Zoneomics Logo
search icon

Walnut City Zoning Code

CHAPTER 6

44 C-3 HEAVY COMMERCIAL ZONE

§ 6.44.010 Intent of zone.

Zone C-3 is established to provide for a community’s commercial needs. This zone can be used as the business center in areas where a wide range of retail and service establishments are needed to accommodate the surrounding community.

§ 6.44.020 Permitted uses.

Premises in Zone C-3 may be used for the following principal uses, except open storage of goods and materials as an accessory to the permitted use, are subject to a valid conditional use permit:
1. 
Archery ranges, indoor.
2. 
Athletic fields.
3. 
Auction sales within an enclosed building only (not to include animals).
4. 
Auditoriums and conference rooms.
5. 
Automobile rental agencies.
6. 
Automobile repair garages, within an enclosed building only (excluding body and fender work and painting). Automobile brake shop, automobile glass shop and automobile upholstery shop.
7. 
Bakery goods distributors.
8. 
Bake shops, including baking only when incidental to retail sales from the premises.
9. 
Banks, savings and loan and credit unions.
10. 
Barber and beauty shops.
11. 
Bicycle sales and service.
12. 
Bicycle, scooter and similar vehicle rentals.
13. 
Blueprint shops.
14. 
Bookbinderies.
15. 
Bowling alleys.
16. 
Catering services, excluding truck catering depot.
17. 
Ceramics manufacturing incidental to retail sales from the premises, provided the total volume of kiln space does not exceed 16 cubic feet.
18. 
Cleaning and dyeing agencies, including incidental spotting, sponging, pressing and repairs.
19. 
Amusement devices, as defined under an arcade, not exceeding three in number.
20. 
Colleges and universities, including appurtenant facilities, giving advanced academic instruction approved by the State Board of Education or other recognized accrediting agency. All instruction and activities to be within an enclosed building.
21. 
Community social centers.
22. 
Copying, duplicating businesses.
23. 
Costume design studios.
24. 
Country clubs.
25. 
Crops; field, tree, bush, berry and row, the growing of.
26. 
Dental clinics.
27. 
Dry cleaning, self-service.
28. 
Employment agencies.
29. 
Film processing.
30. 
Fishing and casting ponds.
31. 
Fix-it shops.
32. 
Furrier shops, including alterations.
33. 
Glass edging, beveling and silvering in connection with the sale of mirrors and glass decorated furniture.
34. 
Golf courses, miniature.
35. 
Golf driving ranges.
36. 
Gymnasiums.
37. 
Hardware stores.
38. 
Ice sales, not to include ice plants.
39. 
Interior decorating shops.
40. 
Jewelry stores with incidental repairs.
41. 
Laboratories, research or testing.
42. 
Laboratories, medical and dental.
43. 
Laundries, hand.
44. 
Laundries, self-service.
45. 
Locksmith shops.
46. 
Manufacturer’s agent, carrying no inventory other than samples.
47. 
Medical clinics.
48. 
Museums.
49. 
Nursery, plants.
50. 
Offices, business and professional.
51. 
Parks, playgrounds and beaches.
52. 
Pet shops.
53. 
Photoengraving.
54. 
Photograph studios.
55. 
Plumbing shops.
56. 
Poultry markets, not to include slaughtering.
57. 
Printers or publishers.
58. 
Radio and television broadcasting studios.
59. 
Recording studios.
60. 
Reducing salons.
61. 
Restaurants and other eating establishments, excluding drive-in and drive-thru establishments.
62. 
Retail establishments.
63. 
Secondhand stores. No outside display or storage.
64. 
Shoe repair shops.
65. 
Shoeshine stands, within a building.
66. 
Skating rinks.
67. 
Stations; bus, railroad and taxi.
68. 
Swimming pools.
69. 
Tailor shops.
70. 
Wholesale businesses with samples on the premises but not to include general warehousing.
Similar uses—Other commercial or related uses by resolution of the Planning Commission or City Council, provided they are similar in character to those enumerated in this section.

§ 6.44.030 Additional uses by conditional use permit.

Premises in Zone C-3 may be used for the following purposes, provided a permit has first been obtained, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 6.64:
1. 
Air pollution sampling stations.
2. 
Arcade, provided the following mandatory conditions and standards are met and maintained at all times:
a. 
The use shall be conducted entirely within a building.
b. 
No use shall be maintained within 500 feet of any church, public or private school below grade 13, park or public playground.
c. 
Arcades shall provide full-time adult attendants or supervisors, 21 years of age or older at a ratio of one attendant/supervisor for each 10 machines plus one security guard for each 20 machines or fraction thereof. Additional attendants may be required if it is deemed necessary by the Sheriff’s Department.
d. 
No arcade may have machines available for use except between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday; and between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 midnight on Friday and Saturday.
e. 
Hours of operation must be posted in a conspicuous place.
f. 
Pay business license fees in accordance with Section 4.08.040(A)(4).
g. 
Establishments with Internet access consisting of 25% or more of the floor area shall provide a waiting area with seating equal to one seat for every four computer stations. No waiting list may be maintained beyond the seating capacity of the waiting area.
h. 
There shall be no loitering allowed around any arcade business.
i. 
Each arcade shall provide a minimum of two toilet and lavatory facilities that are accessible to customers and employees.
j. 
Any arcade operation found in violation of any federal, state or local laws related to any part of said operation shall be subject to termination pursuant to Section 6.64.070.
k. 
Any arcade that is operated in conjunction with alcohol shall require separate approval of a conditional use permit for the alcohol permit.
l. 
Conditions may be imposed.
i. 
Restricting the operation so as to protect the public health, safety and welfare, and surrounding property uses.
ii. 
Pertaining to both the construction of the facility and its maintenance so as to minimize the effect of noise, congregation, parking, and other factors generated by the use which are detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare, or the surrounding community.
3. 
Archery ranges, outdoor.
4. 
Automobile laundries, car washes, muffler shops, radiator repair shops, body and fender work and painting.
5. 
Bars and cocktail lounges.
6. 
Billiard and poolhalls.
7. 
Body treatment related business, excluding healing arts practitioners licensed pursuant to California Business and Professions Code Sections 500 through 4998.7.
8. 
Carnivals.
9. 
Churches, temples and other places of religious worship.
10. 
Circuses.
11. 
Dance halls.
12. 
Drive-in and drive-through businesses, including, but not limited to, eating establishments and service stations.
13. 
Equipment rental services, including rototillers, power mowers, sanders, power saws, cement mixers and other similar equipment.
14. 
Escort bureau.
15. 
Fortunetelling business as defined in Section 4.12.060, provided that no fortunetelling business shall be within 500 feet of the exterior walls of another fortunetelling business.
16. 
Furniture and household goods, transfer and storage.
17. 
Gas measurement stations.
18. 
Heliports.
19. 
Hospitals.
20. 
Hotels.
21. 
Lodge halls and labor temples.
22. 
Menageries.
23. 
Model homes.
24. 
Mortuaries.
25. 
Motels.
26. 
Nursery schools, subject to the provisions of Section 6.08.230.
27. 
Outdoor advertising signs.
28. 
Pawnbroker.
29. 
Parking lots and parking structures as a commercial business.
30. 
Private clubs.
31. 
Public utility service centers.
32. 
Schools, through grade 12, accredited, including appurtenant facilities which offer instruction required to be taught in the public schools by the Education Code of the State of California, and in which no pupil is physically restrained. Private schools also subject to the provisions of Section 6.08.230.
33. 
Schools, business and professional, including art, barber, beauty, dance, drama, music and swimming, also subject to the provisions of Section 6.08.230.
34. 
Shooting galleries.
35. 
Sports arenas and stadiums.
36. 
Theaters.
37. 
Trailers, recreation trailers and camper rental.
38. 
Trailer sales, not to include truck trailers.
39. 
Trucks, rental of trucks not over two-ton capacity.
40. 
Tutoring and learning centers, subject to the provisions of Sections 6.08.230 and 4.12.130.
41. 
Tattoo/body art establishments, subject to the provisions of Section 6.08.240.

§ 6.44.040 Accessory uses.

Premises in Zone C-3 may be used for accessory uses, provided such uses are established on the same lot or parcel of land, are incidental to, and do not substantially alter the character of any permitted principal use including, but not limited to:
A. 
Accessory buildings or structures.
B. 
Body and fender repair, painting and upholstering when incidental to the sale of automobiles, provided all operations other than the storage of automobiles held for sale are conducted within a building.
C. 
Storage of building materials used in the construction of a building or building project, during the construction and 30 days thereafter, including the contractor’s temporary office; provided, that any lot or parcel of land so used shall be a part of the building project, or on property adjoining the construction site.
D. 
Limited manufacturing, including fabricating, processing, packaging, treating and incidental storage related thereto, provided any such activity shall be in the same line of merchandise or service as the trade or service business conducted on the premises, and provided any such activity does not exceed any of the following restrictions:
1. 
Such activity shall be restricted to the ground floor of the building or buildings and shall not occupy more than 25% of such ground floor area.
2. 
Not more than five employees shall be engaged in such activity.
3. 
A commercial appearance shall be maintained by office or window display space or both, across all the street or highway frontage of the building or buildings, except doorways, to a depth of not less than two feet.
4. 
Any portion of the building or buildings devoted to such activity shall be not nearer than 50 feet to any residential zone.
5. 
The building shall be so constructed, the machinery and equipment shall be so installed and maintained, and the activity shall be so conducted, that all noise, vibration, dust, odor and all other objectionable factors, shall be confined or reduced to the extent that no annoyance or injury will result to persons or property in the vicinity.
6. 
Any such activity shall be conducted wholly within a completely enclosed building.
7. 
Where a conflict in interpretation occurs regarding application of these provisions to any specific case, the Commission shall make such determination.
E. 
Minor repair of used boats incidental to the sale of new boats provided all operations, other than the storage of boats held for sale, are conducted within an enclosed building.
F. 
Access to property lawfully used for purposes not permitted in Zone C-3, provided no other practical access to such property is available, and such access will not alter the character of the premises in respect to permitted uses in Zone C-3.
G. 
Antennas, towers, telecommunication facilities and their support structures pursuant to Chapter 6.88.

§ 6.44.050 Lot area and size.

Premises in Zone C-3 shall be subject to development standards prescribed in this section:
A. 
Lot Area. Each lot or parcel of land in Zone C-3 shall have a minimum lot area of not less than 7,200 square feet.
B. 
Lot Width. Each lot or parcel of land in Zone C-3 shall have a minimum lot width of not less than 60 feet.

§ 6.44.060 Height restrictions.

A. 
Height Limit. No parcel of land in Zone C-3 shall have a building or structure in excess of two stories or 35 feet in height, whichever is less.
B. 
Maximum Lot Coverage. No lot or parcel of land in Zone C-3 shall have a lot coverage by buildings or structures in excess of 50% of the lot area.

§ 6.44.070 Yard regulations.

A. 
Front Yard. The setback shall be 15 feet along all street frontages.
B. 
Side Yards. Each lot or parcel of land in Zone C-3 which has a side lot line adjoining property in a residential zone shall have a side yard of not less than 10 feet in width on the side adjoining such residential lot or parcel of land.
C. 
Rear Yard. Each lot or parcel of land in Zone C-3 which has a rear lot line adjoining property in a residential zone shall have a rear yard of not less than 10 feet in depth.

§ 6.44.080 Off-street parking.

Each lot or parcel of land in Zone C-3 shall have off-street parking and loading facilities as prescribed in Chapter 6.68.

§ 6.44.090 Fences and walls.

Each lot or parcel of land in Zone C-3 which has a side or rear lot line adjoining property in a residential zone shall have a solid masonry wall, not less than five feet in height nor more than six feet in height, established along such side and rear lot lines adjoining such zones, except the height shall not exceed three feet in height within the front yard setback area.

§ 6.44.100 Signs.

Each lot or parcel of land in Zone C-3 may have such signs as prescribed in Chapter 6.92.

§ 6.44.110 Outdoor sales, display or storage.

All sales, display and storage in the C-3 zone shall be wholly within an enclosed building except as provided in Section 6.08.220.