ORDINANCE NO. 1307
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VERNON
AMENDING TITLE 17 - ZONING TABLES 17.23.020(A), 17.24.020 (A) AND 17.25.020(A) OF THE VERNON MUNICIPAL CODE TO ENSURE
COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATE HOUSING ELEMENT LAW,
INCLUDING GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 65583.2(h)-(i)
SECTION 1. Recitals.
A. The City of Vernon (City) is a municipal corporation and a chartered city of the State of California organized and existing under its charter and the Constitution of the State of California.
B. Vernon Municipal Code Title 17 – Zoning (Zoning Code), establishes zoning regulations and provisions in the City and designates, regulates and restricts various matters of zoning and land use.
C. Every eight years, the State of California requires local jurisdictions to update their Housing Element to plan for current and future housing needs. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) reviews each jurisdiction’s Housing Element and zoning code to determine compliance with State law.
D. HCD has determined that minor modifications to the Zoning Code are required to comply with State law to ensure that multifamily housing developments on sites identified to accommodate a portion of the housing need for lower income housing in the General Plan Housing Element are permitted by right, pursuant to Government Code Section 65583.2(h) and (i).
E. A duly-noticed public hearing has been held to consider the proposed Zoning Code changes, and public Testimony has been received and considered.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VERNON HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 2. The City Council of the City of Vernon hereby finds and determines that the above recitals are true and correct and are a substantial part of this ordinance.
SECTION 3. This ordinance was assessed in accordance with the authority and criteria contained in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the State CEQA Guidelines, and the environmental regulations of the City. The City Council finds that this ordinance is not subject to CEQA because the adoption of this ordinance is not a “project” pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
SECTION 4. Title 17 - Zoning Table 17.23.020(A) of the Vernon Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
Ordinance No. 1307
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Table 17.23.020(A)
Residential and Office Uses
Land Use Use Control General Regulations & Notes
Primarily Residential Uses
Single-Family Dwelling Permitted of Right Development and design standards of this chapter do not apply;
development standards are the
following:
Minimum front setback: 5 ft
Maximum height: 3 stories/35 ft
Multifamily Dwelling Permitted of Right All multifamily residential buildings greater than 20 units shall
include 25% live/work units. All
multifamily or live/ work buildings
greater than 100 units shall be
conditional.
For sites identified to accommodate
the lower-income regional housing
need allocation, multifamily uses
shall be a use by right and
permitted without discretionary
action for developments in which at
least 20 percent of the units are
affordable to lower income
households and shall meet all
requirements pursuant to
Government Code section 65583.2,
subdivisions (h) and (i), including
but not limited to requiring
minimum densities of 20 units per
acre, allowing 100 percent
residential use and require that
residential use occupy at least 50
percent of the total floor area of a
mixed-use project. For more
information on eligible sites, please
see the site inventory included in
the City of Vernon Housing
Element.
Hotel Encouraged
Residential Care Facilities Permitted of Right
Live/Work Permitted of Right Must contain at least 200 sq ft per unit of designated work space. See
Chapter 17.54 for detailed
regulations.
Trailer Park Prohibited
Emergency Shelter Prohibited
Primary Office Uses
Office Manufacturing Permitted of Right
Media Production Studios Permitted of Right
Offices Permitted of Right
Ordinance No. 1307
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SECTION 5. Title 17 – Zoning Table 17.24.020(A) of the Vernon Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
Table 17.24.020(A)
Residential and Office Uses
Land Use Use Control General Regulations & Notes
Primarily Residential Uses
Single-Family Dwelling Prohibited
Multifamily Dwelling Permitted of Right All multifamily residential buildings greater than 20 units shall
include 30% live/work units. All
multifamily or live/work buildings
greater than 100 units shall be
conditional.
For sites identified to accommodate
the lower-income regional housing
need allocation, multifamily uses
shall be a use by right and
permitted without discretionary
action for developments in which at
least 20 percent of the units are
affordable to lower income
households and shall meet all
requirements pursuant to
Government Code section 65583.2,
subdivisions (h) and (i), including
but not limited to requiring
minimum densities of 20 units per
acre, allowing 100 percent
residential use and require that
residential use occupy at least 50
percent of the total floor area of a
mixed-use project. For more
information on eligible sites, please
see the site inventory included in
the City of Vernon Housing
Element.
Hotel Encouraged
Live/Work Permitted of Right Must contain at least 200 sq ft per unit of designated work space. See
Chapter 17.54 for detailed
regulations.
Residential Care Facilities Permitted of Right
Trailer Park Prohibited
Emergency Shelter Prohibited
Primary Office Uses
Office Manufacturing Permitted of Right
Media Production Studios Permitted of Right
Offices Permitted of Right
SECTION 6. Title 17 – Zoning Table 17.25.020(A) of the Vernon Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
Ordinance No. 1307
_______________________
Table 17.25.020(A)
Residential and Office Uses
Land Use Use Control General Regulations & Notes
Primarily Residential Uses
Single-Family Dwelling Prohibited
Multifamily Dwelling Permitted of Right All multifamily residential buildings greater than 20 units shall
include 30% live/work units. All
multifamily or live/work buildings
greater than 100 units shall be
conditional.
For sites identified to accommodate
the lower-income regional housing
need allocation, multifamily uses
shall be a use by right and
permitted without discretionary
action for developments in which at
least 20 percent of the units are
affordable to lower income
households and shall meet all
requirements pursuant to
Government Code section 65583.2,
subdivisions (h) and (i), including
but not limited to requiring
minimum densities of 20 units per
acre, allowing 100 percent
residential use and require that
residential use occupy at least 50
percent of the total floor area of a
mixed-use project. For more
information on eligible sites, please
see the site inventory included in
the City of Vernon Housing
Element.
Hotel Prohibited
Live/Work Permitted of Right Must contain at least 200 sq ft per unit of designated work space. See
Chapter 17.54 for detailed
regulations.
Residential Care Facilities Permitted of Right
Trailer Park Prohibited
Emergency Shelter Permitted of Right
Primary Office Uses
Office Manufacturing Encouraged
Media Production Studios Permitted of Right
Offices Permitted of Right
SECTION 7. Any provision of the Vernon Municipal Code or appendices thereto inconsistent with the provisions of this ordinance, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further, is repealed or modified to that extent necessary to affect the provisions of this ordinance.
Ordinance No. 1307
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SECTION 8. If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion thereof, of this ordinance is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance. The City Council declares that it would have adopted this ordinance, and each section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases, or portions thereof, be declared invalid or unconstitutional. To this end, the provisions of this ordinance are declared to be severable.
SECTION 9. The City Clerk, or Deputy City Clerk, shall certify the adoption and publish this ordinance as required by law.
SECTION 10. This ordinance shall become effective after the thirtieth day following its adoption.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED September 16, 2025.
_____________________________
LETICIA LOPEZ, Mayor
ATTEST:
GENOVEVA ROCHA, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
ZAYNAH N. MOUSSA, City Attorney
Ordinance No. 1307
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CERTIFICATION
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss.
CITY OF VERNON )
I do hereby certify that the attached is a true copy of Ordinance No. 1307 that was introduced by the City Council of the City of Vernon, California, at its Regular meeting of September 2, 2025 and adopted at its Regular Meeting of September 16, 2025 by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
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GENOVEVA ROCHA, City Clerk