The City of Gilroy is kicking off an introduction to the update of the City’s Zoning Ordinance, on Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers.
Background: In November 2020, the City Council adopted the Gilroy 2040 General Plan. The General Plan represents the City of Gilroy’s view of its future and expresses the community’s vision and guiding principles for development over a 20-year horizon. While the General Plan sets forth a wide-ranging and long-term vision for the City, the Zoning Ordinance specifies how each individual property can be used to achieve those objectives. The last major update to the City’s Zoning Ordinance (City Code Chapter 30) was in 2013. Since that time, only minor amendments have been proposed, primarily to address state legislation that affect City regulations (e.g., Accessory Dwelling Units).
General Overview: The proposed update will include a new format intended to make the zoning code more user-friendly by clarifying or revising language to limit misinterpretation and revising and adding figures to better depict standards. In addition, the update responds to community goals identified in the General Plan, including but not limited to housing needs and downtown revitalization.
Public Review Meetings, Public Comments: The draft Zoning Ordinance will be organized into ten (10) Articles. Given the length and complexity of the Zoning Ordinance, the draft will be developed and presented to the general public, the Planning Commission, and the City Council, over a series of public meetings.
The Planning Commission will hold the first public meeting on September 5th. During this meeting, staff will introduce the following administrative sections of the Zoning Ordinance. Enactment and Administration Application Procedures Planning Permit Procedures Nonconforming Uses and Structures.
Future meetings will introduce the more substantive sections of the Zoning Ordinance, including allowed uses and development standards, standards applicable to all zones, and standards for specific land uses.