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Kern County Unincorporated
City Zoning Code

CHAPTER 19

38 - MEDIUM INDUSTRIAL M-2 DISTRICT

19.38.010 - Purpose and application.

The purpose of the Medium Industrial (M-2) district is to designate areas for general manufacturing, processing and assembly activities. Uses may not produce fumes, odor, dust, smoke, gas or vibrations extending beyond zoning district boundaries.

(Prior code § 7080.01)

19.38.020 - Permitted uses.

The following uses and all others determined to be similar to these uses pursuant to Sections 19.08.030 through 19.08.080 of this title are permitted in the M-2 district in accordance with the standards and procedures of Chapter 19.80 of this title:

A.

Residential uses:

— Emergency shelter

— Manager, caretaker or proprietor quarters, including a mobilehome;

B.

Agricultural Uses.

— Agricultural by-product processing

— Animal products processing, limited to the slaughter, processing or shipping of poultry and rabbits

— Brewery

— Cannery

— Cotton compress

— Cotton gin

— Creamery

— Flour mill

— Fruit, vegetable and plant products processing, including packing, canning, preserving and shipping

— Glucose processing

— Grain elevator or storage

— Honey extraction

— Lumber drying kiln

— Oil extraction, nonmineral

— Saw or planing mill

— Winery;

C.

Recreation, entertainment, and tourist facilities:

— Adult business

— Batting cage

— Bingo parlor

— Bowling alley

— Circus or carnival, temporary, not to exceed four (4) days

— Dance hall, ballroom or discotheque

— Golf driving range

— Health club

— Hotel or motel

— Miniature golf

— Movie theater, walk-in

— Pool or billiard parlor

— Skateboard arenas

— Skating rink, roller or ice

— Tennis, swim or athletic club

— Theater, live

— Video games arcade;

D.

Commercial Uses.

1.

Offices:

— Business or professional

— Financial institutions, including bank, savings and loan, or credit union

— Real estate

— Research and development,

2.

General Retail Sales:

— Antiques

— Appliances, including service and repair

— Art gallery

— Auto leasing

— Auto, new

— Auto parts and accessories

— Auto tire, including service

— Auto, used

— Bicycle, including rental and service

— Boat, including service and parts

— Bookstore, general

— Christmas tree, temporary

— Clothing and apparel

— Computer, including service and repair

— Department store

— Drugs and pharmaceuticals

— Electric appliances, including service and repair

— Electric equipment, including service and repair

— Feed

— Fireworks stand, temporary

— Floor covering, drapery, or upholstery

— Florist

— Furniture

— Gardening and landscaping supply

— Gift and card

— Gun, including repair

— Hardware, general, including lumber sales

— Hobby supplies

— Home or office furnishings

— Ice vending machine

— Jewelry and watches

— Lapidary

— Lawnmower, including repair

— Leather goods and luggage

— Locksmith or key and lock shop

— Military surplus

— Mobilehome, including rental and service

— Motorcycles, including rental and repair

— Musical instruments, including repair

— Newspaper or magazine stand

— Nursery, plant

— Office machines and equipment

— Paint and wallpaper

— Pawn shop

— Pet store

— Photographic supply or camera

— Plumbing supply

— Pottery

— Recreational vehicles, including service

— Shoes

— Sporting goods and athletic equipment

— Stationery and office supply

— Tobacco

— Toys

— Truck, including rental

— Used clothing and household goods

— Variety

— Video and audio tape sales and rentals,

3.

Food and Beverage Retail Sales:

— Bakery

— Catering

— Convenience market

— Drive-in food market or dairy

— Farmers' market

— Food store

— Liquor store

— Specialized, including meat, vegetables, health food, or candy,

4.

Eating and Drinking Establishments:

— Bar, tavern, or cocktail lounge

— Ice cream parlor

— Restaurant, cafe, or coffee shop

— Restaurant, fast-food,

5.

Services:

— Ambulance

— Artist studio

— Auto rental

— Auto service or repair, including body and paint shop

— Auto service station

— Auto tire repair

— Auto towing

— Auto wash

— Auto wash, self-service

— Barber or beauty shop

— Bath house, including sauna, spa, Turkish, steam, or tanning

— Carpet cleaning

— Chiropractic or massage therapy

— Clinic, medical or physical therapy, out-patient only

— Equipment, heavy, or truck or trailer rental

— Equipment, small, rental

— Furniture cleaning, refinishing, or upholstery

— Interior decorator

— Janitorial service

— Laboratory, medical, dental, optical, or biological

— Laboratory, testing, classifying, or experimental, not involving the use of explosives

— Laundromat, self-service

— Laundry, dry cleaning and dyeing plants

— Mini-warehouse

— Mortuary or funeral parlor

— Packaging and mailing services

— Pest control

— Pet grooming

— Photography studio

— Picture framing

— Printing, lithography, or blueprinting

— Shoe repair

— Shoe-shine stand

— Smog inspection station

— Tailor or dressmaker

— Tanning salon

— Tattoo parlor and body piercing

— Taxidermist

— Telegraph

— Ticket agency

— Travel agency

— Truck fueling station

— Truck service and repair

— Veterinary, including veterinary hospital

— Wedding chapel;

E.

Industrial Uses.

1.

Industrial Manufacturing or Assembly:

— Aircraft, assembly, when conducted wholly within a building

— Alcohol distillery

— Auto/truck, assembly, when conducted wholly within a building

— Batteries

— Building material

— Cabinet shop

— Carpet and mattress

— Ceramics

— Clothing, garments, or shoes

— Concrete blocks

— Cosmetics, perfumes, or toiletries

— Drugs and pharmaceuticals

— Electronic equipment

— Ethanol

— Fiberglass or silicone products

— Food or beverage products

— Furniture

— Ice

— Mobilehome, modular home, or recreational vehicle

— Musical instruments

— Neon signs

— Paint mixing, not employing a boiling process

— Pallets, including repair

— Paper or pulp

— Plastics, assembly and extrusion

— Prefabricated buildings and structures

— Soap, cold mix only

— Soil amendments, not involving liquid chemical blending or organic materials

— Steel fabrication, excluding smelting

— Textiles

— Toy manufacturing and assembly

— Trusses

— Wind-driven electrical generators, manufacture or assembly,

2.

Industrial Storage:

— Automobile

— Bottled gas

— Cargo containers

— Chemical storage, when accessory to a permitted use

— Cold storage

— Contractor's storage yard

— Draying or freight

— Equipment and building materials

— Feed and wood yards

— Liquefied petroleum gas, bulk storage or distribution in excess of two thousand (2,000) gallons capacity, when located at least one-half (½) mile from property zoned or designated for residential use and at least one-half (½) mile from existing residential development with a density greater than one (1) dwelling unit per acre and at least one-half (½) mile from any motel or hotel

— Lumber

— Mineral and ore storage and loading, with product storage and loading facilities wholly enclosed

— Moving and storage

— Petroleum

— Recreational vehicle

— Recyclable materials, collection and storage, provided there is no more than three thousand (3,000) square feet of outside storage and all compression and bailing operations are conducted wholly within an enclosed structure

— Truck and heavy equipment

— Warehouse,

3.

Other Industrial Uses:

— Assaying

— Bakery

— Beverage bottling works

— Billboard sign fabrication and storage

— Boat building and major repair

— Electroplating, when conducted wholly within an enclosed building

— Machine shop

— Metal extrusion

— Newspaper, magazine, or book printing

— Oilfield service yard

— Photographic processing plant or wholesale supply

— Powder coating and spray painting, enclosed

— Sandblasting, if incidental to another permitted use and conducted wholly within an enclosed building

— Sheet metal shop

— Tire retreading

— Welding or blacksmith

— Well drilling service

— Wholesale distribution;

F.

Transportation Facilities.

— Auto parking garage or lot

— Bus depot, including service and storage

— Railroad freight classification or switching yard

— Railroad station

— Taxi depot, including service and storage;

G.

Utility and Communications Facilities.

— Microwave relay station

— Transmission lines and supporting towers, poles, microwave towers and underground facilities for gas, water, electricity, telephone or telegraph service owned and operated by a public utility company or other company under the jurisdiction of the California Public Utilities Commission pursuant to Section 19.08.090 of this title

— Utility substation;

H.

Resource Extraction and Energy Development Uses.

— Cogeneration facility or steam generators, not primarily intended for production oil or gas, excluding coal fired

— Electrical power generating plant, excluding nuclear or coal

— Mineral exploration

— Oil or gas exploration and production pursuant to Chapter 19.98 of this title

— Solar energy electrical generators which are accessory to a permitted or conditionally permitted use and where the power generated does not exceed the total on-site power demand

— Small wind energy system, pursuant to Section 19.08.415;

I.

Institutional Uses.

— Auditorium, public

— Charitable or public service organization

— Church

— Fire or police station

— Government office or building

— Library

— Museum

— Public agency or public utility buildings and facilities;

J.

Educational Institutions and Schools.

1.

Specialized schools:

— Business or trade schools;

K.

Miscellaneous Uses.

— Auto or equipment auction, temporary, not to exceed four (4) days

— Commercial coach, when incidental to a permitted use

— Construction trailer, temporary, during construction activity only

— Day care center, without extended overnight services

— Drainage sump

— Kennel

— Revival, temporary, not to exceed fourteen (14) days

— Studio, radio, television, recording or movie

— Water storage or groundwater recharge facilities

— Water system, small or large.

(Ord. G-7482 §§ 54, 55, 2007; Ord. G-7189 § 38, 2005; Ord. G-6968 § 39, 2003; Ord. G-7012 § 28, 2003; Ord. G-6864 § 37, 2002; Ord. G-6641 § 23, 1999; Ord. G-6551 §§ 65—67, 1998; Ord. G-6412 §§ 40, 41, 1997; Ord. G-6297 §§ 33, 34, 1996; Ord. G-6233 § 6, 1995; Ord. G-6191 §§ 42—45, 1995; Ord. G-6174 § 10, 1995; Ord. G-6077 §§ 169—171, 1994; Ord. G-5966 § 75, 1993; Ord. G-5861 § 16, 1992; Ord. G-5803 § 37, 1992: Ord. G-5684 §§ 60—62, 1991; Ord. G-5346 § 61, 1990; Ord. G-5030 § 6, 1989; Ord. G-5029 § 6, 1989; Ord. G-4832 § 121, 122, 1988; Prior code § 7080.02)

(Ord. No. G-7821, § 52, 1-27-09; Ord. No. G-8226, § 54—56, 11-8-11; Res. No. 2020-116, § 2, 5-19-20; Ord. No. G-8992, § 8, 3-8-21)

19.38.030 - Uses permitted with a conditional use permit.

The following uses and all others determined to be similar to these uses pursuant to Sections 19.08.030 through 19.08.080 of this title are all permitted in the M-2 district in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 19.80 of this title and subject to securing a conditional use permit in accordance with the standards and procedures set out in Chapter 19.104 of this title:

A.

Agricultural Uses.

1.

Breeding and raising animals:

— Beef cattle or livestock feed lot, stock yard, auction or sales yard,

2.

Agricultural industries:

— Animal products processing, including slaughter, meat packing, canning, processing and shipping

— Fertilizer, bulk storage and distribution

— Tanning, curing or storing animal hides;

B.

Residential Uses.

— Single-family dwelling (including a mobilehome), one (1) per lot, not accessory to an industrial use

— Supportive and transitional housing, including rehabilitation facilities;

C.

Recreation, Entertainment and Tourist Facilities.

— Card room

— Circus or carnival

— Golf course

— Racetrack or test track, automobile, bicycle, horse or motorcycle

— Shooting range or gun club

— Trade fairs and exhibitions, temporary (fourteen (14) day maximum), excluding flea markets and swap meets;

D.

Industrial Uses.

1.

Industrial Manufacturing or Assembly:

— Acetylene or other gas

— Chemical blending or manufacture

— Oil refining,

2.

Industrial Storage:

— Chemical storage as a main use

— Explosives, permanent

— Liquefied petroleum gas, bulk storage or distribution in excess of two thousand (2,000) gallons capacity

— Log storage

— Minerals and ore storage and loading, unenclosed

— Recyclable materials, collection and storage

— Salvage or junk yard

— Tire storage as a main use

— Vehicle wrecking yard,

3.

Other Industrial Uses:

— Asphalt batch plant

— Concrete batch plant

— Construction or demolition waste material collection, recovery, or recycling

— Sandblasting, unenclosed

— Tire recycling;

E.

Transportation Facilities.

— Airport, private

— Airport, public use

— Heliport;

F.

Utility and Communications Facilities.

— Radio, television or commercial communications transmitter, receiver or translator, except as provided in subsection (G) of Section 19.38.020 of this chapter;

G.

Resource Extraction and Energy Development Uses.

— Cogeneration facility or steam generators

— Mining and mineral extraction pursuant to Chapter 19.100 of this title

— Ore reduction

— Potash manufacture

— Rock, gravel, sand, concrete, aggregate, or soils crushing, processing, or distribution

— Solar energy electrical generators when not accessory to a permitted or conditionally permitted use

— Wind generators, commercial;

H.

Waste Facilities.

— Community septic disposal system

— Greenwaste collection, recovery, and composting

— Nonhazardous oil production water disposal facility

— Nonhazardous oilfield waste treatment or recycling

— Nonhazardous oily or liquid waste treatment or recycling

— Sanitary landfill, private landfill or monofill

— Septage disposal site

— Septage storage and transfer site

— Sewage treatment plant

— Soil reclamation or remediation for soils contaminated with nonhazardous materials

— Transfer station, large or small

— Waste-to-energy facility;

I.

Institutional Uses.

— Cemetery, mausoleum or columbarium

— Community or regional correctional or similar involuntary detention facilities

— Crematory, when in conjunction with a cemetery, mausoleum, columbarium or mortuary;

J.

Educational Institutions and Schools.

1.

Specialized schools:

— Police/security training facility;

K.

Miscellaneous Uses.

— Auction yards

— Day care center, with extended overnight services

— Flea market or swap meet

— Flood control facilities

— Water treatment plant.

(Ord. G-7482 §§ 57, 58, 2007; Ord. G-7012 §§ 30—31, 2003; Ord. G-6967 § 19, 2003; Ord. G-6864 § 39, 2002; Ord. G-6641 § 25, 1999; Ord. G-6551 § 69, 1998; Ord. G-6412 § 43, 1997; Ord. G-6305 § 10, 1996; Ord. G-6297 §§ 36, 37, 38, 1996; Ord. G-6191 §§ 47, 48, 1995; Ord. G-6174 § 12, 1995; Ord. G-6077 § 173, 1994: Ord. G-5966 §§ 77, 78, 1993; Ord. G-5803 § 39, 1992; Ord. G-5684 §§ 63, 64, 1991; Ord. G-5346 §§ 63, 64, 1990; Ord. G-5030 § 7, 1989; Ord. G-5029 § 7, 1989; Ord. G-4832 §§ 123—127, 1988; prior code § 7080.03)

(Ord. No. G-7821, § 54, 1-27-09; Ord. No. G-8226, §§ 57, 58, 11-8-11; Ord. No. G-8656, § 4, 7-26-16; Res. No. 2020-116, § 2, 5-19-20; Ord. No. G-8992, § 9, 3-8-21)

19.38.040 - Prohibited uses.

All other uses not permitted by Sections 19.38.020 and 19.38.030 of this chapter or accessory thereto under Section 19.08.110 are prohibited in the M-2 district.

(Ord. G-7189 § 40, 2005: prior code § 7080.04)

19.38.050 - Minimum lot size.

There is no minimum lot size requirement in the M-2 district.

(Prior code § 7080.05)

19.38.060 - Minimum lot area per dwelling unit.

There is no requirement for minimum lot area per dwelling unit in the M-2 district.

(Ord. G-6551 § 71, 1998: prior code § 7080.06)

19.38.070 - Yards and setbacks.

The following yard and setback requirements apply in the M-2 district:

A.

Front Yard. The front-yard minimum setback for all buildings shall be as follows:

1.

Forty (40) feet from the legal centerline of any existing or proposed public or private local street or access easements;

2.

Forty-five (45) feet from the legal centerline of any existing or proposed secondary highway;

3.

Fifty-five (55) feet from the legal centerline of any existing or proposed major highway.

B.

Side Yard. None required.

C.

Rear Yard. None required.

D.

In no case shall the buildings be located in any existing or future right-of-way established by any official or specific plan line, street, access easement or adopted circulation element of the applicable general or specific plan.

(Ord. G-6551 § 72, 1998: Ord. G-4832 § 128, 1988; prior code § 7080.07)

19.38.080 - Height limits.

The following height limits apply in the M-2 district:

A.

Buildings and structures shall not exceed six (6) stories or one hundred (100) feet, unless the building is set back from each street, alley, and lot line at least one (1) foot for each three (3) feet of height above six (6) stories or seventy-five (75) feet.

B.

No building or structure shall exceed ten (10) stories or one hundred thirty-five (135) feet.

C.

Buildings and structures shall not exceed the maximum permitted heights in areas of protected military airspace as specified in Section 19.08.160.

(Ord. G-5966 § 80, 1993; prior code § 7080.08)

(Ord. No. G-8226, § 59, 11-8-11)

19.38.090 - Minimum distance between structures.

There is no required minimum distance between structures in the M-2 district.

(Prior code § 7080.09)

19.38.100 - Parking.

Off-street parking in the M-2 district shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 19.82 of this title.

(Prior code § 7080.10)

19.38.110 - Signs.

A.

The following signs are permitted in the M-2 district in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 19.84 of this title:

1.

Temporary real estate signs advertising the property for sale or rent, not to exceed sixteen (16) square feet each, excluding the area of any vertical and/or horizontal support members;

2.

Temporary subdivision signs;

3.

Temporary construction signs;

4.

Temporary political, religious or civic campaign signs;

5.

Institutional identification signs;

6.

Signs attached to buildings;

7.

Monument signs, not to exceed one hundred (100) square feet each;

8.

Pole signs, not to exceed three hundred (300) square feet in area each and not exceeding a height of fifty (50) feet;

9.

Off-site advertising signs, not exceeding a height of thirty-five (35) feet;

10.

Oilfield identification signs.

(Ord. G-6077 § 174, 1994: Ord. G-5966 § 81, 1993; Ord. G-5861 § 18, 1992; Ord. G-5684 § 65, 1991: prior code § 7080.11)

19.38.120 - Landscaping.

Landscaping in the M-2 district shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 19.86 of this title.

(Prior code § 7080.12)

19.38.130 - Special review procedures and development standards.

A.

All development in the M-2 district shall comply with the minimum standards set out in Chapter 19.80 of this title.

B.

Development in the M-2 district shall comply with the interpretations and provisions of Chapter 19.08 of this title.

(Prior code § 7080.13)