Administrative office districts, hereinafter designated as C-O districts, are established to provide for the location of offices for professional services and for business activities which are characterized by a low volume of direct consumer contact; and to encourage such development in a manner compatible with the uses in adjacent districts, with suitable open spaces, landscaping, and parking area. In Castro Valley (areas within the Castro Valley Urbanized Area), this also includes retail, service, and small scale production uses. C-O districts are typically situated in areas having convenient access from, but not directly on, main thoroughfares, and generally adjacent to a multiple residential development.

(Prior gen. code § 8-46.0)

(Ord. No. 2010-71, § 52, 12-21-10; Ord. No. 2020-66, § 9, 12-15-20)

The following principal uses are permitted in a C-O district when located within a building:

A.

Office or office building for the conduct of business, administrative or professional services, where these activities do not include the manufacture, storage, display except samples, or sale at retail of any merchandise on the premises; including but not limited to the following types of office occupancy: Accountant, advertising, architect, attorney, broker (stock and bond), business consultant, business management, chiropodist, chiropractor, collecting agency, dentist, employment agency, engineer, finance, industrial management, insurance, landscape architect, loan agency, mortgage, optometrist, osteopath, philanthropic or charitable organization, physician, public utilities, real estate, sales representative, secretarial, social services, telephone answering, travel agent;

B.

Bank;

C.

Blue printing or other copying service;

D.

Medical laboratory, dental laboratory; and

E.

In Castro Valley (areas within the Castro Valley Urbanized Area), in addition to uses listed above, the following are also permitted:

1.

Personal service and retail uses permitted in the C-N Zone (see subsections 17.36.020(A) and (B)).

2.

Day care center subject to Section 17.52.1330 (Day Care Center in Castro Valley).

3.

Artisan/maker space.

(Ord. 2006-33 § 3 (part): Prior gen. code § 8-46.1)

(Ord. No. 2010-71, § 53, 12-21-10; Ord. No. 2020-66, § 9, 12-15-20)

The following are conditional uses and shall be permitted in a C-O district only if approved by the planning commission, sitting as a board of zoning adjustments, as provided in Sections 17.54.135 and 17.34.010:

A.

Church, library, school, hospital, clinic;

B.

Clubhouse, or rooms used by members or an organized club, lodge, union or society; and

C.

Unattended collection box(es) placed in conjunction with an approved community facility as defined in Section 17.04.010.

(Ord. 2006-33 § 3 (part): Ord. 2000-53 § 1 (part))

(Ord. No. 2013-26, § 8, 7-16-13)

In addition to the uses listed for Sections 17.52.480 and 17.52.580, the following are conditional uses in a C-O district and shall be permitted only if approved by the board of zoning adjustments as provided in Section 17.54.130:

A.

Pharmacy, limited to the sale of drugs and medical supplies, except in Castro Valley (areas within the Castro Valley Urbanized Area) where pharmacies are permitted (see Section 17.34.020(E), above);

B.

Restaurant or retail store which serves primarily the occupants of existing buildings in the same district, or their clients or patrons, except in Castro Valley (areas within the Castro Valley Urbanized Area) where restaurants and retail stores are permitted (see Section 17.34.020(E), above);

C.

Mobile outdoor business that directly serves the needs of the occupants of existing office commercial buildings or workers, patrons, or clients of businesses in the immediate vicinity;

D.

Research or development laboratory, except those engaged in manufacture of products for commercial sale or distribution and excluding any which produces or is found likely to produce any smoke, dust, odors, glare or vibrations observable outside the building or portion thereof in such use;

E.

Parking lot;

F.

Public utility substation, not including service yard, storage of materials or vehicles, or repair facilities.

(Ord. 2008-33 § 3: Ord. 2002-60 (part); Ord. 2000-53 § 1 (part); prior gen. code § 8-46.2)

(Ord. No. 2010-71, § 54, 12-21-10; Ord. No. 2020-66, § 9, 12-15-20)

Any structure one thousand (1,000) square feet or more or any construction aggregating one thousand (1,000) square feet or more placed since July 9, 1977, shall be subject to site development review pursuant to Section 17.54.210; unless zoning approval is granted upon the determination that the construction constitutes a minor project and that the building permit plans are in accord with the intent and objectives of the site development review procedure.

(Prior gen. code § 8-46.2.1)

Every use in a C-O district shall be on a building site having a median lot width not less than seventy (70) feet, and an area not less than ten thousand (10,000) square feet.

(Prior gen. code § 8-46.3)

The yard requirements in C-O districts shall be as follows, subject to the general provisions of Section 17.52.330:

A.

Depth of front yard: not less than twenty (20) feet;

B.

Depth of rear yard: not less than ten feet;

C.

Width of side yards: not less than ten feet.

(Prior gen. code § 8-46.4)

Except as otherwise provided in Section 17.52.090, no building or structure in a C-O district shall have a height in excess of thirty-five (35) feet.

(Prior gen. code § 8-46.5)

In C-O districts the aggregate ground coverage, calculated as provided in Section 17.52.380, shall not exceed fifty (50) percent of the area of the lot. All open portions shall be graded, drained and maintained continuously in a dust free condition, either by landscaping or by paving, to standards approved by the board of zoning adjustments.

(Ord. 2002-60 (part): Prior gen. code § 8-46.6)

Signs permitted subject to Section 17.52.520.

A.

Type. Business signs.

B.

Size. Area of all signs not to exceed one square foot for each two lineal feet of either primary building frontage or secondary building frontage, up to a maximum of fifty (50) square feet for each business, provided, however, that each business is guaranteed twenty-five (25) square feet of sign area.

C.

Location. Wall signs only.

D.

Character. No sign shall be flashing or intermittent, contain moving parts, or be located so as to be directed towards lands in any adjacent R district, except pursuant to Section 17.52.515(A)(3) and in conformance with Section 17.54.226.

(Prior gen. code § 8-46.7)

(Ord. No. 2010-49, § 5, 9-14-10)

In addition to signs permitted by Section 17.34.090 but subject to Section 17.52.520 and as qualified below an office building may be permitted an office building master identification sign, subject to site development review pursuant to Section 17.54.210. The office building master identification sign shall be in architectural harmony with the design of the buildings intended to be identified, if wall-mounted by its design as an integral part of the wall of the building to which it is attached and if freestanding then limited to a low-profile sign not exceeding eight feet in height with its means of support concealed and located within a planter of appropriate dimension.

The office building master identification sign shall not exceed fifty (50) square feet in area, shall be permitted for office building which contains no less than four tenants or any institutional use, and the copy shall include only the name of the office complex or institutional use.

(Prior gen. code § 8-46.7.1)

(Ord. No. 2010-71, § 55, 12-21-10)

All uses in C-O districts shall conform to the performance standards of this title for M-P districts as set forth in Section 17.42.020.

(Prior gen. code § 8-46.8)