Inglewood City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 7
"C-2" GENERAL COMMERCIAL ZONE
§ 12-24 C-2 Zone. Permitted Uses.
The following uses shall be permitted in the C-2 General Commercial Zone unless otherwise provided in this Chapter:
(A)
The following uses when conducted entirely within a fully enclosed building:
(1)
Any use permitted in the C-1 Zone except ambulance dispatch facilities, live-work units in new structures and residential uses as governed by Section 12-24.5.
(2)
Sales of new merchandise only including, but not limited to:
(a)
Apparel, millinery, shoes, jewelry.
(b)
Books, stationery, gifts, toys, cameras, pets, flowers.
(c)
Furniture, appliances, floor coverings.
(d)
Groceries, prepared food, meat, fish.
(e)
Automotive parts, hardware, paint.
(3)
Retail sales of antiques and collectibles.
(4)
Professional and medical offices, laboratories, and pharmacies.
(a)
Acupuncture and Chiropractor Facilities. Acupuncture and Chiropractor Facilities shall be subject to Special Use Permit approval in those instances where they offer on-site massage or acupressure therapy. Massage and acupressure services are not allowed in this zone at all unless they are provided as an incidental service of the acupuncture or chiropractor facility.
(5)
Laundromats, and service shops for watches, keys, shoes, dry cleaning, tailoring, printing, plumbing, small household appliances.
(6)
Beauty and cosmetology salons, barbershops, including training facilities if open to the public for patronage, and tanning salons; provided, however, that no private or individual rooms for patrons shall be allowed; and no beauty and cosmetology salons or barbershops shall be permitted within three hundred feet, measured from primary entrance door to primary entrance door, of a similar establishment unless a Special Use Permit is approved. No tanning salon shall be permitted within three hundred feet of a similar establishment.
In addition, all tanning salons shall meet the mandatory conditions set forth in Section 12.95.4.3 of the Inglewood Municipal Code.
(a)
Amortization. Any tanning salon use existing on or before the date of adoption of the ordinance codified in this Section shall be treated as a legally nonconforming use and shall be required to immediately conform to subsections (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), and (l) of Section 12-95.4.3 of the Inglewood Municipal Code. Further, unless an extension of time has been approved in accordance with subsection (b) of this Section, any nonconforming tanning salon shall be required within a period of six months to conform to subsection (A)(8) of this Section as it relates to not permitting private or individual rooms for patrons, and subsections (d), (e), and (f) of Section 12-95.4.3 of the Inglewood Municipal Code.
(b)
Extension of Amortization Time Period. The owner or operator of a nonconforming tanning salon as described in subsection (a) of this Section may request a reasonable period of time not to exceed an additional six months to comply by applying for an extension of time at least thirty days but no more than sixty days prior to the time established for compliance by applying for an extension to the Permits and Licensing Committee and paying an administrative fee of $50. Any extension granted shall be for a reasonable period of time commensurate with the investment involved and shall only be granted if the Committee finds that: (i) the owner or operator has made a substantial investment in the property in which the nonconforming use is conducted, (ii) such property cannot be readily converted to meet the requirements of subsection (a) of this Section without causing economic hardship, (iii) the owner or operator will be unable to recoup said investment as of the date established for coming into compliance with the City's requirements, and (iv) the applicant has made a good faith effort to recoup the investment and meet the City's requirements.
(c)
Except as specified in subsections (a) and (b) of this Section, all tanning salons shall meet all of the mandatory conditions set forth in Section 12.95.4.3 of the Inglewood Municipal Code.
(7)
Motion picture theaters, bowling alleys, billiard or pool halls.
(8)
Churches, wedding chapels.
(9)
Private clubs, studios, gymnasiums.
(10)
Mortuaries subject to Special Use Permit approval.
(11)
The installation of glass tinting, automobile stereo systems, automobile security systems and similar amenity products not requiring the partial disassembly of the automobile or the application of paint, and/or not affecting the mechanical operation of the vehicle.
Note: auto servicing and repair including body and fender repair and automobile painting are prohibited in the C-2 Zone, except when conducted within a fully enclosed building as an ancillary use within new car dealerships on not less than one acre sites and subject to Special Use Permit approval.
(12)
Off-Site Liquor Sales. Liquor stores and any other business selling distilled spirits (sold for off-site consumption) are prohibited within six hundred feet of any school, public playground or nonprofit youth facility (e.g., Boy or Girl Scout Facility, Youth Community Center, and the like) and are subject to Special Use Permit approval.
(13)
Arcades, game, film or video, subject to Special Use Permit approval.
(14)
Day care facilities or nursery schools (no age limitations).
(15)
Private schools for children only.
(16)
Trade or business schools, adult or proprietary schools, colleges or universities, and the like, subject to Special Use Permit approval.
Exception: schools teaching such industrial trades as automobile repair, building trades involving the use of machinery, or any other trade involving the operation of fabrication machinery, are prohibited.
(17)
Thrift stores, only if operated by non-profit organizations and subject to Special Use Permit approval.
(18)
Jewelry stores. Note: jewelry stores may accept jewelry as pawned deposit as an ancillary activity only, subject to Special Use Permit approval, and subject to the limitation that any subsequent sales of pawned jewelry shall not comprise more than twenty percent of the gross receipts generated by the jewelry store.
(19)
Auction house, excluding automobile auctions, and subject to Special Use Permit approval and subject to the provisions of Article 4 of Chapter 8 of this Code.
(20)
Convalescent homes, congregate housing, or retirement homes, subject to Special Use Permit approval if exceeding six residents.
(21)
Group homes for children or adults, half-way houses, orphanages and similar uses, subject to Special Use Permit approval if exceeding six residents.
(22)
Fraternities and sororities subject to Special Use Permit approval.
(23)
Accessory uses customarily incidental to any of the above uses.
(24)
Automated car wash uses ancillary to service stations, subject to Special Use Permit approval and in conformance to the development standards of Section 12-63.2.
(25)
Small group counseling/tutoring facilities, and the like where ten or fewer members receive services and the maximum floor area does not exceed one hundred square feet for each member receiving services plus five hundred square feet maximum of office and administrative floor area.
(26)
Welding as an ancillary activity within a business.
(27)
Live-work units in existing structures, subject to the requirements of Article 17.4.
(28)
Smoke Shops. New or expanded smoke shops are prohibited within five thousand two hundred eighty feet of another smoke shop, prohibited within six hundred feet of any school, public playground or nonprofit youth facility, and are subject to Special Use Permit approval.
(B)
The following uses are permitted whether within a fully enclosed building or not:
(1)
Automobile sales.
(a)
The retail sale of new automobiles and, as an ancillary use, the retail sale of used automobiles which are traded in as partial payment for new automobiles purchased at the same location.
(b)
The retail sale of used automobiles, if conducted on a lot not less than one acre in size and subject to Special Use Permit approval. No inoperable or disassembled automobile shall be sold or stored on the premises and no automobile repair shall be permitted on the premises.
(c)
The retail sale of classic/vintage, collectible and luxury automobiles along Centinela Avenue as specified in Section 12-24.9.
(d)
The sales of commercial trucks, buses and other motorized vehicles not typical for personal or family-use transportation is prohibited in the C-2 Zone.
(2)
Rental of trailers for hauling purposes, only as an incidental use at service stations, and subject to Special Use Permit approval.
(3)
Plant nurseries.
(4)
Newsstands.
(5)
Parking lots. (Vehicle storage prohibited.)
(6)
Accessory uses which by their nature cannot reasonably be conducted within an enclosed building.
(7)
Hookah Lounge. New or expanded hookah lounges, subject to Special Use Permit approval and the following:
(a)
Prohibited within six hundred feet of any school, public playground, or nonprofit youth facility;
(b)
Hours of operation shall be limited to the hours between nine a.m. and eleven p.m.; and
(c)
New or expanded hookah lounges are prohibited within five thousand two hundred eighty feet (one mile) of another hookah lounge.
(C)
Any business authorized to conduct its operations in a C-2 Zone may conduct a wholesale business only when incidental to retail sales. "Incidental" in this instance shall mean that the gross receipts for the wholesale portion of the business shall not exceed fifty percent of the total gross receipts of the business during any calendar year.
(D)
Prohibited Uses. Notwithstanding the above listed uses, any use not specified and any of the following uses are prohibited in the C-2 General Commercial Zone:
(1)
Adult businesses.
(2)
Bath houses, Turkish baths, massage parlors, acupressure establishments and similar uses.
(3)
Swap meets or flea markets, except if operated by, and on the premises of, a community nonprofit charitable organization not more than four times per year, subject to the issuance of a permit by the Permits and Licenses Committee per Article 3 of Chapter 8 of this Code.
(Ord. 2119 9-1-72; Ord. 2346 7-3-79; Ord. 2488 11-6-84; Ord. 87-7 5-19-87; Ord. 89-4 6-6-89; Ord. 90-21 8-28-90; Ord. 93-25 11-2-93; Ord. 94-21 11-1-94; Ord. 94-09 4-26-94; Ord. 96-17 9-10-96; Ord. 97-16 8-19-97; Ord. 97-21 9-23-97; Ord. 98-05 3-31-98; Ord. 98-06 3-31-98; Ord. 98-16 8-18-98; Ord. 98-28 12-15-98; Ord. 00-02 1-25-00; Ord. 01-14 10-2-01; Ord. 02-21 6-11-02; Ord. 02-36 1-7-03; Ord. 03-19A 1-6-04; Ord. 04-22 9-28-04; Ord. 04-28 12-15-04; Ord. 05-06 8-9-05; Ord. 06-07 5-16-06; Ord. 08-20 8-26-08; Ord. 11-03 4-19-11; Ord. 12-02 2-28-12; Ord. 12-03 4-10-12; Ord. 12-21 10-30-12; Ord. 14-11 8-5-14; Ord. 15-13 6-22-15; Ord. 15-18 8-18-15; Ord. 22-01 10-19-21; Ord. 22-17 9-20-22; Ord. 23-01 10-11-22; Ord. 23-07 1-31-23)
§ 12-24.1 Building Height.
No building hereafter erected or structurally altered shall exceed six stories or seventy-five feet in height.
§ 12-24.2 Front Yard.
No front yard shall be required, except as necessary to provide landscaped buffers along a street.
(Ord. 2346 7-3-79)
§ 12-24.3 Side Yard.
No side yards shall be required, except as necessary to provide landscaped buffers along a street.
(Ord. 2346 7-3-79)
§ 12-24.4 Rear Yard.
No rear yard shall be required.
§ 12-24.5 Residential Use.
No new dwelling structure nor any increase in the number of residential units in an existing residential structure shall be permitted. Any improvements to existing residential structures shall conform to R-3 development requirements. Exception: a residential use can be developed when in compliance with the mixed-use requirements listed in Section 12-24.8.
(Ord. 2346 7-3-79; Ord. 05-03 3-15-05)
§ 12-24.6 Signs.
It shall be unlawful to erect or structurally alter any sign, or to maintain any sign which has been erected or structurally altered in the C-2 General Commercial Zone, except as permitted in Chapter 12 of this Code.
(Ord. 1588 5-23-61; Ord. 1957 8-30-68)
§ 12-24.7 (Reserved)
Note: Former § 12-24.7, Art Deco Design Standards, adopted by Ord. 02-32, was repealed by Ord. 26-06, 3/24/2026.
§ 12-24.8 Mixed-Use Requirements for Selected Areas of Morningside Park .
The following mixed-use provisions are applicable only to C-2 zoned properties that are located within the following areas: an area bounded by 85th Street (south side of street only), Crenshaw Boulevard (west side of street only), Manchester Boulevard (north side of street only), and Crenshaw Drive (east side of street only).
(1)
For the purposes of this Section, mixed-use is defined as a lot that has both a commercial use and a residential use.
(2)
Mixed-use is permitted subject to approval of a Special Use Permit pursuant to Article 25 of this Chapter.
(3)
Any property proposed for mixed-use development shall have a minimum site area of six thousand square feet.
(4)
There shall be a minimum of one thousand four hundred square feet of site area for each dwelling unit.
(5)
Commercial uses cannot be located behind residential uses. Residential uses must be located either above a commercial use (second floor or higher), or on the ground floor behind a commercial use (attached or detached).
(6)
Development of a residential use without a commercial use on the site is prohibited.
(7)
All residential units must comply with the minimum dwelling unit requirements listed in Section 12-6 of this Chapter.
(8)
The commercial component of the mixed-use development shall have a minimum gross floor area equal to twenty percent of the total lot area.
(9)
Commercial portions of the mixed-use development shall have a minimum landscaped front and street side setback of eight feet. The residential component shall have minimum interior side and rear setbacks of seven feet; buildings three or more stories in height shall have minimum interior side and rear setbacks of ten feet. Mechanical equipment shall not be located within setback areas.
(10)
There shall be a minimum separation of ten feet between two one-story structures on the same lot. There shall be a minimum separation of sixteen feet between a two-story structure and any other one-story or two-story structure. There shall be a minimum separation of eighteen feet between a three-story structure and any other structure. The Planning Commission, through the Special Use Permit process, has the discretion to require a separation greater than eighteen feet between a structure four stories or more in height and any other structure on site.
(11)
All parking for any permitted use shall comply with the provisions of Article 19 of this Chapter. Parking provided for residential uses shall be fully enclosed and shall be physically separate from parking for commercial uses. The Planning Commission, through the Special Use Permit process, has the discretion to determine the optimal location of parking.
(12)
No building hereafter erected or structurally altered shall exceed six stories or seventy-five feet in height.
(13)
There shall be architectural consistency between the residential and commercial components within a project site, and between the mixed-use project and surrounding properties.
(14)
Any aspect of a mixed-use development not explicitly mentioned in this Section must adhere to the applicable provisions listed elsewhere in this Chapter.
(Ord. 05-03 3-15-05; Ord. 06-20 11-14-06)
§ 12-24.9 Centinela Avenue Classic/ Vintage, Collectible and Luxury Car Sales Requirements.
The following classic/vintage, collectible and luxury car sales provisions are applicable only to C-2 zoned properties located along the north and south sides of Centinela Avenue and that are bounded by La Brea Avenue (west side of street only), and La Cienega Boulevard (east side of street only).
(1)
For the purposes of this Section, classic/vintage, collectible and luxury car sales uses are allowed only if they meet the definitions as cited in Sections 12-1.27.1 and 12-1.27.2 of this Chapter.
(2)
A classic/vintage, collectible and luxury car sales use is only permitted as an ancillary use to an existing automobile repair use subject to approval of a Special Use Permit pursuant to Article 25 of this Chapter.
(3)
A classic/vintage, collectible and luxury car sales use may be conducted as an ancillary use to an existing automobile repair use that contains a minimum of twelve thousand square feet of site area.
(4)
There shall be a minimum separation of five hundred feet between a propose classic/vintage, collectible and luxury car sales use and any other classic/vintage, collectible and luxury car sales use.
(5)
There shall be a minimum setback of twenty feet (including the width of an alley or street) from any residentially-zoned property and a classic/vintage, collectible and luxury car sales car sales display area or other outdoor area created for the display or sale of vehicles. The Planning Commission, through the Special Use Permit process, has the discretion to require a block wall, a greater separation between properties, and/or any other measures warranted to mitigate any potential impacts.
(6)
All parking for any classic/vintage, collectible and luxury car sales area developed as an ancillary use to an automobile repair use shall comply with the new or used motor vehicle sales use provisions of Article 19 of this Chapter. The Planning Commission, through the Special Use Permit process has the discretion to determine the optimum number and location of the parking spaces.
(7)
A minimum three hundred square-foot car sales office shall be maintained on the premises and open to the public for the classic/vintage, collectible and luxury car sales lot use. The office must be separate and distinct from the automobile repair use.
(8)
A classic/vintage, collectible and luxury car sales lot shall not display sell or store damaged or partially disassembled vehicles.
(9)
There shall be architectural consistency between the existing automobile repair use and the classic/vintage, collectible and luxury car sales use. The Planning Commission may require design and aesthetic improvements for the existing building including (but not limited to) building facades, fencing landscaping and parking areas.
(10)
Any aspect of a classic/vintage, collectible and luxury car sales use not explicitly mentioned in this Section must adhere to all the applicable provisions listed elsewhere in this Chapter.
(Ord. 06-07 5-16-06)
§ 12-24.9.1 Medical Enterprise Overlay Zone Applicability.
Properties located in the Medical Overlay Zone are subject to the requirements of Section 12-22.29.
(Ord. 20-06 1-28-20)
§ 12-24.10 Objective Design Standards-Multifamily and Mixed-Use Development.
New construction multifamily and mixed-use developments with two or more housing units shall comply with the Objective Design Standards and Guidelines, except for projects within Specific Plan areas. New construction of commercial developments within the Transit Oriented Development plan area shall comply with the Objective Design Standards and Guidelines. The standards also apply to remodeled buildings where new floor area is added. In such a case, the standards would apply to structures and facades which are being modified in order to accommodate the new floor area; other facades or buildings on the site would not be subject to these standards.
(Ord. 25-04, 1/28/2025)