MENDOCINO COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE#
Title 20—Division II of The Mendocino County Code#
CHAPTER 20.004 - GENERAL#
CHAPTER 20.008 - DEFINITIONS#
CHAPTER 20.012 - USE CLASSIFICATIONS#
CHAPTER 20.016 - RESIDENTIAL USE TYPES#
CHAPTER 20.020 - CIVIC USE TYPES#
CHAPTER 20.024 - COMMERCIAL USE TYPES#
CHAPTER 20.028 - INDUSTRIAL USE TYPES#
CHAPTER 20.032 - AGRICULTURAL USE TYPES#
CHAPTER 20.036 - EXTRACTIVE USE TYPES#
CHAPTER 20.040 - ESTABLISHMENT OF ZONING DISTRICTS#
CHAPTER 20.044 - "S-R" SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.048 - "R-R" RURAL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.052 - "A-G" AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.056 - U-R UPLAND RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.060 - R-L RANGELAND DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.064 - F-L FOREST LAND DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.068 - TPZ TIMBERLAND PRODUCTION ZONING DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.072 - R-1 SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.076 - R-2 TWO-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.080 - R-3 MULTIPLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.084 - R-C RURAL COMMUNITY DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.085 - MU-2 GENERAL MIXED USE DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.086 - MUNS MIXED USE NORTH STATE DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.087 - MUBST MIXED USE BRUSH STREET TRIANGLE DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.088 - C-1 LIMITED COMMERCIAL DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.092 - C-2 GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.096 - I-1 LIMITED INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.100 - I-2 GENERAL INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.102 - P-I PINOLEVILLE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.104 - O-S OPEN SPACE DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.108 - P-F PUBLIC FACILITIES DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.112 - RESERVED#
CHAPTER 20.114 - "AZ" AIRPORT ZONE COMBINING DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.116 - "C" CLUSTER COMBINING DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.118 - "CA" CANNABIS ACCOMMODATION COMBINING DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.119 - "CP" COMMERCIAL CANNABIS PROHIBITION COMBINING DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.120 - RESERVED#
CHAPTER 20.124 - "IS" ISOLATED SERVICE COMBINING DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.128 - RESERVED#
CHAPTER 20.132 - "L" SPECIAL MINIMUM LOT SIZE COMBINING DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.134 - "MP" MINERAL PROCESSING COMBINING DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.136 - PD PLANNED DEVELOPMENT COMBINING DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.138 - "P" PLAN COMBINING DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.140 - RESERVED#
CHAPTER 20.144 - "SS" SEISMIC STUDY COMBINING DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.146 - "R" COMMERCIAL RESORT COMBINING DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.147 - COMMUNITY CHARACTER COMBINING DISTRICT#
CHAPTER 20.148 - RESERVED#
CHAPTER 20.152 - GENERAL PROVISIONS AND EXCEPTIONS DISTRICTS#
CHAPTER 20.156 - HOME OCCUPATIONS#
CHAPTER 20.160 - COTTAGE INDUSTRIES#
CHAPTER 20.164 - ACCESSORY USE REGULATIONS#
CHAPTER 20.166 - ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS AND JUNIOR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS#
CHAPTER 20.168 - TEMPORARY USE REGULATIONS#
CHAPTER 20.170 - MOVEABLE TINY HOMES#
CHAPTER 20.172 - MOBILE HOMES AND MOBILE HOME PARKS#
CHAPTER 20.176 - RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKS AND CAMPGROUNDS#
CHAPTER 20.180 - OFF-STREET PARKING#
CHAPTER 20.184 - SIGN REGULATIONS#
CHAPTER 20.188 - DEVELOPMENT REVIEW#
CHAPTER 20.190 - ADMINISTRATION#
CHAPTER 20.192 - ADMINISTRATIVE PERMITS#
CHAPTER 20.196 - USE PERMITS#
CHAPTER 20.200 - VARIANCES#
CHAPTER 20.204 - NONCONFORMING USES AND STRUCTURES#
CHAPTER 20.206 - RESERVED#
CHAPTER 20.208 - APPEALS#
CHAPTER 20.212 - AMENDMENTS TO THE GENERAL PLAN, SPECIFIC PLAN, ZONING CODE, AND ZONING MAP#
CHAPTER 20.216 - ENFORCEMENT, LEGAL PROCEDURE AND PENALTIES#
CHAPTER 20.220 - RESERVED#
CHAPTER 20.224 - RESERVED#
CHAPTER 20.228 - RESERVED#
CHAPTER 20.232 - DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS FOR BROOKTRAILS TOWNSHIP#
CHAPTER 20.234 - AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND DENSITY BONUSES#
CHAPTER 20.236 - TOWERS AND ANTENNAS#
CHAPTER 20.238 - RESERVED#
CHAPTER 20.239 - REQUESTS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS UNDER THE FAIR HOUSING ACTS#
CHAPTER 20.240 - DEVELOPMENT REVIEW WITHIN THE BRUSH STREET TRIANGLE#
CHAPTER 20.242 - CANNABIS CULTIVATION SITES#
CHAPTER 20.243 - CANNABIS FACILITIES#
APPENDIX A#
INDUSTRIAL USES WHICH NORMALLY WILL NOT REQUIRE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW#
APPENDIX B#
INDUSTRIAL USES WHICH REQUIRE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW#
APPENDIX C#
EXTERIOR NOISE LIMIT STANDARDS#
Exterior Noise Limit Standards
(Levels not to be exceeded more than thirty (30) minutes in any hour)
| Receiving Land Use Category^3,4^ | Time Period | Noise Level Standards (dBA)^1,2^ Rural/Suburban | Noise Level Standards (dBA)^1,2^ Urban/Highways^5^ |
|---|---|---|---|
| One and Two Family Residential | 10:00 p.m.—7:00 a.m. | 40 | 50 |
| 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. | 50 | 60 | |
| Multifamily | 10:00 p.m.—7:00 a.m. | 45 | 55 |
| Public Spaces | 7:00 a.m.—7:00 p.m. | 50 | 60 |
| Limited Commercial / Some Multifamily | 10:00 p.m.—7:00 a.m. | 55 | — |
| 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. | 60 | — | |
| Commercial | 10:00 p.m.—7:00 a.m. | 60 | — |
| 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. | 65 | — | |
| Light Industrial | Any time | 70 | — |
| Heavy Industrial | Any time | 75 | — |
Adjustments to Noise Level Standard
| Duration | ||
|---|---|---|
| L₅₀ | 30 minutes per hour | Standard |
| L₂₅ | 15 minutes per hour | Standard + 5 dB |
| L₀ | Maximum permissible level | Standard + 20 dB |
| Character | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tone, whine, screech, hum, or impulsive, hammering, riveting, or music or speech | Standard + 5 dB |
| Ambient Level^1^ | ||
|---|---|---|
| Existing ambient L₅₀, L₂₅ | Standard + 5 dB | |
| Existing ambient L₀ | Existing maximum |
Interpretive Footnotes
-
When an acoustical study demonstrates that ambient levels exceed the noise standard, then the ambient levels become the standard.
-
Higher noise levels may be permitted for temporary, short-term or intermittent activities when no sensitive or residential uses will be affected.
-
County staff shall recommend which receiving land use category applies to a particular project, based on the mix of uses and community noise levels. Industrial noise limits intended to be applied at the boundary of industrial zones, rather than within industrial areas.
-
The "rural/suburban" standard should be applied adjacent to noise sensitive uses such as hospitals or convalescence homes.
-
"Highways" apply to roads and highways where average daily traffic (ADT) exceeds ten thousand (10,000).
(Ord. No. 4017 (part), adopted 1998)