City Council Agenda Report
Meeting Date: August 18, 2026
From: Daniel S. Wall, P.E., Director of Public Works-City Engineer Department: Public Works
Submitted by: Daniel S. Wall, P.E., Director of Public Works-City Engineer Subject
Zoning: Permitted Use Cross-Reference Matrix
Recommendation
A. Receive and file the Permitted Use Cross-Reference Matrix; and B. Provide direction to staff on any desired amendments to Title 17 of the Vernon Municipal Code to reclassify certain land uses currently allowed by-right to require a higher level of discretionary review through Conditional Use Permits or Development Agreements.
Background
In light of ongoing national dialogue and concerns expressed by community members, City staff have been analyzing whether certain land uses currently permitted “by-right” in the Vernon Municipal Code (VMC) should instead be subject to a higher level of discretionary review, implementing processes to include a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) or a Development Agreement (DA).
To support the City Council's evaluation of this issue, staff prepared a comprehensive Permitted Use Cross-Reference Matrix (Attachment 1), which summarizes every use classification in Title 17 and identifies its level of review in each zoning district. The matrix organizes uses into four categories, each defined in VMC Chapter 17.16 (Definitions):
• By-Right: A use permitted outright in a zoning district, subject only to compliance with applicable development standards. No discretionary approval is required. By-right uses are listed in each zone's "Permitted Uses" section (e.g., VMC § 17.22.020 for the General Industry Zone).
• Minor Conditional Use Permit (Minor CUP): A discretionary permit granted by the Director of Public Works for uses not permitted by-right because they require special review and may be subject to special conditions. Minor CUPs are processed at the staff level under VMC Chapter 17.76 (Minor Conditional Use Permit), with the Director retaining discretion to refer an application to the City Council (VMC § 17.76.060). • Conditional Use Permit (CUP): A discretionary permit granted by the City Council for uses not permitted by-right because they require special review and may be subject to special conditions. All CUPs are heard and decided by the City Council following a public hearing, under VMC Chapter 17.72 (Conditional Use Permit), and are subject to CEQA review. Conditions of approval and administrative exactions must have a nexus to the impacts directly created by the proposed land-use.
• Development Agreement: A contract, duly executed and legally binding, between the City and a developer, authorized under Government Code § 65864 et seq. and governed by VMC Chapter 17.84 (Development Agreement). Development Agreements are adopted by ordinance following a City Council public hearing, are subject to CEQA review, and allow for negotiated, project-specific terms, such as community benefit fees. Because DA terms are negotiated versus unilaterally imposed, the fees and terms are not legally bound by strict nexus requirements.
It should be noted that one of the conditions of a CUP could be a Development Agreement. The CUP component allows the City Council to apply standard findings and conditions addressing compatibility, operations, and mitigation. The Development Agreement component allows the City to vest development rights and negotiate site-specific public benefits, such as infrastructure improvements, local hiring commitments, or community benefit contributions, over a defined term. This approach provides the City Council with the strongest level of discretion available under the zoning code: the compatibility safeguards of a CUP paired with the negotiating leverage of a Development Agreement. The City Council would consider both at a single hearing, approving the CUP by resolution and adopting the Development Agreement by ordinance.
It is recommended that City Council deliberate and provide staff with direction on its desired reclassification of certain land uses (if any) to require CUPs or DAs for approval. Staff would return with any proposed amendment(s) to the VMC’s Title 17 at a subsequent meeting for Council’s review and approval.
Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 3 - Advance Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
Attachments
1. Permitted Use Cross-Reference Matrix