Light Rail Station Ordinance and General Plan Amendment

Overview

The Light Rail Station Ordinance was adopted by City Council on September 28, 2004 (Ordinance 2004-052).

The proposed Light Rail Station General Plan Amendment adds policies that support the recommendations of the Transit for Livable Communities (TLC) project. Council approved the TLC recommendations on October 15, 2002 and directed staff to prepare an interim ordinance to preserve development appropriate for these transit areas. The Light Rail Station Ordinance regulates certain non-transit supportive uses within a ¼ mile radius of existing and general plan designated light rail stations. The Light Rail Station Ordinance is intended to provide a review of key uses on a case-by-case basis and ensure that development around light rail stations is pedestrian friendly and will support light rail transit ridership.

Light Rail Station Ordinance Summary

Most of the land areas along the light rail corridors, identified in the Transit for Livable Communities (TLC) Study, have light industrial or commercial zoning that allows, by right, uses that are not considered transit supportive. The Light Rail Station Ordinance is intended to provide a review of key uses on a case-by-case basis and ensure that new development (buildings built after adoption the ordinance) within ¼ mile of light rail stations is pedestrian friendly and will support light rail transit ridership.

The Light Rail Station Ordinance requires a Planning Commission Special Permit for a limited list of new commercial and industrial uses within a quarter mile of those stations on the Northeast and South Light Rail Lines that were studied under the Transit for Livable Communities project.

The new development of the following land uses now requires a special permit in all zoned properties within ¼ mile of a light rail station platform along the Northeast and South Line corridors:

  1. Auto Sales (new or used), service, repair, storage, or rental
  2. Cleaning Plant (Commercial)
  3. Equipment rental sales yard
  4. Laundry Plant (Commercial)
  5. Mini Storage/ Locker Building
  6. Nursery
  7. Service Station
  8. Wholesale Stores and Distributors over 6400 square feet

The ordinance is similar to the interim ordinance that was adopted for 65th Street University Transit Village before the Land Use plans at that station area were adopted.

A Planning Commission Special Permit does not prohibit these land uses but instead requires a review and approval by the Planning Commission. The new ordinance will include approval criteria to determine if a Special Permit should be issued for a new use.

Existing buildings and land uses are exempt from the ordinance (except for expansions or additions, which will require a Planning Directors Plan Review) and allow uses to continue operations.

Expansions or additions to new development, which have been issued a special permit under the ordinance, would be allowed with a special permit modification. In the event of major damage, for example a fire, to an existing or new development, the building(s) can be rebuilt by right for the same use.

The ordinance also include, for uses that do not already have them, definitions for each of the listed land uses.

The ordinance allows residential uses within C-4, M-1, M-1(s), M-2, and M-2(s) zones within ¼ mile of a light rail transit stations; subject to a special permit.

Light Rail Ordinance Staff Report (PDF)

Contact Information

Fedolia "Sparky" Harris, Senior Planner
Transportation Planning

Department of Transportation

New City Hall

915 I Street, 2nd Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 808-2996

fharris@cityofsacramento.org