Comprehensive Zoning Code Update

The City of Santa Ana has embarked on a comprehensive update to its Zoning Code to realize the community-based vision adopted in the City’s General Plan.  The Zoning Code is a set of regulations that define how land can be developed and used. Such regulations create neighborhoods and districts that meet residents’ needs and provide places for businesses to thrive.

Why update the Zoning Code now?

The current Zoning Code was last updated in the 1960s. Now is the time to modernize it, embrace best practices, reflect new State laws, and take the next step to implement the General Plan.

How does the Zoning Code implement the General Plan?

The General Plan established a vision for the City’s future that states:

Santa Ana is a city that promotes the health and wellness of all residents, with a civic culture that actively embraces the power of diversity. Our city invests in resources that create economic opportunities for the next generation, and it is a community that celebrates our past while working together to create a sustainable future.

Through the Comprehensive Zoning Code Update, the City will adopt zoning districts, permitted uses, and standards to create new and maintain existing neighborhoods and areas that realize the vision.

What is the focus of the Comprehensive Zoning Code Update?

The focus of the Comprehensive Zoning Code Update is citywide and the City anticipates various types of changes in different areas. Some areas will remain largely unchanged, such as well-established residential neighborhoods with a high quality of life. In other areas, changes that are more significant are expected. For example, the General Plan envisions high-density residential development in targeted mixed-use high-opportunity areas. Also, the City anticipates changes where industry and sensitive receptors are in close proximity to each other to minimize land use conflicts and promote development of jobs-rich uses.