This zone is intended to provide for and encourage a wide range of shopping and entertainment in a variety of urban and suburban formats. These include regional shopping centers, mixed destination centers or similar uses. The uses allowed in this zone will cater to regional clientele and provide a unique amenity to all residents of the Coachella Valley and an important revenue source for the City. Implementing the Regional Retail land use designation in the General Plan, the primary purpose of the zone is to provide for commercial opportunities, with residential uses supporting the retail environment.

(Ord. No. 1204, § 3(Exh. A.1), 7-26-23)

The following uses are permitted in the R-C (Regional Commercial) zone, subject to all provisions of this chapter:

A.

Primary Uses.

1.

All retail establishments including big box retail (> thirty-five thousand (35,000) square feet).

2.

Automobile rental.

3.

Hotel.

4.

Motel.

5.

Resort.

6.

Restaurants.

7.

Private swimming pools.

8.

Public Utility Facilities (City-Initiated).

B.

All uses permitted by Section 17.26.020 in Chapter 17.26 C-G (General Commercial).

C.

Accessory Uses. The following buildings, structures, and uses are permitted when clearly incidental and accessory to primary permitted use:

1.

Dwelling, where used by a proprietor, manager, or custodian of a use permitted within this zone.

2.

Ice vending machines, of three-ton capacity or less subject to all other provisions of this zone. Such machines shall be located so as not to interfere with the movement of traffic on the site.

D.

Conditional Uses. The following uses may be permitted the R-C (Regional Commercial) zone subject to obtaining a conditional use permit as specified in Section 17.74.010.

1.

Amusement center or theme park.

2.

Automotive repair garage as an accessory to automobile service station.

3.

Automobile service station.

4.

Bars and Cocktail lounges.

5.

Billiard parlor.

6.

Bowling alley.

7.

Bus terminals, depots, and similar transit facilities.

8.

Car washes as part of a multi-tenant retail center.

9.

Commercial Parking Lot.

10.

Drive-in or walk-up or other fast-food service establishments.

11.

Exhibition hall, conference center, theater, amphitheater, auditorium.

12.

Golf courses, driving ranges.

13.

Hospital Uses.

14.

Liquor sales, subject to Section 17.74.015;

15.

Medical offices.

16.

Microbreweries and taproom.

17.

Mini-storage warehouse as an accessory to a permitted use.

18.

Multiple-family residential (five plus units).

19.

New and used automobile sales and recreational vehicle sales.

20.

Recreational vehicle storage as an accessory to a permitted use.

21.

Restaurants with liquor sales.

22.

Skating rinks.

23.

Special event establishments.

24.

Sports Complex.

25.

Theater, including drive-in.

(Ord. No. 1204, § 3(Exh. A.1), 7-26-23)

The following standards of development shall apply in the R-C (Regional Commercial) zone:

A.

Residential Density and Non-Residential Intensity.

1.

Minimum Density. Ten (10) dwelling units/acre, when residential uses are provided.

2.

Maximum Density. Fifteen (15) dwelling units/acre.

3.

Maximum Non-Residential FAR. 2.0.

B.

Residential uses shall follow the development standards in Section 17.14.030 for multi-family uses and the City of Coachella Multifamily Objective Design Standards.

C.

Lot Requirements.

1.

Minimum Lot Size. The minimum lot size shall be twenty thousand (20,000) square feet for commercial uses.

2.

Minimum Lot Width. None.

3.

Minimum Lot Depth. None.

4.

Maximum Lot Coverage. None.

D.

Yard Requirement.

1.

Front Yard. Each lot or building site shall have a front yard of at least fifteen (15) feet in depth, except where one or both adjoining zones are residential, in which case the required yard shall be increased to equal the average of the required front yards of the adjoining zones.

2.

Side Yard. There shall be no side yard requirement except where a R-C (Regional Commercial) zone adjoins a street or a residential zone, in which case there shall be a side yard of not less than ten (10) feet on the side or sides adjoining said street or residential zones. In the case of a reversed corner lot, the side yard adjoining the street shall be not less than the required front yard of the adjoining key lot to the rear.

3.

Rear Yard. There shall be no rear yard requirement except where the R-C (Regional Commercial) zone adjoins a residential zone, in which case there shall be a rear yard of not less than ten (10) feet adjoining that residential zone. This shall not apply where there exists a public alley separating the two zones.

4.

Permitted Encroachments in Required Yards.

a.

The yards required in subsections 1—3 of this section may be used as part of an automobile parking area, provided however that a minimum three-foot wide screen planting strip shall be maintained adjacent to the planned highway right-of-way line.

b.

Swimming pools provided as an accessory use to a hotel or motel may encroach into the rear two-thirds of the required front yard.

5.

All landscape areas shall be maintained consistent with approved landscape plans. Landscape modifications shall be approved by the planning director and referred to the planning commission for review at the director's discretion.

E.

Height Limits.

1.

The maximum height of any building located within one hundred fifty (150) feet of any S-N or G-N zone, or any agricultural zone, shall be one story or twenty (20) feet, whichever is less. Vehicular rights-of-way shall be included in calculating the distance.

2.

The maximum height of all other buildings shall be two stories or thirty-five (35) feet, whichever is less, except that hotels shall have a maximum height of eighty-five (85) feet.

3.

Rooftop mechanical equipment shall be screened by a parapet wall or other architectural features. Any rooftop screening elements shall be architecturally consistent and well integrated with overall building architecture.

F.

Landscape Setback. The minimum perimeter landscape setback for residential or hotel projects without frontage of buildings along perimeter street shall equal at minimum ten (10) feet at any point and have an average perimeter landscape setback of twenty (20) feet for the entire frontage. Equestrian and agricultural themed improvements including equestrian rail fencing, agrarian lighting, agrarian signage, 10-foot-wide decomposed granite multi-purpose trail and date palms planted twenty (20) feet on center shall be installed along Avenue 52, Van Buren Street, and Calhoun Street.

G.

Energy Efficient Design and Heat Island Reduction Strategies. New development shall submit an energy efficient design and heat island reduction plan that incorporates heat island reduction strategies such as light-colored cool roofs, light-colored paving, permeable paving, substantial shade tree coverage, shade structures and shaded asphalt paving. Energy efficient building and site design strategies shall be incorporated such as appropriate solar orientation, thermal mass, use of natural daylight and ventilation, and shading. Shade tree plantings in surface parking areas shall be installed to provide shade over fifty (50) percent of the parking area within ten (10) years. Solar photovoltaic shade structures or shade structures with cool roofing materials shall be permitted in whole or in part in lieu of shade tree plantings.

H.

Distance Between Buildings. No requirements, except that buildings not actually adjoining shall be determined through site plan review.

I.

Off-Street Parking and Loading. Off-street parking and loading facilities shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Section 17.54.010.

J.

Screening. Where the R-C zone abuts upon a residential zone, there shall be provided screening not less than six feet, or more than eight feet in height on the zone boundary line. Said screening shall be reduced to forty-two (42) inches in height within a required yard adjacent to a street or highway.

K.

Other Property Development Standards.

1.

All uses shall be conducted entirely within a completely enclosed building, except for off-street parking and loading facilities, those outdoor uses permitted by Section 17.28.020(A)(7), and certain uses permitted subject to a conditional use permit by Section 17.28.020(D).

2.

No building or structure having exterior walls of sheet metal shall be erected in this zone.

L.

Architectural Review. All development in the R-C (Regional Commercial) zone, is subject to architectural review as set forth in Section 17.72.010 of this title.

(Ord. No. 1204, § 3(Exh. A.1), 7-26-23; Ord. No. 1220, § 2(Exh. A), 2-26-25)