The purpose of this chapter is to establish allowed land uses and corresponding requirements for permits and entitlements for each of the City's Zoning Districts, consistent with implementation of land use designations in the City's General Plan. Allowed land uses include both primary and accessory uses that are permanent in nature. Regulations for temporary uses are listed separately in Section 19.14.020 (Temporary Use Permit). Use classifications are land uses that have been grouped into general categories on the basis of common function, product, or compatibility characteristics. A complete list and description of all general uses can be found in Chapter 19.98 (Glossary).

In order to simplify land use regulations, uses have been grouped into general categories on the basis of common function, product, or compatibility characteristics. These allowed use categories are called "use classifications." Use classifications describe one or more uses having similar characteristics but do not list every use or activity possible within the classification. For example, "personal services" include a wide range of individual personal service uses (e.g., beauty parlor, dry cleaning, tanning salons, tailors). Rather than listing all such uses individually throughout this title, "personal services" is listed once and is further described in Section 19.98.020 (Glossary).

The following rules apply to use classifications:

Subsequent chapters of this Zoning Code include lists of permitted uses and permit requirements within each zoning district organized in tables (e.g., Tables 19.56.030-1 and 19.60.030-1). Generally, a use is allowed by right, allowed through issuance of an Administrative or Conditional Use Permit, or not permitted. In addition to the permit requirements of this title, other permits may be required prior to establishment of the use (e.g., Building Permit). The permitting requirements identified in these tables are:

By reference, the official City of Plymouth Land Use Map is incorporated into this title and its use and interpretation is as follows: