Article VIII of the Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Code (RCMC) shall be known as the Form-Based Code or FBC.

The Rancho Cucamonga General Plan (General Plan) is the policy document that provides an overall vision, policy direction, and implementation strategy to support future development in Rancho Cucamonga. The General Plan organizes the city into districts, centers, corridors, and neighborhoods, with an overall vision for greater walkability centered around nodes of activity. The FBC implements the General Plan's vision and policy direction for key areas of the city.

The Form-Based Code, adopted as article VIII of title 17 (Development Code), establishes place-based standards for certain areas of Rancho Cucamonga. The FBC represents an alternative to a conventional zoning code's approach to the way the built environment is regulated. The definition of a Form-Based Code is as follows:

Unlike conventional, use-based codes, FBCs utilize the intended form and character of a neighborhood rather than use as the organizing framework of the code. FBCs address the relationship between building facades and the public realm (i.e., sidewalk, street), the form and mass of buildings in relation to one another, and the scale and types of buildings and blocks. Regulations and standards in an FBC are presented graphically in diagrams and photographs as well as supplemental text. These standards are keyed to a plan (i.e., a Regulating Plan) that functions like a zoning map, assigning an appropriate form and scale through the application of form-based zones to specific lots. While FBCs focus on an intended physical form, they also regulate use by allowing a mix of appropriate land uses chosen to ensure compatibility among different contexts and the intended physical form of the area. FBCs transform commercial corridors and centers into vibrant, mixed-use areas where residents can live, work, and play within close walking distance.

The purpose of the FBC is to implement the General Plan, specifically the General Plan's vision for higher intensity, walkable, mixed-use districts, centers, corridors, and neighborhoods. The specific purpose and intent of each zone is established in chapter 17.128 (Form-Based Zones).

The following provides a brief overview of the overall structure of article VIII (Form-Based Code).

Figure 17.126.060 (Steps to Use the Form-Based Code) provides a general overview of how to use the FBC. For specific information and to review all necessary permit procedures and application requirements, please refer to article II (Land Use and Development Procedures).

The form-based zones are organized from lowest to highest intensity, and each is named to describe its general form and function (neighborhoods, centers, corridors, and districts). The FBC includes a neighborhood form-based zone that builds on the neighborhood designations established in the Etiwanda Heights Neighborhood and Conservation Plan (i.e., Neighborhood Estates, Neighborhood General 1 and Neighborhood General 2).

The intent of each form-based zone is as follows:

Table 17.128.020-1 provides an overview of each form-based zone. See chapter 17.130 (Zone and Building Standards) for specific standards for each form-based zone. Subzones are established for two form-based zones.

Subzones limit land uses in certain areas where the form-based zone is applied to support the implementation of the General Plan land use mix provisions and better align with existing conditions and intended outcomes.

The purpose of this chapter is to establish standards for all building types within the form-based zones. The standards provide a range of development options that establish a predictable framework to implement context-based walkable areas. The building types also support a variety of uses, as allowed by the zone (e.g., the "multiplex" building type may include residential uses, retail/commercial uses, professional offices, creative industrial/maker spaces, or others as allowed in the zone) (see chapter 17.136 (Land Use Standards)).

This section applies to all zones listed in this chapter.

This section applies to all zones listed in this chapter. Where identified on the zoning map, form-based zones are subject to the following additional standards and restrictions which supersede the base zone requirements.

This section establishes development standards that are specific to each form-based zone. Standards specific to zones include those for density, intensity, frontage area, overall building height, ground floor height, and surface parking setbacks. Development may be further limited by building type, as established in section 17.130.060 (Building Type Standards).

This section establishes the standards for building types. Table 17.130.060-1 shows the building types that are allowed in each form-based zone. Subsections A through J describe each building type and establish the development standards specific to each.

The purpose of this chapter is to establish standards for all building entrances and facades within the form-based zones. Building entrances and facades are the components of a building's private frontage that define the transition to the public frontage (i.e., the street and sidewalk). These standards supplement the standards for each form-based zone where the building entrance and facade types are allowed. They ensure that development establishes or reinforces the character and scale of the city's districts, centers, corridors, and neighborhoods.

This subsection applies to all building entrances and facades listed in this section.

The small front yard building entrance and facade type may include a small, elevated or at-grade garden located in the frontage area, often enclosed by a low wall located near the property line(s). Without an enclosed front yard, either the yard or the front entrance must be elevated by a minimum of 18 inches. Small front yards may also include a porch or stoop variation. All small front yards and variations must be consistent with the general standards below. Where a variation is used, the standards for porch or stoop apply in addition to the general standards.

The shopfront entrance and facade type includes a large opening in the facade at or near the sidewalk, enclosed with doors and fenestration in a storefront assembly. The primary entrance provides direct access to the ground floor use(s). The required architectural elements comprising the storefront are transparent windows and doors, transom windows, and a solid shopfront base. Optional elements include awnings, cantilevered shed roof or canopy, signage, lighting, and cornices. The shopfront can be used in conjunction with a gallery, arcade, terrace, and/or recessed variation. All shopfronts and variations must be consistent with the general standards below. Where a variation is used, those standards apply in addition to the general standards.

This building entrance and facade type a large opening in the facade at or near the sidewalk with a portion (usually the center portion) set back, creating a courtyard space. The space is typically used as an entry court, shared garden area, or additional shopping or restaurant seating area. The forecourt can be used in conjunction with a range of land uses and must be consistent with the standards below.

The purpose of this chapter is to establish standards for public open space types within the form-based zones. The standards in this chapter are intended to ensure that publicly accessible open space is provided to reinforce walkable environments. Open space is a public benefit intended for use by the general community and is distinct from private or common open areas typically required as part of a residential project.

This chapter applies to all projects subject to the requirements of this article. The standards in this chapter must be considered in combination with the standards in the applicable form-based zone (see chapter 17.130 (Zone and Building Standards)).

This subsection applies to all open space types listed in this section.

A town square is a formal open space area with landscaping, hardscaping, and other amenities. A town square is located at the intersection of major streets or pedestrian paths, is highly visible, and serves as a gathering space, supporting civic and commercial activities such as farmers' markets, concerts, and art fairs.

A neighborhood park is a landscaped area for unstructured and structured recreation located central to a residential neighborhood. Neighborhood parks may include passive open areas, picnic areas, playgrounds, recreational fields, or other programming/event spaces.

A neighborhood green is an informal small space within a neighborhood defined by streets, alleys, paseos, and/or building frontages that accommodates passive recreation and children's play. While greens may include playgrounds, they are intended to be informal spaces with no dedicated recreational use.

A pocket park is a small space tucked into a mid-block space interspersed within neighborhoods or urban areas. Pocket parks are generally intended for quiet, passive recreation and may include small gardens, open shelters, or other passive recreational amenities.

A paseo is a pedestrian way that provides mid-block connections. A paseo should be employed in blocks with large perimeters to enhance connectivity within neighborhoods, between residential and urban areas, and between open spaces, as well as to provide opportunities for passive recreational activities such as bicycling and jogging. Paseos also provide locations for store frontages, patios, or outdoor dining in appropriate areas.