Zoning Districts and Purposes in the City of Concord

The City of Concord categorizes land into diverse zoning districts to implement its General Plan, ranging from rural and single-family residential areas to high-density downtown, commercial, and industrial zones. Each district serves a distinct purpose, such as preserving neighborhood character, fostering economic stability, or facilitating specialized industrial and public-service activities, while adhering to specific Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and density standards.

Residential Districts

The Concord Development Code establishes several residential districts to guide housing development:

Rural Residential (RR): Applied to areas appropriate for rural single-family development or clustered development at densities up to 2.5 units per net acre [Section 18.30.010].
Residential Single-Family (RS): Applied to single-family neighborhoods at densities of 2.5 to 10 units per net acre, generally reflecting existing development patterns [Section 18.30.010].
Residential Low Density (RL): Applied to areas appropriate for low-density residential uses, allowing a diversity of housing types like cottages, cluster homes, and duplexes at 2.5 to 10 units per net acre [Section 18.30.010].
Residential Medium Density (RM): Applied to areas suitable for attached and detached dwellings, including townhomes and row houses, at densities of 11 to 33 units per net acre [Section 18.30.010].
Residential High Density (RH): Applied to areas for compact, high-density development, including apartments and condominiums, at densities of 33 to 100 units per net acre [Section 18.30.010].

Office and Commercial Districts

These districts support the economic vitality of the City of Concord:

Community Office (CO): Provides for a mix of small-scale single and multiple-tenant businesses, professional, and medical offices in low-rise buildings compatible with adjacent residential areas, with an intensity up to 1.0 FAR [Section 18.40.010].
Commercial Mixed-Use (CMX): Facilitates an integrated mix of neighborhood commercial uses and offices up to 1.0 FAR, alongside residential uses at densities ranging from 11 to 40 units per net acre [Section 18.40.010].
Neighborhood Commercial (NC): Intended for neighborhood shopping centers at up to 0.35 FAR, also allowing residential uses on the second floor at densities up to 24 units per net acre [Section 18.40.010].
Regional Commercial (RC): Designed for regional-scale commercial uses, including regional shopping centers and big-box retail, up to 0.5 FAR [Section 18.40.010].
Service Commercial (SC): Applied to areas for commercial uses requiring higher volumes of truck traffic, such as automobile services, light industry, and contractors' yards, up to 0.8 FAR [Section 18.40.010].

Downtown Districts

Downtown districts promote pedestrian activity and high-density development:

Downtown Pedestrian (DP): Focused on the 10-block area around Todos Santos Plaza, emphasizing pedestrian-oriented commercial and mid-rise mixed-use development with FAR between 1.0 and 4.0 and densities of 33 to 100 units per net acre [Section 18.45.010].
Downtown Mixed-Use (DMX): Appropriate for a cohesive mix of high-density residential, commercial, and office uses, with FAR between 1.0 and 6.0 and residential densities of 33 to 100 units per net acre [Section 18.45.010].
West Concord Mixed-Use (WMX): Applied to areas west of downtown for a mix of schools, commercial, and industrial uses at up to 4.0 FAR; residential uses are not allowed [Section 18.45.010].

Business Park and Industrial Districts

These districts provide for economic production and service activities:

Office Business Park (OBP): Designed for campus-like office complexes at 0.8 FAR; does not allow outdoor storage or activities [Section 18.50.010].
Industrial Business Park (IBP): Supports light industrial, warehouse, and research uses at 0.8 FAR, with outdoor storage permitted if screened [Section 18.50.010].
Industrial Mixed-Use (IMX): Allows a mix of light industrial, offices, and live/work facilities at 1.0 FAR [Section 18.50.010].
Heavy Industrial (HI): Provides for manufacturing, refining, and warehousing activities that may have higher environmental impacts, at 0.6 FAR [Section 18.50.010].

Public, Community, and Study Districts

Public/Quasi-Public (PQP): Reserved for schools, hospitals, utilities, government facilities, and the airport, at 1.5 FAR [Section 18.55.010].
Community Land Districts (OS, PR, RLC, WRC, CRP-GF): Dedicated to open space, parks, recreation, and resource conservation [Section 18.60.010].
Study District (S): An interim zoning district for the Concord Reuse Project (CRP) site, pending detailed planning [Section 18.65.010].
North Todos Santos District (NTS): Intended to facilitate flexible reuse and building expansions that maintain the scale and historical character of the existing neighborhood [Section 18.35.010].

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