - Outdoor (2)(3)
F. Hot springs resort/spa (2)(3)
G. Restaurants (2) (sit down or walk up) with outdoor seating and liquor license H. Bed and Breakfast Inn (2)
I. Hotel (2), maximum 18 rooms
J. Outdoor Storage as an Accessory Use (1) (shall be screened) K. Interpretation Notes (1-3):

1. Permitted use.

2. Conditional use—Requires approval of a Conditional Use Permit.

3. Can be accessory use to a hotel/resort development, subject to approval of a Conditional Use Permit.

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21.04.110. SPECIAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY J.

Special Planned Development Overlay J applies to the Paso Robles Gateway Project, subject to the following conditions:

A. Gateway Annexation Area (NW corner of US 101/SR 46W). The 170-acre site (TR 3120) as designated on the official Zoning Map, is conditioned by Ordinance No. 1098 N.S. to require development of each phase of the site be subject to a Development Plan to ensure future development is consistent with the uses and the high-quality architectural design and character included in the Conceptual Master Development Plan PD 17- 009.

B. The future application(s) shall include project-level details that were not included in the Conceptual Master Development Plan, including architecture, landscaping, colorboards, parking, refined circulation, trash enclosures, fencing, etc.

C. Future development in the RC-MU-PD-J zoned portions of this site (Areas 2, 4, and 6) are limited to the following uses:

1. Certified Farmers Markets (a)

2. Seasonal stands (including Christmas trees and pumpkins) (a)

3. Wine Tasting Rooms (a)

4. Winery (a) limited to 500 square feet in size

5. Residential uses in conjunction with the mixed-use overlay zoning district (residential units shall be located above the first floor or behind the primary commercial use) (b, c)

6. Libraries, museums, and art galleries (private) (a)

7. Convention Centers (b)

8. All permitted or conditionally permitted uses listed under Commercial Recreation Facility – Indoor/Outdoor of Table 21.32-1 (b)

9. Cocktail Lounges and Bars (a)

10. Food and Beverage Sales (a)

11. General merchandise limited to specialized retail and artisans (a)

12. Pet stores (1)

13. Restaurants (b) (sit down or walk up)

14. Barber/beauty shops, nails & tanning salons, massage (a)

15. Financial services (a)

16. Offices(a)

17. Interpretation of Notes (a, b, c)

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a. Permitted use after initial Development Plan
b. Conditional use – requires approval of a Conditional Use Permit after initial Development Plan, unless Development Plan specifically authorized the use c. The 17 workforce housing units to be constructed with the Village Commercial Center shall be prohibited from short-term rentals such as vacation rental or Airbnb use. A deed restriction shall be required as a condition of approval for the Development Plan of the phase.

D. Future development in the R2-RL-PD-J zoned portion of this site (Area 5) shall adhere to the following standards:

1. Area 5 may be developed with either of the following uses:

2. A 135,000 square-foot resort including; up to 100 rooms (55,740 square feet), 57,000 square foot main lodge (includes 2,500 square foot ballroom, 1,300 square foot conference room, 4,000 square foot restaurant ) 1,300 square foot poolside café/bar, 6,000 square foot spa, 1,000 square foot conference room, +/-15,000 square foot outdoor event area, pool, 165 parking spaces; or

3. A high-density resort community with a maximum of 80 residential units. The resort community may consist of attached and detached residences. The residences may be on subdivided lots and available for individual ownership. The individual owners may have the option to individually occupy the units long- or short-term and enter the homes into a rental pool for the resort.

4. In the event a resort is developed with units that are separate from the main resort building, the owner may later convert up to 80 resort units to multi-family attached and detached residences, which may be available for individual ownership. Any converted resort units may be entered into the rental pool for the resort. Any resort units in excess of 80 may not be converted and shall remain owned and operated as part of the resort. Additional parking may be required to ensure the residences are adequately parked.

5. In the event a high-density residential resort community is developed, a short-term rental management program shall be submitted with the Development Plan for review and approval by the Planning Commission.

E. Future development in the RL-PD-J zoned portion of this site (Areas 1 and 3) shall adhere to the following standards:

1. The maximum number of lodging units between the two areas is limited to 325.

F. Allowable uses in the AG-PD-J zoned portion of this site (Area 7) shall be limited to the following:

1. Bee keeping (a)

2. Cattle, horse & sheep grazing (a)

3. Crop production (includes dry and irrigated farming, orchards, vineyards) (a)

4. Crop processing & packaging (does not include wineries, food processing involving cooking, or similar activities) (b)

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5. Interpretation of Notes (a, b)
a. Permitted use
b. Conditional use – requires approval of a Conditional Use Permit

21.04.120. RESERVED
CHAPTER 21.05. SPECIFIC PLANS ESTABLISHED

21.05.010. ADOPTED SPECIFIC PLANS
Specific plans adopted by the City of Paso Robles are summarized in Table 21.05.010-1.

Table 21.05.010-1: Adopted Specific Plans
Specific
Plan No.

Name Date Approved Resolution/
Ordinance No.

SP-1 Union 46 Specific Plan1 March 1, 1988 Resolution 88-12 SP-2 Borkey Specific Plan2 January 8, 1990 Ordinance 588 Amendments
- Cuesta College Amendment February 17, 1998 Ordinance 741 - Fee Update December 15, 1998 Ordinance 758
- Subareas B and C September 21, 1999 Ordinance 779
- Street Standards April 16, 2002 Ordinance 824
- Kiessig Annexation July 16, 2002 Ordinance 827
- Setback and Height amendments September 3, 2002 Ordinance 836 - Cop/Bastide Village December 17, 2002 Ordinance 848
- Subarea B (Traditions) May 20, 2003 Ordinance 856
- Subarea B (Commercial) June 17, 2003 Ordinance 860
- La Quinta April 6, 2004 Ordinance 872
- Experimental Station Street Standard January 3, 2006 Ordinance 911 - Experimental Station and River Oaks Multifamily April 4, 2006 Ordinance 915 - Buena Vista and Experimental Station Multifamily June 5, 2007 Ordinance 931 Resolution 07-079
- Ayres Hotel October 16, 2012 Ordinance 986
- Arjun Apartments June 18, 2013 Ordinance 992
SP-3 Uptown Town Center Specific Plan3 March 9, 2011 Ordinance 978 Amendments
1 October 18, 2012 Ordinance 984
2 October 1, 2013 Ordinance 996
3 October 21, 2014 Ordinance 1008
4 May 19, 2015 Ordinance 1015
5 August 1, 2017 Ordinance 1042
6 February 6, 2018 Ordinance 1050
SP-4 Olsen – South Chandler Ranch Specific Plan4 February 20, 2020 Resolution 20-026 SP-5 Beechwood Specific Plan5 October 6, 2020 Resolution 20-153 SP-6 Reserved – North Chandler Ranch Specific Plan

1. Chapter 3 of the Union 46 Specific Plan establishes maximum densities (number of dwelling units) that may be developed within subareas and various development regulations such as: minimum lot sizes, maximum developable

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Table 21.05.010-1: Adopted Specific Plans
Specific
Plan No.

Name Date Approved Resolution/
Ordinance No.
slopes, setbacks, and grading limitations that supplement and supersede certain development regulations for underlying zoning districts shown on the Zoning Map.

2. Chapter 3 of the Borkey Specific Plan establishes maximum densities (number of dwelling units) that may be developed within subareas and various development regulations such as: minimum lot sizes, agricultural buffers, setbacks, and other standards that supplement and supersede certain development regulations for underlying zoning districts shown on the Zoning Map.

3. Chapter 5 of the Uptown Town Center Specific Plan is a form-based zoning code that includes a regulating plan and detailed regulations for development of properties within the area covered by this specific plan. This regulating plan map supersedes the Zoning Map, which was amended to delete all zoning districts, base and overlay, that predated adoption of this specific plan. The regulations in Chapter 5 do refer to certain chapters and sections in this Title as having effect within the area covered by the specific plan.

4. Chapter 3 of the Olsen-South Chandler Specific Plan is a form-based zoning code that includes a regulating plan and detailed regulations for development of properties within the area covered by this specific plan. This regulating plan map supersedes the Zoning Map, which was amended to delete all zoning districts, base and overlay, that predated adoption of this specific plan. The regulations in Chapter 3 do refer to certain chapters and sections in this Title as having effect within the area covered by this specific plan and establishes maximum densities (number of dwelling units) that may be developed within subareas and various development regulations such as: minimum lot sizes, agricultural buffers, setbacks, and other standards that supplement and supersede certain development regulations.

To the extent any regulation within the specific plan conflicts with this Title, the specific plan shall govern.

5. Chapter 2 of the Beechwood Area Specific Plan is a form-based zoning code that includes a regulating plan and detailed regulations for development of properties within the area covered by this specific plan. This regulating plan map supersedes the Zoning Map, which was amended to delete all zoning districts, base and overlay, that predated adoption of this specific plan. The regulations in Chapter 2 do refer to certain chapters and sections in this Title as having effect within the area covered by this specific plan and establishes maximum densities (number of dwelling units) that may be developed within subareas and various development regulations such as: minimum lot sizes, agricultural buffers, setbacks, and other standards that supplement and supersede certain development regulations.

To the extent any regulation within the specific plan conflicts with this Title, the specific plan shall govern.

CHAPTER 21.06. ZONING MAP

21.06.010. ZONING MAP
This Zoning Code, together with a Zoning Map, is hereby adopted in compliance with current State planning, zoning, and development laws. Changes in the boundaries of identified zoning districts shall be made by ordinance. The boundaries, designations, and locations, of the districts established by this Zoning Code shall be shown upon the map(s) entitled "Zoning Map for the City of Paso Robles" and referred to in this Zoning Code as the Zoning Map. Any additional maps (such as setback map, height map) adopted shall also be a part of this Zoning Code by reference.

21.06.020. RIGHTS-OF-WAY AND VACATED BOUNDARY LINES
Where a public street or alley is officially vacated, the property areas associated with the vacated street or alley shall be included within the zoning district or zoning districts of the adjoining properties. If the adjoining properties are in different zoning districts, the boundary lines shall be the centerline of the former street or alley and the extension of the side yard lines of the abutting properties. In the event such street, alley, or right-of-way was a boundary between two or more different zoning districts, the new zoning district or zoning district boundary shall be the property line that is created by the vacation.

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21.06.030. UNCERTAINTY OF BOUNDARIES
Where the exact boundaries of a zoning district cannot be readily or exactly ascertained by reference to the Zoning Map of the City, the boundaries shall be deemed to be along the nearest street or lot line, as the case may be and as determined by the Director. If a zoning district boundary line divides or splits a lot, the lot may be deemed to be included within the zoning district which is the more restrictive unless the major portion of the lot is in the less restrictive zoning district, then the latter may be deemed to be the zoning at the discretion of the Planning Commission. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to acreage.

21.06.040. CLASSIFICATION OF ANNEXED LANDS
Any land within the incorporated limits of the City of Paso Robles, now or in the future, and not designated or indicated as any other zoning district on the Zoning Map shall be immediately zoned to be consistent with the General Plan. In the interim period, between annexation and actual zoning of the property, the Planning Commission may grant use permits for uses conforming to the General Plan. Conditions of the use permit shall include yard, height, lot area, and parking requirements of the zoning district most closely conforming to the General Plan designation.

CHAPTER 21.07. RESERVED

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ARTICLE 2: CODE ADMINISTRATION AND PERMITS
2 x
Chapter 21.08. Planning Authorities ................................................................................................................. 2-1

21.08.010. Purpose And Applicability............................................................................................................ 2-1

21.08.020. City Council ................................................................................................................................. 2-1

21.08.030. Planning Commission.................................................................................................................. 2-2

21.08.040. Development Review Committee ................................................................................................ 2-3

21.08.050. Zoning Administrator ................................................................................................................... 2-4

21.08.060. Community Development Director............................................................................................... 2-6

21.08.070. Permit Review Authority Summary.............................................................................................. 2-6

21.08.080. Additional Permits May be Required ........................................................................................... 2-9

21.08.090. Noncomplying Permits................................................................................................................. 2-9 Chapter 21.09. Application Processing and Common Procedures ................................................................ 2-9

21.09.010. Purpose and Applicability ............................................................................................................ 2-9

21.09.020. Multiple Permit Applications ........................................................................................................ 2-9

21.09.030. Application Preparation and Filing............................................................................................... 2-9

21.09.040. Application and Other Related Fees.......................................................................................... 2-10

21.09.050. Eligible Applicants ..................................................................................................................... 2-11

21.09.060. Initial Application Review........................................................................................................... 2-11

21.09.070. Environmental Review............................................................................................................... 2-13

21.09.080. Housing Accountability Act Streamlined Review....................................................................... 2-13

21.09.090. Procedures for Applications filed under California Government Code Section 65913.4 (SB 35)2-17

21.09.100. Administrative File Close-Out Program ..................................................................................... 2-20 Chapter 21.10. Amendments to the General Plan, Zoning Code, and Zoning Map..................................... 2-20

21.10.010. Purpose and Applicability .......................................................................................................... 2-20

21.10.020. Review Authority........................................................................................................................ 2-21

21.10.030. Initiation of Amendment............................................................................................................. 2-21

21.10.040. Application Processing .............................................................................................................. 2-21

21.10.050. Planning Commission Hearing and Recommendation .............................................................. 2-22

21.10.060. City Council Hearing and Action................................................................................................ 2-22

21.10.070. Required Findings ..................................................................................................................... 2-22

21.10.080. General Plan Consistency Required for Zoning Amendments .................................................. 2-23 Chapter 21.11. Special Planned Developments (SPD)................................................................................... 2-23

21.11.010. Purpose and Applicability .......................................................................................................... 2-23

21.11.020. Application Processing .............................................................................................................. 2-23

21.11.030. Planning Commission Hearing and Recommendation .............................................................. 2-24

21.11.040. City Council Hearing and Action................................................................................................ 2-24

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21.11.050. Allowed Modifications to Development Standards..................................................................... 2-25

21.11.060. Required Findings ..................................................................................................................... 2-26

21.11.070. Special Planned Developments Established ............................................................................. 2-26 Chapter 21.12. Development Agreements ...................................................................................................... 2-27

21.12.010. Purpose and Applicability .......................................................................................................... 2-27

21.12.020. Application Filing, Processing, and Review............................................................................... 2-27

21.12.030. Contents of Development Agreement ....................................................................................... 2-28

21.12.040. Hearings, Recommendation, and Action. .................................................................................. 2-29

21.12.050. Required Findings ..................................................................................................................... 2-30

21.12.060. Execution and Recordation ....................................................................................................... 2-30

21.12.070. Effect of Approved Agreement .................................................................................................. 2-31

21.12.080. Enforcement and Continuing Validity ........................................................................................ 2-31

21.12.090. Periodic Review......................................................................................................................... 2-31

21.12.100. Amendment and Cancellation of Development Agreements ..................................................... 2-33 Chapter 21.13. Development Agreements Established ................................................................................. 2-33

21.13.010. City Council Adopted Development Agreements....................................................................... 2-33

21.13.020. Olsen – South Chandler Ranch Specific Plan Development Agreement................................... 2-34

21.13.030. Olsen – South Chandler Ranch Specific Plan Planning Area 9 Development Agreement ........ 2-34

21.13.040. Olsen – South Chandler Ranch Specific Plan – Our Town Development Agreement............... 2-34

21.13.050. Paso Robles Gateway Annexation Development Agreement ................................................... 2-34

21.13.060. Beechwood Specific Plan Development Agreement ................................................................. 2-34 Chapter 21.14. Specific Plans .......................................................................................................................... 2-34

21.14.010. Purpose and Applicability .......................................................................................................... 2-34

21.14.020. Initiation of Specific Plans.......................................................................................................... 2-35

21.14.030. Specific Plan Project Review..................................................................................................... 2-36

21.14.040. Hearings, Recommendation, and Action ................................................................................... 2-36

21.14.050. Required Findings ..................................................................................................................... 2-37

21.14.060. Adoption of a Specific Plan........................................................................................................ 2-37

21.14.070. Post Decision Procedures ......................................................................................................... 2-38

21.14.080. Specific Plans Established ........................................................................................................ 2-38 Chapter 21.15. Development Review............................................................................................................... 2-38

21.15.010. Purpose and Applicability .......................................................................................................... 2-38

21.15.020. Types of Development Review Established .............................................................................. 2-38

21.15.030. Development Review Authority Summary ................................................................................. 2-39

21.15.040. Application Filing, Processing, and Review............................................................................... 2-41

21.15.050. Public Meetings and Notice....................................................................................................... 2-43

21.15.060. Development Review Criteria .................................................................................................... 2-43

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21.15.070. Conditions of Approval .............................................................................................................. 2-44

21.15.080. Post Decision Procedures ......................................................................................................... 2-44 Chapter 21.16. Development Plans ................................................................................................................. 2-44

21.16.010. Development Plan Requirements.............................................................................................. 2-44

21.16.020. Development Plan Modifications ............................................................................................... 2-46

21.16.030. Master Development Plan ......................................................................................................... 2-49 Chapter 21.17. Site Plans ................................................................................................................................. 2-50

21.17.010. Site Plan Review Requirements ................................................................................................ 2-50

21.17.020. Site Plan Modifications .............................................................................................................. 2-51 Chapter 21.18. Plot Plans ................................................................................................................................. 2-53

21.18.010. Plot Plan Review Requirement.................................................................................................. 2-53

21.18.020. Plot Plan Review Code Consistency ......................................................................................... 2-54 Chapter 21.19. Conditional Use Permits and Administrative Use Permits .................................................. 2-54

21.19.010. Purpose and Applicability .......................................................................................................... 2-54

21.19.020. Review Authority........................................................................................................................ 2-54

21.19.030. Application Processing .............................................................................................................. 2-54

21.19.040. Notice and Hearing.................................................................................................................... 2-55

21.19.050. Required Findings ..................................................................................................................... 2-55

21.19.060. Conditions of Approval .............................................................................................................. 2-56

21.19.070. Permit to Run with the Land ...................................................................................................... 2-57

21.19.080. Conditional Use Permit/Development Plan Combined Action ................................................... 2-57

21.19.090. Post Decision Procedures ......................................................................................................... 2-57 Chapter 21.20. Temporary Use Permits .......................................................................................................... 2-57

21.20.010. Purpose and Applicability .......................................................................................................... 2-57

21.20.020. Exempt Temporary Uses........................................................................................................... 2-57

21.20.030. Allowed Temporary Uses .......................................................................................................... 2-58

21.20.040. Uses Requiring Special Regulatory Provisions ......................................................................... 2-58

21.20.050. Application Processing .............................................................................................................. 2-59

21.20.060. Action by the Zoning administrator............................................................................................ 2-59

21.20.070. Findings For Approval and Revocation ..................................................................................... 2-60

21.20.080. Conditions of Approval .............................................................................................................. 2-60

21.20.090. Permit Duration.......................................................................................................................... 2-60

21.20.100. Condition of Site Following Temporary Use .............................................................................. 2-60 Chapter 21.21. Home Occupation Permits...................................................................................................... 2-61

21.21.010. Purpose and Applicability .......................................................................................................... 2-61

21.21.020. Compliance with Standards and Conditions.............................................................................. 2-61

21.21.030. Excluded Operations ................................................................................................................. 2-63

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21.21.040. Business License Required....................................................................................................... 2-64

21.21.050. Application Filing, Processing, and Review............................................................................... 2-64

21.21.060. Required Findings And Decision ............................................................................................... 2-64

21.21.070. Permit Expiration ....................................................................................................................... 2-65

21.21.080. Inspections ................................................................................................................................ 2-65

21.21.090. Acknowledgement by Applicant................................................................................................. 2-65

21.21.100. Permit Not Transferable ............................................................................................................ 2-65

21.21.110. Changes in Home Occupation................................................................................................... 2-65

21.21.120. Post-Decision Procedures ......................................................................................................... 2-65 Chapter 21.22. Variances ................................................................................................................................. 2-65

21.22.010. Purpose and Applicability .......................................................................................................... 2-65

21.22.020. Application Filing, Processing, and Review............................................................................... 2-66

21.22.030. Required Findings ..................................................................................................................... 2-66

21.22.040. Precedents ................................................................................................................................ 2-67

21.22.050. Conditions of Approval .............................................................................................................. 2-67

21.22.060. Permit to Run with the Land ...................................................................................................... 2-67

21.22.070. Post Decision Procedures ......................................................................................................... 2-67 Chapter 21.23. Reserved .................................................................................................................................. 2-67 Chapter 21.24. Entitlement Implementation, Extensions, Amendments, and Revocations...................... 2-67

21.24.010. Purpose and Applicability .......................................................................................................... 2-67

21.24.020. Effective Dates of Entitlements.................................................................................................. 2-67

21.24.030. Time to Implement and Time Extensions .................................................................................. 2-69

21.24.040. Permit Amendment.................................................................................................................... 2-70

21.24.050. Revocations and Suspensions .................................................................................................. 2-71 Chapter 21.25. Appeals and Calls for Review ................................................................................................ 2-72

21.25.010. Purpose and Applicability .......................................................................................................... 2-72

21.25.020. Review Authority........................................................................................................................ 2-72

21.25.030. Filing and Processing of Appeals .............................................................................................. 2-73

21.25.040. Filing and Processing of Calls for Review ................................................................................. 2-74 Chapter 21.26. Public Hearings and Notice.................................................................................................... 2-74

21.26.010. Purpose and Applicability .......................................................................................................... 2-74

21.26.020. Public Hearing Procedures........................................................................................................ 2-74

21.26.030. Notice Requirements for Hearings ............................................................................................ 2-75

21.26.040. Notice Requirements for Development Review Committee Meetings ....................................... 2-76 Chapter 21.27. Reasonable Accommodations ............................................................................................... 2-76

21.27.010. Purpose and Applicability .......................................................................................................... 2-77

21.27.020. Application Filing, Processing, and Review............................................................................... 2-77

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21.27.030. Findings and Decision ............................................................................................................... 2-78

21.27.040. Rescission of Approval of Reasonable Accommodation ........................................................... 2-78

21.27.050. Post Decision Procedures ......................................................................................................... 2-78 Chapter 21.28. Reserved .................................................................................................................................. 2-78 Chapter 21.29. Reserved .................................................................................................................................. 2-79 Chapter 21.30. Reserved .................................................................................................................................. 2-79 Chapter 21.31. Reserved .................................................................................................................................. 2-79

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CHAPTER 21.08. PLANNING AUTHORITIES

21.08.010. PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY
A. Purpose and Applicability. This Chapter describes the authority and responsibilities of each review authority (City Council, Planning Commission, Development Review Committee, Zoning Administrator, and Community Development Director) in the administration of this Title 21, including review and action on permits and other approvals required by this Zoning Code.

B. Elevate Review. In compliance with any discretionary approval, each review authority may defer action and refer the request to the next higher review authority for the final decision.

21.08.020. CITY COUNCIL
A. Review Authority on Specified Planning Matters. The City Council shall be the review authority for all legislative actions and shall make final decisions as indicated in Table 21.08.070-1 (Review Authority) and as follows, including action on related California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental documents, following a public hearing and recommended action by the Planning Commission:

1. Development Agreements. Consider and adopt, reject, or modify Development Agreements pursuant to Chapter 21.12 (Development Agreements).

2. General Plan and Zoning Text/Map Amendments. Consider and adopt, reject, or modify proposed amendments to the General Plan (map or text), Zoning Code, and Zoning Map pursuant to Chapter 21.10 (Amendments to the General Plan, Zoning Code, and Zoning Map).

3. Specific Plans and Amendments. Consider and adopt, reject, or modify specific plans or amendments to specific plans (and related Master Development Plans (Section 21.16.030), as applicable) pursuant to Chapter 21.14 (Specific Plans).

4. Historic Preservation. Consider and adopt, reject, or modify the Historic Resources Inventory and Historic Preservation Districts pursuant to Chapter 21.62 (Historic Preservation).

5. Historic Certificate of Appropriateness for Landmark Properties. Consider and adopt, reject, or modify applications for proposed alterations to a building, structure, object, or site on a State or Federal historic registry, or State historic resources inventory (with a California Historic Resource Status Code of 1-5) pursuant to Chapter 21.62 (Historic Preservation).

6. Demolition of Historic Resources. Review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for the demolition of historic resources pursuant to Chapter 21.62 (Historic Preservation).

7. Special Planned Developments. Review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for Special Planned Developments (and related Master Development Plans (Section 21.16.030), as applicable) pursuant to Chapter 21.11 (Special Planned Developments).

8. Development Plans Including Modifications for Height (Habitable Space). Review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for Development Plans pursuant to Section

21.16.020 (Development Plan Modifications) that include habitable space above maximum height limits.

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9. Oak Tree Removals. Review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for oak tree removal permits for 10 or more oak trees pursuant to Chapter 10.01 (Oak Tree Preservation).

10. Subdivisions. Review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for Final Maps pursuant to Title 22 (Subdivisions).

11. Street Abandonments. Review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for street abandonments, consistent with Streets and Highways Code Sections 8300-8363.

B. Appeals. The City Council shall hear and decide appeals of Planning Commission decisions pursuant to Chapter 21.25 (Appeals and Calls for Review).

C. Imposition of Conditions. In making decisions on applications, the City Council may impose conditions as necessary to make required findings to implement the General Plan, any applicable specific plans, and the Municipal Code standards that apply to development, and to further the public health, safety, and general welfare of the community.

21.08.030. PLANNING COMMISSION
A. Establishment. The Planning Commission shall be established as set forth in Chapter 2.20 (Planning Commission) of the Municipal Code.

B. General Duties and Functions. The Planning Commission shall perform the duties and have all of the rights, powers, and privileges specified and provided for in the Municipal Code or by State law. The functions of the Planning Commission, while not inclusive, shall be to formulate and recommend policies and standards for development of land uses and to perform authorized duties related to development review and as indicated in Subsection C. below, and to perform other functions as the City Council may direct.

C. Review Authority on Specified Planning Matters. Except when combined with legislative actions or other specified City Council matters, the Planning Commission shall be the review authority and make final decisions, including action on related California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental documents, for the quasi-judicial permits and actions as indicated in Table 21.08.070-1 (Review Authority) and this Section, following a public hearing in compliance with Chapter 21.26 (Public Hearings and Notice).

1. Conditional Use Permits. Review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for Conditional Use Permits pursuant to Chapter 21.19 (Conditional Use Permits and Administrative Use Permits).

2. Master Development Plans. Review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for Master Development Plans not approved concurrently with a Specific Plan or Special Planned Development pursuant to Section 21.16.030 (Master Development Plans).

3. Development Plans. Review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for Development Plans pursuant to Chapter 21.16 (Development Plans).

4. Development Plan Modifications. Review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for modifications associated with Development Plans pursuant to Section 21.16.020 (Development Plan Modifications), except those under City Council purview per Section

21.16.020.B (Allowed Modifications by City Council).

5. Site Plans Subject to CEQA. Review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for a Site Plan (Chapter 21.17) when a project is not exempt from CEQA.

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6. Historic Certificate of Appropriateness for Local Historic Resources. Consider and adopt, reject, or modify applications for proposed alterations to a building, structure, object, or site listed on the Paso Robles Historic Resources Inventory pursuant to Chapter 21.62 (Historic Preservation).

7. Variances. Review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for Variances pursuant to Chapter 21.22 (Variances).

8. Oak Tree Removals. Review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for oak tree removal permits for between 1 and 9 oak trees pursuant to Chapter 10.01 (Oak Tree Preservation) in conjunction with a development application.

9. Subdivisions. Review and approve, conditionally approve, or deny applications for Tentative Tract Maps and Tentative Parcel Maps pursuant to Title 22 (Subdivisions).

10. Permit Revocation. Hear and decide proposals to revoke land use and development permits pursuant to Section 21.24.050 (Revocations and Suspensions).

11. Recommendations. Make recommendations to the City Council on final legislative decisions including development agreements and amendments, General Plan amendments, specific plans and amendments, Zoning Code amendments, Zoning Map amendments, related CEQA environmental documents, street abandonments, and other applicable policy or regulatory matters related to the City's planning process.

12. Annual Review and Legislative Recommendations. Annually review progress towards implementation of the General Plan prior to City Council review, annually review the capital improvement program of the City for consistencies with the General Plan, and from time to time make recommendations to the City Council based on any new legislation, development trends, or changing economic, social, and environmental conditions.

D. Appeals.

1. The Planning Commission shall hear and decide appeals of the Development Review Committee, Zoning Administrator, and Director decisions pursuant to Chapter 21.25 (Appeals and Calls for Review).

2. Decisions by the Planning Commission may be appealed to the City Council in compliance with Chapter 21.25 (Appeals and Calls for Review).

E. Imposition of Conditions. In making decisions on applications, the Planning Commission may impose conditions as necessary to make required findings to implement the General Plan, any applicable specific plans, the Municipal Code standards that apply to development, and to further the public health, safety, and general welfare of the community.

21.08.040. DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE
A. Establishment. The Development Review Committee shall be established to review the site, architectural, and landscaping design of new development and improvements of development applications, provide applicants with appropriate design comments, and make recommendations to the Planning Commission to implement the General Plan.