Table of Contents

Accessory Dwelling Units

The city’s zoning code permits internal, attached, and detached accessory dwellings by right in all districts, subject to use-specific standards. These standards address owner occupancy, units per lot, setbacks, location, unit size, architectural design, entrances and stairs, maximum unit occupancy, parking, compliance with applicable codes, sewer and water connections, subdivision, and recording (§601.2).

Content-Neutral Sign Regulation

The city’s zoning code includes sign regulations amended in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Reed v. Town of Gilbert. It regulates signs on private property (§801.01 et seq.) differently than signs on public property (§802.01 et seq.). These regulations maintain distinctions between commercial (§801.18) and noncommercial speech (§801.18) and on- and off-premises signs. The zoning code maintains message neutrality by not giving preferential treatment to commercial speech over noncommercial speech and by not regulating protected noncommercial speech by message content (§801.11).

Downtown Revitalization

The city’s zoning code includes downtown core and edge districts (§401) where preservation and increased density are simultaneously supported. The zoning code establishes four zoning classifications and detailed lot and area standards (§401.07-B), setback requirements, height standards, and district regulations (§401.8-B).

Solar Energy

The city's zoning code provides use regulations for solar energy systems (§601.24). There are no limits to the number of modules that may comprise a solar energy system, though solar energy industrial systems for commercial applications are not permitted; ground-mounted systems are not considered accessory buildings. Standards address location, height, and setbacks for roof-mounted, ground-mounted, and pole-mounted systems. The zoning code also defines each of these three types of systems (§201.2). Solar energy systems are permitted as accessory uses in all districts (App. A).