Tulare City Zoning Code

   This chapter shall apply to all land within the Light Industrial (M-1) zone. The purpose of the M-1 district is to provide areas for light manufacturing, wholesale, and storage activities; protect industrial areas from the intrusion of incompatible types of land uses; adhere to performance standards provided for the protection of Tulare residents and the environment, and to provide industrial employment opportunities for residents of the City of Tulare. The objectives of the M-1 district are:

   (A)   The development of a variety of light industrial and service commercial and service uses, which are not suited to other commercial zones, in buildings and complexes that exhibit high standards of design, including:

      (1)   Industrial buildings and complexes that include generous amounts of landscaping, and buildings that complement one another with tasteful design features.

      (2)   Outdoor storage of materials and outdoor repair activities conducted in screened areas.

      (3)   To ensure that commercial buildings are designed in a manner that minimizes the impact to adjacent non-industrial uses through sensitive design that considers the impacts of noise, traffic, and lighting sources.

      (4)   To minimize traffic congestion, while providing an efficient circulation system.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)

   Uses shall be permitted or not permitted, conditionally permitted, administratively permitted, or temporarily permitted as prescribed in the land use table in § 10.08.030.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)

   (A)   The minimum site area for new lots shall be 10,000 square feet except for city water well sites which shall have a minimum parcel size of 1,000 square feet. A conditional use permit for smaller lots may be approved, in accordance with Chapter 10.80.

   (B)   Existing sites of less than 10,000 square feet may be developed in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)

   The minimum lot frontage shall be 80 feet, except that where there is a recorded reciprocal use agreement for shared common access and parking areas, no minimum frontage is required.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)

   The maximum building coverage of a lot shall be 75%.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)

   (A)   No structure shall be placed within a building setback area.

   (B)   The front building setback area shall be a minimum of ten feet.

   (C)   There shall be no required rear building setback except where the rear lot line abuts a residentially zoned parcel or sensitive receptor then the setback shall be a minimum of 250 feet.

   (D)   There shall be no required interior side building setback, except where the side lot line abuts a residentially zoned parcel or sensitive receptor then the minimum side building setback area shall be 250 feet.

   (E)   The street side building setback area shall be a minimum of ten feet except within a corner cutoff area.

   (F)   Truck loading bays shall be located a minimum of 500 feet from the property line of the nearest sensitive receptor to the nearest truck loading bay opening using a direct straight-line method.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)

   There is no minimum distance between structures required, except that all building code requirements shall be met.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)

   The maximum structure height shall be 75 feet, except that accessory structures up to a height of 120 feet may be permitted in accordance with Chapter 10.60.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)

   (A)   Wherever possible, developments shall share driveways to minimize the number of driveways on public streets.

   (B)   New driveways near street corners shall be located a minimum of 150 feet from the radius curve of the curb unless otherwise specifically approved by the City Engineer.

   (C)   Gated entrances shall be set back at least 100 feet from the public right-of-way unless a shorter distance is approved by the City Engineer.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)

   Off-street parking and off-street loading facilities shall be provided on the site for each use as prescribed in Chapter 10.54.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)

   There is no minimum requirement for usable open space.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)

   (A)   Landscaping shall be provided for each use as prescribed in Chapter 10.52 Landscape Standards.

   (B)   A minimum of 5% of the gross lot area shall be landscaped. All setback areas visible from a public right-of-way, not devoted to parking, storage, driveways, walkways or loading areas shall be landscaped.

   (C)   Required landscaping is to be installed prior to occupancy and continually maintained pursuant to Chapter 10.52.

   (D)   Any new logistics use facility (warehouse or distribution center) within 250 feet of a sensitive receptor shall include landscape trees as solid-screen buffering treatment and planted in two rows along the length of the property line adjacent to the sensitive receptor. Trees used for this purpose shall be evergreen, drought tolerant, to the extent feasible, composed of species with low biogenic emissions, of a minimum 36-inch box size at planting, and spaced at no greater distance than 40 feet on center. Palm trees shall not be utilized.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)

   (A)   Fences and walls in the M-1 zone shall conform to the design standards provided in § 10.50.040.

   (B)   Fences, walls, and hedges in the M-1 zone shall conform to the following standards:

      (1)   Where an industrially-zoned site adjoins a site that is residentially zoned, a minimum seven-foot-tall solid wall shall separate the industrial development from the adjoining residential district. The Director may allow fence and wall heights to be increased in order to mitigate noise problems documented by a noise study.

      (2)   No fence or wall shall be placed in front of or within any landscaped area located next to a street.

      (3)   The open storage of materials and equipment attendant to a use shall be permitted only within an area surrounded or screened from view with a seven-foot-tall solid wall or fence, except as may be modified under site plan review. Such storage shall not be visible above the fence or wall.

      (4)   Razor wire, monitored electrified security fences, and similar security devices are only allowed on a permanent basis in the M-1 zone district with approval by the Director, provided that it is not located adjacent to a residence or residential district, subject to the design guidelines set forth in § 10.50.100.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)

   Signs placed in the M-1 zone shall be subject to the requirements and standards prescribed in Chapter 10.56.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)

   (A)   Mechanical equipment shall be located a minimum of 250 feet from a rear or side lot line that abuts a residentially zoned property or sensitive receptor.

   (B)   All open and non-landscaped portions of any lot shall be maintained in good condition free from weeds, dust, trash, and debris.

   (C)   New development may be required to install public infrastructure necessary to adequately serve the project, based on requirements of the City Engineer, including sewer, water, and storm drainage lines, curbs, gutters and sidewalks, street paving, street lighting, and trash enclosures. These improvements shall be constructed consistent with requirements shown in the City of Tulare Standards and Specifications Manual and shall be installed prior to occupancy of any structures on the site.

   (D)   No use shall be permitted and no process, equipment, or material shall be employed that is found by the city to be injurious to persons residing or working in the vicinity by reason of odor, fumes, dust, smoke, cinders, dirt, refuse, noise, vibrations, illumination, glare or heavy truck traffic, or to involve any hazard of fire, explosion, hazardous or toxic waste, or radioactivity or to emit electrical disturbances which adversely affect commercial or electronic equipment outside the boundaries of the site.

   (E)   No solid or liquid waste shall be discharged into a natural watercourse, nor into a public or private sewage disposal system except in compliance with the applicable regulations of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board and city ordinances and policies.

   (F)   Structures and the use of structures or land shall be subject to the requirements and standards prescribed in Chapter 10.50.

(Ord. 2025-01, passed 1-7-2025)