San Dimas City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 18
528 SPECIFIC PLAN NO. 17
§ 18.528.010 Purpose and intent.
A.
The purpose of Specific Plan No. 17 is to provide for the development of property as a coordinated comprehensive project and to take advantage of a superior environment which will result in a land use plan that serves the immediate community needs and provides the highest and best land use of the property. The regulations of Specific Plan No. 17 are intended to create a combination of uses and development standards specifically for the project area while ensuring substantial compliance with the spirit, intent and provisions of this code.
B.
The intent of Specific Plan No. 17 is to combine a service station, restaurant and offices, and limited open space uses through creative standards which allow the establishment of the uses on a currently undevelopable piece of property. It is the intent of the planning commission and city council to create development standards which ensure a cohesive development, which after reshaping the property, provides for a well-designed plan, sensitive, and complementary to the immediate area.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996)
§ 18.528.020 Authority and scope.
The adoption of Specific Plan No. 17 by the city is authorized by Title 7, Division 1, Chapter 3, Articles 8 and 9 of the California Government Code, Sections 65450 and 65507. Specific Plan No. 17 applies only to that property within the city indicated on the attached exhibit.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996)
§ 18.528.030 Location.
Specific Plan No. 17 applies to the 7.34 ± acre area located on the northeast corner of San Dimas and Via Verde Avenues.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996)
§ 18.528.040 General notes and conditions.
A.
Unless otherwise specified, all development within Specific Plan No. 17 shall comply with this code. Terms used in this chapter shall have the same meaning as defined in this code unless otherwise defined in this chapter.
B.
All references in this chapter relate to ordinances of this code as currently written unless expressly provided to the contrary. In the event that any condition or term in this chapter set forth is declared illegal or unenforceable, the other terms and conditions shall remain in full force and effect to the full extent permitted by law.
C.
The specific plan is an instrument for guiding, coordinating, and regulating the development of property within the area designated on the area map attached to this chapter and incorporated into this chapter as Exhibit A. The plan replaces the usual zoning regulations.
D.
All construction within the boundaries of the specific plan shall comply with all provisions of the Uniform Building Code and the various mechanical, electrical and plumbing codes adopted by the city.
E.
Minor modifications to the specific plan which do not give rise to conflicts with the intent of the specific plan as approved, may be approved by the director of community development at his discretion.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996)
§ 18.528.050 Area I-Service station use.
The purpose of Area I is to provide for the aesthetically pleasing development for service station use to serve the needs of the community and its citizens. It is further provided that development of a service station is in a manner ensuring compatible use of land, encouraging creative and imaginative site planning and ensuring integrated design and control of design.
A.
The use permitted is a service station, subject to the development standards of Sections 18.528.080, 18.528.090 and Article V of this chapter.
B.
Conditional Uses.
1.
Convenience stores, when accessory to a gasoline or service station use.
2.
Sale of beer and wine for off-site consumption, as an accessory use to a conditionally permitted convenience store as defined above.
C.
Prohibited Uses.
1.
Food markets, pharmacies, barber or beauty shops, cleaners and laundries, small appliance repair, repair businesses and similar uses;
2.
Specialty commercial uses, such as, but not limited to, antique shops, athletic clubs, jewelry stores, music stores, automobile, motorcycle, recreation vehicle or similar use sales;
3.
Outdoor sales, storage or display of merchandise;
4.
Residential uses;
5.
Drive-through style eating places;
6.
Gambling facilities;
7.
Billboards and other similar on- and off-site outdoor advertising structures;
8.
Coin- or token-operated games of skill;
9.
Other uses inconsistent with the intent and provisions of this zone, as determined by the director of community development. The determination of the director of community development may be appealed to the city planning commission and, thereafter, the city council in accordance with Chapter 18.212 of this title.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996; Ord. 1083 § 8, 1997; Ord. 1181 §§ 1, 2, 2008; Ord. 1238 § 1, 2016; Ord. 1324, 6/10/2025; Ord. 1334, 3/24/2026; Ord. 1338, 6/23/2026)
§ 18.528.060 Area II-Office uses.
The purpose of Area II is to provide for development of low intensity development of buildings for administrative and professional offices and related uses, in a landscaped, aesthetically pleasing, park-like setting.
A.
Permitted Uses.
1.
Administrative, financial, professional and sales offices;
2.
Medical and health services;
3.
Public uses, including government agencies, libraries, post offices, utility company offices, museums, art galleries and similar uses;
4.
Special service agencies, including travel agencies, telephone exchanges, employment agencies and similar uses;
5.
General research facilities; provided, that such facilities shall not include the testing or use of materials, chemicals, products or technologies which are primarily found in industrial or "high-tech" facilities;
6.
Accessory massage permitted with the following primary businesses: medical doctor's office and similar uses.
B.
Conditional Uses.
1.
Eating places; provided, that they shall not include drive-through or drive-in services;
2.
On-site sale of alcoholic beverages; provided, that such use is secondary and incidental to a permitted use;
3.
Private clubs, lodges and meeting halls;
4.
Animal hospitals and veterinary facilities; provided, that such uses shall be limited to the treatment of small animals;
5.
Assisted living, Alzheimer's care and skilled nursing facilities where kitchen facilities are not provided in individual living units.
C.
Prohibited Uses.
1.
Service stations;
2.
Those uses prohibited in Area I of this specific plan, Section 18.528.050 (B) and (C).
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996; Ord. 1075 § 1 (1), 1997; Ord. 1085 § 14, 1998; Ord. 1185 § 19, 2008)
§ 18.528.065 Area III-Open space use.
The purpose of Area III is to protect and preserve natural resources, while allowing development of reasonable and compatible land uses. It is intended that any building or structure permitted in this area shall be subordinate to and in furtherance of use of the land for open space as defined in the general plan.
A.
Permitted Uses.
1.
Open space for the preservation of natural resources including, but not limited to, areas necessary for the preservation of plant and animal life.
2.
Open space for areas which serve as links between major recreation and open space reservations, including utility easements and scenic highway corridors.
3.
One cellular telephone transceiving facility in substantial accordance with the development standards outlined in Section 18.528.105, and illustrations in Exhibits B and C.
B.
Conditional Uses.
1.
There shall be no conditional uses permitted in Area III.
C.
Prohibited Uses.
1.
Any use not specifically permitted under sub-section A of this section, and those uses listed in Sections 18.528.050 and 18.528.060.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996)
§ 18.528.070 Development plan.
The subject property is located on the northeast corner of San Dimas Avenue and Via Verde and encompasses approximately 7.34 ± acres. All development within the specific plan area shall be in substantial conformance with Exhibits B and C and the development standards established in Article III.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996)
§ 18.528.080 General.
The development standards outlined in the following sections of this article shall apply to all land and buildings in the specific plan.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996)
§ 18.528.090 Area I-Service station.
Development standards in Area I are as follows:
A.
Lot Area. Minimum lot or parcel size shall be thirty-five thousand square feet.
B.
Lot Dimensions. There are no lot dimension provisions.
C.
Building and Parking Setbacks. A minimum twenty-five foot setback, measured from the property line, shall be provided along San Dimas Avenue and Via Verde.
The required setback shall be fully landscaped, irrigated and maintained in a weed and disease free manner at all times.
D.
Building Height. No building or structure erected in this area shall exceed twenty feet. Exceptions to this may be approved by the director of community development or their designee, up to twenty-five percent.
E.
Decorative Walls and Fencing. No walls or fence shall exceed forty-two inches in height if located within the setback area.
Decorative walls may be built up to six feet in height outside of the setback area provided it is shown in a development plan and is first reviewed and approved by the director of community development.
All wall and fence height shall be measured from the top of the adjacent street curb.
F.
Off-Street Parking. One space for each employee, plus four visitor spaces. Parking stall sizes and maneuvering shall be in accordance with the standards established by Chapter 18.156.
G.
Signs.
1.
Identification signs mounted directly to the wall of the building shall be permitted. Such signs shall not extend above the highest part of the wall to which they are affixed and further shall not be mounted on the roof of the building. Sign area in total shall not exceed one hundred fifty square feet.
2.
Two double-faced freestanding price signs shall be permitted not to exceed twenty-five square feet per face.
3.
The signs shall be housed in a decorative structure and be located in the landscape setback area.
4.
A plan showing the location and the architectural design shall be submitted for review and approval in accordance with the plan disposition procedure prior to installation.
H.
Outside Storage. There shall be no outside storage of any materials at any time on the property. Further, no parking of commercial vehicles, except for loading and unloading purposes, nor the sale or repair of boats, RVs or trailers shall be permitted on the property at any time.
I.
Trash Storage. A city standard trash storage area shall be provided in an appropriate location convenient to the user.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996; Ord. 1324, 6/10/2025)
§ 18.528.100 Area II-Office uses.
A.
Lot Area. Minimum lot or parcel size shall be 5.5 ± acres.
B.
Lot Dimensions. There are no lot dimension provisions.
C.
Building and Parking Setbacks.
1.
A minimum twenty-five-foot setback, measured from the property line, is to be provided along San Dimas Avenue and Via Verde.
2.
The required setback shall be fully landscaped and irrigated and maintained in a weed and disease free manner at all times.
D.
Building Height. No building or structure erected in this area shall exceed three stories or thirty-five feet, not including architectural projections.
E.
Off-Street Parking. The provisions of Chapter 18.156, as amended, shall apply.
F.
Signs. Signs are permitted pursuant to the following provisions:
1.
Freestanding, low silhouette, double-faced or single-faced signs identifying an office building shall be permitted pursuant to the following conditions:
a.
One square foot of sign area shall be permitted for each lineal foot of building frontage. Maximum sign area permitted shall not exceed fifty square feet per face.
b.
Not more than one such double-faced or single-faced sign may be installed on a street frontage, and may be installed within the required setback if it does not present a hazard to vehicular traffic.
c.
The height shall be determined by the director of community development, subject to his finding that the height limit established is sufficient based on the suitability of the sign for communications purposes and upon the sign's architectural compatibility to the structure it serves. Maximum height limit shall be ten feet.
2.
Directional signs shall be permitted pursuant to the following conditions:
a.
One exterior director sign shall be permitted at each main building entrance, not to exceed sixteen square feet.
b.
Directory signs shall be five feet in height maximum.
3.
Temporary banners shall be permitted pursuant to the provisions of Section 18.152.090 (D).
4.
Nameplates identifying the name of a business occupying each office space are permitted, not to exceed one square foot per occupant.
G.
Outside Storage. There shall be no outside storage of any materials at any time on the property. Further, no parking of commercial vehicles, except for loading and unloading purposes, nor the sale or repair, of vehicles, boats, RVs or trailers shall be permitted on the property at any time.
H.
Trash Storage. City standard trash storage areas shall be provided in appropriate locations convenient to the users.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996; Ord. 1075 § 1 (2), 1997)
§ 18.528.105 Area III-Open space use.
A.
Lot Area. The minimum lot area shall be the entire Area III acreage.
B.
Lot Dimensions. There shall be no lot dimension provisions.
C.
Building/Structural Setbacks:
1.
For the cellular telephone transceiver facility, setbacks shall be determined by the ddirector of community development or their designee.
2.
Approved setbacks shall be in substantial conformance with setbacks illustrated in Exhibits B and C.
D.
Height. For the cellular telephone transceiving facility, structures shall not exceed a height of fifteen feet above existing grade, or as otherwise approved by the director of community development or their designee, not to exceed twenty-five feet in total height.
E.
Landscaping.
1.
Prior to development of the cellular telephone transceiving facility, a landscape plan shall be submitted for review and approval by the director of community development or their designee.
2.
A landscape maintenance agreement is required to be adopted between the property owner and the city to ensure that the natural landscape be maintained on the entire open space area.
F.
Outside Storage/Parking. There shall be no outside storage of any materials at any time on the property. Further, no parking nor the parking for sale or repair of vehicles, boats, RVs or trailers shall be permitted on the property at any time except for the temporary parking by commercial vehicles in conjunction with maintenance of the transceiving facility.
G.
Design Requirements. All structures shall be constructed, maintained, designed and painted to blend with the natural terrain, as approved by the director of community development or their designee.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996; Ord. 1324, 6/10/2025)
§ 18.528.110 General.
The standards in this article shall apply to Areas I, II, and III of Specific Plan No. 17.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996)
§ 18.528.120 Lighting.
All outside lighting shall be decorative and in keeping with the theme of the architectural style of the project and shall be so arranged and shielded as to prevent any glare or reflection, any nuisance, inconvenience or hazardous interference of any kind on an adjoining right-of-way or property. No light standard shall exceed a height of fifteen feet.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996)
§ 18.528.130 Utilities.
All utilities provided to serve these uses and buildings shall be installed underground except as otherwise provided for in the approved precise site plan.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996)
§ 18.528.140 Grading.
All graded slopes are to be contoured and blended to harmonize with natural slopes.
A.
The maximum steepness of exposed cuts and fills shall not exceed 2:1; and preferably 3:1 for fills.
B.
Graded slopes shall be contoured and blended to harmonize with natural slopes where possible.
C.
All graded slopes on this property or the adjacent CalTrans property shall be landscaped and irrigated and maintained in a weed and disease free manner at all times.
D.
All grading shall be done in accordance with the city's Uniform Building Code requirements and any other standards the city deems appropriate to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the community.
E.
If CalTrans does not permit landscaping and irrigation of its property, the requirement for such landscaping as found in subsection C of this section may be waived by the director of community development.
F.
Any off-site excavation of dirt to fill this property, if the dirt is coming from the Via Verde area or other parts of the city will require the submittal of a grading and precise plan for review and approval by the planning division unless associated with a development at which, it shall be subject to review pursuant to Chapter 18.12, prior to the issuance of grading permits for the project.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996; Ord. 1324, 6/10/2025)
§ 18.528.150 Landscaping.
Whenever called for, landscaping and an automatic irrigation system shall be provided, a plan shall be submitted for review and approval in accordance with Article V of this chapter. All landscaping and irrigation shall be perpetually maintained by the property owner(s) in a weed and disease free manner.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996)
§ 18.528.160 Covenants, conditions and restrictions.
A declaration of covenants, conditions and restrictions shall be prepared by the developer and submitted to the director of community development and the city attorney. The covenants, conditions and restrictions shall be signed and acknowledged by all parties having any record title interest in the property to be developed, shall make the city a party thereto, and shall be enforceable by the city. The covenants, conditions and restrictions shall be subject to the following conditions:
A.
The covenants, conditions and restrictions shall be prepared at the developer's sole cost and expense, pursuant to city council Resolution No. 83-76.
B.
The covenants, conditions and restrictions shall be in the form and content approved by the director of community development and the city attorney, and shall include such provisions as are required by this approval and as the officials deem necessary to protect the interests of the city and its residents.
C.
The covenants, conditions and restrictions shall provide for the effective establishment, operation, management, use, repair and maintenance of all common areas and facilities.
D.
The covenants, conditions and restrictions shall provide that the property shall be developed, operated and maintained so as not to create a public nuisance.
E.
The covenants, conditions and restrictions shall provide that if the property is not maintained in the condition required by the covenants, conditions and restrictions, then the city, after making due demand and giving reasonable notice, may enter the property and perform at the owner's sole expense, any maintenance required thereon by the covenants, conditions and restrictions or the city's ordinances. The property shall be subject to a lien in favor of the city to secure any such expense not promptly reimbursed.
F.
The covenants, conditions and restrictions shall provide for reciprocal parking and access throughout the parking/circulation area.
G.
The covenants, conditions and restrictions shall provide for the prohibition of drive-through style eating establishments.
H.
The covenants, conditions and restrictions shall provide for the maintenance of all landscape areas within the area of development and grading areas within the area of the development and grading in a weed and disease free manner at all times.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996; Ord. 1181 § 3, 2008)
§ 18.528.170 Review requirements-Development plans.
Before any grading or construction is undertaken on any lot or parcel within the Specific Plan No. 17 area, development plans shall be reviewed and approved pursuant to Chapter 18.12 of this title.
(Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996; Ord. 1324, 6/10/2025)
§ 18.528.180 (Reserved)
Prior History: Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996; repealed by Ord. 1324, 6/10/2025.
§ 18.528.190 (Reserved)
Prior History: Ord. 1038 § 1 (Exh. A), 1996; repealed by Ord. 1324, 6/10/2025.
Exhibit A Land Use Development Plan Planning Parcel Plan  |
Exhibit B Illustrative Plan  |
Exhibit C Area III Planning Site Plan  |
