TO: LINDA REICH, CITY MANAGER
FROM: WARREN MORELION, AICP, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
SUBJECT
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Overview of Zoning Amendments to Implement the 2045 General Plan.
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RECOMMENDATION
1) Receive a presentation on zoning amendments to implement the 2045 General Plan; and 2) Discuss and provide feedback to staff and the consultant on content to be included in the Public Review Draft Zoning Code Update.
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FISCAL IMPACT
This agenda item is a status report on the comprehensive zoning code update, therefore there are no financial impacts associated with this report.
CITY OF CHINO MISSION / VISION / VALUES / STRATEGIC ISSUES
The recommendation detailed above further the City’s values and strategic issues that serve as key pillars on which identified priorities, goals, and action plans are built, by fostering:
• Responsible Long-Range Planning
BACKGROUND
The City Council adopted the 2045 General Plan on September 2, 2025. To implement the 2045 General Plan, certain amendments to the Zoning Code are also required to ensure the General Plan and Zoning Code are consistent, as required under State law. Between December 2024 and April 2025, staff and the consultant, Andrew Hill of Dyett and Bhatia, conducted a series of study sessions with the Planning Commission to review and receive feedback on zoning amendments to implement the 2045 General Plan. The purpose of this study session is to provide an overview of the suggested zoning amendments, which reflect direction provided by the Planning Commission during the previous study sessions, and receive feedback prior to finalizing the Draft Zoning Code Update for public review. The Draft Zoning Code Update document is anticipated for release in Spring 2026.
ISSUES/ANALYSIS
The following is a summary of key proposed amendments for implementation of the 2045 General Plan:
• Code Reorganization. Much of the current Zoning Code is working well and has been retained, but to help ensure that the Code is more "user friendly" and facilitate future updates, the Code will be reorganized from group chapters into a hierarchical framework. This will result in a Zoning Code that is easier for users to find key provisions, and for new information to be added later without extensive reorganization and renumbering of the document.
• Amendments to Streamline Approvals Process. Amendments are proposed to permit more uses by right when projects are clearly consistent with the 2045 General Plan and City standards. The current Zoning Code currently permits some uses by right, but many are subject to administrative approval and conditional use permit approval, which add time, cost and complexity. The intent of the proposed revisions is to make it easier for the City to attract and retain businesses, particularly in commercial and mixed use zones.
• Amendments for Buffering Industrial and Warehouse Uses. Development and design standards for new and expanded industrial and logistics uses will be updated to implement "good neighbor" policies with the intent of promoting business development in the City while also shielding neighborhoods from negative impacts, delivering cleaner air, and limiting where warehouse/distribution centers can establish. The amendments closely follow State requirements defined in Assembly Bill 98.
• Parking Requirements. Amendments will address residential parking requirements and parking standards for commercial shopping centers. A recurring theme during the community outreach period for the General Plan Update was related to the availability of parking in residential neighborhoods. Amendments are proposed to incorporate strategies to optimize the availability of neighborhood parking. For commercial shopping centers, amendments will seek to modernize standards and optimize the availability of parking stalls for patrons while working to control costs associated with development.
• Amendments Creating New Districts. The 2045 General Plan Update created four new land use designations for mixed use areas: Regional Mixed Use, Boulevard Mixed Use, Downtown Overlay District, and Employment Mixed Use. Amendments have been prepared with tables identifying allowed uses in these areas, and with development standards to implement the new land use designations, drawing on standards currently in place in the City and with best practices from other peer communities in California. These amendments are still under review by staff and may be further refined. The intent is to introduce the current Draft Zoning Code Update document and receive feedback from the City Council and Planning Commission at this stage to finalize the draft document.